New on the main stream, Gym Class Heroes are taking the charts by storm. A band influenced by Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights, as well as The Roots, they are challenging and creating a new sound contrary to main stream hip hop. Their latest singles, “Cupid’s Chokehold” and “New Friend Request” (a comic spoof on the MySpace craze), open a range of sounds that the listener can’t exactly place into any one particular music genre.

The band was formed out of Geneva, New York, by leading singer Travis McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley in 1997 while they were still in high school, which explains the high school-esque sound to many of their singles on their independent releases as well as later music produced by Decaydance Records. Combining a punk rock sound with smooth hip hop beats and lyrics adds to the original sound for which GCH is known. In addition, the comic relief in their music shows the variety of talent that goes into creating their musical style.

If you’re looking for a refreshing new sound, I highly recommend the EP by Gym Class Heroes As Cruel as School Children released by Decaydance Records. GCH will be on Gwen Stefani’s “The Sweet Escape” tour featuring Akon in Summer 2007.

Interested in more music by GCH? Look for previously independently released EPs including Hed Candy (1999) and The Papercut Chronicles (2004).

Posted in Hip Hop/Rap, Indy Bands, Music, Rock |