Somewhere at the intersection of indie hip hop, rock and nerdcore culture you will find Charlotte's premiere live hip hop band, The ThoughtCriminals. Having opened for indie stalwarts Mr. Dibbs, Ceschi, Astronautalis and Bleubird their indie hip hop credibility is firmly intact - yet they also feel comfortable effortlessly blazing stages with nerdcore heroes MC Frontalot, Random (AKA Mega Ran) and Dual Core. Their lead MC, Mikal kHill, often uses an 8-bit NES system in live performances, and has also been credited with contributions on Sage Francis' live album, "Road Tested". Never content with stagnation, they've also shared the stage wth Prayers for Atheists, an activist punk band, as well as many other local and national bands of wildly varying genres. Inspired by everything from George Orwell and Public Enemy to 8-bit video game soundtracks and Elliott Smith, The ThoughtCriminals provide a wide musical landscape through which to journey on their current EP "Still Standing". Featuring tracks that range from contemporary hip hip to nerdcore, with an emphasis on melody and hard drums, "Still Standing" is a must-have for anyone with an eye towards creative music with no boundaries.
http://schedule.sxsw.com/events/event_MS12799
