February 15, 2007
Tam Lin Music
Under the influence of an old roommate, I set out on a mission: to dislike Tam Lin Music.
Ever the rocker, I like to pretend that I don't get into that singer/songwriter sluggish sappy crap. I roll my eyes, declare "it's not my bag", and go back to my KISS records (at which point I also feel the need to make the disclaimer that the infamous "Beth" was written by Peter Criss and therefore won't be held against them). But I guess I'll let the cat out of the bag: Sometimes.occasionally.in just the right mood.I've been known to slow things down a bit. Hell, I own a James Taylor record. I know the words to "Photographs and Memories". Put me in a turtleneck and blazer and I'm a dead ringer for Art Garfunkle. And so, when I first listened to Tam Lin Music, it managed to sneak into that softie part of me like a super-heated scalpel. At one point I think I was swaying. And despite my previous notions, I can't help but love it.
In an odd choice of moniker, singer/songwriter Paul Weinfield groups his songs under the name "Tam Lin Music", Tam Lin being a fairy king from old Scotch ballads known for magically impregnating women. His songs don't exactly sound like baby-makin music, but his silk-smooth voice over rolling guitar could lull you into a dreamscape, a la leaves blowing in a birchwood forest, silent snow falling in the night, the stuff good mushroom trips are made of. Although he's a native of New York City, don't be too quick to lump him into the "I wish I was an old school folkie" category. Sudden onsets of distortion and organ are more David Bowie than "Dust Bowl Ballads". Something about his songs is almost ethereal and a bit experimental, separating him from the street-corner throwbacks and those British guys your mom sees on Oprah.
Lyrically, he's a poet of a songwriter, reminiscent of fellow New York folkie Mister Robert Zimmerman (I know I said don't lump, and this one's a biggie, but I feel it's justified). Simple, soulful, and socially-sentient, he could sing the IHOP menu and make it sound like molten glass. His influences run the gamut, and pegging his sound on one artist is virtually impossible (he proclaims it himself: "an eclectic bunch"). "Age of Innocence", a reeling ode to an utopian dream, drips of "Solsbury Hill", while "Dark Heart" sits somberly somewhere between Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen (with a Syd Barrett-esque breakdown thrown in the middle). Even the Mangioni-style trumpet doesn't detract from "Siddhartha", a beautiful apologue about Buddhism and self-discovery. His newly-released EP is creating a buzz, and you can hear a few of the songs at his myspace site (of course).
So whether you're reveling in your sorrows, relaxing in the evening, or ripping on your "water pipe" and dreaming of world peace, Tam Lin Music will mellow your BPM and let your mind work magic, even if it frightens your metal sensibilities.
Tam Lin Music's first EP "Floating World" is available at CDbaby.
Ever the rocker, I like to pretend that I don't get into that singer/songwriter sluggish sappy crap. I roll my eyes, declare "it's not my bag", and go back to my KISS records (at which point I also feel the need to make the disclaimer that the infamous "Beth" was written by Peter Criss and therefore won't be held against them). But I guess I'll let the cat out of the bag: Sometimes.occasionally.in just the right mood.I've been known to slow things down a bit. Hell, I own a James Taylor record. I know the words to "Photographs and Memories". Put me in a turtleneck and blazer and I'm a dead ringer for Art Garfunkle. And so, when I first listened to Tam Lin Music, it managed to sneak into that softie part of me like a super-heated scalpel. At one point I think I was swaying. And despite my previous notions, I can't help but love it.
In an odd choice of moniker, singer/songwriter Paul Weinfield groups his songs under the name "Tam Lin Music", Tam Lin being a fairy king from old Scotch ballads known for magically impregnating women. His songs don't exactly sound like baby-makin music, but his silk-smooth voice over rolling guitar could lull you into a dreamscape, a la leaves blowing in a birchwood forest, silent snow falling in the night, the stuff good mushroom trips are made of. Although he's a native of New York City, don't be too quick to lump him into the "I wish I was an old school folkie" category. Sudden onsets of distortion and organ are more David Bowie than "Dust Bowl Ballads". Something about his songs is almost ethereal and a bit experimental, separating him from the street-corner throwbacks and those British guys your mom sees on Oprah.
Lyrically, he's a poet of a songwriter, reminiscent of fellow New York folkie Mister Robert Zimmerman (I know I said don't lump, and this one's a biggie, but I feel it's justified). Simple, soulful, and socially-sentient, he could sing the IHOP menu and make it sound like molten glass. His influences run the gamut, and pegging his sound on one artist is virtually impossible (he proclaims it himself: "an eclectic bunch"). "Age of Innocence", a reeling ode to an utopian dream, drips of "Solsbury Hill", while "Dark Heart" sits somberly somewhere between Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen (with a Syd Barrett-esque breakdown thrown in the middle). Even the Mangioni-style trumpet doesn't detract from "Siddhartha", a beautiful apologue about Buddhism and self-discovery. His newly-released EP is creating a buzz, and you can hear a few of the songs at his myspace site (of course).
So whether you're reveling in your sorrows, relaxing in the evening, or ripping on your "water pipe" and dreaming of world peace, Tam Lin Music will mellow your BPM and let your mind work magic, even if it frightens your metal sensibilities.
Tam Lin Music's first EP "Floating World" is available at CDbaby.