Localized: The Mugshots

This month’s Localized will feature The Reaper, The Mugshots and opening act Lavish on Friday, Jan. 12 at the Urban Lounge. It’s a show that shouldn’t be missed.

The Mugshots

“Tell them we like long walks and puppies,” the members of The Mugshots told me. Alright, but after listening to the Mugshots’ new album, On XTC & Valium 1, I’m not buying that for a second. The Mugshots are Bloswick and XV, hetero life partners who have been laying down some very tight grooves for the past eight months. While some bands might be just getting things going after that long, the Mugshots have already released one album and have kept busy playing gigs weekly with their man on the tables, DJ Dizzy, and their producer, Grizzy.

The Mugshots don’t just sound angry, they sound pissed off, but they also sound great. Their interaction is perfect, which is not surprising, since they wrote everything on the album together. The beats on On XTC are fantastic thanks to the contributions of the talents of Brisk, Blessed, Lam, Eddie Butta, Grizzy and Handsome Hands. The attention to detail is great; the little extras sprinkled throughout every track means that you’ll hear a little something new during each verse. The layers and use of instruments as colors on the canvas are very well done. The production of the songs is immaculate; there’s so much to listen to and everything supports the lyrics, making the entire album sound natural and effortless.

So what makes Bloswick and XV tick? Besides keeping up on the underground scene, they point back to the classics like Notorious, Cool G Rap and Red Man. These artists have inspired them to put their minds on tape. “I want to thank everyone who’s been making it to our shows,” Bloswick said, “and ABH for having patience.”

In fact, they were both quick to point to their families as sources of great support. “I want to thank Sabrina, my brother and Jason,” XV said.

Besides the Localized show, the Mugshots are opening up for R.A. the Rugged Man at Monk’s on Jan. 25. R.A. even makes an appearance on the album as well. After a show in 2006, Bloswick asked him to dart over to Self Expressions studio and put his magic down on “Mob Song,” the third track from On XTC. Several of the songs have featured guests, another thing that keeps the tracks sounding different as the album unfolds. Their Myspace page is still under development, but XV is quick to point out that there is going to be an update as soon as he or Bloswick learn how to use a computer. “We do a lot of flyers,” Bloswick said. “That’s so old school.”