The Silver Spring Penguin

Someday, someone will devise a word to describe that musical genre that mashes rap, rock, jazz and the blues. For now, let’s just call it Silver Lights. The Takoma Park crew successfully flips the script on mainstream hip hop, infusing it with jazzy keyboards and guitar, and even Adam Levine-like backing vocals.

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Click play to hear Silver Lights’ “Diamond Ring”.

The five guys — lead vocalist Andrew Spence, guitarists Ben and Ryan Martinez, Mehran Mizani on bass, and percussionist Will Whitney — started last year as a production team, scribbling hip hop beats with live instruments. Soon, they were kicking it on stage at area pubs, and even played this summer at a Save Darfur benefit concert.

In “Milin’ High”, the band lays down coffeehouse jazz and a bossanova beat, then blends them with a rapid-fire rap and mellow melody. There’s even more bossanova on “Morning Rose”, which swings with acoustic guitar.

On “Diamond Ring” (above), Silver Lights hits rap with the delta blues. The melody and beat reveal the band’s old soul, the inner scraggly geezer whittling sticks and spinning yarns from the front porch. But the kicking hip-hop beat and lyrics keep it bright and fresh.

Get a taste of Silver Lights from the band’s MySpace page, then check them out Saturday night in The District. The 10:00 p.m. gig drops at The Grog and Tankard (2408 Wisconsin Ave NW) and sets you back $7 per seat.

Photos and music courtesy of Silver Lights.