The KnuxI used to be quite enthusiastic about hip-hop, but in the last five or so years it just seems to have gotten pretty crappy — more and more simplistic ring-toney bluster and less and less creativity. (You kids get off my lawn!) I rarely have the patience to wade through new stuff to find what’s good any more.

But The Knux, a new duo out of Hollywood (via New Orleans), has gotten deafening hype, so I checked them out. And there is no shortage of creativity — their debut album, Remind Me In 3 Days, is a mish-mash of old-school De La-style hip-hop, Stooges punk, funk, crooning, jazz, and godknowswhatelse. It’s like Outkast meets … a used record store.

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I haven’t fully gotten my head around the album yet — always a good sign — but this song seems particularly apropos for our historic moment. We’re a cappuccino nation now!

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