Sol.iLLaquists of Sound ready to tour

What can I say? I love this band!! You need to see them, so pick a show near you! ~M

Sol.iLLaquists of Sound will embark on a seven-week U.S. tour this month in support of their acclaimed Anti- debut As If We Existed. Called "the next link in the chain of cerebral hip-hop," and fresh off an explosive run of dates with The Roots, the dynamic, Orlando-based collective will resume roadwork in Purchase, New York on April 21st.

Touted as "hip-hop in its most highly elevated form" by The Orlando Sentinel, S.O.S.' hometown paper added, "These songs are nimble in words and music, embodied with life-affirming spirituality." And in its recent cover story, Performer called As If We Existed "a concentrated and unrelenting polemic against the bullies and briar pits of modern existence."

Offering up a thinking person's brand of the genre, XLR8R cited the Sol.iLLaquists as "a full-on socially conscious hip-hop enterprise set to change the world" and wrote "As If We Existed is ultimately sincere, colorful and delivered with grace." Meanwhile, Okayplayer praised the disc in a 4-star review as "an interactive encounter - the more work the listener puts into absorbing it, the more rewarding it can be."

Discovered by rapper/poet Sage Francis, the combustible live presence of the quartet - Swamburger (MC), Alexandrah (vocals), DiVinCi (producer) and Tonya Combs (backup vocals) - prompted that renowned MC to not only introduce the group to the powers that be at Anti-, but incorporate them into his live act. Now taking flight on their own, Sol.iLLaquists of Sound bring their own spirited fusion of hooks and politicized raps to a city near you.

If DiVinCi's forthcoming live commitments with S.O.S. aren't enough, his MPC talents were at work when he joined Francis for his heralded performance at last month's Paid Dues Festival, shot a cameo for Sage's upcoming video "Got Up This Morning" just days later, and found time to join El-P at his recent spot-on gig at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Sol.iLLaquists of Sound have gotten the thumbs-up from sources as diverse as The Source, Scratch, Creative Loafing, URB, and All Music Guide. The latter wrote "They're articulate and provocative but also melodic and soothing," but perhaps The Hartford Courant put it best when it proclaimed, "S.O.S. succeeds in raising issues mainstream rappers seldom touch."

Here are Sol.iLLaquists of Sound's U.S. tour dates:

4/21 SUNY Purchase College, Purchase, NY
4/29 Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC
4/30 Rock n Roll, Washington DC
5/02 Knitting Factory, New York NY
5/05 Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge LA
5/06 Higher Ground, Burlington VT
5/07 Diesel Theater, Pittsburgh PA
5/08 Little Brothers, Columbus OH
5/11 The Abbey, Chicago IL
5/13 Waiting Room, Omaha NE
5/14 Black Sheep, Colorado Springs CO
5/15 Marquis Theater, Denver CO
5/16 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City UT
5/21 Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco CA
5/22 Knitting Factory, Los Angeles CA
5/23 Casbah, San Diego CA
5/25 Chasers, Scottsdale AZ
5/26 Solar Culture, Tucson AZ
5/28 Emos, Austin TX
5/29 Rubber Gloves, Denton TX
5/30 Proletariat, Houston TX
5/31 House of Blues, New Orleans LA
6/02 Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta GA
6/09 Crowbar Tampa, FL