Founded by national slam poet/coffeehouse haunt Toussaint Morrison, The Blend is a five-piece concoction of working-class ruffians who infuse hip-hop with jazz, rock with Bach, and politics with pleasure. (And some punky blues thrown in to keep the devils at bay.) The result? A slow-roasted, genre-defying blend of musical influences more restive than a triple shot of espresso. Call it hip-hop, call it slam-dance poetry, call it whatever you want-- just don’t call it emo. (Seriously.