By now, nearly all of us have heard the Pepper/LAW Records-helmed compilation album, Operation Irie. (If you haven’t, you owe me a spliff because, trust me, I just made your day.) Instant classic albums are few and far between these days, but this one definitely breathes that rarefied air. … Read More
Cycles, the latest LP from northern Florida’s The Ellameno Beat, is a viiibe. This low-key collection of mostly lovers rock songs released this past summer intriguingly blends blissful, dreamy feels with an understated darker element, evoking an ambience of what I’d imagine an opium den to have.… Read More
Aaron Wolf has been tearing it up. His blend of reggae, hip hop and folk underpins lyrics rooted in relentless possibility and endless possibilities. Unsurprisingly, that winning combination has struck a chord with audiences across the nation, culminating most recently in a spot on the 2025 Mission Bayfest festival where he opened for the likes of Sublime, Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution.… Read More
If I told you to rewind the clock five years, where would you be? Realistically, most of us were locked in our homes, watching blue summer skies smear into a palette of wispy autumn clouds as time dissolved into a blur of redundant mundanity.… Read More
Given that reggae music emerged out of poverty and desperation among the common people of Jamaica as a unifying voice that nurtured hope and provided cathartic resistance to the oppressive powers, one might think that reggae fans would largely object to the regressive and restrictive policies of this current political administration in the United States.… Read More
One of my favorite things about music journalism is undeniably pretty selfish—discovering new music. Being able to spotlight stuff I already love is great, but stumbling on a new-to-me gem is just as awesome. That was definitely the case when I heard “I’ve Got to Know” by Miami’s Jacuzzi Fuzz.… Read More
“Yearning,” the sizzling new single from Brooklyn-based artist/producer, Double Tiger (Jay Spaker), brings together a whole heap of talent from different eras of reggae.
For starters, Spaker, in addition to his solo work as Double Tiger, has lent his guitar and singing skills to John Brown’s Body, a deeply respected and adored band from upstate New York that has had a major influence on American reggae artists over the past three decades. … Read More
