Somewhere along the path of indie rap fame, rappers get a wild hair that it is time for them to start feeling on some tattooed alt-boobies and they form a band or sample Radiohead. Sure they pass it off as “challenging themselves” or “feeling constricted with hip hop” or “admitting to owning Nevermind as a shorty,” but it's transparent jargon that can be debased to facing the cold truth that girls don't attend hip hop shows. They go to rock shows.
Busdriver is one of the few hip hop artists that transcends the “vagina void” at rap shows. If I get into a conversation with a girl who likes “indie-rap,” Busdriver's name is regularly grouped with the indie-girl standards of Aesop Rock, Cage and Atmosphere. Since Busdriver probably gets his fair share of alt-boobies, I'm less inclined to distrust his motivations in forming a band with former Mae Shi, Bad Dudes and Silver Daggers members.
Physical Forms is comprised of Busdriver, Jeff Byron (formerly of the Mae Shi), drummers Marcus Savino (the Mae Shi, Silver Daggers, Bad
Dudes) , Kevin Lenhart (Division Day) and keyboardist/bassist Marty
Sataman (formerly of Bad Dudes, Silver Daggers). The group's moniker is possibly inspired by a Freestyle Fellowship song title, which would make Physical Forms the second group to debut a FF referential name in the past month's time.
“Wax On” is the b-side to an upcoming-7″ split that features Busdriver doing the rhyming-thing over a Deerhoof instrumental on the a-side. The 7″ is appropriately titled Hoofdriver, although we totally would have been down with DeerBus. Who's to say if “Wax On” is indicative of Physical Forms impending sound, but the Mae Shi influence is heavy. The debut is laced in anthemic chorale joy over squishy, jelly-sweet synths and post-punk jangle. I'm also in favor of the band's self-written description of “a zany hybrid of Kids Incorporated, aged arena rock and some form of DIY scene abandonment.”
Hoofdriver is out November 5 on Polyvinyl Records. Only 1000 copies made.
Physical Forms is currently working on its debut full length. If you're in LA as you read this, tonight (November 4) Physical Forms is playing The Smell with Figurine (members of DNTL and The Postal Service), Contemporary Casuals (members of Boom Bip and The Red Hot Chili Peppers) and XBXRX – collaboration bonanza!
