SXSW Hip Hop Preview: NOTAR at SXSW Music 2011

NOTAR is a MC, musician, performer and an alcoholic. Well, at least if you take his song titles at face value. What we do know is that NOTAR was discovered by Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz and is the first artist signed to Duritz’ label, Tyrannosaurus Records. His press release eloquently states that NOTAR’s music “inhabits a spot where gutter meets the church choir and where harsh, raw beats settle in nicely behind gritty hook-driven rock melodies.”

We ran into NOTAR at Canal Room in New York City back in January, as he showcased his skills in support of his self-titled EP, and we found that the performer rather lived up to the PR hype. A high energy performer backed by a very capable band, NOTAR exhibited an angst-filled urgency with his performance, echoed in lyrics and stage chatter that reflected NOTAR’s apparent desire for his audience to know that what he was spitting, was real.

Contrary to NOTAR’s aura exhibitive of a dark, gritty edge and his repeated insistence that he is “not a nice guy,” it was hard not to like the guy over the course of his performance. Perhaps it was his honest approach, or simply the fact that he and the band were on point that night, but it was a good first impression. Though we weren’t completely won over when listening to NOTAR’s recorded music ahead of the show, in person it was a different story and a very solid performance. As such, those who have an open mind toward a rap/rock vibe would do well to check out NOTAR in action.

If you happen to be in Austin, Texas for the annual South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival, your chance is coming up. NOTAR will be performing as part of the Smoke & Sand Showcase going down at Rusty Spurs on March 19th. NOTAR is scheduled to hit the stage at 3:00 p.m. RSVP for the event at www.smokeandsand.com.

NOTAR’s debut album, Devil’s Playground is slated for a May, 2011 release.

Click for a full, up-to-date list of New York-area hip hop artists performing at this year’s SXSW Music Festival, going down from March 15-20, 2011.

Notar – Matador