Customer Reviews

Swax

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

All right, for those of you who don't know already, several tracks on this CD are rereleases from the original album, "Okeeblow". Something most people don't realize is that the label that Scapegoat Wax was using closed (as is mentioned in one of the songs even!!), thus a re-release and a self-titled album is more-or-less standard practice, and I find that fine, as they are not the same recordings as the original tracks. The tracks that are re-releases have all been re-recorded (MUCH cleaner recording, significant improvement in the audio quality) and have even had their lyrics updated: "...I'm still trippin' off my ex-girlfriend, we broke up *five years ago last week*..." (instead of three years, when it was first released). All in all, for anyone who enjoyed Okeeblow, you should enjoy this album immensely!

What do space-age soul, super fun hip-hop, and XBOX have in common? Not much on the surface, huh? Well as silly as this sounds, I've had a song stuck in my head. A song I heard in a video game. I know, I know...what a world we live in when the best stuff you hear anymore is brought to you by Microsoft (those people do EVERYTHING!). Anyway, a few years back I played JET SET FUTURE RADIO for XBOX...the songtrack included the very catchy "Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)" and inside my brain it germinated. Then last week, the ultra hip seed germinated and I bought the CD (for cheap) from Amazon.com. Now, four days later I cannot stop listening to it (I had to loan my copy out to my sis just to escape it's clutches).

Scapegoat Wax is hard to describe. On the first track, singer/rapper Marty James asks the all important question: "Do I rap, or do I sing?" Good question-BOTH! Scapegoat Wax's sound is vaguely reminicent of Jamiroquai. Funky, soul filled hip-hop sounding rock, dig it? The raps are there, to be sure, but I wouldn't call it a rap record. "Space to Share" sounds like something John Mayer or Jack Johnson could have written, while "Bloodsweet" has more than a trace Prince in it. The super sweet, electronic grooves of "Freeway" and "Crawlin" are so smooth, it's almost criminal (a 'smooth criminal' if you will). This is one of those great, undiscoverd indie treasures that you hear and shake your head and think:"Why isn't THIS on MTV? Why is this not a number one?" I've gone through every single song as my "favorite" song...that's always a good sign...every track really is that strong. If you like pop, rock, disco, hip-hop (the friendly kind), reggaee, or soul music you NEED to get this album right now.

This Wax is hot!

I bought SWAX just for the hell of it, i'd never heard anything that Scapegoat Wax (Marty James) had ever done before. When i listened to this cd i was SHOCKED -- SWAX combines ill pseudo-rap style rhymes with unforgiving emotion, and precise instrumentals - This album is unclassifiable (unless excellent is a category) - songs range from new school hip hop, to acoustic tracks, to rock tracks laced with amazing rhymes.

If you want something that will blow your mind after you have smoked a joint, SWAX will do it and more. It is one of the few CD's that sounds excellent the first time you listen to it, and the fact that this guy (who spits viscious rhymes with uncensorec emotion) is not one of the top acts in america shows how musically shallow we are as a nation. Damn it!

Look, SWAX is a great CD, dont deprive yourself of its musical splendor.

Nick
mp3.com/Term1nal

I have a similar story as the reviewer below me. I was playing Jet Set Radio future (Xbox), and time passed in the game, I became more and more in love with the euphoric and diverse soundtrack. the track that first caught my ear however, was Aisle 10 (Hello Alison), by Scapegoat Wax. A few internet searches later, I was listening to an album that seemed almost as varied, but strikingly similar to that of Jet Set Radio Future soundtrack. Not that these two albums shared any similar sound qualities, but that each album seemed to travel over genre gaps and not try to keep itself in any defined listening range.

SWAX is more clean and "Pop" than Marty James' (the lead singer and brainchild behind the group) previous album, Okeeblow. In fact, there are many of the same songs, but with different samples or more polished recordings. Even if you have listened to Okeeblow, pick up SWAX simply because the group refines an already great album to something even more addictive. If you've never listened to the group, I also highly recommend the album simply because the group never really defines its genre, so most people can find at least a few songs that they enjoy.

The follow up to Okeeblow, Marty does a great job of sticking to his original formula and expanding his musical mind. It is so rare to find an album that touches all genres and does it with out making a mess.

If you are a fan of Scapegoat Wax then you defintiely need to pick this album up. This is really a great album that should not go unoticed.

Picked this album up on a whim after hearing Aisle 10 on a video game soundtrack. At first listen you may think its a mix tape of obscure songs from other bands, but really its Marty James very liberal borrowing of other more established artists. In a 12 track album you get sorta SmashMouth, sorta Beck, sorta Sublime, sorta Eminem, sorta Eagle Eye Cherry, sorta Prince and others. Nice tributes or a glaring lack of originality? Could be either.

But despite its lack of new material the album is very enjoyable. It's the kinda of music that works great at parties with it's good mix of styles and catchy melodies that can stick in your head. The album really grew on me and sits nicely amongst my other albums of bands in obscurity.

I loved the first album, "Okeeblow" - and was stoked to get this new one, "Swax".  Little did I know it only had 5 new songs on it.  The rest of the 7 songs were from the first ablum.  What a ripoff.  See the list of songs below, ones with an asterisk "*" are from the first album.  So I wouldn't waste your money on this full album when you're really only getting 5 new songs.  Granted the songs are good and I still like them, but come on guys....
 
Disc Info:
Scapegoat Wax / Swax

Tracks on this CD
-----------------
Back Alive
Watching The Rain
Lost Cause
*Crawlin'
*Freeway
Bloodsweet
*Space To Share
*Eardrum
*Perfect Silence
*Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)
*Almost Fine
Both My Friends

Scapegoat Wax offers nothing new to the world of music. With lyrics like: "The rain is beatin' on your front porch / My main source of desperation is the memory torch," no one can take it seriously in the loosest sense. The "muscians" on this sound very amatuer-ish, in that there are playing simple timings that carry over to each track. Although it is nice to have a mixture of different genres of music on an album, this album does nothing but copy every other Cali rock/rap/pop group.

While some lines are very catchy and you can't help but to tap your foot. This CD offers a listener nothing more than a casual listen, giving a person no real reason to purchase this album. One song by S.W. I enjoy is "Freeway" on Okieblow, is has a soft groove, that even the chessy lyrics overcome.