Patchwork with precision

You may want to get out some scratch paper and a pencil to help you keep track of and understand the complexity of the origins of “Geto Boys” by Portland’s electro-duo Glass Candy. This collage of a track samples The Geto Boys’ 1991 narrative rap hit “My Mind Playing Tricks On Me,” which was built around a sample from Isaac Hayes’ 1974 jam “Hung Up On My Baby.” Oh yeah, and the lyrics in this track are the lyrics from none other than James “Sugar Boy” Crawford’s 1953 tune “Iko Iko.” I know what you’re thinking, it seems like Glass Candy didn’t do a whole lot here besides stitch together other artists’ work. Au contraire, mon frère. With “Geto Boys,” Glass Candy blends together many different moods and musical styles and creates something entirely new. Think of this track as a musical smoothie. Sure, strawberries, bananas, milk, and yogurt are all great on their own. But when you mix them all together, you’ve got liquid gold.

Producer Johnny Jewel is a sampling and mixing maestro, willing together the beats from decades apart into a seamless wave of grooves. Vocalist Ida No strays from Sugar Boy’s classic ‘50s campy tone and goes for an echoing version of the half singing, half talking style made popular with Debbie Harry’s performance in Blondie’s “Rapture.” This track’s old school roots give it a refreshing retro feel, bringing something new to the electro-pop discipline. You can hear the history in this song: simple lyrics from the ‘50s, groovy ‘70s guitar riffs, and funky ‘90s rap beats, all tied up in a neat package from whatever the hell we call the decade we’re in now. Teens? ‘10s? Who knows? All you need to know is that Glass Candy knows how to make heads bob.