The Silver Spring Penguin

Local band Violet Says 5 is the nexus of funky hip hop and balls-to-the-walls rock and roll.

It’s kinda hard not to like Violet Says 5. The four dudes — Takoma Park’s Ethan Spalding on lead vocals, Silver Spring bassist Kush, BMW on guitar and drummer Eaon — start with catchy, funky rhythms and then jab you with sharp lyrics and heavy guitars.

The single “Gone, Gone, Gone” has a remix for every occasion, though the original cut works just fine for tearing the roof off. Spalding’s vocals are a fun combination of Snoop Dogg swagger and Cyprus Hill spliff, and the band’s ferocious sound is tight.

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A sample of “Gone, Gone, Gone”. Courtesy of Violet Says 5.

“Superman Power” is old-school trash-talking rap, but its bluesy groove is infectious. And on “No Shame”, the band salutes Jimi Hendrix while taking a swipe at neoconservative culture.

Get into Violet Says 5 on the band’s MySpace website, then check them out next week in the District. The dudes kick it on Thursday, July 12, at 11:00 p.m. at the Rock and Roll Hotel (1353 H St NE). Fourteen bucks gets you through the door.