The Couch Sessions

Articles Written By Marcus K. Dowling

Marcus Dowling is one of the premier music journalists in the DC Metropolitan area. His writing, clear, poignant and thoughtful, can not just be found here, but at other premium sites around the internet as True Genius Requires Insanity, DC megablog Brightest Young Things, and Atlanta's soon to be print Art Nouveau Magazine. Also, he has interviewed everyone from established legends like Teena Marie, Darude and Warren G, to rising names like DJ Blaqstarr, Nadastrom, Miz Metro and a plethora more of all levels of note in between.

The Day the “Music” Died: Thoughts on MTV finally synthesizing music and culture and losing the “Music Television” name

With increasing regularity, music has become the key vehicle which we use to discover culture. Music provides a soundtrack and is the expression of the souls of those moved by culture to express to the world how a particular movement affects the universe. Until the moment The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” played on [...]

February 12, 2010

1 Comment

ALBUM REVIEW: Outputmessage – Autonomous

Washington, DC by way of Queens, NY electronic dance music producer Outputmessage is likely one of the more underrated EDM artists in the genre. The eight year veteran has received terrific acclaim both stateside and abroad for his musically dense but pop trending melodies awakening a sense of early 80s synth pop sounds. However, with [...]

February 11, 2010

No Comments

Thoughts on John Mayer’s Incendiary Playboy Interview…

“I think the world would be better off if I stopped doing interviews.”
Someone asked me the other day, “What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?” And by the way, it’s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you could call it a nigger [...]

February 10, 2010

6 Comments

Album Review: Sade – Soldier of Love

While not a masterpiece, in an era where the market has been deluged by a new female soul vanguard that angles increasingly towards pop, Sade remains regal, calm, collected and steadfast, and merely releases the standard bearer album to define the female expression in R & B for 2010.
Sade’s musical legacy lies in her ability [...]

February 9, 2010

1 Comment

Special to The Couch Sessions: TGRIOnline.com x DJ Pierre present #MOARCLUBMUSICS Vol. 1 – Hits, Rarities and Club Music Classics

DOWNLOAD HERE (tracklist after jump)
Along with providing music reviews and opinion pieces here at The Couch Sessions, I also run my own site, a brother site of sorts to the Couch Sessions, True Genius Requires Insanity at TGRIOnline.com. As with most blogs we (I have a staff of eight along with me) attempt to provide [...]

January 27, 2010

No Comments

Mixtape Review: Jack Splash – King of the Beats, Vol. 1

Download: JACK SPLASH – King of the Beats, Vol. 1
Jack Splash was frozen in place conducting a full symphony for Quincy Jones in 1981 at the Hollywood Bowl, unfrozen five years ago after being stored away for almost 30 years and was immediately dropped off at the Compton Swap Meet.
Jack Splash was frozen [...]

January 22, 2010

1 Comment

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Diplo Presents: Free Gucci (Best of The Cold War Mixtapes)

Download: Free Gucci: Best of the Cold War Mixtapes
The nature of this mixtape in principle is to explore what Gucci Mane would sound like over musical styles unfamiliar to his typical dirty South productions. Instead, this just sounds like a bunch of ideas that Gucci can explore when he gets released from prison.
The concept of [...]

January 13, 2010

No Comments

AUDIO INTERVIEW: Wiz Khalifa

Pittsburgh’s Wiz Khalifa perhaps has one of the best tales of the new industry of hip hop in the 21st century. A mixtape monster, Khalifa spent two solid years consistently turning the underground on its ear until becoming a leading emcee in the game. By 2007, he had a deal with Warner Brothers Records, and [...]

January 8, 2010

No Comments

Album Review: Vampire Weekend – Contra

If the formula for album sales were to include multiplying intellectual quotient and sheer amount of intellect used to craft a release, the boys of Vampire Weekend would be the highest selling artists of this generation.
If the formula for album sales were to include multiplying intellectual quotient and sheer amount of intellect used to craft [...]

January 4, 2010

2 Comments

Album Review: Mary J. Blige – Stronger With Each Tear

We’re nearing the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Mary J. Blige’s industry changing debut What’s the 411? As was then is still now with the release of Blige’s ninth studio release Stronger With Each Tear. The pretty girl with the razor sharp exterior has had that exterior pierced on record now [...]

December 22, 2009

No Comments

Album Review: Alicia Keys – The Element of Freedom

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin, “Risk”
The great joy of Alicia Keys is in her ability to meld the heights of the pop and soul sound to create aesthetic brilliance. On fourth studio release The [...]

December 14, 2009

1 Comment