Reggae & Ska > K Reggae & Ska > Dub > 2006 onwards

Advantages: Good music, reggae brought back to a roots sound
Disadvantages: None

Live at Stubb's is Matisyahu's 2nd album and his 1st live album recorded at Stubbs in Austin, Texas. It was released in February, 2005 by JDubRecords. If you are not familiar with Matisyahu, he's an intriguing chap, a New York Jew (Matisyahu is the Yiddish pronunciation of Matthew), who dresses in the traditional clothing of a Hasidic Jew and doesn't perform on the sabbath. He spent several years taking hallucinogens and touring with the rock band ...
...Matisyahu Miller - Vocals Roots Tonic: Aaron Dugan - Guitar Josh Werner - Bass Guitar Johan David - Drums Yoni - MC (on Beat Box) Beat Box is a particularly good song but I liked them all and it works well as it's a live concert. ... Read review

Advantages: It's the Specials!
Disadvantages: One or two tracks not so good.

...folk this song epitomizes the specials, old style reggae Ska, bouncy bass line, trumpets, simple guitar riff and constant, steady drumming. The ultimate get up and move tune, everyone mouthing the words and understanding them, what a great track, still brings back great memories. My 13 year old son who is into thrash metal even likes this. 9/10. 2. Do The Dog Much more percussion and synthesizer, modern Ska, more energetic, more of a dance tune. ...
...we start to hear Terry Hall make his mark vocally on the band, lots of electric guitar too. Personally I think Mr. Hall 'whines' a bit in a Midlands way on this track. 6/10. 4. Nite Klub Love the trumpet use in this track and the almost urgent use of drums, Terry Hall vocals again, yet this time much more suited to the song which, you guessed it, is about a Night Club. Quite like this, though a little away from what I would consider Ska. 7/10. ... Read review

Advantages: Everything
Disadvantages: Can't think of any

Great music, great singer, great lyrics!! Has his very own style ever since this first album of his. His music is a unique mix of reggae and ska with some soul, funk, jazz and hip hop elements in it. Career Patrice Bart-Williams was born in a small town near Cologne, Germany, in 1979 and started to make music when he was 12 years old. He played in several bands until he joined the label 'Yo Mama' and accompanied Lauryn Hill on her tour through ...
...in 2000. Since then he has published four other albums (How do you call it, Silly Walks Movement meets Patrice, Nile & Free-Patriation). Songs Most of the songs on 'Ancient Spirit' criticise the society and the 'system'. I've written down one or two lines out of each song to make you understand Patrice's attitude - however, you have to listen to the full song to actually realise, how great his lyrics are! 1. Everyday Good Patrice's hymn to life ... Read review

Advantages: Pretty much the best of Bob Marley.
Disadvantages: A couple of his earlier tracks could have been included.

...and the first release of Legend was in 1984. 10 platinum albums later, having been on vinyl, cassette, and CD it remains the biggest selling album of it's genre (well I couldn't find any bigger) and arguably the greatest set of Marley songs on one album. The album was 'remastered' in 2002 and two more tracks from the original 14 were added; 'Easy Skanking', in my opinion a great addition, with some very cool lyrics, Marley at his laid back best, ...
...travesty to include this. As there are 16 tracks I am going to dispense with my normal way of reviewing albums or there will be something approaching a dissertation, instead I will pick, in my opinion the top 3 tracks and tell you why. ~~~~~~~~~~**Track List**~~~~~~~~~~ 1. Is This Love 2. No Woman, No Cry 3. Could You Be Loved 4. Three Little Birds 5. Buffalo Soldier 6. Get Up, Stand Up 7. Stir It Up 8. Easy Skanking 9. One Love/People Get Ready ... Read review

Advantages: Rare style, Punchy and energetic
Disadvantages: Bit too hardcore for some

Farse are a cult five-piece ska-core collective from the Midlands. For those of you not familiar with this genre, allow me to expand on it for you. It fuses the elements of ska (e.g. Madness, Operation Ivy) with hardcore, which is a derivative of punk rock. They use a large variety of guitar riffs to compliment the ska basslines. The bass is usually lots of quick repetetive chords and this combnation gives the band a very distinctive and enjoyable ...
...in 2001, on the relatively unknown 'Sucka Punch Records.' The record has a relaxed personality to it, despite the rather in-your-face nature of hardcore music. The ska element helps the band distance themselves from other hardcore bands to some extent. It is about 37 minutes running time and is the first of only two full album releases by Farse. THE TRACKS 1. Firing Line This track is led in by repeated hi-hats and comes in a little bit shouty, ... Read review