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FRIDAY
I don’t think I like acid jazz, but don’t hold me to that. After all, I never quite figured out what it was before it either morphed into triphop or was crushed under the trendy weight of drum ‘n’ bass. Or was that jungle? Regardless, I know I don’t care for drum ‘n’ bass. Drum loops lose whatever authentic quality they have when you pitchshift them up to warp speed. I’m all for electronic production, but snares start to sound like birds chirping at 150-plus bpm. Unless somebody’s playing them live. Driven by drummer Mike Lowry, Baltimore combo Lake Trout has been described as everything “in” under the sun, from three different types of jazz (nu, acid, and future) to “organica.” (Ever heard of that one?) When they took on a singer, Woody Ranere, he came with his own “traditional rock” vocal sensibilities. And with the addition of DJ Who, the quintet earned their obligatory hiphop badge. But the band’s buzz still speaks louder than its buzzwords. Lake Trout has a reputation for putting on a great live show, banging out everything from meandering jazz to midtempo hiphop to hyperactive drum ‘n’ bass. It’s the kind of thing you might start to like even before you know what to call it. Lake Trout confounds the label-makers with Slip at X p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, at the Garage, 1214-B 18th St. NW. $9. (202) 331-7123. (Neil Drumming)