DIG THE EARTHWORMS

Soulful hip-hop group Earthworms is reaching back to what many consider the golden era of hip-hop on its second CD, the new "Bottle Full of Bourbon."

The hot disc, an old school-flavored bag of riches, is the follow-up to "No Arms, No Legs, Just a Head and a Body," released two years ago.

"There's definitely something for everyone with all the different sounds, but the golden era is definitely there," says group front man Mathias, who is joined by Kama, Black Patrick and DJ Mahf.

"A few of us came up in the golden era of hip-hop with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. DJ Crucial handled a good deal of the production, and everyone knows he's a big proponent of the '90s-era hip-hop that's real sample-based with the jazz and soul samples. He really knows how to conjure that spirit."

Mathias, a former member of eclectic rock and hip-hop St. Louis band Core Project, says "Bottle Full of Bourbon" is a more cohesive effort than the previous "No Arms."

"On the first album, we didn't know each other well," he says. "We were just getting to know each other as artists and as people. The songs were more experimental, more loosey-goosey."

The new album also has more crossover appeal, which Mathias says works because they often share bills with rock bands.

His biggest influence is late rapper Katt Davis of Bits N' Pieces.

"He was always spitting fire about something and always getting his point across, and that really resonated with me," he says. "That's the approach I took, getting my message across without being preachy."

Earthworms is a band that likes to talk about having a good time and rockin' the party, though it stays away from the "party rap" moniker.

The CD release party for "Bottle Full of Bourbon" will be at 9 p.m. Friday at Lucas School House with a full band including Dave Grelle on keyboards, Jeremy West on guitars, Gavin Duffy on bass, Grover Stewart on drums, and a horn section with Terry Grohman and Ben Reece.

Midwest Avengers, 40 Til' Five and Steddy P are also on the bill. Admission is $10. More information is available at www.myspace.com/earthworms or www.lucasevents.com.