Grand Buffet

"There's plenty of races on God's green planet, that doesn't mean you have to breed with them, goddammit," rap unrepentant wiseacres Grand Buffet on "Americus (Religious Right Rock)," whose chorus mockingly lauds the child labor that produced its T-shirts. Mounted on cheesy, rudimentary, '80s-style synth samples and sputtering drum beats, the Pittsburgh hip-hop duo's spent a dozen years honing their craft. While the whiff of nerd is strong in these two, the off-kilter attack and literate litanies recall King Missile or They Might Be Giants more than MC Chris. Catchy melodies bear a lot of the responsibility. They certainly know how to fashion a vocal hook, baiting it with praiseworthy science. "You think it can't be changed/That kind of thinking is what keeps you in your fucking chains," they inform on the appropriately foreboding, industrial metal-style rave-up "Total Control." Lacking the self-serious pretensions gripping many of their indie peers, Grand Buffet spices its blend with plenty of humorous throwaway lines ("beef jerky satiates my bloodlust"), canny observations ("every victory is initially an obstacle"), and goofy insouciance (the duo's ode to self-actualization, "Oh My God You're So Weird"). The prolific pair is supporting its new full-length, Killer Vision.