rescuing musical virtue in distress.
Reggae music, like soul before it and the rap and hip-hop scenes that have evolved since, has always been music that beats with a conscious heart. But then such music has always been born of real struggles and Don't Do That is Link & Chain's response to just one aspect of that struggle. Don't Do... Continue Reading →
When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade, isn't that what they say? So, when life throws funky lemons, make funky lemonade! And if the last year has been even more difficult for Danny Merriman beyond the usual Covid related shenanigans, it is the turning of those funky fruit into the funkiest of albums that... Continue Reading →
Garrison Hawk (a.k.a. Hawkman) is back with his latest single 'Pretty Pussycat', bringing his special brand of high energy-infused dancehall to video with the help of director Nevaris A.C. and videographer Jacques Lang. "The meaning of this song lies in the beauty of a woman, not only by sight but at heart. Lyrics-wise, it's about the king and a queen... Continue Reading →
Lockdown changed everyone's lives, often in taxing and unexpected ways. But if there is a silver lining to be found in any of this, it is that the combination of isolation and spare time that people found themselves dealing with caused many to become creative. It also caused the already creative to become even more... Continue Reading →
You know when something is the real deal, you can just hear it. Link & Chain are certainly the real deal and Ready is one of those songs which just oozes with authenticity and charm. There is much talk these days about music evolving, about things having to move on and push boundaries. Whilst that... Continue Reading →
The latest album from Garrison Hawk is nothing less than the sound of an artist returning to their roots. Although he has wandered far and wide musically, explored pop, rock and more dance orientated sounds and even working with Tricky on his iconic Blowback album, there is a confidence and groove found here which can... Continue Reading →
Garrison Hawk may be a name more associated with alternative and progressive rock and even pop music, but on his latest album, The Adrenaline, he returns very much to his roots. If working with Tricky on his 2001 album Blowback brought him to wider recognition, it was working with such artists which also set him... Continue Reading →
If life is indeed like a box of chocolates, then the world that Fabp operates in is like a hundred boxes of chocolates smashed with a sledge-hammer, mushed back into one squidgy ball of sweetness, fired from a canon, gathered back together and then used to write sonic graffiti on the wall of the nearest... Continue Reading →
Spend any time listening to the lyrics of any song you choose on this latest album by NYC funk fusionaries Loud Apartment and you will realise that they have something to say. Listen to the whole album and you realise that they have a lot to say and across a wide variety of social subjects.... Continue Reading →
Who isn’t a sucker for a bit of soft, soothing, soulful reggae, for some smooth island vibes and bubbling bass lines, funky, off-kilter beats and sunshine-infused grooves? I know I am. Although I have to admit that it isn’t a genre that I actively seek out, when I find myself confronted with it, I love... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you just need to escape the hustle and hassle of the rat-race. Sometimes you need to forget your day to day worries and cut loose. Sometimes you need to leave your problems at the door. Sometimes you need music like On Da Floor. Its an anthem to having a good time…make that a great... Continue Reading →
Genres eh? Who needs them? Certainly not The Amber Bugs. As their track record shows they are as happy funking up as they are rocking out, as deft with reggae grooves as they are jazz refrains, as comfortable delivering punk chops as they are weaving pop melodies. And best of all, they have a wicked... Continue Reading →
Lockdown has had, and continues to have, a marked effect on all of us. Some have used this time to count their blessings, others to pull together, many have welcomed this forced hibernation and others have even raged and ranted against their perceived loss of liberty. All of this is equally true of the artistic... Continue Reading →
Strength n Dreams is exactly what it says on the tin, so to speak. A two-track release, one titled Strength, the other, you guessed it…Dreams. Why don’t all artists make this uncomplicated? Anyway, Strength is a cool, mid-paced tune, a light, pop-infused, ska driven, reggae groover, one which ticks enough sonic boxes to keep the... Continue Reading →
The list of music to which Kevin Flournoy can claim a stake, be it as a producer, keyboardist, songwriter or arranger, is so extensive that it is highly unlikely that you haven’t heard his work, you just may not have realised it. Under these various roles his output covers so many sounds and styles but... Continue Reading →
The man himself describes this little side-project from his usual musical activities, using the wonderfully self-deprecating words, “ mid-life crisis.” If it is, he should have more. Many more. And before you all get up in arms defending his long and admirable back catalogue and dedication to the ska-wars and the ongoing reggae rebellion, I’m... Continue Reading →
There is something wonderfully infectious about the Reggaetron grooves and easy rhythms that ooze out of Darshae Kiér ’s latest release. Reggae has always had a back end sound which is hard to not be beguiled by and the dance floor has always been driven by beats which make you want to move. Halasana Girl... Continue Reading →
Since their formation in early 2006, Gentleman's Dub Club have made a name for themselves as one of the most respected names in dub/reggae music. GDC have been on tour for nearly 13 years, are festival favourites across the UK and Europe, and have found themselves regularly playing to crowds of 10,000 or more. Having sold out... Continue Reading →
Unless you’re a fan of reggae you possibly wouldn’t be aware that reggae has spent the last few decades stretching away from the stereotypical ‘chung-chung’ guitar and has found it’s feet in other genres and sub genres that has not only enhanced the music but also widened the possibilities that the music can move into.... Continue Reading →
There is a real art to taking a song as well known as this Bill Withers' classic and presenting a new version to the world. Stick too closely to the original and you are really just ridding the coat tails of the original artist, re-work things too much and you run the risk of alienating... Continue Reading →
Reggae is cool in any language, to be honest, the great thing about all music, at least all music that is doing its job properly, is that it transcends language but loses none of its appeal and sonic profundity just because you don’t have a translator to hand. This time out, Pierfrancesco Maria Rovere is... Continue Reading →
Funny how when we hear the term “world music” we automatically think of some niche music probably aligned with a specific tradition or culture, Mongolian throat singing, flamenco guitars, Japanese drum troupes and the like. But surely world music should just be something with universal appeal, that falls less into a generic furrow and more... Continue Reading →
Reggae is cool in any language, to be honest, the great thing about all music, at least all music that is doing its job properly, is that it transcends language but loses none of its appeal and sonic profundity just because you don’t have a translator to hand. This fourth time out for Eljuri as... Continue Reading →
It seems to me, admittedly a non-expert in the genre, that reggae and ska, like many other genres (punk and rock music, I’m looking at you) are very good at looking back at their glory days rather than attempting to write their own bright new future. Yes, music of Caribbean origin has already contributed so... Continue Reading →
Roots music, like most generic labels, is too broad a term to really convey anything useful to the listener. It covers all sorts of world, folk and traditional sounds, sounds that seem to lie at the beating heart of one culture or another and also seems to imply a nostalgic backward glance to a sound... Continue Reading →
It’s often interesting to read the press release for albums that fall into my paws, sometimes the description that has been put forward is at odds with the finished product that finds itself booming out of my speakers. Descriptions like ‘life-affirming’, ‘game changing’, ‘powerhouse’ and ‘the next great act’ accompany these albums so it’s sometimes... Continue Reading →
This is the third time I have reviewed a release from this artist in as many months, you can’t deny that he has to be one of the hardest working rappers out there. You would have thought that by now I would be getting quite familiar with his style, his approach, his attitude towards making... Continue Reading →
If Two-Tone was the perfect storm of the imported Jamaican ska and reggae sounds and the punk spirit and wild energy that was fermenting in British inner cities in the late 70's then Rude Rebels is nothing short of a continuation of that story. Far from being a nostalgic look back it is a glorious... Continue Reading →
MusicBySire understands the power of music. Last time we caught up with him he was raising awareness for the oppression of modern slavery with Black, here he has a more universal message. Better That You is an anthem of faith and of walking your own path, of holding on to your beliefs and ignoring those... Continue Reading →
I have to admit that as a new name to hit the review pile I was more than pleasantly surprised at Slightly Stoopid’s latest, and ninth, album. Always one to judge books by covers (hey, we all do it) and on this occasion the music by the band name, I was relived when what emanated... Continue Reading →
