Music
Press
In the midnight hour, the hip-hop band Apples and Spades closed it down impressively. The young quartet -- bass, drums, guitar and a rapper -- all donned business suits. Their set, however, was not merely a workmanlike performance. In only their second, maybe third, concert, the band showed an impressive command of live hip-hop, which, perhaps more than rock or any other genre that marries live instrumentation with vocals, needs space and a firm handle on dynamic shifts to work. And rapper Maxx, just 19, offered charisma and style by the truckload.
Give the band and the rapper... more shows and you’ll be looking at a real force in local music.
-Lindsey Millar - Arkansas Times
Sync Weekly on Maxx as a solo performer prior to creating Apples & Spades:
"...When Maxx hits the stage it’s apparent why the young artist is turning Little Rock hip-hop on its ear and introducing a new socioeconomic group to the local hip-hop scene."
For the full story link here:
http://sync.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/jun/11/trying-repeat/ - Sync Weekly
Arkansas Times on Maxx as a solo performer prior to creating Apples & Spades:
"He's got a deliberate delivery that's sometimes off-kilter in a way that makes him stand out. His smart wordplay helps, too." -4/3/08
"Now that he's on track to become a local heavyweight, rapper Max Farrell is being billed as Maxx the Great. No quibbles here. If he keeps churning out infectious jams like his new track 'Rap Like So,' he'll earn it and then some." - 5/15/08
"[Maxx] is a strong talent. His rhymes are basic, but often skewed and smart enough to mask their simplicity. His flow, once fairly deliberate, has become dexterous."- 6/5/08
"[Maxx] has... an impressive way with the mic that belies his age." -8/14/08 - Arkansas Times
Discography
Apples & Spades has just finished production of the first EP, 'State of Things'.
Photos
Bio
Apples & Spades, Little Rock's new live hip-hop band, has already garnered acclaim as a semi-finalist in the annual Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase. With roots in hip-hop, jazz, and rock, these solid, young musicians have created a breakthrough sound backed by years of performance experience. The band has rapidly been expanding their fan base with their infectious grooves and funky attire on stage, playing shows in Dallas and Memphis, on top of numerous shows across Arkansas.
Fronting the band as MC, Max Farrell, aka Maxx, has a long list of credits as a rapper in Arkansas and Iowa sharing the stage with the likes of GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Guru of Gangstarr, and Cee Knowledge of Digable Planets. He has performed at clubs in Des Moines, Iowa, Grinnell College, and venues throughout Northwest and Central Arkansas including the Rev Room, Downtown Music Hall, Hendrix College, and George’s Majestic Lounge. Daniel Olah, the drummer, has toured the entire south with the Ginsu Wives. Lucas Murray, lead guitar, and Sam Baxter, bass, have polished their chops with several jazz and rock bands in Central Arkansas, including the award-winning Central High Jazz Band.
Although Maxx and Lucas Murray have been friends since they were three years old and have been playing music together informally for the last five years, they only recently decided to join forces with Olah and Baxter to formalize Apples & Spades and advance their careers with a new musical vision for the hip-hop genre combining intelligent lyrics with first rate musicianship and unstoppable beats.
We are in the process of booking for a tour late Summer 2009. Discover what music’s been missing.
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