Article by MARY.L. HOLDEN
Dip. It’s a common verb. Dip your toes in the water. Enjoy a dip of salsa on a chip. Allow your strong, athletic dance partner to dip you. This fall, it’s best to dip your ears into the rhythm-y and bluesy, electrical, and original sounds of a lively seven-member band from Seattle—The Dip—Tom Eddy (guitar, vocals), Jarred Katz (drums), Mark Hunter (bass guitar), Jacob Lundgren (guitar), Brennan Carter (trumpet), Levi Gillis (tenor sax) and Evan Smith (baritone sax). Lead singer Tom Eddy will tell you that many of the musicians in the band met when they were college students at the University of Washington, and share a history with other talented musicians in affiliated bands, especially Beat Connection (with Reed Juenger and Jordan Koplowitz) who pioneered creativity in electronic music. Are you listening to whatever pops up on YouTube, hoping to hear of new, up-to-the-minute rhythm-and-bluesy tunes? Do you enjoy songs that invoke poetry that intone a full story? Would you like a little bit of electronic salt-and-pepper in an instrumental that sounds like it is indeed a “Starcastle” or a killer “Saguaro” cactus that the song was named to represent? Trust me…The Dip Delivers. Seriously. And that is the name of the album they released in February 2019. Please listen to “Adeline” to satisfy your r-and-b cravings. For the poem/story, “Slow Sipper” will satisfy like a tall, cold beverage (the Asian Brewing Company named a beer after that song). “Starcastle” sounds like a holiday in outer space, and “Saguaro” covers a true crime story. When you’re in the market to buy music, listen first to “Advertising.” Anyone who has ever sold anything can tell you that moving a product into its communication and on its way to market can be complicated. The seller always wishes for more capital to ease the way. When you listen to Tom Eddy sing about advertising as it is today, your perspective changes…especially if advertising is the only reason you watch the Super Bowl. During the pandemic (October 2020 through October 2021), The Dip’s been delivering 100 percent of the net proceeds it receives from streaming its latest instrumental EP release, “The Dip Plays it Cool” to under-resourced students who want and deserve quality music instruction. Seattle Music Partners is the recipient and distributor of those funds. Oh…and there is one more way to dip. Like, into your pockets or under your sofa cushions. Turn your random cash into a few hours of exquisite music that turns itself into something good for some young, talented students who know and believe in the power of sound.
