Joey Batts & Them is a five-piece alternative hip-hop band based out of Connecticut. The band, comprised of Joey on vocals, Tony Volpe on guitar, John Dotson on bass, Marty Wirt on keys and Mike “Beatwiz” Spellman on drums and percussion, is taking the live hip hop scene by storm. Joey Batts never takes no for an answer – you either love his sound right away, or his voice kidnaps you until you change your mind.
Joey Batts & Them move from party pioneers and doodle-rhyme mad scientists to liberal social commentators…sometimes all in the same song! Joey’s rhymes come fast and furious – some brilliant, some throwaway- but rapid enough to make you know you missed some and need to listen again…and again.
These hip hop troubadours take it to another level, making vivacious beats with innovative keyboard melodies and guitar riffs which are perfectly meshed together with some hard-hitting drums and groovy basslines – all regular and real instrumentation.
If you have a penchant for those artists who push the creative envelope, and are seemingly capable of capturing lightning in a bottle, then this is your hiphop band! The album “Fandalize” will make you want to roll down the windows of your pick-up, turn up the volume, and get your head bobbin’ all the way down the road. You probably haven’t bought an album that makes you feel like this in a long while. The 10 tracks on this album are very catchy, with some of the most sharp-witted rapping ever.
It’s a really fun ride listening to all the different ways these guys have gone in their musical explorations on this album – they are easily among the most creative and sharp alternative hiphop musicians out there! Standouts like “Party At My Place”, “#Bestie”, “Stick A Sticker”, “Red Lights”, “Punch-Out!”, “On The Road” and “Thank You”, will be enough to convince of the brilliance of this band. They’re so full of energy and groove that you’ll want to stand up and come up with some rhymes of your own.
This is a perfectly conceived and executed album. It is a rollercoaster, covering all the bases. It rocks, it grooves, it’s definitely East coast, yet there are some West coast influences fighting to blend it. Without being overtly socio-political, Joey Batts’ rhymes are razor-sharp, constructing full-bodied narratives and evocative portraits of characters, places and events.
Musically, few hip-hop records have ever been so rich; it’s not just the real live instruments, it’s the flow of each song and the album as a whole, culminating in a widescreen aural experience, ready for any rock arena; complete with catchy sing-alongs and anthemic chants.
“Fandalize” by Joey Batts & Them arrives at a time when many are wondering if rap and hiphop can last beyond mainstream gimmickry, samples and loops. They have delivered a completely untraditional hip hop album, where they play all their own instruments and have coalesced it into one flawlessly balanced alternative rock-rap album, filled with energy and fun-filled vibes!
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