The Skints are a band with a mature sound that references the ‘80s London scene that brought forth amazing new music, and in many ways spawned what happened in California a musical generation later. The group’s third album FM is primed to further establish interdependence between the US and UK reggae markets.
These three songs that have been in our repertoire for years, provide grounds for healthy experimentation and movement, guided by mixture of James Brown and Grateful Dead pedagogy. The ability to provide a show to the audience, but also to ourselves.
I was raised anxious about the end of days. The fear was never instilled by my parents, or any religion. I was never formally warned of the Four Horseman or anything. Instead, it seeped surreptitiously into my awareness, drawing from a peripheral swirl of stories, songs, and an imaginative media, whose tales drew me to the television each afternoon of my schooldays. … Read More
Patrick H. and his wife Susan are serious supporters of live reggae music, especially throughout the state of Colorado. As a longtime contributor to the taper community, Patrick can be found at reggae concerts in venues like Fox Theatre, Cervantes, and The Gothic, planted near FOH with his recording gear.… Read More
“Walking South on Lincoln Avenue, approaching Chicago’s Lincoln Hall –
I saw Ikaika Antone – standing outside the entryway to the venue – proudly smiling towards me, with his welcoming vibrations. At that moment, I knew it was going to be a wonderful afternoon.”… Read More
Staring into the break of the wave, I mentally prepare myself to maintain stable while in motion. Clean start, clean finish. You have to naturally feel the space and attack the note as if it was always there. Like a painting, you are simply tracing the shapes of your ultimate vision.… Read More
Mardi Gras arrives around the moment winter starts to feel long, a party to remind us of what it feels like when the good times roll and a happy release before Lent, the old Christian countdown of the dark hours before dawn.… Read More
We don’t get report cards or mid-term grades at Rootfire, but five weeks into our new project, we do have some ways to score how things are going. We look at the analytics to see if stories are getting read and if people are sharing them.… Read More
Jeff McCaughey, lead singer of Philadelphia’s Kings and Comrades, had just turned 21 when his song “Another Way” got my attention. The arrangement highlighted laid back vocals and acoustic guitar layered over a percusssive reggae riddim that drew me in.… Read More
There is something in the air that can only be described as a holy anticipation. A pulse dominates the room yet a single note hasn’t been played. A natural sway of the audience already exists and we know why it’s there.… Read More
My parents led me into the Rochester War Memorial. I followed blindly into what was the first sea of people I had ever been among. The lights dimmed as I followed my father, in his suit and sport-coat, up an endless amount of steep stairs, to our seats in the nosebleed section.… Read More
Collie Buddz’ rabid international fan base has been begging for the dance hall sensation’s first full album release since his 2007 self-titled debut and while they’ll have to continue waiting for now, his latest single, “Prescription,” released today to select media sources, is another sure-fire dance hall classic that will satiate appetites in the short run.… Read More
