Po County, Eclipse79, and SO3

Artist: Po County featuring Big Money Blue
Song: “Po County Livin’ It Up (Slamming)” (from their two-song CDR)
Heard By: Richard Medlen, San Diego

It was good; it had a great beat to it. It was something you could definitely listen to and move your head. The style of music was rap with a little bit of a Southern twist. They really expressed where they were from. The lyrics were about country living and the South. I’d say it’s a cross between Gym Class Heroes and some of the more famous rappers nowadays. There was also a little bit of blues and jazz mixed in. I could see it being played on some of the major rap stations here in San Diego. That’d be a good song for driving — a Sunday cruise.

Artist: Eclipse79
Song: “Beauty Lies” (from their three-song CDR)
Heard By: Jake Hubbard, Clairemont

It really pumps you up. It sounds similar to Audioslave with bits of grunge like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. It has a little bit of a techno beat, too. Not only does this music pump you up, but there are parts where it slows down and makes you catch your breath and relax. These breaks help you take in the experience of the harder-edged stuff. I think the lyrics were something about beauty and how that makes you feel. If it was on the radio, I would definitely turn it up. I heard drums, I heard guitar, I heard a little bit of bass — it sounds really authentic to me. It’s good music to drain your troubles away. I would give it an 8.5 out of 10.

Artist: SO3
Song: “MIA” (from their CD Lose the Girl)
Heard By: Evan Berry, Mira Mesa

It’s all right. I liked the way the song moved, and it definitely had a nice rock ’n’ roll feel. The whole song had a kind of ’80s pop sound. The singer’s voice doesn’t seem like it fits in with what the band’s doing. The lyrics were the same old “this girl who I never should have gotten with in the first place gets me wrapped around her finger and fucks me up and now I can’t stop.” It reminds me a lot of every other band out there. On one hand, it’s kind of good, but for the most part, a lot of the people who’ve done it before have done it better. It’s kind of middle-of-the-road, so I’d give it a 5 out of 10.