El-P may be the maverick visionary of preeminent indie hip-hop label
Definitive Jux, but
Aesop Rock is currently its superstar. Boasting a ridiculously fluid double-time flow and enough hallucinatory wordplay to confound
Bill Burroughs, Aes Rock has built a rapid cult following since his Def Jux debut,
Labor Days, and now his new album
None Shall Pass is a top-ten indie record store hit and MTV gets to pretend he's their Artist Of The Month and stuff like that. Rock plays Emo's outside stage tomorrow night, and the bill is stacked; Blockhead, who produced Labor Days, will be onhand to provide some DJ magic, and Pennsylvania shroomheads Black Moth Super Rainbow are sure to dazzle with some spiritual synth-keyboard-vocoder explorations.
If there is a show to see this weekend - this would be it. As much as I'd like him to remain under the radar, I guess its time Aes gets his due; even if it is recognized by MTV. I guess it just means we have to deal with that new half of the crowd that will totally look out of place at Emos and complaining about how nasty the bathroom is.