Gazzo Ft. Farewell Inspire

You know a group is ripe for a blog review when they drop a "˜2 Girls 1 Cup' reference within 30 seconds of their E.P. starting. And the vulgarity and hilarity keep plugging along full steam for the rest of the immensely clever and funny opener "˜M.A.N.B.I.T.C.H.,' an extravaganza that also manages to seriously challenge gender stereotypes. "˜1-2-3-Go!' is another excellent hip-hop jam meant to get you moving. The first two tracks from these three Oakland girls are hella clean energetic hip-hop numbers full of attitude and wit, but the last two tracks mostly fall flat.

"˜Fifteen' has the girls singing about their teenage sexual exploits like an unenthusiastic and accent-less CSS. And the last track, "˜Superfriction,' sounds like Ke$ha on a budget. Here's to hoping the strength of "˜M.A.N.B.I.T.C.H.' and "˜1-2-3-Go!' get Hottub enough hype and spending money to head back to the studio and record a handful more gems. By the way, word on the street is these girls are something to behold live. Check them out this summer as they party up around the Pacific Northwest.