I wonder if Buck 65 ever gets tired of being called the Tom Waits of hip-hop? It isn’t just his gravelly-throated vocal style that earns him the comparison. It isn’t his macabre and often humorous tales of strange characters in desperate situations. And it isn’t his whole “solitary man with the world weary heart of a romantic making his way through life with a wry grin and a stiff drink” getdown either. Well, yeah actually, it is precisely those three things that often garner the comparison. But it’s a bit simplistic to sum up Buck’s music by saying it’s TW set to fat beats. Buck 65 is a rebel in the truest sense. He looks like an indie kid, but completely eschews the wimpy trappings of the genre in favor of a more rugged, dispassionate approach to songwriting. Maybe he’s John Steinbeck set to a fat beat? But hip-hoppers wouldn’t automatically love Buck either. His rhymes are pretty cerebral, and although the delivery has swagger, he’s also pretty quirky. Hell, his previous record, Secret House Against the World was practically a folk album. Situation, Buck’s newest, brings him back to the sound I’ve been waiting to hear more of.

I first heard the man’s music on 2003’s Talkin’ Honky Blues. I try not to overuse the phrase, “I was blown away”, but that’s precisely what I was. It was like Ry Cooder, DJ Shadow, and yes, Tom Waits in a perfect cocktail of desolation, introspection, and love. Love songs about his father, his late mother, lovers from the past, his dog, and the road. God, is that record good. Check out “Wicked and Weird” down below. When I finally saw a picture of the guy behind music (see above), it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. Music’s great like that. You conjure your own mental images based on a sound…sometimes you get it just right, sometimes you couldn’t be more wrong.

Situation is definitely going on my year’s end list of favorite albums from 2007. I’m already sure of that. It’s definitely the most “hip-hop” Buck 65’s ever sounded. But it’s got his own twist, and that’s why it’s so worth listening to. Give a listen to “The Rebel” in the player below. I hope Buck is active for a very long time. He’s an artist with a lot of creativity and a unique voice to express it. When people tell you that music today’s in the shitter, tell them to shutup and listen to this guy. Buck’s on tour right now, and he just might be passing through your town. Peep his Myspace page for tour dates and catch him if you can.

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If you enjoy these tunes, tune into my radio show on kxlu 88.9fm 10a-2p every monday. we’re also streaming live at www.kxlu.com.