Street Sweeper Social Club

STREET SWEEPER SOCIAL CLUB - HOW IS IT?
I know that SSSC MC Boots Riley has tweeted that they are not the "new Rage Against The Machine, we're the new Sly & The Family Stone. With a plan." I don't know that they're quite Sly & The Family Stone, but they are more funky than Rage, and a bit more fun. They're just as "politcal," but Rage's Zach de la Rocha just never lightens up, and Boots clearly enjoys the fact that he is a great frontman. He knows you can dance to revolutionary music, an idea that Zach probably isn't super into. I think half the album is great, the other half is good, and I am definitely looking forward to their next album. I don't know if Tom is going to do another Nightwatchman album and if Boots will work with The Coup before doing another Street Sweeper record. Read more at my not-for-profit, just-for-the love blog, No Expiration (on blogspot).

Morello, Riley, and the SSSC
This is a great effort from the camp of Morello & Riley. You hear the familiar Tom Morello guitar style, but with a different rap kind of beat. Boots Riley contributes to the albumn greatly and the songs are really catchy. When I went to the website to listen to the new material, they were featuring the song Promenade. It's not bad, but the rest of the albumn has some really awesome tracks. Buy this albumn if you like Tom Morello and the music he makes. It's a refreshing departure from his Nightwatchman role.

All the Energy of RATM, Plus Unexpected Musical Flairs
This album is full of pump-you-up, blast it as loud as you can stand anthems. As others have noted, this album makes really outstanding driving music. On its surface, it's musically very similar to Rage, but under the surface there are these great musical flairs ("gang" vocals, occasionally even harmony vocals, more nuanced and not so in-your-face guitar work, complex clap tracks) that keep me coming back for more. The opening acoustic guitar licks on "Good Morning Mrs. Smith" are a great example. Also, I'm not familiar with Boots' other work, but his laid-back sincere rapping here perfectly undercuts Tom Morello's more aggressive guitar work. I find that the album starts off with some of the worst songs rapwise though (he just feels a little rushed and uncomfortable), so if it's not doing anything for you, check out some of the later tracks where he feels a little more behind the beat and falls into the groove more comfortably.

aww man why are they still trying to mix rap and rock?
im sorry, but I think rap is just bad music in the first place, theres nothing worse than an [...] with an overinflated ego, telling you about politics or the streets. Its so cliche and lame anymore. How many songs can you write about the government and still have an interesting song? If you're so mad at the system, then shut the [...] up and start a civil war or something. Otherwise play me somthing else. This would've been good if Tom Morello was on here by himself, or with a good singer. But hell I didnt really like Rage Against The Machine that much either. I alwsys thought the singer was annoying with the rapping and political regurgitation. Tom Moreello was the only reason I ever bought any rage albums.

SSSC's First Album
It's awesome. The superb guitar skills of Morello and the hiphop-rock vocals of Riley combine to make an amazing album. Tracks are lined up well and flow smoothly. Not personally going to top Rage Against the Machine for me, but definitely worth buying and rocking out to.