The great thing about acoustic music is it presents the heart and soul of a song in it's most naked form. Jamaican music, being a stylised dance music, is not usually heard in this format. Of course the pre-ska mento was acoustic and there were acoustic tunes coming in during the ska days like the Wailing Wailers tune "This Train", even though that was more spiritual ballad than all out ska dance number. What people don't understand is that many of these classic big band Jamaican dance tunes started life on a simple acoustic guitar by a single writer. -
FROM the Liner Notes to "A Sweet Serende" by Kyle Hickenbottom
HAVE YOU HEARD A SWEET SERENADE?
13 Tracks of Soulful Acoustic Reggae
TRACKLISTING:
1] Las Cabriolas - "Here She Comes" [EX]
2] Dubistry - "Roll Away" [EX]
3] Westbound Train - "When I Die"
4] Lykus - "Waiting" [EX]
5] Colin & Kelly - "Good Day, Bad Day" [EX]
6] Radio Freedom - "King of the Dancehall"
7] The Harmonics - "My Lenore" [EX]
8] 2 1/2 White Guys - "That's Me"
9] Riki Rocksteady - "Sunshine" [EX]
10] The Escodonians - "Clean Room Dub" [EX]
11] Penny Reel Junction - "Words of Wisdom" [EX]
12] James Trent of the Hi-Lites - "Folk Tune" [EX]
13] Deal's Gone Bad - "Run From Me" [EX]
Here is a A SWEET SERENADE review in the 25th anniversary celebration issue of the Beat Reggae Magazine on newsstands now.
By Chuck Foster (Reggae Central, KPFK 90.7 FM)
"For something completely different try A SWEET SERENADE: 13 TRACKS of SOULFUL ACOUSTIC REAGGAE (Lawless Street). Despite the subtitle the roots of this project are in the U.S. ska revival which has lately turned to rock steady. Drawing from ska, rock steady and reggae as well as 60's pop music, the charm here is in the rediscovery of music's purity by a new generation that's been rasied on synthesized, electrified, corporate rock and recognizes something's missing. With the possible exception of Deal's Gone Bad most readers will be unfamiler with the groups, who record under names like Radio Freedom, Westbound Train, Penny Reel Junction and the Escodonians but this pleasent sampler has the feel of a relaxed hoot night, which to some extent it grows out of (Tuesday nights at the Bluebeat Lounge LA). The music is all original - these aren't acoustic covers of old Jamaican hits - and the best part are the nice harmonies you'll hear throughout - a lost art these kids are helping rediscover. Although the riddims- also derived via ska from Latin music - are sometimes a little choppy there is especially nice use of muted horns on a couple of cuts and a nice musical vibe throughout. "
We need your help. If you like the album or any of the bands on the comp, then please forward this message to just one new friend. There are plans for a second volume of great new music but we need your help to spread the word.
ORDER ONLINE FROM ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING DISTRIBUTORS:
Distributed By: ERNIE B's REGGAE www.ebreggae.com
You can order now directly through this link and recieve it next week. Tell your parents that they should listen or don't and buy it anyway.
Not only can you now check out: - the new King Django skinhead reggae 45 on Conquering Ruler Records from Germany - the two latest deep roots reggae Freedom Sounds 45s on the Ethiopian Kings riddim featuring King Django, Predator One and Weatherman - all SEVEN Jamaican Version City label 45s on the Fortitude riddim
but you can now listen to the following albums IN THEIR ENTIRETY:
Version City Rockers - Version City Dub Clash King Django - Roots Tonic Sic & Mad - The Destruction of Utopia Pt. 2 Various Artists - Version City Blue Beat Players - Torrid Rock Rocker T - Nicer By the Hour Victor Rice at Version City The Radiation Kings - Early Years Stubborn All-Stars - Nex Music The Coldspot 8 - Get On High The Soul Merchants - If You Like Music Predator Dub Assassins - The Hardest King Django - Roots & Culture Special Edition
www.stubbornrecords.com presents VERSION CITY Ska - Rocksteady - Reggae - Dub - Dancehall Monthly ALL-AGES Dance Party First Saturdays at The Knitting Factory 74 Leonard Street, NYC
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2008 Version City is very proud to present Jamaican Reggae Legend & Prince Buster recording artist MILTON HENRY & The Bandulos with special guests Philadelphia Ska Stalwarts RUDER THAN YOU NYC Ska-Swing Madmen TRI-STATE CONSPIRACY NJ Rock-Reggae-Soul THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS New Paltz, NY Ska-Rock-Reggae LEMONADE GRENADE plus regular Wicked Selector Jah Point/Shockwave Sound and your ever-lovable host King Django
$12 - doors at 7pm
SATURDAY MARCH 1, 2008: REEGAL BEEGAL, BRAVE NEW GIRL, THE AMBITIONS and more! STAY TUNED!!! </p&g
Brand new releases on the Version City and Freedom Sounds labels!
"Fortitude" is the latest boom shot roots reggae riddim rocking out of King Django's Version City Studio in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA! It was written and recorded by Django as the first riddim for the Version City Rockers' "Darker Roots" sessions and features the original drums and bass team from Boston's Skavoovie and the Epitones-- Ben "Benny Beats" Herson and Rob Joost. The rest of the Version City Rockers crew on this release are King Django on piano and percussion, the Slackers' Vic Ruggiero on organ, Jamaican music legends Sugar Minott and Glen Brown on percussion and guitarists Brett Tubin and the late Shane Gooding.
A few months after the riddim was layed down, original Jamaican dancehall singer Johnny Osbourne came in to do a massive dubplate session and blessed Django's riddim with a killer vocal! Django carried the song down to Kingston, Jamaica in January of 2007. On the strength of this tune he was able to start Version City records with support and distribution from veteran reggae producer Bertram Brown, who has run his own Freedom Sounds label since the 1970
Hi there! We're the AramassSound, an Italian Rome-based reggae sound system, on air every thursday from 9.00 to 11.00 pm – italian time- on the web-frequencies of REC Radio ( www.recradio.it ) with "Contorni reggae": two hours of dub, rocksteady, ska, roots, DJ style, oldies and some news.
Big big respect and aramasss!!!
Stay tuned!
Web: www.recradio.it (nuovo sito in aggiornamento) www.myspace.com/aramasss www.myspace.com/recradio
Hi there! We're the AramassSound, an Italian Rome-based reggae sound system, on air every thursday from 9.00 to 11.00 pm – italian time- on the web-frequencies of REC Radio (www.recradio.it) with "Contorni reggae": two hours of dub, rocksteady, ska, roots, DJ style, oldies and some news.
Big big respect and aramasss!!!
Stay tuned!
Web: www.recradio.it (nuovo sito in aggiornamento) www.myspace.com/aramasss www.myspace.com/recradio
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2007
& Every Fridays thereafter
9PM - 3AM
@ EX-PLX Echo Park Los Angeles 90026
1154 GLENDALE BLVD. (ATTN: main club entrance is a few buildings behind this address thru alley way)
$10
DEEJAYS: HIGHER. T-LEE. DAZ. COKNI O'DIRE. BLACK SHAKESPEARE. AURELITO.
"One of the few clubs that really feels like a house party, this club night houses an arty, laid-back crowd that's as multi-flavored and -hued as the rhythms on the decks. Chocolate Bar has been going strong since 1997, and that's largely due to its hosts Shakespeare and Aurelito, two eastsiders with a lot of friends. Over the years their posse has grown with the help of their I&I Sound System—a converted ice-cream truck pumping out reggae jams—that they take to events around town. Still, Chocolate Bar remains the pair's homebase, an unpretentious hang where peeps of every color get to know each other on the dance floor while vintage wax experts Daz, T. Lee and Higher spin everything from Bob Marley to A Tribe Called Quest to Stevie Wonder. Occasionally, there are even live visual art performances. As for the crowd? Some work the ethnic look with dreads and multicolored threads, others look like '70s soul bros and sistas—but most stay casual in jeans and tees." — Lina Lecaro
TRACKLISTING:
Distributed By: ERNIE B's REGGAE 
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