“Straight to Hell” is a track originally born of some of the world’s great angsts, as seen through the lens of The Clash, in 1982. Dealing with social issues that still ring as relevant today (from labor injustices to immigration concerns), The Clash released a song with… Read More
Christos DC (Chris Vrenios), a Greek-American, is a Washington, DC-based artist/producer/touring musician whose humble force has been influential in shaping the DC reggae scene and beyond. His own recordings, paired with the recordings he has shouldered through his own Honest Music DC label, for some of the most well-known… Read More
“When you come to a show, you see people of all colors, race, having a good time, nobody fighting, just like flowers in a garden…” -Johnny Black, introducing The Expanders at Reggae Rise Up, March 4, 2017, St. Petersburg, FL
As I sit here on this… Read More
Dub music . The scene is Jamaica in the late 60’s. Just years after gaining independence from the U.K., this young island nation is experiencing the turbulent transition that often accompanies a change of power of such magnitude.… Read More
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
-Robert Frost from “Fire and Ice”
Fire invokes transformation and purification. The Phoenix falling in a ball of flame, only… Read More
The American reggae scene has an abundance of skilled, artful musicians and Hermosa Beach’s Fortunate Youth are among the most talented. With the release of their eponymous 5th studio release and 4th full-length studio release on February 10th, Fortunate Youth fans will be pleased to hear the band staying true… Read More
In October 2007, I flew from Washington, DC to California to join Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad on their first ever West Coast tour. Two of the shows were with a band I had never heard of before named The Simpkin Project, from Huntington Beach, CA.… Read… Read More
