Rapdragons - Featuring Baltimore (Ltd Comp)

Ever since I interviewed these guys last year, I've been intrigued by their plan to feature a different Baltimore band on every track of their 2nd album; I talked about the record in my WYPR spring music preview and also posted a live version of one of the tracks. Then the album finally arrived, and is available for free download at the Ltd Comp site, but it took me a minute to getting around to checking it out. It was worth the wait, though, and I definitely feel like it's a far better album than their debut, really shows their ability to chop samples interestingly, and all the different kinds of bands they sample give them a really broad sonic palette to work with. If you follow the Baltimore rock scene at all, you're probably familiar with some of these bands, like Beach House, Ponytail, Double Dagger, Arbouretum, but even if you're not, this works really well as just a laid back stoner rap album. Rapdragons will perform at the Baltimore Rap Round Robin this Saturday, should be an awesome show.

Rapdragons f/ AK and Hanna Badalova - "Rap'n'Roll" (mp3)
This song samples the Art Department, a band I really like that are also about to release a new album. In a weird way it makes sense to me that Rapdragons would sample the Art Department because I interviewed both groups in the same year, at the same bar. AK from AK Slaughter guests on this track, and they'll also be at the Round Robin.

Labels: AK Slaughter, mixtape/album review, mp3, Rapdragons