Artist Tuesday: Gym Class Heroes

It's a snowy, cold, Tuesday. Let's get amped up with a hyper artist, hm?

Gym Class Heroes



Wikipedia tells you:
Gym Class Heroes are an American band from Geneva, New York. The group formed when Travis "Schleprok" McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley and decided to make a band. After the addition of guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts, they were signed to Decaydance Records, on which they released the gold-selling album As Cruel as School Children.

I tell you:
I can’t even start on how much I love Gym Class Heroes. On a scale of one to awesome, they're the shit. (See "New Friend Request") I’m a fan of rap music, I’ll tell you that. I don’t mind listening to an hour of “WHERE MY HOES ATTTT?” and will be rocking my head along all the time. But GCH isn’t that rap. Occasionally, they’ll talk about how hot a girl is. But mostly, they talk about issues that a lot of teens/young adults face, with a hint of humor and great rhyming. I honestly believe they are literary artists. Every song is well-written and put together amazingly. These are the kind of lyrics you paste up on your monitor to look at every day.

I’m lucky enough to have both the hugely popular As Cruel as School Children as well as GCH’s earlier The Papercut Chronicles. (I haven't gotten their newest, The Quilt, yet, but from what I heard...well, that'll be an album review.) They’re both great, and I suggest at least having a listen to either of them. As Cruel as School Children is a lot more composed and, honestly, done a bit better than The Papercut Chronicles. Papercut is more raw, more feeling and lyrics written on napkins, than the more produced School Children. As stated, they both still rock.

Notwithstanding that I have a talent-crush on Travis McCoy, he’s a genius. But he’s also a regular guy. He’s not trying to wine and dine girls or take them on jets wherever they want to go. (I’m looking at YOU, T.I.) He just wants to live life. McCoy talks about the life of musicians a lot, and it’s a nice insight to a lifestyle I didn’t know about. “7 Weeks” on School Children is a great song, talking about touring and what goes on. Beyond that, McCoy talks about his insecurities—how he was never good at anything but music. That resonates with a lot of us who are only good at one thing. “Shoot Down The Stars” is a must-listen and it’s a good inspiration for all of us.

There are songs that will make you sob on these albums, like “Faces In The Hall” on Papercut. It’s about a boy who is gay and his girlfriend, who both meet bad ends.”So Long Friend” is another that will make you tear up. But with the meaningful songs, GCH has a tendency to know how to take a joke and poke fun at themselves. They have a sense of humor and put it into their songs. “Scandalous Scholastics” is about a kid having a relationship with a teacher, and it is hilarious.

Long ranting about how amazing they are short, everyone needs to listen to Gym Class Heroes. And not just “Cupids Chokehold.” I deliver.

"Papercuts" on Youtube

"Faces In The Hall" on Youtube

I don't know what new album I'll be reviewing this week, but I'll let you know soon.