When I first heard of the group Wookie Foot, I did not know what to think. I gave them automatic points for (a) the Star Wars reference (b) the fact that they’re from the ol’ Twin Cities, and (c) the fact that they are naked on their press release photo. As I listened to their CD Out of the Jar, I found myself noticing more and more good things about Wookie Foot, one being that their lead singer has moments where he sounds like Bradley Nowell from Sublime fronting a jam band. And the list goes on.

What I found interesting about the members of Wookie Foot, in addition to their eccentric and elaborate stage performances, is the fact that they live together (along with their tour manager) under one roof. Their goal is to spread their contemporary philosophy of mysticism and spirituality to the masses. It’s pretty damn deep, I assure you.

Out of the Jar is unlike any other album I’ve ever heard. It combines elements of hip-hop, reggae, funk, punk rock and even traditional Irish folk music. Logically thinking, this music shouldn’t work. But it does, it gloriously does. The album recalls music masters such as Bob Marley, Sublime, Jurassic 5, and Widespread Panic, just to name a few.

Lyrically, the band seeks to present its age-old message of peace, acceptance and the evils of corporate America in new and highly enjoyable ways. Track two is a little ditty which draws on Wookie Foot’s jam band influences. Entitled “The Frog and the Scorpion,” it tells the tale of a gullible “frog” and the worldly, double-crossing “scorpion.” Who can say no to this song when it ends with the lines “Why would you do that/ how could you lie/ when I know that you know/ that we’re both going to die/ and the scorpion just smiled/ and said with pride/ its my nature you stupid dumb ass motherfucking frog.” In my opinion, and obviously in the opinion of Wookie Foot as well, frog berating is priceless.

The seventh track, entitled “She Sells,” starts off sounding like Tantric and progresses straight into an in-your-face female rap. “Everyday Barbie gets thrown in the face/ of bulimic little girls of all different shapes/ who watch TV to make themselves feel bad/ about whatever little fat they had.” Viva la vulva! Lyrically, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Wookie Foot’s Out of the Jar is as quotable as it is musically stimulating. So if you believe in a melding of musical technique with a philosophical message, or if you simply want to support a Minneapolis band, check them out. Everyone needs a little Wookie Foot spice in their life.