Back in the early 1980’s NYC music scene there were many post-punk bands doing very interesting things with new sounds. On the other hand these were the early times of “sampling” when there were basically no rules. Most people will remember the song ‘White Lines’ by Grandmaster Flash but are you aware he basically stole the song from the NYC band Liquid Liquid and their song ‘Cavern’. After a costly and lengthy court battle Liquid Liquid was awarded compensation for the theft but in a truly unscrupulous manner Sugar Hill Records filed for bankruptcy before they could collect a dime. Sorry for the rant but we recently received some great new music from one of the most important musicians in the writing of that song, Liquid Liquid’s percussionist Dennis Young.
Dennis Young is a self-taught musician who started playing drums at an early age and stretched his curiosity to lead him to other instruments that included marimba, percussion, keyboards, guitar, and even vocals. Since his days with his early bands Young has put out a number of solo releases featuring his unique style incorporating influences from rock, jazz, dance, folk, and world music. He finds a way to explore new sounds and wants to continue to share them with the world.
The latest release by Dennis Young is Shadow (Acoustic Version). The original recording was done back in 2006 but was re-recorded with just acoustic guitar and vocals to achieve the sound that he truly wanted. The opener ‘Look In My Eyes’ is an aggressive call to stand up and pay attention to what Young is about to hit you with. The dark voice and hardened guitar strumming set the tone. The title track ‘Shadow’ is a touching song that lets the listener into the dark thoughts that are wandering through his brain. Dennis Young has a lot to share from his long career. On ‘Mona Lisa’ he slows it down some and lowers his vocal tone to an even gravelier feel to gain your utmost attention. This album is full of songs that demand a close listen. Even though the instrumentation is small the feeling in these tracks is huge. Go enter Dennis Young’s world for yourself at: https://soundcloud.com/den7918
As well as: http://www.dennisyoungmusic.com
