Metermaids

Metermaids project an image closer to L.A. skater punks than standard rappers, blending rock elements into their rhymes in the vein of N.E.R.D. or the Cool Kids instead of acts like Limp Bizkit. The pair of MCs, Swell and Sentence, first connected in 2006 through a mutual appreciation for indie rockers Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse alongside rap outfits the Roots and A Tribe Called Quest, which prompted them to begin crafting beats and rhymes as a team. Independent label and production outfit 27 Sound’s Matt Stine discovered the duo during a club performance in N.Y.C. and stepped forward to helm their first full-length project. In addition to supplying the rhythmic foundation, Stine contributed guitar parts to Nightlife, whose bright, hook-driven appeal drew interest from both B-boys and indie hipsters following its June 2008 release and earned notice in CMJ, YRB, and URB.