Review / 200 Words Or Less
Spank Rock and Benny Blanco
Bangers & Cash

Downtown (2007) Campbell

Spank Rock and Benny Blanco – Bangers & Cash cover artwork
Spank Rock and Benny Blanco – Bangers & Cash — Downtown, 2007

The latest effort from Baltimore club/DJ/rapping outfit Spank Rock brings more to the table than one might think. The opening line, "Welcome to the fuck shop," gives you an idea of what you're in store for. Bangers & Cash is five tracks of sex and money, with Spank Rock rapper Naeem Juwan dominating the lyrical space. This is also two steps away from looking like a 2 Live Crew remix album; four of the songs have beats or samples of the late rap group. Although you hear a more mainstream radio rap sound and much less of the hipster/electronic-touched sound of last year's YoYoYoYoYo, I have a feeling these songs are meant to be this over-the-top. The extremely unsuspecting Amanda Blank lends her words on "Loose," almost easing your guilt for the misogynistic themes of this EP. Since it's only five tracks, most people might pass over this release, but every song is good enough to make this worth it.

8.3 / 10Campbell • December 8, 2007

Spank Rock and Benny Blanco – Bangers & Cash cover artwork
Spank Rock and Benny Blanco – Bangers & Cash — Downtown, 2007

Recently-posted album reviews

Circuit des Yeux

Halo On The Inside
Matador (2025)

Haley Fohr's artistic vehicle, Circuit des Yeux, defies categorisation. Stamping the indie folk label on her was superficial, something dispelled easily once you have experienced the lo-fi distortion of "The Girl With No Name." It might be that under the layers of sonic disfigurement, a folk ethos is present in Fohr's narrative sensibility, but it is no longer the same. … Read more

ZEPHR

Past Lives
Dumb Ghost, Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

Sometimes you can just hear the passion in a voice. ZEPHR is one of those bands. They defy convention a little bit, in that I associate gravelly voices with harsher, heavier sounds, but ZEPHR use sore-throat vocals to great effect with midtempo, emotional and melodic 3-chord chugging punk rock and some DC sound. In few words, it's raw, both musically … Read more

Kreiviskai

Motinai
Infinite Fog Productions (2025)

Kreiviskai's origins are deeply rooted in the neofolk sound and ethos. Their debut record, Zemmis : supnãi, focuses on the musical lineage of Tver, embracing the traditional instrumentation to produce a somber and moving piece. Their follow-up record, Nonregnum expands outward, focusing on various historical events and introducing further influences. The pull of neo-classical is palpable, while the abrasive industrial … Read more