This week we talk to Art, Mike and Dylan from New Jersey based band Sensamotion. Their latest full length album, Feel It All Around, just dropped this past August. In addition to talking about the creative process behind the new album, we get into the band’s formation, lineup changes, and some of their future plans.
Be sure to catch Sensamotion out on the road and follow them on social media for more updates!
This week we’re listening to lovers rock music from The Netherlands, from artist JOJO Gladstone. We listen to the track “Glad That I Found you” from the 2017 album, JOJO. We talk about the very clear Roots Radics influences he pulls from, and JOJO and his band’s dedication to replicating the sound of a certain era of Jamaica. We hope you enjoy this tune and check out all of JoJo Gladstone’s music, there is a lot more on Youtube.
You can listen to "Glad The I Found You" on streaming platforms and youtube.
This week, James is joined by Dave Shiffman to talk with JC from the band, Self Control. We discuss their latest single “Ice Breaker” - a politically charged modern roots tune addressing ongoing social injustices, especially in the Los Angeles area where they are based. We talk about the production of this song as well as their forthcoming EP, how the band started, and some exciting future plans.
Check out Self Control at their upcoming shows
You can hear “Ice Breaker” on all major streaming platforms and Youtube.
We’re back from our hiatus with an amazing new tune! We listen to the opening track from the new album by Eureka Sound called “Rediscover.” We get into the art of genre bending, the beauty of space in a song, and the stellar musicianship of this band. Catch Eureka Sound live either at one of their shows or backing Nick Sefakis out on the road!
You can hear “Rediscover” on all major streaming platforms and Youtube.
This week Stephan Mash of The Reggae Plug fills in for Mark. We talk with Hector Roots Lewis, who you might recognize from his performances with Chronixx and Tribal Seeds, portraying Carly Barrett in the movie ‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ or his solo music. We also get into detail about his debut full length album, “Cosmic Roots” produced by Johnny Cosmic. Check out Hector Roots Lewis’ music and his many projects and be sure to catch him performing live near you!
Mark is back from his honeymoon in the French Polynesian islands, and he brought some new (to us) music back with him. This week we feature the song “Natura” by Eto from Tahiti. We talk about the cultural significance of reggae in the Polynesian Islands and the unique spin they put on the genre. Mark shares some highlights from his trip there and shines light on the beautiful music, culture and people he met along the way.
You can hear "Natura" on all major streaming platforms and Youtube.
This week, Mark is out, but James is joined by Robert Stokes. Robert is a Ska & Rocksteady aficionado in Las Vegas, Nevada. We take a deep dive into the origins of ska music and how it has evolved over the decades in different parts of the globe. We talk about the differences between the subgenres and bust some myths people may have about ska music.
Robert Stokes performs regularly in and around Las Vegas regularly. Follow his Instagram, @skastokes, to find out where his next gig is. So catch a show if you’re in town, it’s always a lot of fun!
Dave Shiffman fills in for Mark this week as we discuss new music by Jamaican pioneers, Keith & Tex. Known for their 1967 version of “Stop That Train,” the duo has been putting out a lot of new music in the last decade. We listen to the title track from their newest release “Gun Life” produced by Roberto Sanchez. We talk about the song’s insightful lyrics, its production style, and rocksteady music overall. We hope you enjoy this track as much as we did!
You can hear "Gun Life" on all major streaming platforms and Youtube.
This week we are paying tribute to the legendary Max Romeo who passed away on April 11th at 80 years old. Max Romeo was a Jamaican roots reggae icon and released hit songs that continue to be sampled by musicians today. We break down his classic tune “Chase the Devil”, Produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry at Black Ark with The Upsetters band. We get into Max Romeo’s unique vocal style as well as Scratch’s productions that helped progress Jamaican music at that time.
We livicate this episode to Maxwell Livingston Smith a.k.a. Max Romeo. Thank you for leaving a legacy of music for the world to enjoy.
You can hear "Chase the Devil" on all streaming platforms and Youtube.
This week we feature the song “Dub Stop” by Eli-Mac. This was the single for her 2014 EP, DubStop. We discuss how her unique style blends so nicely with the familiar Hawaiian reggae style, as well as the sample choices and the subtle details within the track that make it memorable. Be sure to catch Eli-Mac during festival season this year!
You can listen to "Dub Stop" on all streaming platforms and on Youtube.
This week, our friend Dave Shiffman fills in for Mark, and together we talk with Josh Swain from the Movement. We highlight their newest single “So Cool” featuring Nick Hexum of 311. We talk about the formation of the band, working on this new single and album and collaborating with artists among the scene. Josh has been working in the reggae scene for over two decades and has a lot of insights and fun stories to share.
The Movement is prepping for a new full length album and a summer tour, so be sure to catch them on the road!
This week we’re highlighting a song by legendary ska-punk group, Fishbone. “Unyielding Conditioning” was on their 1993 album, Give a Monkey a Brain and He’ll Swear He’s the Center of the Universe. Being the single ska tune on a mostly heavy metal album, there is a lot to break down here. We talk about the high energy, the lyrical content, the instrumentation and so much more. Hope you enjoy this and be sure to check out more Fishbone music and catch them on the road!
You can listen to "Unyielding Conditioning" on all streaming platforms and on Youtube.
Disclaimer: We reviewed this song already in episode 93, but we honestly forgot! So, we reviewed this song as if we never had before, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did the second time around!
This week, we dive into some early UB40 music and review the song “One in Ten” from the 1981 Present Arms album. This album precedes the “Red Red Wine” era of the band and has a much more roots and dub sound. We get into the simplistic chord progression and the distinctive instrumentation happening - including lead guitar, lead horns, 8 bar bass phrasing and so much more. We hope you enjoy this early UB40 style and dive into the rest of this album!
This week we’re celebrating what would be Bob Marley’s 80th birthday! For this occasion, we brought back our Wailers expert, Dan “Thundermon” Battaglia. We talk about our favorite Bob Marley songs and what they mean to us. We talk about the recent biopic, “One Love” and Dan shares fun anecdotes and stories about Bob Marley and the Wailers. Dan also ties this into a brief background on Leonard Peltier who Dan works very closely with regarding his wrongful imprisonment case. Leonard was recently granted clemency by the Biden administration. It’s a packed episode and we had a lot of fun sharing these stories!
This week we listen to and break down “Just Magic” and the dub version by Kiko Bun. This is not the first time we’re featuring a track by Kiko Bun and certainly will not be the last. We break down this self produced track and the classic 80’s rubadub style that pays homage to the Jamaican classics. We hope you like these tracks as much as we do. Dig into the rest of Kiko Bun’s catalog for more amazing music!
You can hear these tracks on Bandcamp, all major streaming platforms and on Youtube.
We are stepping in to the new year with Steel Pulse’s 1984 hit “Steppin’ Out.” We talk about Steel Pulse’s progressive style and sound and get into the intricate details of this track that make it such a catchy classic.
For the last episode of the year, we listen to the scorcher “One in a Million” by Half Pint. We talk about the track’s simplicity despite being a catchy hit in early Jamaican dancehall. We encourage you to dig into the Half Pint catalog and learn about where and how this style originated as it continues to inspire so many.
In the latter portion of this episode, we pay tribute to those reggae legends that we lost throughout 2024. These singers and players have left a legacy for us that will live on forever, and we encourage you all to do some digging of those names you are not familiar with. Here is a comprehensive list of those we talk about in the episode:
We wish everyone an amazing Holiday season and a happy New Year, and we will continue to bring you more dub in 2025!
This week we listen to the brand new single from Flying Vipers, “Show Me” and the dub version, “Show & Tell.” This is their first release with Easy Star Records and both versions showcase Kellee Webb on lead vocals. We talk about the warmth and vibe of the tune, and its interesting orchestration. We look forward to seeing what else Flying Vipers has coming up!
You can hear this track on Bandcamp, all major streaming platforms and on Youtube.
This week we listen to two tracks: “Anywhere But Here” & “Valentine’s Day” by The Steady 45s. We discuss how the band stays true to the traditional style of early 60s Jamaica in terms of songwriting, the way the music is performed, and the recording quality. Both tunes are from the 2017 album Trouble in Paradise, where they showcase the band’s impressive range from one song to the next. We hope you enjoy these songs and our breakdown of them as much as we enjoyed talking about them!
This week we are joined by a fellow member of the Rootfire family, Jim The Boss. Jim just released a Halloween themed dub album called “Jim The Boss Presents: Dubs From The Grave.” We talk about the creation of this album, his backstory of getting into reggae music and some of Jim’s past accomplishments. He also shares details about some fun and exciting projects he has coming up. We had a lot of fun discussing this project with Jim and playing out this album. We encourage you to check it out on Bandcamp, where there is also merch available for the album.
Jim The Boss Presents: Dubs From The Grave
