Farmer's Tan (band)

Farmer's Tan is an acoustic/hip hop band from Mesa, Arizona. Consisting of producer Shonipop and guitarist Polar Bear, the group has also recorded with two additional vocalists named JT and Insane Slim. The group first gained attention with the single, "Mandals."

In December 2012, a second album entitled The Shonipop EP was released.

Biography

Originated in 2008, the four high school friends from Desert Ridge High School, jokingly decided to start a hip-hop group during their freshman year that would poke fun at various topics including bad fashion and [...] humor. The band decided on the name after realizing that all four of them had the same tan line.

Their first single, "Mandals," was penned by Shonipop and Slim, with additional improv from Polar Bear and JT. The song, which is a satire of songs such as "Air Force Ones", is a hip hop song in which the four members rap AbOUT their love and dedication to men's sandals. The song was recorded on the same day as their second single, "Hey Girl," a vulgar and comedic song about [...], which also features the first appearance of a guitar riff by Polar Bear, which is something that would become prominent in the groups later recordings. Both songs were produced using the programs FL Studio, Acoutica Beatcraft and Acoustica Mixcraft, as well as the microphone from Rock Band. The group used exactly the same studio set up for all of their recordings.

After receiving moderate feedback from students, the group reunited to record their next single, "Crocs," the sequel to "Mandals" during their sophomore year. The song, featuring a vibe hop beat, an acoustic intro and electric guitar solo by Polar Bear, featured all four members rapping about their love for the popular shoe brand. Around this time, "Hey Girl 2" was also recorded.

Feuding and laziness caused friction between the group members, who were officially disbanded in 2010. However, in 2011, Shonipop began to put together The Farmer's Tan EP. Officially self released on February 21, 2012, the 34 track genre bending extended play combined elements of acoustic, hip hop, rock, spoken word and comedy. the album included every single, as well as cover songs and various solo tracks by Shonipop and Polar Bear, tied together by several skits and interludes. The EP also contained various samples which covered a wide range of music, including Public Enemy, Clyde Stubblefield, Beastie Boys, the Bee Gees, Funkadelic, Red Hot Chili Peppers and dialogue clips from Beavis and Butt-Head, Clue, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Blues Brothers, Dazed and Confused and Pulp Fiction. A cover version of "(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay", by Shonipop, is present under the title, "Miles to Chicago (interlude)/ROBOTRIPPIN'." Partial covers of "One Wish" by Ray J and "Short Change Hero" by The Heavy are also present, as well as "I'm Black Y'all," from the film CB4.

The Shonipop EP

In December 2012, a second album under the Farmer's Tan name was released. An entire solo album, written, performed and produced by Shonipop was recorded in a single day. Featuring samples from The White Stripes, Skye Sweetnam, Limp Bizkit, Killswitch Engage, The Bee Gees, Amy Winehouse and dialogue quotes from Full Metal Jacket, Easy Rider and The Notebook, the album was composed under the influence of [...] and Tramadol and only took four hours to produce and master. Similar to the first album, it features elements of comedic hip hop, love songs and rap-rock. However, it features no interludes and less than half the amount of tracks and over 30 minutes shorter in length.

Electric Landlady

In April 2012, Shonipop started sessions for the sophomore album, Electric Landlady. The album will mostly contain ambient, electronic and hip hop instrumentals. After completing six songs, the project was put on hold and The Shonipop EP was released instead.

The title for the album was decided after the group discovered that early prints of the Jimi Hendrix album, Electric Ladyland, contained the misprint. The title is an obvious homage to a major influence.

Influences

The bands list of influences features many different artists spanning several genres including Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Why?, Boards of Canada, The Lonely Island, Tenacious D, N.W.A, Eazy-E, A Tribe Called Quest, Nirvana, De La Soul, Wu-Tang Clan and Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.

The Farmer's Tan EP

Track listing

1. Intro
2. Mandals
3. Revere
4. [...] Corner (One)
5. Make Her Sweat
6. [...] Lips
7. Lick Them Balls (interlude)
8. Hey Girl
9. [...] Corner (Two)
10. Hendrix Song
11. Miles to Chicago (interlude)/ROBOTRIPPIN'
12. I'm Black Y'all
13. [...] Corner (Three)
14. One Wish
15. Hey Girl 2
16. Crocs
17. Hero
18. [...] Corner (Four)
19. Frusciante Song
20. Never Take Drugs
21. [...] Corner (Five)
22. Brandon's Dream No. 2
23. [...] Backwards
24. Never Take Drugs 2
25. [...] Corner (Six)
26. Like I Do Everyday
27. Rolling Down the Street
28. [...] Corner (Seven)
29. Acoustic Track
30. [...] Corner (Eight)
31. Infinity Times A Million
32. [...] Corner (Nine)
33. Outro (Crucial Thanks Rip Off)
34. Mixcraft Annoying [...]

Personnel

Members

• Shon "Shonipop" Alexander - Producer/Vocals
• Polar Bear - Guitar/Vocals/Co-Producer
• JT (Jew Boy) - Vocals
• Insane Slim - Vocals

References

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Shon-Alexander/100000131233983
• http://www.myspace.com/farmerstanboys