It’s a hard thing to say, but these past few years have been good for rap rock?! It’s true. Enough time has gone down between the assumed death of the first wave of rap rock and the present day that a new generation of rap rockers has been set upon the masses who bear not the emotional and mental scars of having lived through the original phase of the genre.

Just saw JUICEBOXXX the other day. Motherfucker was rap rocking! JP’s WHIP APPEAL played the same show. They’re one of the best bands in the city, and they play rap rock. I saw DC’s SNEAKS last night and what was Eva doing with her bass guitar and drum machine? She was playing rap rock. And she was amazing. GUERILLA TOSS. SKIMASK. Lots of other examples I’m not going to get into.

What the fuck is happening here? A genre phoenix rises.

Let’s finally get down to it: SLEAFORD MODS. An incredible band who may very well be the Hassle’s collectively, objectively single favorite artist performing today. Check the love.

Punk rap. GUIDED BY VOICES. ED SCHRADER’S MUSIC BEAT. There’s no other band out there today that’s cooler just being themselves. Simple. Powerful. Catchy as fuck. And they have a new record, KEY MARKETS, out on HARBINGER SOUND. “Tarantula Deadly Cargo” is off that record. And above is the video for that song from Simon Parfrement. Straight chilling. Head bobbing. Infectious. That guitar loop is majorly hypnotic. Another one from one of the best. Tried to bring them over for Hassle Fest 7 later this year, but no go. One of these days. Punk as fuck.