Musical Occupation Mixtape 1

Redstar73 Mixtape| right click+save as

Jan Kroll from Redstar73 Records has put together our very first Musical Occupation Mixtape!
This mix takes you through some of the best ska and reggae music Europe has to offer. Jan has a bunch of ideas for mixes and will be putting more together soon. Visit the new Redstar73 Web Store and see what they got!

Tracklist
Rude Boy - Baby Love & the van Dangos (denmark)
You are too bad - Club Killers (sweden)
Skinhead Revolt - Contratempo (catalunya)
Call me - Skapoint (poland)
Dedication - The Babylon Whackers (england)
Don't fall in love . The Deltones (england)
Don't go - the Dualers (england)
Jumpstart - The Forest Hillbillies (england)
Soon you'll be come - Casino Royal (italy)
I don't feel - Capone and the Bullets (scotland)
Tom Hark - The Piranhas (england)
Steps in the Alley - Blue Chateau (germany)
Napoleon Solo - The Orobians (italy)
They rule the world - The Busters (germany)
No mess no fuss - The Kinky Coo Coo's (catalunya)
Funny little fella - The Riffs (england)
No excuse - Alpha Boy School (germany)

We got more mixes in store from our friends on the inter-webs so look out!

Would you like to put together a mix to share with everyone?
Hit us up at info@musicaloccupation.com

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Win Tickets: Mighty Diamonds Make LA Dub Club Stop

From Tom Chasteen:
Vocal trio the Mighty Diamonds are one of the most internationally popular reggae groups to emerge from the '70s roots era. More accessible than many other roots outfits, the Diamonds boast soulful, gorgeously pure harmonies and tight, catchy songwriting, much of it from within the group itself. They are devout Rastafarians, but balance their spiritual and political messages with sweet romantic material, which gives them a more universal appeal than militant groups like Culture or Black Uhuru.

Regardless of whether they are singing love songs or protest anthems, the Mighty Diamonds bring a startling emotional commitment to their best material, and their debut album, "Right Time", still stands as one of roots reggae's all-time classics.

The Mighty Diamonds were formed in 1969 in the Kingston ghetto of Trenchtown, also home to Bob Marley. From day one onward, their lineup consisted of founder and harmony singer Pat "Lloyd" Ferguson (aka Judge Diamond, the Judge), lead singer Donald Shaw (aka Tabby Diamond, the Prophet), and harmony singer Fitzroy Simpson (aka Bunny Diamond, the Jester).

In 1973, they caught on at Byron Lee's Dynamic Sounds studio and notched their first hit with "Shame and Pride." From there, the group moved on to Joseph "JoJo" Hoo Kim's Channel One imprint in 1975.



They scored two quick hits with "Country Living" and "Hey Girl," and then had their biggest success yet with "Right Time." Signed to a major-label deal with Virgin, the Mighty Diamonds issued their first album, also titled "Right Time", in 1976. It was an instant classic, tackling a multitude of social and spiritual issues with powerful yet graceful music, and spawned further hits in "I Need a Roof," "Have Mercy," and "Africa."

In the early '80s, the group started working with producer Gussie Clarke, reworking old Studio One rhythm tracks into new songs on their 1981 albumChanges. One of those new songs, "Pass the Kouchie" (or sometimes "Kutchie"), was a major hit in Jamaica, and in 1982 it was covered by the band Musical Youth for the U.S. and U.K. smash "Pass the Dutchie" (substituting a type of cooking pot for the original's marijuana slang). Since then they have continued to record and tour, always putting on a great show.



Wednesday February 11
The Dub Club presents:
The Mighty Diamonds
www.mightydiamonds.com
backed by Yellow Wall Dub Squad

with Resident DJs:
Tom Chasteen
Roy Corderoy
The Dungeonmaster
Boss Harmony

at the Echoplex
1154 Glendale Blvd. in Echo Park
$10 Advance tickets available from www.ticketweb.com
$15 at the door/ 9pm/ 21+
www.myspace.com/dubclubla

Want to win tickets to this event? All you have to do is make sure you are friends with the Dub Club via their myspace page (link above). Put them in your top friends and repost the flyer above.

Email me here: jason@lawlessrecords.com when that's all done and you can win one of 3 pairs of tickets! I'll notify the winners of the tickets early Wednesday morning via email and the winners will be on the guestlist at the club that night. Easy enough right? Well get to it!

See you there!

King Django-Avenue A EP

2009 Stubborn Records
Review by Gabe

The wait for a new King Django release has been long but the lyrics architect is still strong!

Four hot new tunes that will have you bouncing off the walls like you were transported back to the Stubborn All Stars days. This ain't no rehashing of the same old sound though. These tunes are hot oven fresh with only the finest ingredients .

Do you remember the song "Really" from King Django Meets The Scrucialists? That song goes from some chilled out reggae tune to uptempo ska with Django's soothing tone reminiscing "When It Was Really Going Down" back in the day on "Avenue A". Maybe you you missed that album or you just plain didn't feel some of those songs? Well here's your chance as another song from that album gets a musical makeover. "I Don't Wanna Work That Hard" gets stirpped down and re-inveted on side B it's called "Tryin To Be Something". This time it's done in true form, with the right sound and of course a touch of Django's unmistakable toasting style

One of the sweetest tracks is "As Tears Go By". Yes The Rolling Stones hit song sounds fantastic put to the rhythm of ska. With that healing ukulele over the percussion and keys you can almost hear the tear drops hit the ground. I'd buy this thing just for this song alone!

The Avenue A EP is like a blend of the Stubborn All Star's Nex Season and King Django's Roots Tonic album. That same crisp authenticity is abundant in all its glory and refined on 10" vinyl no less!

This is King Django at the top of his game.

Side A:
1. Avenue A
2. As Tears Go By

Side B:
1. Hey Bartender
2. Trying to Be Something

The new EP is at press now and should arrive at Stubborn Records HQ January 23rd.
Buy it now for 5 bucks pre-sale at www.stubbornrecords.com and save some dough!

King Django - Fluke Ukulele, Hohner Harmonica, Percussion
Ira Heaps - Bass Guitar
Justin Rothberg - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Gregg Mervine - Drums

Rebelation Q&A

An interview with Tony Devenish

By Gabe P

Continuing our conversations with musicians on the Do The Dog Music Label we did a quick Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Tony Devenish of the band Rebelation. Another long running UK band, Rebelation have shared the stage with such bands as Bad Manners, The Selector, The Slackers, and Laurel Aitkin to name a few. This 10 peice group have 4 releases under their belt featuring dual male and female vocalists complimented by a powerful horn section. If you have not heard them you are certainly missing out.

Rebelation have been around for quite some time. How would you say the band has developed over the years?

Tony: Yeah, we've been around a while! We first started back in 1994, which is crazy to think that's 14 years ago! The band has grown in personnel over those years and the sound has developed naturally with that. We started off as a 4 piece and had a more of a punky-folk vibe with the reggae.

I'm the only one left from those days! But I think it's unusual for a band that has as many in as we do and has been playing as long as we have to have all it's original players. As the sound and personnel developed we've developed the sound into what it is today, which I'd say is pretty much trad ska, reggae and rocksteady. I don't consider Rebelation to be a retro band though, I'd like to think we bring something progressive to the genre too. And I think it's difficult for that not to happen as we're all culturally affected and the culture I've grown up in is different to one from 1960's Jamaica, obviously!!

What about the U.K. ska and reggae. What changes have you noticed over the years?

Tony: There have definitely been some changes over the years but it's funny how things go in cycles. When we started out the scene we were involved in was the festi scene.The bands that we go and see and play with would be bands like Back to the Planet, Scum of Toytown and Culture Shock/Citizen Fish and the like, we'd called it 'ska punk' back then. We'd also be big into the roots soundsystem scene in the UK with people Jah Shaka and Aba Shanti being the big ones.

The 2 Tone thing was definitely big then and has always had a hold on the UK scene. But then the US led ska punk invasion happened and most of the ska scene was made up of kids really digging that sound. I think that really killed the scene in the end due to overkill really. There were some good ska punk bands but most, if I'm honest, were pretty bad. It got to a point where kids thought that 'ska' was punk with horns. It used to really piss me off. After it died off a bit bands started getting more trad and there are some great trad bands around. It would appear that the scene has come full circle from when we first started out.

There are bands that are doing the old UK style of 'ska punk'. Bands like King Blues, Dirty Revolution and The Skints are kinda doing that sort of thing. There are some old die hards now around still who have been for years as part of the Do the Dog stable, like Smoke Like A Fish, Pama Int and The Splitters as well ourselves who are still doing it.

Any funny things that have happened to you guys?

Tony: There are many tour stories that I could tell ya but the I may need to protect the innocent! And some of them would probably have us banned from entering the USA and we would love to come and tour there sometime! But there have been customs issues crossing borders, fights, people forgetting passports, seeing the only ferry leaving as we draw up to the port, driving fast through Holland with no brakes on the van to get our ferry in heavy rain. In fact, timing and Rebelation don't really go very well together.

There was a time where we had a show in Amsterdam and we arrived at the port in the UK and just missed the only ferry that morning. So our only option was to drive another 3 hours to another port that had more regular ferries. We ended up having to drive through North France, Belgium and Holland to get to the show and we got there just as the support band was finishing. There seems to be a theme with Holland and stories but another time we'd driven through the night after a show to get the ferry back to the UK only to find that the ferries had been cancelled due to bad weather. So while most of the band slept in the van a couple of us went to the port cafe and as we were sitting there all these really hot girls started arriving. Now at the end of a tour, no sleep etc, this was quite a surreal experience, because these girls were seriously hot.

There must've been 50 or more of them. Apparently it was some model school from Holland on their way to London. So we rushed back to the van to tell them. None of them believed us, they thought it was some elaborate ploy to steal the beds in the van. To this day they still refuse to believe.

Another story that no doubt will be told many times was when we were on tour at the end of last year with The Slackers in the UK and Ireland. We had just done a show in Dublin and were on the road in a people carrier (thankfully The Slackers had our gear), on the way to Belfast straight after the show. We hit the motorway and lost control of the vehicle and it span around and rolled 2 times landing on the other side of the central reservation facing back towards Dublin. Amazingly we all survived with very little injury and the tour continued. Very sacry though. We're very thankful for still being here.

Has it been hard to keep the band motivated and together over the years? How have you endured?

Tony: It is hard for some but if someone's had enough of the travelling, the hours in the back of a van in some off place then fair do's. It's really important to keep the vibes positive and when negativity's crept in then normally that person's been destructive and leaves. The core of this band's been together for almost a fair old time now and we're pretty solid and it's the vibes and understanding that we have of each other and what we're trying do and the absolute belief is what keeps it going. It's either belief or plain stupidity!! Ask my wife!

For more info and to sample some sounds check Rebelation on Myspace
To buy their music visit Do The Do Music

Bombtown - ?!INTERROBANG!? Review

2008 Stubborn Records - Review by Gabe Pressure

The Bombtown Crew is back and better than ever on this 14 track brain melter! Since the release of the band's debut release on Megalith they have really polished out their sound. If you liked Logical Reality you are going to love Interrobang, no question. This time around Bombtown entered the legendary Version City Studio under the guidance of King Django to record. Each tune is drenched in the that Version City sound like Django dipped them in his musical batter and served em' up with some throat scorching hot sauce.

Right from the start it's an onslaught of the musical mayhem that is Bombtown. If you have sensitive ears, too bad for you because the first tune, Undertaker, will blow out your precious ear drums with a vengeance. Giving you a full sample of the Bombtown sound with a furious punk, hardcore, and ska introduction. The thing I love about these guys is you never know what your gonna get next, and what you think is coming can change in an instant. They blend ska, dub, reggae, dancehall, punk, and hardcore in a way I never thought possible, it's mind blowing. The songs Acid Rain Dance and Fire Come Down prove it, and you can hear the attention to detail from the drum and bass to the sweet sax and blistering guitar making those rhythm and style changes so seamless. It's not just noise.


Tommi Infamous has also stepped up his game lyrically. Babylon Girl is a personal response to a relationship gone sour and the aftermath that ensued. Right here is where you start to hear that defined dancehall style and percussion they have developed. And if you wanna hear what I think is the peak of that musical development check the riddim on The Devil and the Lord of Hosts featuring Rocker T with his soothing vocals. This thing could be on a Version City Rockers album and I would have been fooled.

They touch on subjects like racism and police corruption on Nother Cop Done. Another guest vocalist Crusador Lion takes the helm chatting and singing over a wicked riddim. Midway through the tune listen for a narrative between two characters - a cop and an innocent man being harassed because of the color of his skin. Well done.

Bring in another deadly dancehall riddim with the lyrical assassin Dr. Ring Ding making an appearance on Lyrics By The Ton in a combination style with Tommi Infamous and you gotta be hooked by now! But if that ain't enough they rework Skinnerbox's tune with Next Finger and Tommi is in top form with King Django on trombone and backing.

These tunes are just some of the highlights for me. I must have listened to the album a couple of 20 times and still can't get enough. Definitely a standout album this year amongst so many traditionalist out there. It's great to have a band bending and blending genres the way these guys do. They use all the right elements with none of that irritating poppy stuff. Interrobang is true to the underground roots Bombtown draws from and you should definitely add this album to your library.

Buy it at www.stubbornrecords.com

Check www.myspace.com/bombtown

Read Mikey Tag's interview with Tommi Infamous

Listen to new tunes and an interview with Tommi on Pressure Drop Soundcast

Review: One Night Band – Hit and Run

2008 Stomp Records - Reviewed by Aaron Lakoff, host of Roots Rock Rebel

Hit and Run is the latest album from Montreal’s most cherished ska sensations, One Night Band. This album, their second full-length, represents quite a departure from their debut “Way Back Home” (released in 2006 on Stomp), delivers a solid 15 tracks, some definitely stronger than others.

One Night Band has developed an impressive following in Montreal, Quebec, and the rest of Canada since their beginnings in 2003 for a few different reasons. For one, they rose to prominence to fill a void in the Montreal ska scene which was left by the demise of bands like General Rudie, the Kingpins, and Gangster Politics. Montreal used to be the uncontested “ska capital” of Canada, and many Montrealers were craving some of that traditional ska that the older bands brought. The band also has an incredible work ethic. They have toured consistently in the last few years, contributed to side projects (Blood and Fire, the Fabulous Lolo Sings Rocksteady, the Stomp Allstars, etc.), and they even own their own recording studio, Indygene.

I visited the band at Indygene studios during the recording of Hit and Run last summer. Tucked deep into the garment and textile district of Montreal, I was impressed with how laid back yet hard-working the guys in the band were, taking the time to chat and joke around, but working for 2 weeks straight to finish the album. Brian Dixon, guitarist for the Aggrolites, was flown up to Montreal by ONB to produce the album, and even he was impressed with how comfortable the band was in the recording studio. The results of that comfort, as well as Brian Dixon’s hand on the controls, can definitely be heard throughout the album.

Which brings us back to Hit and Run, which hit stores earlier this week in Canada. The album starts out with band leader Alex Giguere’s raunchy guitar licks on “Wait a Minute”, and launches into a nice Motown soul grove before seamlessly falling into an upbeat skinhead reggae vibe. The second song, “Walk in Line”, follows in the same pattern. The album overall is slower, with less ska tracks, and an emphasis on the percussion and Larry Love’s wonderful organ playing.

Giguere’s gritty vocal stylings have been compared to Vic Ruggiero of the Slackers, but the songwriting material definitely doesn’t delve as deep as their New York counterparts. Another marked different from “Way Back Home” is the lack of horns on Hit and Run. The band has been stripped down to a 4-piece, with just a bit of help from Josh Furhman (former Kingpins, Smokers) and Christine Charbonneau on saxophones, and Patrick Taylor on trombone. The line-up changes have resulted in a sound which is very similar to the Aggrolites, which is not surprising, given that Brian Dixon was a major part of this album. The 3 short instrumental tracks on the album, “Larry Love”, “The Mysterious P”, and “Safari” are where we hear Larry’s talents come through on the keys rather than horn solos.

Hit and Run, contrary to Way Back Home, also features no songs in French. This is a bit of a disappointment to me, as Way Back Home’s bilingual content really represented the spirit of Montreal, a completely bilingual city.

One Night Band have perhaps fallen victim to the trap of so many bands who put out phenomenal debut cd’s, and then have a hard time meeting the fan expectations of their sophomore efforts. As a stand-alone, Hit and Run is a very enjoyable album, but not quite as good as their first.

But what Hit and Run lacks in musicianship is made up by One Night band in the live shows they deliver, and the amazing ska community they have built around them. Over the last couple years, they have worked very closely with some of the heavy-hitters in the North American ska scene, including King Django, Mitch Girio (former King Apparatus), Lorraine Muller (former Kingpins), the Toasters, Chris Murray, and the list goes on. What we have seen around One Night Band is a rebirth of interest in early reggae and roots-ska music in Montreal, and for many, that can only be a good thing.

Aaron Lakoff has been a ska DJ and host of Roots Rock Rebel on CKUT radio in Montreal since 2003. He can be reached at rebel@ckut.ca or www.myspace.com/ckutrootsrockrebel

Visit www.myspace.com/theonenightband or www.stomprecords.com for more info

K-Mob "Show De Hipnosis"

K-Mob is a German band that plays smooth soulful reggae/ska. The music is infectious and the album keeps your foot stomping from start to end. Grover Records almost never puts out a bad album and this keeps with the tradition of amazing releases from this great label. "Cheap Tricks" opens up the album with an organ driven reggae tune that has the whole Slackers styled melody in it. European ska and reggae takes and borrows the best parts of the US ska/reggae scene but also uses other influences. "Sweet Love Sensation" is a grooving rocksteady number with the sweet vocals of Naima. Her vocals impart a real tenderness the same way the great Jamaican female singers like Phylis Dillon and Marcia Griffiths sang with. In an interview with Gabe she described the meaning behind the song as how you should enjoy the person your with in that time and place. And its ok if maybe you break up later, but at least you had someone to love.

The songwriting of the group is at times very personal and poignant. "Vally of Rain" is a personal reflection of a moment passed in time. Sometimes playing ska/reggae/soul songwriting becomes secondary to the music. Often times bands do not write like they are telling a story. K-Mob's songs are very well crafted and each song reflects a specific time/place/story. "Disco" opens up rather differently from the other songs it has the disco beat but then drives into a pulsating reggae groove. The way the song evolves is interesting. K-Mob finds some great grooves for example "Work Song" opens up with funky organ that just drives the song in and out. It just makes you want to get down and stomp your feet. Examining the power of ska/reggae the great bands are the ones that make you move and K-Mob knows the right recipe to make this happen.

K-Mob opens up "Better Than Them" with a little jazzy organ intro and then cuts right into another groove. The male vocals of Moritz spout the lyrics in a comforting conversational tone. Sometimes it doesn't even seem like he is even singing because the words just spill out of his mouth. "Jah Love Turn Neck" is a quick upbeat quirky short instrumental driven by their amazingly tight rhythm section. "Horrorkabinett" opens up with an intro that could be from B horror movie. One of my favorite songs on the album is "On the Green" driven by Moritz's vocals with some great hand percussion. The song itself is about the simple pleasures taken in not being tied down. "While Hanging Out" is a soulful tune that opens up with a Motown-ish beat. Most interesting to note the album ends on "Das Herz Von St. Pauli." The song begins as a traditional German song then morphs into a reggae tune. K-Mob's "Show De. Hipnosis" delivers on all fronts a fun album that can be listened and enjoyed by all fans of ska/reggae music.

In the States you can get this album from Chuck Wren at Jump Up Records.
http://www.jumpuprecords.com

In Europe buy it from Grover Records.
http://www.grover.de

The Impalers “Blood, Rum, and Reggae”

(Axe Records 2008)
This is the second release by the West Coast’s premier reggae label, Axe Records. By releasing a handful of 45's and 2 full length albums since their inception- a good motto might by quality over quantity. On their debut album the Impalers prove not everything great in the North American reggae scene has to be "dirty." Their clean sounding take on Jamaican music may fill a hole in your music collection. A comparison to the Aggrolites is obvoius as the Aggrolites released their debut album 5 years ago in 2003. And the Impalers are not only on the same label but this album is also engineered by the man behind the Aggrolites live and studio sound, Brian “Boom Boom” Dixon. From the get go of “Mission Strut” you here other influences such as the powerful Stax-like horn lines. Cindy Chi has one of the sweetest and strongest sounding vocals by channeling a few Jamaican singers (Phylis Dillon and Hortenese Ellis) but you can also hear the sultry soulful influence of Carla Thomas.

“On the End of a Rope” is not a plea for love but an ultimatum with a steady backing chorus of denial (No, No, No). “Uppercut” opens with bubbling organ melody and a heavy one drop. The song is a grooving organ instrumental that keeps you rocking from start to finish. After just a few listens “Holding On To You” is my favorite tune by far the lyrics are instantaneously memorable and tough a true rocksteady gem. The other instrumentals on the disc are all killer (“Metro Azul”, “Nachmittag”, and “The K Line.) The band delves into other sounds throughout the rest of the disc and these departures still keep the band in the realm of reggae the jazz styled horn blasts and funky guitars on songs like “Pocket Money” and “I Vampiri.” “Replacement Boy” uses some dub effects to enhance the minimal grooving rhythm, while the lounge piano coupled with Cindy’s sweet vocals sound perfect. And “Judge and Jury” opens up with some nice percussion and a perfect reggae groove that floats throughout the song about a song full of murder and justice.

The Impalers do what they intend to do -- to conquer with their musical prowess. And I am one of the prisoners of their musical mysticism. I think I would follow wherever they would take me with their song. Axe records strikes gold for the second time in a row. And I cannot wait for whatever the future holds for San Fransico’s own Impalers or for Axe Records. One can only hope a national tour will follow. I am sure this band will not be very difficult to make any room dancing and grooving along. California seems to have a racket on amazing female fronted ska/reggae bands. The band should have a bright future as some of the members have been in quite a few popular/long-lasting bands like Lets Go Bowling, Skanking Pickle, and the Rudiments. Buy this album no doubt no question just do it!

For more info or to buy the album check these fine sites!

http://www.axerecords.com/

www.myspace.com/theimpalerssf

New Town Kings - Sound Of New Town

Do The Dog Music 2007

If there's any band to pull me out of the slow and groovy mood I've been in for the last few months, it's got to be these guys. New Town Kings are a 10 piece Ska and Reggae band from the UK. They've been busy spreading their sound all around the UK since their formation in 2005.

Their new album Sound Of The New Town is a non-stop ball of fire, burning up a ferocious trail that'll leave you choking on the ashes. With 10 members they really use all that power to the full.

If anything stands out the most to me it's those blistering horns. All that energy nearly burst some brain cells through my earphones.
The first track really sets the pace for this 10 track album. La La World starts off slow with an ear tickling, gritty skank under eerie keys that remind me of The Silencers, The Specials, or the Dead Sixties. It slowly builds adding some sharp horn lines and the tune takes off! The catchy chorus "Living in a la la world, laaa laaa" gets stuck in my head, and I have to repeat it several times. This song really shows what they're all about.

From here the heat is kept up with an upbeat scorcher called Don't Be Deceived. Definitely here those 2-Tone influences on this one. I imagine this one is a crowd favorite on the dance floor. The same goes for the songs Right Boy, Fire In The Hole, Somebody, and Stay On Your Feet. Classic upbeat UK ska sound with a new attitude.

Don't worry, they give you a break and cool you out with some tight reggae tracks like Caesars and Pharaohs, and Alright. Plus, some soulful, rhythm and blues influenced tunes are sprinkled in and really stand out. (Look at the) Sky At Night,and Take Hold Of Me are a couple of pleasant surprises amongst most of these tunes with their powerful messages.

I have to admit, the first way through, I wasn't to thrilled with certain songs like Right Boy and Stay On Your Feet, but the more I listened, the more I was reminded of those old 2-Tone records I fell in love with as a youth.

It's no wonder they're known as one of the UK's hottest new bands. After this explosive debut, I can't wait to hear what they do next.

-Gabe

Vist
www.myspace.com/newtownkings
Buy at
www.dothedog.com

Georgetown Orbits - S/T

Ready To Launch Records 2007

Seattle, Washington is the birth place of some of the most prolific music today.
On this very breeding ground was born The Georgetown Orbits. In their few years together as a band they have really polished their sound, and really built a great local fanbase. Determined to push ahead, the GTOs have stayed busy with loads of shows. They've shared the stage with such bands as The Skatalites, the English Beat, Bad Manners, The Toasters, Wesbound Train and more.
In 2005 they recorded a self-released live CD, and in 2006 they recorded some songs for a 7" single. And now towards the end of 2007 they released their self-titled full length debut album.

This debut album really shows off their musicianship, and strong grasp of Jamaican music styles. Each band member's diverse background is readily apparent in each and every song.

They got some tight heavy reggae tunes that I'm sure melt the dance floor live.Songs like Shoe Suede Blues, and Mic Check(dub past 8) drive this point home.

They do some funky reggae, and soul influenced tunes like Funky C, Funky Do, and Give and Take. These tunes are a great follow up to their live rendition of the classic Booker T tune Green Onions, which they kill on.

And if you wanna hear some straight up ska scorchers, that's their specialty.
The song You Know The Story will make you ask, "Is this the Skatalites?" Seriously a nicely crafted tune. A heart-throbbing beat that'll put you at ease and bring you down to your knees begging for more. Beautiful improvisations from the horn section, guitar, and keys. They even dash in some Latin influences with If I Can Have This Dance. A fine Latin rhythm with Spanish/English lyrics. Red hot guitar work and spicy hip-moving horns.

They even speak out about the issues were surrounded by today. Listen to The Shady Bunch, and Tribal War. The song titles say it all. The feeling is reminiscent The Slacker's International War Criminal.

I really enjoyed the whole thing from start to finish, they arranged the songs just right. The last two tracks are dub versions of Tribal War and Shoe Suede Blues with a groove that'll have you starting this thing from the beginning over and again.
To top it off, the CD has a cool design like vinyl, and the liner is just as great, these guys got style.

-Gabe

Check out www.georgetownorbits.com to buy the album and for more info and free live track downloads.

Notes: Catch the Georgetown Orbits on tour now with Get Down Moses this week-
They played in Eugene, San Fran, San Luis Obispo, and are
playing LA in a few days, then Ashland on Wednesday.
For more show info check http://www.georgetownorbits.com/shows.html

We interviewed bass player Toby Kremble of the GTOs last year, read that here

Review: Robb Blake - No Time To Waste

Do The Dog Music 2007

A few months ago, Kevin Flowerdew of Do The Dog Music sent us some cds from their catalogue. This resulted in this podcast

One of the cd's that really stood out was "No Time To Waste" by Robb Blake. Immediately, comparisons to Chris Murray and Vic Ruggerio sprang to my mind in terms of the acoustic guitar and use of harmonica. But Robb's voice tends to be a bit coarser than Chris' and drifts more towards Joe Cocker's. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Most fans in the UK know Robb Blake from the ska/punk outfit, Whitmore. His solo work is more mainstream, but by no means watered down.

It should, however, appeal to a wider audience.

The cd starts off with the cracking track, "What I Need" But it's the second track, "I'll Be There" that really grabs the listener by the ear. By no surprise, it quickly found a spot on my half of the Do The Dog podcast.

Some of the songs on this cd have a Sublime twinge to them. The third track, "Welcome To The Brightside" has some of that to it. The excellent "Mummy Said" has more Sublime-ish resonance, and it comes in at just the right time at track 8.

I did find that this album is its weakest in the middle. I wasn't crazy about track 4, "Breakin My Balls" nor track 7, "From Spain To Endorse It". Fortunately, "No Time To Waste" finishes strong with the aforementioned "Mummy Said" straight to "There She Blows" and "Foot In Mouth" The track "One Day Older" provides the album's denouement.

Virtually unknown in the US, I strongly recommend checking out "No Time To Waste" by Robb Blake, especially if you are a fan of Chris Murray, Vic Ruggerio and/or Sublime. If you're looking for a cd that's perfect for cruising around in your car, look up Robb Blake. He'll be there.

For more info:

http://www.myspace.com/robbblake1

http://www.dothedog.com/

http://www.dothedogforum.com/forum/index.php

Pama International's new single Highrise

Rockers Revolt 2007

If this is a preview of what Pama International's upcoming album Love Filled Dub Band will sound like, Feb 08 please come sooner!


Released on their very own Rockers Revolt label. This new single features the unique vocal style of London's Michie One. Her sweet, sultry voice(think Tanya Stephens meets Alicia Keys) flows seamlessly over a seriously dubbed out Cherry Oh Baby riddim.

This is one heavyweight tune. Not only musically, but the subject matter is even more intriguing. The song opens with Michie singing "I don't wanna cry no more, I don't wanna feel this pain", setting the mood for a universal theme we can all relate to.

In relation to the terrible things going on in the world today, she rings out "newsflash...mi hear another life get dash, hear another body laid out like trash, what the heck is going on, tell me how it's come to be, why is all this killing in our community?" The chorus speaks of how everyday these things are repeated. We know what the news is flooded with day to day, around the world it's all the same.

The song continues with "Newsflash, mi hear another body get found, mama lay her son six feet underground" and asks the question "coldblooded, what made you bad so, what made mad so, what made you freeze like ice?" Like shes speaking to that person who's been molded by the harsh experiences in today's world. "You were once a cool likkle youth, so why you wanna go tek up a gun and shoot?" she continues. Then the vocals echoe out with "Cold Blooded", and you get about 2 mins of solid dub instrumental Cherry Oh Baby like some old King Tubby tune.

Listen, take a deep breathe, and rewind.

Notes: Guest star on 'Highrise', Michie One launched her career as a duo act with reggae singer Louchie Lou, gaining a fiersome reputation for their fresh melodies and distinctive reggae/ragga style. Michie One's outstanding writing and chatting skills have led her to work with; Shaggy, Beenie Man, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Sly & Robbie, Rebel MC, Sizzla and Gwen Stefani (for whom she co-wrote last years worldwide smash hit 'Rich Girl').

For a list of radio, and podcasts playing this tune see the Pama Intl Forum

www.pamainternational.co.uk.
www.myspace.com/rockersrevolt

Review: Skylar - Self Titled

Do The Dog Music 2006

If your a fan of music from the likes of Chris Murray, Satori, or Bedouin Soundclash you will feel this album straight away.

The liner notes have a hand written message from the band describing their band as being "made up of four friends with a shared love of all types of reggae and ska music. We have no aspirations of world wide fame and fortune playing music with each other. Both music and Skylar are all about having fun." That sentiment shines through in each and every song.

Matt's soulful vocals are chock-fulla feeling, and you very well might be that person, or been in that place he's singing about. Listen to "Eyes Don's Lie", "Wings", and "Don't Tread So Fast". These are some of my personal favorites, and they get stuck in your head for days.

"No Regrets" is one of those songs that I find myself skipping through and going back to it saying "How did I miss this one?!" The way they tie in that gritty skank, gentle keys, vibrating bass line, and smooth backing vocals is great. Definitely can soothe those rainy day blues.

They really have a way of picking up the pace and bringing it down throughout the album. "All You Say" follows with that same mellow feeling, with an upbeat skank like The Specials calmed down a bit.

Vocals with a fiery passion laid over a raw organic rhythm set a steady pace that will keep your head moving, and feet tapping. When the last song ends, you'll find your self wanting more, and you get just that with 2 bonus acoustic tracks! These bonus songs are like the quiet after the storm, leaving you with big fat smile on your face.


Note: Skylar recorded the album live in 11 hours after just 6 months of being a band & having played only 7 gigs! The band hit the road in May & August 2006 around the UK to promote the release of the CD. - www.dothedog.com

See:
http://www.myspace.com/skylar
www.dothedog.com

Say a prayer for "The Godfather of Rocksteady"

Say a prayer for 'The Godfather of Rocksteady' Alton Ellis being treated for cancer in London hospital

By Basil Walters Sunday Observer staff reporter waltersb@jamaicaobserver.com Sunday, December 16, 2007

Alton Ellis, the man acclaimed as 'The Godfather of Rocksteady', has, for several weeks now, been in hospital in London undergoing treatment for cancer of the lymph glands and is scheduled to start chemotherapy soon.

"His kids and wife were keeping vigil at his bedside," said the singer's nephew, comedian Owen 'Blacka' Ellis, in an e-mail to this reporter. "It is looking more hopeful now."

Alton Neamiah Ellis was born 63 years ago and is regarded as one of Jamaica's finest musical treasures for almost 50 years.
Born into an artistic family, he is also uncle to another popular comedian, Ity of Ity and Fancy Cat fame; and brother of the late songstress Hortense Ellis, Leslie Ellis (the father of Blacka & Ity Ellis) who used to be a member of the Flames, as well as pioneer steel pannist Irving Ellis.

The legendary singer/songwriter, who began his artistic life as a dancer, is best known for musical jewels such as Cry Tough, Can't Stand It, All My Tears Come Rolling, Tumbling Tears, Can't Stop Now, and Girl I've Got A Date.

Ellis shares the distinction with Eddie Perkins - with whom he formed the duo Alton and Eddie - of scoring a hit with their first recording, Muriel.

Throughout his career, Ellis has recorded a slew of other hits, among them a cover of Chuck Jackson's smash, Williow Tree, If I Could Rule This World, Why (Birds Follow Spring), Dance Crasher, the sentimental I'm Just A Guy, Ain't That Loving You, La La Means I Love You,This Feeling of Love, Breaking Up Is So Hard To Do, I'm Still In Love With You Girl, Pearl, Christmas Coming, the sequel to Sunday Coming and Lord Deliver Us.

Apart from his smooth, soulful, infectious vocal styling, and his slick stage presence, a signature feature of Ellis's musical career is his ability to put his stamp on the songs of other singers in such a way that they become reggae anthems.

His most profound example of this is his treatment of Let Him Try, originally recorded by Rosco Gordon.

Original article can be found here: Jamaican Observer article on Alton Ellis

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Strange Manor is a place in Richmond, California, which houses several musicians who play in various bands across the BAY, such as The Soul Captives, The Struts, and the Phenomenauts...

Last year, they recorded and produced a Christmas album that reflected their musical tastes and backgrounds. It was a a great holiday album and thank god they've recorded another one this year!

Rock, funk, country, and of course, ska and reggae are just some of the styles represented in this year's Christmas album....

My favorite song? Definitely "Run Rude Rudolph" which sounds as if it was the Specials themselves who recorded the song...

You can check it out here: http://www.thesoulcaptives.com/strangemanor/07/

And if you missed their album last year, you can check it out here: http://www.thesoulcaptives.com/strangemanor/06/


Still in the mood for Christmas tunes? Don't forget to check out Go Jimmy Go's new holiday album, "Holiday Hell Yeah!" which was just released last month. 10 tracks of holiday cheer(some covers, mostly originals) with a Hawaiian flavor mixed in for good fun!

It'll get you in the holiday spirit, and remind you why you love Go Jimmy Go so much...(they've been relatively low profile lately haven't they?)

You can buy the album here: Holiday Hell Yeah!
You can also buy the album on Itunes!
And don't forget to check out Go Jimmy Go's website: http://www.gojimmygo.com/

Review: The Pinstripes - "The Decay"

2007 Stubborn Records
Drawing on a vast mixture of influences, a strong foundation, and tons of ambition, The Pinstripes have been making name for themselves. They recently won the Cincinnati Entertainment Award for Best World Music Act, and have shared the stage with many of today's top Ska acts.

This year they released their new album "The Decay". If non-stop energetic rhythms, and blistering horns are your thing, your gonna love this album.

The album opens with such a powerful punch of energy in the song "Find It", you'll be thirsty for more. They relax the tempo a bit with a little number called "50 Cardinal". The way the drum and bass swing are reminiscent of an old SkinnerBox tune. That's what I love about the album, it's diversity. I've always had a soft spot that way. It's really easy to find yourself moving to the sounds of ska, reggae, dub, funk, punk, and more. The Pinstripes capture these styles, and fuse them into finely crafted album for any music lover.

"Evening Dub" sets off with the great words "Sit back and listen keenly, well I play for you another musical biscuit" echoing into a heavy, heavy bass line. Melting horns dubbed over a tight neck breaking beat and hard crashing cymbals. This one easily shows how they are able to move in and out of styles seamlessly.

Another stand out tune is "Africa". A straight up dose of Ska with powerful horn lines, and gut wrenching sax solos, dueling over an infectious upbeat skank that will get you off your feet in no time.

After burning you up throughout the entire album, they cool you down with a stripped down acoustic tune called "Wanna Go Home". Real easy on the ears, and catchy like Chris Murray.

One listen through this album will have you shaking off the jitters like a roller coaster ride, and eager to get on again. And believe me you'll have to hear it again.

If you love music, you'll like this album.

-Gabe


For more info on The Pinstripes visit:


http://pinstripes.rudeska.com/index.html


http://www.myspace.com/thepinstripes

Buy it at Stubborn Records Online Store

The New Kids On the Block Bring Soulful Reggae To Keep You Movin'

Green Room Rockers “Hoosier Homegrown”
2007 (downtown records)

What happens when Otis Redding meets The Upsetters uptown in Indiana? The Green Room Rockers happen. One of the newest bands to play a very soulful style of reggae such as Deals Gone Bad, the Aggrolites, and Westbound Train. I actually heard about this group last time Deals Gone Bad played Balitmore, because they had mentioned taking these guys under their wing. And the from the quality of this album the Green Room Rockers have made quite a statement with this their debut album.

“Endure’ opens up the albums with a straight Motown drum beat with Mike telling everyone who they are which transitions into the actual song. “Endure” also has a sweet hornline thanks to El Ron (sax) and Chris aka Rusty (trombone). “Cold Hearted Woman” has some wicked organ and cowbell action. Rudy G’s organ playing emulates the greats like Mittoo, Billy Preston, Glen Adams, etc. “Venus Man Trap” opens with a killer sax and has a sort of sing songy/sing alongy type of vibe throughout. I think this song would be perfect with some hand clapping as well. Its really catchy song as are most of the ones on the album and most of the songs take up those universal topics such as women, drinking/partying, and surviving day to day. My favorite track on this album (and the one I used on one of my podcasts) is “Northbound Train.” Jamaica is filled with songs about trains and there is a certain fantasy element about taking a train and seeing where it goes.

The Green Room Rockers bust out more heavy soul sounds and foot stomping reggae on the title track “Hoosier Homegrown” in the vein of the Hippy Boys and the Mohawks. “Humor Me” brings a more reggae sounding tune to the forefront this song and this album at times reminds me of a time when there were a lot of quality recordings coming from Moon Records during the mid to late 90’s. “Divided” is an acoustic tune and I think it shows a good choice for a young band to try to mix it up so much on their album. The rhythm section of the GRR is rough and tough and this is exemplified on the latter part of the album during “Fight For Your Love.” “Everyday” is a fast pace ska tune that will keep you out on the dancefloor for a long, long time. “Untitled” is a cool grooving latin flavored instrumental with heavy percussion. The album ends with “Pieces” a happy-go-lucky soul-ska tune. GRR is a new band to keep your eyes on and your ears out. Check this album out and also if they are coming to a town near you go see them!!!

For more info about the band/album go here...
http://www.myspace.com/greenroomrockers

Interview with Sean Flowerdew of Pama International

So you guys have been quite busy lately. Touring extensively, releasing new music left and right, where is all the inspiration
coming from?

Sean: Yeah, busy, busy, busy. 2007 hasn't been as hetic as 2006 but still managed to fit in a lot of shows/festivals, recording and so far released two pieces of vinyl. Another to come before the end of the year. Oh, and launched the new label.

Inspiration for writing, thankfully, just keeps coming. We're
living in beautiful and horrendous times. It's hard not to observe
and comment, you know? Things change daily, hourly, all the time.
You've just got to be open to it and embrace it.

Inspiration for keeping on playing out....I don't like touring too
much. I love being around my family, but playing my songs to people is a good buzz. That instant feedback is cool and a good reason to be inspired. And the people I've
got involved with Pama Intl make it happening.


Your last album Trojan Sessions was the first of it's kind for Trojan in some 30 years.
How did this project come about?

Sean: Trojan approached us. I think they liked the fact we were taking the music to new generations and new crowds and the fact that we've built a huge grass roots following here.The old boss there,
John Reed had been aware of us from our first album and liked the way we worked. They were searching for new outlets for the music and Pama Intl they saw as a good vehicle.

What was it like working with not only a legendary record label,
but with legends such as Derrick Morgan, Dawn Penn, Rico
Rodriguez, Dennis Alcapone, Dave Barker and Ansel Collins?

Sean: Double-edged sword this one. It was an honour to have something issued on Trojan...to be associated with that label and the music it's released over the years is amazing. The business side stinks. Unfortunately that seems a legacy that's been passed down through the years to whoever owns the label. Not towards us but there was a massive lack of respect to the older artists.
The way I see it though is the name/logo is bigger then whoever owns it.
Shame that doesn't relate to food on the table though, but no one remembers who's running it, they just remember the fantastic music. It happened to be Sanctuary running things when we were on the label, but Universal has now bought them out. No one will look back and think..."wow...Sanctuary were a great label....they ran Trojan brilliantly and put out some fantastic music". No one.

It was great working with the artists. Apart from Derrick and Ansel I recorded them all in London. Those two did their parts in Jamaica and sent them over. Sadly, I didn't get to go out there!
It was a wonderful challenge writing songs for these fantastic performers. Working out what suited their voices, studying the classic tracks they'd made and trying to match them. A very tall order, but I'm proud of the record. It stands up. I wanted to prove these artists could release new music that was relevant and vibrant as yesteryears was. Prove they've still got so much to offer. It's a pity that most of them aren't releasing or given the opportunity to keep on releasing new music.

In the studio, they were all very good. Very professional. Came in did the job and left. Dennis and Dave came in together and were like a double act. Dennis did a live show with us and a Radio One session. Rico was a joy. He did his trombone part and then stayed in the live room listening to the track. Then started singing
along. I was like..."what's that, it sounds great, put it down". Wasn't expecting to get a Rico vocal track but I love it.

I'm very grateful we got the chance to do make it. It's a wonderful record to have made and in thirty years time, whether we've gone onto super stardom or faded into obscurity someone will pick it up simply because it's got the Trojan logo on it.


How was it working with Mannaseh on the dub EP and tour that
followed?

Sean: Nick's cool. He mixed/co-produced Trojan Sessions with me and ran the dubs off as we went. We picked the best four for the 10". Pick of the bunch for me is 'It's All About The Dub', he really nailed that one.

What do you have in store for us on this new album coming soon?

Sean: "Soul-fueled, dub-induced Roots, Rockers & Reggae". There's some Stax vibes on there, but it's mainly in an early 70's reggae vibe. That's not to say I've set out to make a retro record, just drawn
from the classic and tried to make it relevant today. Tubby-esque/Black Ark inspired.

I've recorded it all myself this time round (apart from the drums, which our drummer did).It's been a lot of fun. I've really taken my time. I've binned a few tunes along the way. Been quite merciless about it. The stance I was taking was I think Pama Intl have made 4 good albums, but I wanted to make a great one.

I've produced it along with John Collins, who produced Ghost Town.
It took me awhile to find someone to co-produce it with me who understood what I wanted. I'm in the process of building my own studio, but it was going to take awhile to get it together to a
standard where I'll be happy mixing in. So I tried three people
before I found John. It was hard to stay focused and not stray from the vision I had for this album. Not to be swayed by others
and stick to my gut instincts. I'm grateful I was given the
strength to make it work. John's great. Listens, but also brings a lot to the party.

It's a much more organic affair this time round. When recording it, it was done mostly at my house. We'd just sit in my kitchen, eat, drink and make music. Nice vibes all round.

We've got a couple of guests on there....I wanted to keep that side to a minimum after so many on Trojan Sessions and let Finny sing through. Rico's done a track...always a wonderful pleasure to work with him. And we've got MICHIE ONE....one of the best female talents in the UK.....straight up, she is FANTASTIC. We co-wrote a track called Highrise together, using the Cherry Oh Baby rhythm and
tackling the horrible subject of kids killing kids on UK streets.
Powerful piece of music.

Lynval's written a track called 'Wonder Wonder'...absolutely love it. Best thing he's done in decades. He's come on board full time with Pama Intl now. Quite a show of commitment seeing he lives in USA. Sir Horace Gentleman plays bass on a track. Have you read his book? Well worth tracking down.

There's no love songs this time round really, which was not intentional, but went that way for some reason. A lot more social commentary...a couple of party songs and a lot of rockers grooves, deep down and dub dirty. 10 tracks and 2 versions on there. We're very happy. It's definitely the start of new beginning.

Oh, and we've got my 2 year old daughter making her recording debut on there. She's a star. Some great musicians on there. Steve 'marli' Wright on lead guitar (plays with Lee Perry and many greats) is a phenomenal guitarist.
Paul Heskett plays sax on one track (he played on Ghost Town and was part of The Swinging Cats also on 2 Tone).

And when will it be released?

Sean: February 2008 in UK/rest of Europe. It'll be available on import to USA through Jump Up, Ernie B's and Universal. We've been speaking to a few labels in USA, but nothings set yet. We're looking at coming over to USA in 2008. We've had a few offers but never been able to get them to work, but there's Lynval living in
Seattle now, and Wayne Lothian (played in Special Beat and now with Dave Wakeling) out in LA. Aitch (Selecter's original drummer) is living in New Mexico, so all of a sudden there's three Pama Intl friends/collaborators already there. It's becoming more feasible. Anyone who wants us to play stateside can just drop me a line.
We'll be there!

Recently you also established your own label, Rocker Revolt, can you tell us a little about it?

Sean: It really wasn't my intention to start a label again! But then after the Trojan album, I really didn't want to do another album for them, so started looking round for another label. Guess what? They all stink! Maybe that's a tad unfair. Let's just say I didn't find a label
that shares the same ethics as me, not who believed in what I was doing anyhow.

So, I thought why not just test the water again with some vinyl and
did the Pama Intl meets Manasseh 10", which sold-out the first 1000
pressed before I got it back from the manufacturers.

I looked around for a distributor and Universal jumped at it, so I'm up and running again. Rockers Revolt was going to be a strictly Pama Intl affair, but The Slackers album came along. I was booking their UK tour, so it all seemed to fit. We've built a great network with Pama Intl and now have a great team in place to sell records (very good sales/distributor and very good press officer). It's now taking on a life of it's on. Hopefully we can do something a bit revolutionary with Rockers Revolt and the music we put out on it. I look at what labels like Stax, Motown, Sun, Stiff and even 2 Tone (although Chyrsalis ran the business) stood for and how they ran things and just feel very inspired by it all.

I read a great thing about Factory Records the other day. When they put out New Order-Blue Monday 12" the sleeve was a bit complex, and they actually lost money on every copy they sold. It
was the biggest selling 12" in the UK! But they didn't do it for the financial reward, but for the art. A very rare quality in this industry.

Hopefully we create some wonderful art with Rockers Revolt releases
and help create a bit of a movement. I think with Pama Intl and The Slackers we're off to a good start.

Pama International is made up of long time all star musicians. How would you compare the music you are making now to some of your earlier bands like The Loafers, The Special Beat, or Madness?

Sean: I was never in Madness, so can't comment on that. Lee (Thompson) had a spell with us. Kind of holiday for him away from the
hugeness that surrounds the Maddies.

The Loafers, was just a band I started back when I was 13 with some school friends. Always amazed me how big it got. We were just having fun and didn't really realize what was going on. Great times though.
Finny (Pama Intl's singer) joined The Loafers for our second album in 1988 and then also did Special Beat with me. SB was brilliant. I was 19 and not doing anything. Sitting in a pub with Brad (Specials drummer) and we came up with an idea of doing a band together and getting other Specials involved. I'd done two writing
sessions with Ranking Roger and suggested him as well.
3 weeks later we were in rehearsals, 3 weeks after that (Halloween 1990) we landed in Atlanta, Georgia for the first 7 week tour. I toured with them for 3 years and had some great shows. Supported Sting and Steel Pulse...played Redrocks and Madison Square Gardens, went to Japan twice.

I always thought Special Beat was an awful name though. It was Ian Copeland's idea and I guess helped sell tickets. In my naivety I thought we'd write a new album and be huge, not just go round like a glorified cabaret show. I think we were a great live band, just a shame there were no real songwriters in the band (including
myself). We did a few new things, but not very good. One ok tune 'Rainy Days' which Roger released with a reformed General Public.
The potential was incredible though. We were really taking the 2 Tone sound to the masses. Bigger shows then The Specials or The Beat ever did in USA. Introduced a lot of new people to the music. Shame we didn't have anything to back it up.

The biggest difference between my earlier bands and Pama Intl is that I now write...pretty much everything. Pama Intl is my baby. I manage everything, write, record, book the shows. I love it. It's my outlet. I'm very lucky to have Finny alongside. Great singer and fantastic to work with. He understands where I'm going
with things, when other people wouldn't. Lynval too. We're very close. And are building the music and movement all the time. This new album coming is definitely a new beginning. It's raising things to another level. Exciting times.

I'd like to think the standard and writing is improving all the time.


How would you describe the current UK Ska and Reggae scene?

Sean: It's the healthiest it's been in years. The last two years have been very good.The whole early reggae thing/dub/ska has got very popular with club and radio DJs. It's kind of hip again, but that comes and goes. Has done for decades. You've just got to ride with it. Hopefully we're building something that'll out last any
fads though.

The one down side to the scene's at the moment is there's no focal point. There's lots of people doing lots of good things, but no unified scene. Hopefully that's something we can help to build.

Any bands you would suggest to keep an eye on?

Sean: East Park Reggae Collective from Leeds are pretty good. They've a couple of female singers who could definitely do some good things with the right material. Rebelation are maturing into a really good band. Their latest album on my bro's label Do The Dog is pretty good. I can see them progressing.
I had The Aggrolites on at our club night, but I guess you know them. Great live band, one of the best I've seen! If they could capture that energy on record
they'd be onto something. Two old friends from The Loafers did a pretty cool thing called "Prince Fatty". Great old vibe, but some two-faced producer has stolen it as his own and rewritten his story. Gotta love this industry.

I'll get back to you on this!!! The next Rockers Revolt artist....I'm going to scour the UK in a Pop Idol style. "Rockers Revolt Search for a Superstar".

Besides Pama Intl, do have any other projects currently or coming up?

Sean: We're running a monthly club night in the west called Rockers Revolt. Started that in August with Easy Star All-stars, then The Aggrolites, next up Dreadzone and Pama Intl.

I run Jamdown Artist Booking (UK agency) home to Easy Star All-stars, Pama Intl, The Slackers, Don Letts and more. That's been taking up a lot of time.

The new label is keeping me busy. I'm going to release The Slackers-The Boss Harmony Session throughout Europe. It's a funny old life. I remember hanging out with Q Maxx....aka Marc Lyn when I was doing Special Beat in the early 90s. He used to come down to the shows whenever we were in NYC. I remember him telling me he was in this new band called The Slackers and gave me their first demo tape. Still got it somewhere. 15+ years on and I'm finally releasing a record by them!

I'd love spend all my time just writing and playing but I gotta pay them bills, so the label and agency, although taking up precious time, bring home the money and help to facilitate the music. I've got a whole heap of ideas for Pama Intl albums....always thinking of what's next, already started planning/writing the next album.
There's also talk of doing a Pama Intl meets Laurel Aitken album, which i'd love to do. Laurel was a friend and we meant to work together but never found the time, then he got ill. By the time I was doing the Trojan Sessions it was to late. But there's some interesting ideas on that front I'm working on.

Also, an album with all female guest vocalists on (got some fantastic names for
that). I'd love to write some more with Michie One. There's talk
of doing an album in JA with Ansel and Boris Gardener and one in Memphis. There'll be a dub version album out next year featuring Pama Intl versions by Manasseh, Mad Professor, John Collins, Groove Corporation, myself and others. So much to do....I'd like to make 100 albums....and then 100 more.

For more info on Pama International please visit:
www.pamainternational.co.uk
www.myspace.com/pamaintlstateside
Pama International Forum

A few months ago we did a Pama Intl Special podcast on Pressure Drop
You can listen here

Interview with Nakarin Teerapenun of T-Bone!

For over a decade, they were Thailand's only ska and reggae band. For over 16 years, they've been hard at work, spreading the sounds of ska and reggae throughout Thailand. They've played with artists such as Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The English Beat, and INXS. They've even played at the world famous Glastonbury Festival a couple of times.

Just who are these guys? They're T-bone of course, and they hail from the Land of Smiles! (Thailand for you folks who don't get that reference.) Their lead guitar player, Nakarin Teerapenun, was kind enough to take the time to answer a couple of questions I had for him about his band and the scene in Thailand. Read on, loyal readers, read on.

1. For those of us who are uninformed, please tell us a little about the history of T-bone!

Nakarin: We are a band of college mates that formed 16 years ago (there are only 3 original founding members left now) out of our love of music. We played live gigs at clubs for very minimal pay. We were young and full of energy and just wanted to get out there and do what we love. Things slowly improved and we finally signed our first record contract 14 years ago.

2. How did you guys come up with the name, “T-bone” for the band?

Nakarin: My brother, Gap, who joined the band later as lead-singer, was at the time making these jeans for sale called T-Bone. That was pre-album days and we didn't have a name yet. We had auditioned at a club, and the owner asked what the name of the band was. We were dumbfounded when one of us looked at the jeans Gap was wearing and said "T-Bone"!

So, in a nutshell, by accident!

3. Please tell us a little bit about the history of the ska scene in Thailand. How was the scene when T-bone started playing, and how is the scene now?

Nakarin: When T-Bone was formed about 16 years ago, we played live gigs of only reggae music, such as cover songs of Bob Marley. He was probably the only reggae artist that Thai people knew, and even then, reggae music was restricted to a very, very small group of people. There was no "ska-scene" to speak of. Now the "ska-reggae" scene is the new "in" thing among indie music fans.

T-Bone has been the only ska-reggae band for over a decade, and I'm now happy to say we have many new additions to this scene. Mostly very young college kids who started their own ska-reggae band out of pure passion for this kind of music. The reason I say this is because, despite its increasing popularity, it is still not a major money-making scene for artists of this kind. But we love what we do, and are proud that our perseverance has finally brought us to where we are. We're able to do what we do and enjoy the strong support from our loyal fans without involving any marketing tactics.

Needless to say, we've all got day jobs to support our passion.

4. How did you get into ska music?

Nakarin: When we finally got our first break with a record label, we started doing interviews and were asked a lot of questions like "what is reggae music?" Up to that point we only played reggae music because it was what we loved, but we knew very little about its history. So, we thought we'd better do some research, and that's when we found out that it was ska music that actually came first and influenced the emergence of reggae music. Then we discovered The Skatalites, and the rest is history!

5. What bands or artists have influenced your band the most?

Nakarin: Surprisingly, only one of our members is a die-hard reggae fan. Most of the other present members, on the other hand, have a jazz background, and also perform with various jazz bands in Bangkok. This is probably the main influence that comes into play when we rehearse together and also when we compose and arrange songs. But if we are to name any particular band that influences us, it would of course have to be The Skatalites, for the way they seem to cleverly sneak jazz influences into their songs!

6. What are the types of people who show up to your show in Thailand? (Rastas? Skinheads? Rudeboys? Mods? Everybody and anybody?)

Nakarin: Yes, Rastas and Rudeboys, but Thai-style. You have to see them to understand what I mean by Thai style. And yes, everybody and anybody, because we have the original fans, who are now in their mid 30s and 40s, and the latest recruits in all forms and shapes and colours.

7. I know you guys have played at the Glastonbury Festival a couple of times, and I gather that you guys don’t tour outside Asia much. How did the crowd respond to your music? Were you able to tour any other European cities after Glastonbury?

Nakarin: Outside of Asia, we actually played in London first for a Tsunami benefit show a couple of months before we were booked for Glastonbury on the same year. Because each band member has a full-time job, we are not able to do any extensive tours. We are an unknown band, so you can imagine how terrifying and exciting it was at the same time. We didn't know how the audiences at each venue would respond to Thai-style ska and reggae. To our surprise, we were very well-received by them, and they had fun despite not being able to understand our lyrics.

I guess it's true when they say that music is a universal language.

8. What has been your most memorable show experience so far?

Nakarin: Without a doubt, Glastonbury 2005 and 2007.

9. What are your favorite ska artists right now?

Nakarin: The Skatalites, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Chris Murray, Ska Cubano, etc.

10. What are some Thai bands that the rest of the world should be checking out?

Nakarin: Fong Nam. It's a Thai world music ensemble featuring western instruments alongside traditional Thai musical instruments. Their songs are arranged in a modern-classive style, very contemporary, very progressive.

11. What is on the horizon for T-bone?

Nakarin: In terms of touring, we've been hearing from concert organizers in new countries for us, like Australia, Brazil, etc. but the logistics is always the main challenge for us as we're a big band. We always end up having to depend on sponsorship money to cover our traveling costs alone.

We are now also in the middle of touring season in Thailand. As for our new album, that's in our plans for next year.

12. Any last comments?

Nakarin: Please tell your readers to visit our website www.tboneska.com. We would love to hear from new people and get feedback about our music!

You heard the man! Go check out their website! If you're interested in their sound, keep your eye on the Pressure Drop Soundcast, as they are one of this month's featured artists. You can also buy some of their albums at www.ethaicd.com