The Musik Lounge

In honor of the Dave Matthews Band long standing tradition to play at the Gorge this weekend, and given the fact that I was supposed to be there but work got in the way, I thought it only right to feature their latest album in this weeks installment of Saturday Spin . While it seems like being a fan of the DMB crew went out of fashion with the 90s they have always delivered pop rock for their loyal following and made a name off stellar live shows as anyone who has seen them at the Gorge, or anywhere else, can attest. At this point in time they don’t have anything left to prove and deliver an impressive album filled with the sounds you know and love. While the band has always played an integral roll in the live dynamic of the band, here on Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King it seems like they have upped their involvement in studio recordings as well. Featuring a fuller sound, that is composed of multiple tracks of guitars, drums, horns and other more subtle elements this album will h...

As I learn more about music from the electronic realm it amazes me how little minute details will factor into something being classified as a whole new genre. From what I can learn The KLF were innovators of something dubbed “Stadium House” - house music for stadiums? Listening to The White Room , I can see why although I can imagine stadiums being packed to rock out to this. The album opens with some interesting vocals over subtle back ground music before flashing into an incredibly up beat house banger with a barely capable emcee riding it. His flow is staggered and feels like everything flowing should not be. While his rhymes aren't bad, nor are they great, his inability to gel with the music is a problem. “Make it Rain” features none of the lame rapping and a better assortment of drums, synths and back ground vocals – the song feels like it could be perfect for a rainy day and music that conveys feeling like that shouldn't be denied. When they slow it down and let the musi...

The drawback to downloading music (when you do it to excess that is) is that even when you hear something you don’t really hear it. You listen to it and then file it away instantly to move on to the next thing you got, like there is some kind of expiration date on the file. While I evidently have heard Mr. Cooper’s 2005 disc Amongst Strangers at some point in the past I can’t remember it, and am only vaguely familiar with his name but for a different album I can’t don’t apparently have… oh the joys of four hard drives and not enough storage space. Perhaps it’s what he was going for, the album is called Amongst Strangers after all and in my mind while it’s not the most amazing piece of instrumental Hip Hop you have heard in your life it is interesting none the less. Where our last guest in the Saturday Spin column was all over the place pulling sounds out left and right and mashing things together that no one would expect to hear mixed and blended Mr. Cooper takes on a more subdued a...

While DJ Shadow single handedly created and ended the hip hop inspired, sample based instrumental album with his epic masterpiece Endtroducing you can't knock guys for trying and every now and then those attempts yield something not quite on par but still strikingly beautiful. Such is the case with the traveling beat creator, record collector Metaform . Like those before him he has a vast knowledge of music and must spend an inordinate amount of time in dusty basements and smelly broke down shops (or maybe he does it all from the comfort of his studio – it is 2009, how many people are still dedicated to the art of diggin?) questing for that rare gem that will make the world right for a moment. "PCH" But on top of his ear for sounds to flip Metaform is a multi instrumentalist who crafts an eclectic mix of sounds into something wholly listenable from beginning to end. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants will catch you off guard as it's not quite as Hip Hop as somethin...

Rarely am I one to thank someone for an introduction to great music. A flaw I know, I’m far to consumed by whatever esoteric style has caught my fancy of the moment to often consider a recommendation. After my last visit home it became abundantly clear I have to listen to friends and family more and balance my musical exploration. "Fools" When my mom opened the package that contained the Diane Birch CD Bible Belt I was caught by the great photograph of her that acts as the cover to this impressive album. While at first glance you may want to write her off as what looks like another young singer songwriter in a long line of the same, her subtle beauty drew me in and then I was struck by the voice. The instrumentation. The lyrics. With a great voice that isn’t so deep to lose her femininity yet dark enough to convey the pain one can suffer in the quest for love Bible Belt shows a young woman mature beyond her years dropping knowledge about that which we are all looking for. W...

Even after 5 years in Seattle I never did see a “grunge” show. I saw a few rock shows in between copious amounts of rap shows. But hey, the Saturday spin column has always been about the stuff a little left of center I find myself listening too at all hours of the night. So what better way to bring it back to life than with some like this: Mike Glendinning , Random Acts of Grunge Jazz . My initial suspicions were proven slightly wrong as this meandering record will prove to be an very unique listen, if nothing else. Mike seems to be a talented musician playing guitar and holding down vocal duties and he has an decent line up behind him. Filled with fuzzy guitar chords, hard drums and some well placed strings this album comes off like Nirvana (sue me, I don't know another "grunge" band) meets Meg Christian and Herbie Hancock. While it's never quite as catchy as Nirvana proved to be, it is as loud. It's never quite as experimental as Herbie proved he could be, but ...

After a year and a half of playing catch up I’ve finally read the back issues of Wax Poetic s and gotten to new issues I missed out on. And leave it to the first new issue I read to throw an excellent surprise my may – welcome to The Dragons. A trio of brothers (their last name is Dragon) who were living it up in the late sixties in LA found themselves with some instruments and studio time concocting their own tunes, inspired by the sounds of the times and their own youthful innocence and lack of experience. Amplified Emotion BFI was the result, which only saw it’s release recently thanks to Ninja Tune. Inside you will find an amalgam of sounds bordering on a little bit of all that was going on musically at the time of it’s conception. You hear hints of The Beatles pop formulas, although nothing quite as straight forward as what the fab four were known for. You hear some Doors influence and a lot of soulfulness combined with distortion and fuzz. Organs are layered into the tracks and v...

One of my goals for the New Year is to listen more. Now I listen to music pretty constantly – but while home for the holidays I realized that when it comes to new, modern music I stick fairly close to the comfort zone of Hip Hop. This isn’t a bad thing, I love rap and it’s by and large the music that inspires me. That being said I’m a vinyl fiend (watch out for a relaunch over there soon!) whose crates are filled with music from across the board yet rarely do I allow those musical interests direct my listening habits when it comes to music of today. "40 Days & 40 Nights" I started Saturday Spin as a way to get myself to listen to stuff outside the box - namely a big pile of CDs I acquired while involved with KSUB , Seattle U’s radio station. I don’t fully know what to expect from the large majority of these discs, I’ve come across artists I know and artists I’ve never heard of. Music that I don’t see any value in and music that I’m sure no one else but me would see valu...

Hello world! It’s the last week of work for me, gotta get on my job hunt game… but yeah – let’s not go there. I kicked it with some of the homies last night, kind of like a reunion of the summertime! Burning that sticky and listening to some tunes, you can’t ever go wrong. The next morning is always good too and this fine morning as I kicked backed before work I put on a few different joints that I’m going to share with y’all! Erick Sermon The Funklord Files Vol. 2 (Courtesy of Jaz @ Cold Rock Da Spot ) Perhaps inspired by my impression with the latest EPMD release , I decided to throw on this collection of Sermon produced tracks – he is rapping on a number of them as well. From his work with Parrish, to the Def Squad crew the Green Eyed Bandit has always cooked up some of the funkiest bangers! Here you get Keith Murray’s “Get Lifted (Remix)” complete with his trademark flow and the voice that always stands out. While listening to these tracks what stands out constantly is the BASS . ...

I guess this is what I was looking for when I kicked off this Saturday Spin feature here on the TML – something I would probably never have found if I didn’t pick a random disc off the shelf, I promise one of these weeks I’m gonna get a flick of this pile for you all to get an idea of what it is I’m working with. On that note, let me talk about Boy In Static. Being as many of these discs were acquired while I was still involved with KSUB , I’m fortunate enough to have one sheets for many of the artists whose discs I’m surrounded by. Alexander Chen is a one man band (although the website says that Boy In Static is now comprised of two people) who plays a dozen or so instruments, sings, writes, and puts it all together to some interesting results. Boy In Static “December” I’ll be the first to admit this is definitely out of my comfort zone. Anyone familiar with the TML knows where my musical listening habits lie, but this reminds me of things I used to seek out on a much more regular ba...

I tried grabbing something random off the shelf for this week's Saturday Spin edition, but it was a bunch of non sense by some group called Fresh Kills? If anyone knows anything let me know, but I was unimpressed. So instead I present to you that which I can get down with... Killah Priest has long been a silent force within the extended Wu Tang family. Chief Kamachi has steadily been building up his rep as one of the key members of Philly’s Army of Pharaohs. The two joining together for a record is an underground heads wet dream, and in a true demonstration of sheer talent the two don’t disappoint. Killah Priest & Chief Kamachi “Beautiful Minds” If you are familiar with either of these two’s previous work you know the depth to which they take their lyrics and Beautiful Minds is exactly what you expect. Filled with discussions of faith and religion, conspiracy theories, and stories from the ghetto that play like a Scorsese flick yet to be made the album will keep you engaged fr...

Every now and then it’s good to listen to something different. I haven’t been as successful as I would like at putting forth good music outside of the Hip Hop realm, but today I grabbed a disc off my book shelf that is over flowing with discs I’ve acquired in the last year – 4Hero’s Play With The Changes . Coming out in 2007, Dego and Marc Mac have been around for years involved heavily in the European electronic music scene and while that influence is obviously in play here they dedicate just as much attention to having a stable of talented musicans on hand creating a beautiful modern fusion record. While the album is issued as a 4Hero record, it is split between the two partners with Dego taking charge on eight tracks and Marc Mac holding down the production duties for the other seven. Not one combined meeting of talent? I wonder what the story is with that. Whatever the reason is, it’s a mute point as they both prove they are capable on their own and obviously understand what each o...