Kenny Schick

Artist: Ken Schick
Album: Shuffle
Label: Independent Artist
Website: http://www.kennyschick.com
Genre: Alternative Folk/Pop
Sounds Like: BEck Technical Grade: 10/10
Production/Musicianship Grade: 10/10
Commercial Value: 10/10
Overall Talent Level: 10/10
Songwriting Skills: 10/10
Performance Skill: 10/10
Best Songs: 10 Feet Thick, Thank You, Games, None More Black, City of Angels
Weakness: None

CD Review:
In close Shuffle by Kenny Schick is a highly original, diversified and compelling musical production from start to finish. It’s strong suit – its amazing artistic presence, brilliance, vision from Schick. This guy is a musical mastermind with more than enough zaniness, creativity and eccentricity to go around. For the record: Schick wrote, recorded, preformed, produced played electric, acoustic guitars, saxophone, basses, violin, Washing Machine, percussion, banjo on this CD. The songs are extremely melodic, grooving, and somewhat eccentric – but above all infectious. The songs are short and sweet musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair, and signature groove. Last but not least Kenny Schick Is an extremely capable artist.

Schick’s 5th solo studio Cd - 'SHUFFLE' is Americana with colors of rock, punk and jazz, influences from a multi-genre past. Songs of longing, loss, hope - about love and politics and always thought provoking in his intense and deliberate lyric writing. Schick has a loyal following, and for good reason - his has very entertaining live shows, there is passion, laughter, tears, craftsmanship, and thought provoking lyricism. The shows take listeners on a journey with much interplay between him and the audience. Kenny is a generous performer and uses his quick comedic sense to balance the intensity of the songs, which often explore the darker realms of human experience.

The CD gently takes flight with psychedelic “Closer Intro” and jumps quickly into Track 2 “Thank You” a soothing acoustic lullaby that gradually builds into a passionate rock ballad complete with hooky acoustic guitar chops and playing meshed against catchy vocal melody and a grand slam chorus. This intro track sets the tone rather well for this CD, with its feel good groove and clever lyrical content. Track 3 “10 Feet Thick” dishes out yet another impressive track with its steady flowing rock rhythm, and heartfelt vocal melody from Schick and infectious persona. Track 4 “Cereal” serves up yet another interesting track with hypnotic lyrical content, strong melodies and impressive vocal flair again from Schick. As the CD slowly unfolds I can hear many musical influences reminiscent of classic Beck, Blind Mellon, and even a dash of material by Les Claypool and even Frank Zappa. I can even hear rock influences from Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Red Hot Chili Peppers. On the other side of the sonic spectrum I can even hear Peter Gabriel, Yes and Genesis. That’s a pretty wide range of styles and I get the impression Schick dabble sin many styles of music. I would classify this music as acoustic alt rock, with a slight aftertaste of alternative folk, jazz, fusion and an ounce of singer/songwriter. The songs themselves are addictive, and interesting, complete with passionate and interesting subject matter. The musicianship of this band is pretty solid across the board. Schick is a very capable singer, guitarist and songwriter. The players themselves write and play there parts extremely well. Besides the 4 piece standard you will also notice things like impressive solo guitar, horns, organ, well placed drums and sporadic percussive accents, and lush harmonies layered along the way. Equally as impressive is the vocal presence of Schick as he takes many vocal risks throughout the CD indicating to me a strong, confident and infectious vocal ability. His voice sounds in the vein of Les Claypool. All engineering aspects check out. CD Possesses crystal clear high end clarity and thick low end frequency. All songs are short and sweet musical experiences, never too winded, never to short. From melodic “Blackbird” and Black and Blue” to trippy “Games” and thought provoking “Half Life” to dynamic “I Am” to rocking “ Julia” and “Push” to jumpy “None More Black” this CD has something for just about everyone. The CD ends with Track 18 “Half A World Away” the perfect finale statement for a CD of this caliber.

In close Shuffle by Kenny Schick is a highly original, diversified and compelling musical production from start to finish. It’s strong suit – its amazing artistic presence, brilliance, vision from Schick. This guy is a musical mastermind with more than enough zaniness, creativity and eccentricity to go around. For the record: Schick wrote, recorded, preformed, produced played electric, acoustic guitars, saxophone, basses, violin, Washing Machine, percussion, banjo on this CD. The songs are extremely melodic, grooving, and somewhat eccentric – but above all infectious. The songs are short and sweet musical experiences, each one possessing a unique personality, flair, and signature groove. Last but not least Kenny Schick Is an extremely capable artist. - The Muse's Muse

Basement 3 is a Northern California recording project that has been producing studio music for about ten years and now has aspirations to share their music with a live audience. The band has submitted their latest release titled Fuzzyland, which for a self released CD package is one of the most attractive ones I have ever seen. The outer graphics sleeve that encases the jeweled CD box is a work of art, illustrated with a guitar fret board and a Renaissance portrait of a naked Eve in the Garden of Eden. It is one thing to have a pretty compact disc cover but it is entirely a different thing to possess the requisite talent in making your music sound good. I am delighted to report that Basement 3 most certainly meets that requirement. Fuzzyland opens with the exquisite “Pieces”, one of the best tracks I have heard in months, with beautiful cello and flute parts augmenting a nicely phrased melody and lyric. This track reminded me much of the recent work of the Philadelphia based Matt Pond PA. From start to finish, this is a perfect opening song and the musicians that created it should be extremely proud of it. The very acoustic “Flower” is another track that employs the use of well placed cello parts but eventually unfolds into a brilliantly rhythmic piece of music that treads into the territory of Dave Matthews and Rusted Root. “Games” carries on in similar musical styling with the addition of a hip-hop influence and some imaginative saxophone work a la early King Crimson. The title track, “Fuzzyland” is another knock out song with superb vocal work sounding like a modern version of It’s A Beautiful Day. The minimalist instrumentation including fine guitar work by band lead vocalist Kenny Shick works extremely well with the bass guitar lines and simple rim shot drum part. It is fitting that this bay area band ends the record with “Closer”, a song that contained elements reminiscent of great San Francisco bands like Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Grateful Dead; and, not in a dated way but in manner incorporating cool psychedelic influences in an original, retooled fashion. Basement 3 is a band that is currently in search record label support. I do not know how long they have been promoting their new disc but I would be surprised if they are not signed to an independent record deal very soon. This is a project that effectively uses many styles of music to create a sound that offers aesthetic quality while remaining musically accessible. If you are interested in ordering their record or finding out more information about the band, go to www.basement3.com. Overall Madmonk Grade: A+ Phillip E. Hardy - new artist radio

"Kenny is also very funny and engaging …. Musically, he delves into the experimental realm of contemporary folk by playing in unorthodox keys and using unusual chord patterns. Much of his music is heavily influenced by Bluegrass stylings. His fingerpicking style on the guitar is absolutely superb. He also demonstrated his mastery of use of the guitar body as a percussive instrument….."

"It is Schick's careful yet understated acoustic guitar that makes “Under” shine, providing sharp rhythms and often sweet melodies with a hint of that folksy twang."

"With a very raw and uncomplicated production style...Kenny Schick shines in this latest release."

"The lyrics suggest a melting and a rebirth and conjure images that I’d compare to Dali’s melting clock."

"In a hopelessly romantic and brazen move, the Bay area artist packed his bags and moved to Australia for a girl he had only met through the wide world of the internet. I don't know how the relationship turned out, but whatever passion, pain and spontaneity Schick experienced created a rich and engrossing LP."

"...there is an immense calm even in his lyrical musings that make you believe that it might be ok, that folk might be your salvation."

"From his experience, Schick has crafted a starkly beautiful acoustic gem. His lyrics and vocals are personal and confessional; the instrumentation is organic. I’ve been listening to this one a lot lately, discovering nuances with each spin."

"Judging by the acoustic folk soaked in sunny melodies and serious rhythms, Australia was very good to him."

"The warmth and immediacy of the production contributes to the heartfelt vibe of this disc. Kenny Schick's Under is crisp, contemporary American folk music, inspired by trip to the other side of the world."

"All the songs individually captivate me. But all together, when I sit down and listen to the whole damn thing, the album coalesces into a single unit that is transportive. After listening through the whole album and being literally blown away, I put my stereo on shuffle with the discs that just happened to be in there (Tom Waits -- "Rain Dogs"; The Postal Service -- "Give Up"; Gillian Welch -- "The Revelator"). Wow. Ever have one of those experiences where every song that comes on is your favorite?" - various

Review - For all the rave reviews that have backed Basement 3, they still haven’t quite accomplished what I personally feel is their destiny—being heard and loved by everyone. Sure it may seem like an impossibility for even the biggest pop star let alone an indie band whose focus on the eclectic blending of strings, guitar, and jazzy folk. But after one listen I closed my eyes for a moment and envisioned a future that has everyone anticipating their next move, hanging onto each note that they muster, and it seemed more likely than one who hasn’t yet experienced them. Their music is hard to describe and as such should just be heard—so what are you waiting for? Get in on this musical evolution right away. - smother.net

For Fans Of: Days of The New, Red Hot Chili Peppers, A Perfect Circle (13th Step) Fav Tracks: Pieces, Outside the Lines, Ten Feet Thick. An eclectic musician, Kenny has enjoyed creating his own style of music for over 20 years around the San Francisco Bay area. Luckily, it is now my turn to listen and hear what he's been working on and toward. Confident and able, Kenny writes the tunes, sings most of 'em, as well as playing many instruments and arranging the others in fine fashion. Playing around for so long has enabled a topnotch lineup to be assembled to play on this, Kenny's third 'Basement 3' disc. Rooted in mellow guitar & bass phrasings and Kenny's naturally funky-smooth vocals, these songs enabled me to just sit and listen with interest right away. That doesn't always just happen, except with music that flows from it's creator as if the two are inseparable, and that for me marks a note of success in itself. With a conscious intention to create some music for us using the 'less is more' philosophy, Kenny succeeds in creating an easy listen, as you're not bombarded with any unintentional filler within the songs. And what makes that happen with impact is the delivery of Kenny and each of the musicians he's enlisted. They do the songs justice, as do Kenny's tasteful arrangements and strong songwriting. This is a very cohesive package in every way (including artwork, photos and more courtesy of the multi-talented Mr. Schick). The album gets a little 'heavier' (or thicker) along the way, and it's a nice progression. So, within these nicely crafted songs, what is Kenny talking about anyway? Well, for the most part the tone of the majority of songs follows the overall tone of the album, which is a little bit melancholy. It's an 'evening' or 'winter' CD by my reckoning. Mostly because the lyrics are more about coping with getting over some of the darker periods of our lives than with having gotten there already or by simply recognizing the way the world is right now, with much suffering and hardship. Realistic, if not always sunny, though. This doesn't do much to bring the songs down, however, as they are simply well-delivered songs that will lull you in and get you nodding along. If you want to expand your musical horizons, and perhaps your consciousness, give Fuzzyland a try. From what I hear there's more before that, and surely more to come, which is good news for the indie music scene and for us all. - indie-music.com

buy! Fuzzyland On their sophomore album, “Rising,” Basement 3 looked at the big picture where bold rhythms mingled with a sort of free form jazz. But for their most recent release, “Fuzzyland,” Basement 3 has put their music under the microscope. While the instruments remain mostly the same, it is the sound that is different. Now, it is soft, intricate sounds that are characterized, in part, by acoustic guitar, piano, strings and horns and led by Kenny Schick's smooth vocals that impart an especially personal feeling while retaining their free form sound. "Fuzzyland" is fluid, each note flowing together with the melody, from the gentle opening track, "Pieces," to the rhythmically driven "Broken." "It's hard to carry this heavy load/when you're ready to explode," Schick and additional voices philosophize in folk fashion on "Flower" as guitar drives the intricate melody and the fragile song strengthens, horns kicking in, to a more expected Basement 3 sound. Ballads make up an important portion of the lyrically driven album. And emotions range from the sorrowful piano on "Fall" to the somewhat lighter mood of "Fuzzyland" and the slow heaviness of "Outside the Lines." Similarly, and unexpectedly, Basement 3 stretch this new sound with jazz style numbers that take a chance, such as the horn and rhythm heavy "Mercy" and "Games," which lurks just below the surface, ready and waiting. While the switch in sound might seem odd initially, when you hear the result, it makes perfect sense. The lyrically focused album is just another side of this adaptable band that picks up where they left off. Basement 3's "Fuzzyland" has been carefully crafted for an interesting album where each song reveals more to the listener. A- - plug-in music

Basement 3 are a wholesomely feverish eclectic mix of lucid rock, Zappaesque freakishness and musical complexity with lashings of Rage Against the Machine anxiety. They are ridiculously talented and play very diverse styles: folk, thrash, urban rap, grunge and progressive rock. At times they sound like Metallica, Captain Beefheart, Sons of Selina and even Portishead/Massive Attack. It’s very difficult to see where this band are coming from, each track has about a thousand different styles and directions. Overall it’s melancholic and ridden with a nihilism similar to Aimee Mann’s songs on the jet-black Magnolia. The music seems to be the vision of a guy called Kenny who has a host of musicians to help him ‘audialise’ his disturbed visions. There are some amazing string parts, saxophone and clarinets on a backdrop of very heavy bone-crunching guitar. This must have taken years to come together, there are so many layers and elements to this, you hear something new each time you play it. I would love to see this band play live. A refreshing change. - astro zombie

Basement 3 is an American band masterminded by Kenny (No second name given) who composes, produces, engineers, sings and plays guitars, bass, tenor sax, flute (on the concluding track 'Last Song') and also turns his hand to the occasional percussion and some rather disconcerting 'violin noises' on 'Back Home'. This group has been featured on Alchemical Radio recently and my thanks go to Terri~B for introducing me to them. 'Habit' (featured on the 14 July programme) is a particularly haunting song with its acerbic lyric and an atmosphere ranging from snarling punk to a more subtle balladic form (reflecting the artist's angst perfectly) Kenny is accompanied here by Dave Gary Junior on drums, Chris Mondt on bass and Dan Shafer on piano. There are three other drummers featured on this album- Kevin Higuchi, Gordon Gurley and Mike Freitas as well as clarinet on 4 tracks (Les Harris), cello on 2 (Madeleine Rowan), trombone on 3 (Tony Lanzino), baritone sax on 2 (Swampy Dave) Add to this DJ Pone on 'turntables' and you get an idea of how diverse the instrumentation is (and I haven't covered everything!) This all makes for a sonically intriguing album that encompasses many moods and styles like 'rap' in the first part of the album's opener 'Mantra'- a very catchy chorus here. 'Connection' is another interesting track with all the intensity of a Peter Hammill composition. 'Forever' has a great 'eastern' rhythm with the 'brass section' giving a very full sound. A rap style is again cleverly incorporated at one point making for a very successful track. One of the most beautiful tracks on 'Rising' is the 'unplugged' one 'I Am' where Kenny and Mike Freitas produce a breathtakingly beautiful ballad that lasts for nearly 8 minutes! The title track begins with nice acoustic guitar, the rhythm section kicks in then a rap delivery and some very personal lyrics once more- the interesting thing about this music is that the rap is not used repetitively making it much more palatable to someone like myself who's not really into it in a big way. I don't know what sort of percussion instrument a dumbek is but it, and the cello, are both very effective. There is a heavier section when Kenny's electric guitar 'enters the fray' and some rousing tenor sax/ trombone to conclude. The theme running through this track and other parts of the album seems to be, as Kenny puts it, "to exchange the demons of depression and imagined victimisation for the strength of self acceptance"- I'm sure most of us could identify with that! 'Push' is the heaviest and shortest track as the band reverts to a guitar trio. 'Clear' has a punchy 4 piece brass section and is a more overtly rap piece with DJ Pone returning on 'scratching'. A visit to the band's web site on www.basement3.com explains some of the thinking- "music that dances, screams, whispers", "rich in emotion and colour", "passionate", "primal meets urban", "World Music with the fury of punk, industrial and avant garde jazz" are some of the words and phrases used. Kenny's impressive musical pedigree stretches back as far as 1982 and his stated influences include Coltrane, XTC, Bartok, Marsalis, Portishead, Waits and PJ Harvey. This is a deeply personal and eclectic album arranged like a musical with an overture ('Mantra'), two acts ('Below' and 'Rising') and a finale ('Last Song') - the mixture of styles and the instrumentation make for a pretty unique listening experience- recommended! (Merry Mole Music) - aural innovations

You must hear this. And then, you must join in. Pound on the floor. Grab some spoons and play the Bacardi bottle. Yodel. Trust me, Basement 3’s Kenny is such a cosmic force, I’m sure he’ll hear you no matter how far from California you live. According to the press kit, this is subterranean worldcore performed by a tribe of angry moles in group therapy. Kenny, the leader and merry mole (I guess the therapy is working), thanks all 27 of his personalities in the liner notes, especially #11, who wrote many of the lyrics. He devoted two years to this 11-track project. And the artists are having so much fun that I’m jealous. I want to jump into my stereo and join them. The jam has such an inviting feel that I know if I had showed up with nothing but a toy xylophone, they would have widened the circle and let me play too. Take the first track, “Mantra.” Bongos, tenor sax, turntables, drums, clarinet, growling funky primitive so so so cool. It’s time to change your mantra Before it becomes a monster and takes a bite out of your soul. I love what I’m hearing. My brain feels like it’s actually getting bigger. Take track 4, “Back Home.” Rock instruments, turntables, and a cello. Fingersnaps and whispers sharply and perfectly recorded. A classical/rock restless dream. The very next track is grinding, free-for-all rock that includes a tenor sax. Up next, “Forever,” which is groovy, funky, jazzy pop rock. There are no limits. They don’t understand the concept of appropriate instrumentation and don’t care. “Soul of David” is a headbanging rock song with a clarinet singing the musical lead. This is the sound of musical souls being unleashed in a basement. I can’t believe I missed the party. I e-mailed Kenny and told him I want to be there for the next one. I’m bringing my toy xylophone. - indie-music.com

CD REVIEW: Kenny Schick - Under
By Chip Withrow - 06/09/2008 - 03:06 PM EDT

Artist: Kenny Schick
Album: Under
Website: http://www.basement3.com
Genre: Acoustic Folk/Rock
Sounds Like: acoustic Grant Lee Buffalo
Production/Musicianship Grade: 9/10
Overall Talent Level: 9/10
Songwriting Skills: 9/10
Performance Skill: 9/10
CD Review: I’m 42, and I don’t like to consider myself old-fashioned. Just this morning, I read a blog by a guy (my own age, too, for crying out loud) bemoaning how text messaging is causing writing skills to deteriorate. I almost replied to tell the guy to lighten up.

Kenny Schick’s Under is based on a 21st-century occurrence – meeting someone online and moving to Australia to be with her. Now, my sister-in-law met her husband through online matchmaking, but I met my wife the old-fashioned way – at a party both of us almost skipped. From his experience, Schick has crafted a starkly beautiful acoustic gem. His lyrics and vocals are personal and confessional; the instrumentation is organic. I’ve been listening to this one a lot lately, discovering nuances with each spin.
On the wistful “Summer,” I was entranced by the hypnotic guitar picking and vocal interplay between Schick and Sabine Heusler. There are some nifty guitar underpinnings to the song that I noticed upon later listens.

Steve Crain’s mournful cello is worth listening for in the chorus of the propulsive “Bottom of the World” – nice lyrics on this one, too, and Schick reaches for some high lonesome falsetto notes. Schick’s acoustic picking is worth a close listen. On the lilting, Beatle-y “Rain” (not the Beatles song of the same name) his guitar sounds like gentle rainfall. “Ghost” is sometimes slippery due to D.B. Walker’s dobro, and then ethereal with ringing arpeggioed guitar. Walker’s dobro also colors the dirt-road bluesy “Sun Goes Down.”
One of my favorites is the straight-up folk tune “Kiss.” Schick’s guitar work is deft, and Gordon Gurley’s sandpaper percussion is a nice back-porch touch. “Black and Blue” is another sweet, folksy track, with a delightfully catchy instrumental riff.

A couple of soul/blues tracks, “Opposite” and “Calling You,” are also standouts. “Calling You” is also a cool example of how Schick tosses unusual chord changes into most of the album's cuts. The warmth and immediacy of the production contributes to the heartfelt vibe of this disc. Kenny Schick's Under is crisp, contemporary American folk music, inspired by trip to the other side of the world. - Muse's Muse

Kenny Schick showcases new album in PDX
by Alley Hector / OregonLive.com
Thursday February 14, 2008, 10:00 AM
Just in time for Valentine's Day (well, almost) soulful Kenny Schick/Basement3 brings his Australia adventure love soundtrack concept album to fair Portland.

In a hopelessly romantic and brazen move, the and Bay area artist packed his bags and moved to Australia for a girl he had only met through the wide world of the internet. I don't know how the relationship turned out, but whatever passion, pain and spontaneity Schick experienced created a rich and engrossing LP.
The all acoustic album is smooth without being easy-listening. And while the emotion is deep and pressing, it's never quite stark enough to feel your sure of what you're supposed to be feeling. While you might think this would be frustrating, there is an immense calm even in his lyrical musings that make you believe that it might be ok, that folk might be your salvation.
Schick plays 3 shows starting tomorrow at East Burn (1800 E. Burnside) at 7p, (this is a brand new club in portland that is catering to acoustic music), Saturday the 16th at the Alberta Street Pub (1036 NE Alberta St) at 11:30p with Scott Gallegos and Justin Jude and and Sunday the 17th at Mississippi Pizza (3552 North Mississippi Ave) at 9p with Rebecca Sandborn.

- The Oregonian