Arts and Entertainment
Best Groove Band
Lake Trout
A few years back, Lake Trout was a funky, jazzy, poppy band not unlike the dozens of other funky, jazzy, poppy bands tracing and retracing the Baltimore club circuit. It proved a bit more charming and chops-heavy than most such outfits, though, and the group's charm and chops helped it build a significant following, both here and beyond. But Lake Trout was not content to stay the typical funky, jazzy, poppy course. The musicians fell under the spell of contemporary dance music and augmented the original quintet with local techno guru DJ Who on turntables. Voilá--a fully integrated end-of-the-90s band that can mix and match singer/guitarist Woody Ranere's fluttering pop songs and the group's noodly instrumental explorations with shuddering hip-hop-flavored jams and trance-inducing drum 'n' bass workouts accomplished with live drums and bass. This year, SNS Recordings released Lake Trout's excellent second album, Volume for the Rest of It, documenting the group's artistic triumph and making clear that there are no other bands like Lake Trout.
All Awards for Lake Trout:
Best Lake Trout, 9/20/2006
Best Rock Band, 9/19/2001
