Official launch of SpringlineRecords website

The July Edition..

In next months (July) publication we're gonna have a bash at presenting

a dub edition special! It's been heard before ,it's been seen before,it's been read before but we're gonna have a go at it anyhow..featuring album reviews ,biogs,pics,music,film review,free SpringlineJamaica dub radio download trinket show and more! so tune in to swing. From July 1st.

...Flash...PoW!! saviour of the Univershall

Playing now on this blog is a superb tune taken from the forthcoming album entitled 'It's All About You' aka Earl Wire Lindo meets Flash ,the tune playing is called "Let Dem Know" we liked it so much that we wanted to let you know!

The man Flash recently linked up with Earl wire Lindo and Fitzroy Drummond of Wailers fame and slowly an album has emerged full of warmth ,continuity and with a strong message attached via top class writer and vocalist Flash to accompany the superb playing on the tunes ,no indication yet as to when the album release date will be ,according to sources it's being finalized and almost ready to compile ,we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything..

you can check more Flash at http://myspace.com/flashno1

New From Mungos Hi Fi & Scotch Bonnet

The Under Arrest riddim continues the series of the Scotch Bonnet 12"s with a riddim most fitting for the summer ahead. Under Arrest is derived from the rocksteady era in Jamaica, but given the Mungo's digital twist. The riddim features a diverse range of artist from, veteran yard artist Ranking Joe, to Scotlands own Soom T, via the ghettos of Brazil thanks to Jnr Dread. The title track was featured on the recent Mungo's Hi Fi - Sound system champions lp and features mr Belly Ska himself-MC Ishu as well as Black Champagne and Lyricson.

You can hear 2 of these new tunes now before they are released, with the other 2 coming soon. Also tune in to hear other tunes by artists featured in this months blog and other latest sounds on........

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THE SOUND OF NOW!

RIDDIM: UNDER ARREST RIDDIM
CAT NO: SCOB0016 & SCOB0017
RELEASE DATE: 10 JUNE 2009


SCOB0016 Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. MC Ishu – Under Arrest Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Soom T – Joints n Jams Mungo’s Hi Fi ft Junior Dread – No Time fi Run Mungo’s Hi Fi – Under Arrest Riddim

SCOB0017 Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Ranking Joe – Step it out Mungo’s Hi Fi – Step it out dub Mungo’s Hi Fi ft Black Champagne – Working Harder Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Lyricson– Rest of my days

Forthcoming SCOB Releases:

RUFF MI TUFF RIDDIM

SCOB0018 Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Tippa Irie – Ruff mi Tuff Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Omar Perry – Live in Peace Mungo’s Hi Fi – Ruff mi Tuff Riddim

SCOB0019 Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Daddy Freddy – Armageddon Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Sister Carol – Culture mi Vote Mungo’s Hi Fi ft. Bongo Chilli–Nuttin a Gwaan

[Release date – mid July09]

Forthcoming SCRUB Releases:

SCRUB003 Mungo’s Hi Fi – Fire Pon a Dubplate
Itchy Robot – Playback

[Release date – mid July09]

SCRUB004 Liquid Wicked ft. Joseph Cotton – The Governor
Twisted – The Superpowers

[Release date – mid July09]

All of these tunes will be available from http://www.scotchbonnet.net/ and other quality record outlets.

"Big Up The Mungo's Hi Fi!"

Found in the comments, cheers to the Mungo's for giving us this......

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W2WJQSYI

a megamix of all the tracks

RED STRIPE BOSS SOUNDS FESTIVAL 2009

20 & 21 June 2009

starring headline performances from

FREDDIE MCGREGOR,

DERRICK MORGAN,

THE CONGOS

plus OWEN GRAY

The Cluny & The Cluny 2, 36 Lime Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2PQ
The Tyneside Cinema, 10 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6QG and
The World Headquarters, Curtis Mayfield House, Carliol Sq, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UQ

This year's Boss Sounds Festival will be the Red Stripe Boss Sounds Festival after the Jumpin' Hot Club secured a deal with the famous Jamaican brewer. Headlining this year's festival will be Roots Legend Freddie McGregor and Undoubtedly one of Jamaica's finest vocal trios The Congos (21st June) and Ska King Derrick Morgan in a superb double bill with Ska legend Owen Gray (20th June). For this years festival the organisers are taking over the whole of the Cluny building with the main venue and Cluny 2 being called into action.

The festival will also feature for the first time outside Jamaica, "The Reggae Film Festival" which will see some of the greatest reggae films ever made screened at the Tyneside Cinema. Highlights include "Heartland Reggae" which documented Bob Marley's One Love concert and "Rico, the Legacy" which captures the trombone players life, tracking his time with The Specials and Bob Marley.

For more information go to http://www.jumpinhot.com/ or www.myspace.com/bosssoundsfestival

Tickets are available from 0191 2304474

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user?query=sds&x=0&y=0

£15 per day or £25 for the weekend!

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Pama International News - Happenstance Release

Happenstance b/w Dub-a-Dance is going to be the new single from Pama Intl - due out on 22nd June'09 on Rockers Revolt. It is produced by Sean Flowerdew & John 'Ghost Town' Collins and features Lynval & Horace from The Specials. It will be available on ltd.edition red 7" vinyl (all numbered), download and CD single!

You can hear the Happenstance now at http://www.myspace.com/pamainternational

Please leave them a comment to let them know what you think of it. They just love getting feedback.

The vinyl can be pre-ordered now for £4 plus p&p at
www.rockersrevolt.com/products-page/genre/pama-intl---happenstance-7-vinyl/

ONCE THEY ARE GONE THEY ARE GONE - ONLY 300 COPIES!!!

The CD single can be pre-ordered now for £2 plus p&p at
www.rockersrevolt.com/products-page/genre/pama-intl---happenstance-cdsingle/

News of the download coming very soon.

Speaking of the forthcoming album Pama Outernational (due Oct'09) is nearing completion. Already in the bag are; Happenstance, Dub A Dance, Trade It All For More, Are We Saved Yet?, Look Out Your Window, Yeah Yeah Yeah/Question The Answer and surefire summer soul hit I Still Love You More. Three more tracks to be completed. The "Heavyweight Dub Sounds Of Now" is the order of the day.

Not forgeting Pama Intl will be performing at the festivals below

June 2009
26 Glastonbury Festival - East Dance Stage 1pm

July 2009
17 Larmer Tree Festival

August 2009
07 Luton Summer Festival, St.Georges Sq (free)
08 Endorset In Dorset Festival

September 2009
05 Mersea Island Scooter Rally

more to be added soon
for full info/ticket outlets/updates go to
www.rockersrevolt.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4

From Dancehall to Hip Hop - DJ Kool Herc

There is no denying that Hip-Hop was created or even born from the roots of the DJ Sound Systems that started out in Jamaica way back in the late 1950's. Sure it was a gradual process but I think you can trace it back to there with first the Mento patterns, and then with just the simple idea of putting up some big speakers on street corners and getting people to dance, to the point where “The Great Wuga Wuga,” by Sir Lord Comic was released in around 1966 and is possibly the earliest example of the D.J. style on record. Perhaps also with out this people like Count Machuki, Dennis Alcapone, Dillinger and the mighty U-Roy, who's “Wear You To The Ball,” from 1969, was in turn probably the first record to really popularize the D.J. style, we may never have heard of, or seen the rise, and almost complete domination Hip-Hop / Rap has had over most of modern dance music over the last 20 or so years.
To say that Hip Hop has its roots entirely in Jamaica is a bit of a falsehood though as the Jamaicans were originally influenced by late 50's early 60's American DJ's, mainly from Louisiana and the South, who would hoot, holler, and chant over tunes, which in turn led to the invention of the Jamaican DJ style, and it is through this cross fertilization and influence of styles that both have become entwined, as can be heard so very clearly on the Soul Jazz LP '100% New York Dynamite' that was reviewed on this blog back in April.
What is considered to be the biggest creative input to this blend of styles occurred in the early to mid 1970's, when a young and ingenious Clive Campbell, the son of Jamaican immigrants, started having parties in the community room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx that global assault of Hip Hop and thus Rap began. When Campbell started out with his parties he found that his American audience was rather unresponsive to the slower reggae beats he had brought from home, so he sought out the paceier funk and Latin-influenced tracks that were very popular on the streets of New York. The one problem with a lot of these tunes however was that there was no dub or instrumental tracks on the B-side, like those that were common place with reggae releases for him to 'chat / rap' over, so Campbell had to find a new way to create his backing tracks. He started by buying whatever records he could find with juicy snippets of bare rhythm in them and by playing these sections repeatedly, by bringing the needle on the record player back to that same spot, or switching between multiple records to keep the beat going and gradually he turned American audiences onto a style of music that was already growing in Jamaica...Dancehall. It was also with this style of playing that Campbell would now become known as DJ Kool Herc.

don't forget to switch off the flashplayer before playing!

Armed with his new name and style his parties began to grow and he secured his first professional DJ job at the 'Twilight Zone' in 1973. A couple of years later he moved to a residency at the 'Hevalo' in the Bronx. Once here he helped coin the phrase b-boy (break boy) and his fame peaked. Other young DJ's were now also picking up on Herc's style and the task of creating the best breaks was becoming more and more intensive and meant that Herc was having less time to talk to the crowd and get them going. He needed someone else to help out and act as the Master of Ceremonies for him, and so for practical purposes, Coke La Rock was hired and became the first hip hop MC ever.
Another club that Herc rocked was the Sparkle located at 174th and Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. This was the spot that came before the Hilltop, 371 (DJ Hollywood's spot) and Disco Fever. In 1977, Herc's career began to fall. The rise of Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five, and Bambaataa's various crews with their polished delivery and style put Herc at a disadvantage, and then to top it all one night he was stabbed three times at one of his own parties and his career never fully recovered, until eventually in 1980 Herc decided to stop DJing altogether and went to work in a record shop in the South Bronx.
Since then has made sporadic appearances. He turned up in the Hollywood motion picture take on hip-hop, 'Beat Street' from 1984, as himself, then some 10 years later and after recovering from cocaine addiction he appeared on Terminator X & the Godfathers of Threatt's album, 'Super Bad'. In 2005, he wrote the foreword to Jeff Chang's book on hip hop, ‘Can't Stop Won't Stop’, and in 2006, he became involved in getting hip-hop commemorated at Smithsonian Institution museums. He can now also be found playing out djing from time to time and as recently as February 2009 he did a spot at Hunts Point section of the Bronx addressing the "West Indian Roots of Hip-Hop". One thing is for sure though I believe, that whatever happens to DJ Kool Herc now, and what ever path he decides to take the beat, thanks to him, is sure to go on.

[DJ Kool Herc in action @ West Indian Roots of Hip Hop 2009]

Buju Banton – Rasta Got Soul

I think I may have just heard what could possibly be the roots reggae album of the year with this offering from Buju Banton. Now it's fair to say that Buju has been through the 'ringer' a bit over the past few years, but he has returned with a distinctively positive sounding album.
The album gets off to a bright start with horns a plenty on the joyous sounding 'Hurt Us No More'. Next up is the utterly excellent single 'Magic City', and from here the great tunes just go on and on. ‘Rastafari’ sees Buju in full spiritual mode praising his majesty, and this tune will surely become a new roots reggae anthem, up there with anything by groups like Culture, The Abyssinians or even Bob. For with its quality musicianship and strong female backing vocals the album does have quite a strong Marley-ish vibe, and because of this I can quite easily see this LP crossing over to receive more 'main stream' appreciation. I think it is really a long time since I have heard such a complete roots reggae album, where every track is so good. Ok, bar ‘Mary’, a perfect lesson in that some times less is more. Should have left it at 14 tracks Buju., but that aside this album is gonna take some surpassing, so if you only buy one roots reggae album this year get this and be delighted!

Full Tracklist:

01. Hurt us no more

02. Magic city

03. I rise

04. Rastafari

05. I wonder

06. A little bit of sorry

07. Mirror08. Lend a hand

09. Optimistic soul

10. Mary

11. Make you mine

12. Bedtime story (Feat.Wyclef Jean)

13. Sense of purpose (Feat.Third World)

14. Be on your way

15. Lights out

Byron Lee - A Profile

In the years before reggae or even ska was known outside of the Caribbean, Byron Lee was the first band leader to achieve an international following playing Jamaican music, and played a vital role in popularizing it around the world. Lee was 20 years old when he formed his band the Dragonaires in 1956. They began making a name for themselves almost immediately, as a kind of big-band equivalent to the solo Calypso singing that Harry Belafonte (and Sir Lancelot before him) brought to enormous popularity in the late 1950's. Touring behind Belafonte, they became internationally famous, with their brand of Calypso and ska. Their musicianship was impeccable in any style, with a trumpet and sax section that was up there with any big band, and Lee's bass playing which in itself was extraordinarily distinctive. With Lee leading and manager Ronnie Nasralla co-producing and handling the business arrangements, the Dragonaires were always ahead of the game.
Their big break came in the first James Bond film Dr. No, where they appeared as the band in the scene at Pussfeller's club and played a number of tunes on the soundtrack. As one of the first ska bands, the Dragonaires-a 14-piece outfit whose line-up was always changing (and sometimes worked under the name the Ska Kings), toured throughout the Caribbean and into North America, spreading the ska sound. They also caused a stir at the New York World's Fair in 1964. Where they played their own set and backed Prince Buster, Eric Morris, and Peter Tosh. They were all a sensation at the fair, and even managed to work in some major gigs at some of Manhattan's best nightclubs, which did wonders in helping boost Jamaica's tourism.
In 1965, Lee and Nasralla along with Victor Sampson created Lee Enterprises a booking and promotions agency, which over a period of time brought to Jamaica some top American mega stars such as Sam Cooke, The Drifters, Jerry Butler, Chuck Berry, Billy Stewart, King Curtis, Sammy Davis, James Brown and Al Green. These acts would appear at the Carib and Regal Theatres with local Jamaican acts opening the proceedings.In 1968 he bought West Indies Records Limited (WIRL), from prominent Jamaican political figure Edward Sega, and renamed it Dynamic Sounds. Indeed is Sega who has arranged for Lee to appear at the World's Trade Fair. The company became a pioneer in the field of distributing foreign records for the major North American and European labels as Lee established a relationship with Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Records, which also resulted in Lee's first release on an American label, the multi-artist compilation Jamaican Ska, and its follow-up, Jump Up, with both records featuring Lee and his band. This then led to him having the distribution rights to Atlantic's very popular R&B releases in the Caribbean.
With all these business activities going on , Lee still maintained a full performing and recording schedule, and was cutting singles of his own or covers of other artists' ska hits of the period. Lee also was managing releasing an album at least once a year after the mid-1960's (Check out the review of "This Is Rocksteady '67" posted in September last year).
By the end of the 60's, Lee's Dynamic Sounds was considered one of, if not the best recording studio in Kingston, and had become the most popular recording venue in the entire Caribbean. By the early 1970's, major main stream American and English acts were discovering its appeal, including the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon and Eric Clapton. Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion," in particular, became a showcase for Lee's studio. For Lee as well these were changing times musically and he and his band, being very skilled and versatile musicians, continued making their own music, and could keep pace and adapt and evolve from the ska craze to rocksteady and then morphing in to reggae and even by the late 1970s, turning their hand to the soca style.
In 1990, Lee saw his long time dream become a reality with the launching of Jamaica Carnival. In 1989 Byron Lee, along with a small band of believers, came together to plan what has since grown to become the biggest event in Jamaica. Byron explained in an interview, “This is a dream I have nurtured for years and the right time is now. I wouldn’t be a Jamaican if I didn’t try to bring to my country, some of that happiness I see Carnival brings to other people". In Trinidad during Carnival 2001, Byron was honoured by the Caribbean Brass Festival Organization for his contribution to the music industry.
Lee has been extremely successful, throughout his career and business dealings which has perhaps brought about at times the wrath of writers and other musicians who regarded his dance band as a pale, watered down version of ska, compared to outfits like the Skatalites, the Maytals, or the Wailers. Perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that he was not born in the ghettos of Kingston or in a shack in the Blue Mountains or even that he is of mixed parentage (His mother was of African descent while his father was Chinese) so he was never really down with the sufferahs. The thing is this, what ever your stance you can't deny that Lee and his band, did most probably more to popularize ska and Jamaican music than any performer of the 1960's, especially coupled with the success in 1964 of Millie Small's Island Records single "My Boy Lollipop," which sold upwards of six million copies worldwide, it was he who helped open the booming musical era for Jamaican music.

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Curtis Mayfield - A Profile

Curtis Lee Mayfield was born on June 3, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He most notably known for the soundtrack he wrote and performed for blaxploitation film 'Super Fly'. Although he never perhaps achieved the dizzying sales of the likes of Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye he was non the less one of Americas most influential soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producers of the late 60's and early 70's whose influence is still even felt today., and as if that isn't enough he was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums, the complete one man band.
Mayfield began singing at the tender age of seven, then began teaching himself to play guitar, lead his own gospel and soul group, the Alphatones, and began composing music and writing lyrics before he was even a teenager. In 1956, he moved with his family to the North Side of Chicago, where he met the singer Jerry Butler while performing in a church choir. Butler had his own soul band, called the Roosters, and convinced the 14-year-old Mayfield to join. Two years later, The Roosters, who now included Sam Gooden in their line up, became The Impressions, and they had a No. 11 hit with "For Your Precious Love". On the strength of this hit Butler decided to leave the group and go solo. He was replaced by Fred Cash, with Mayfield becoming the lead singer, as well as now frequently composing the songs, playing the guitar and producing the records as well. With Mayfield now at the helm the group brought its potent mixture of gospel, soul, and doo-wop to the fore with a total of 14 Top 10 recordings, including "Gypsy Woman" (superbly covered in 2007 by Junior Murvin) and "It's All Right". In 1964, with hit song "Keep on Pushing," Mayfield became one of the first R&B singer-songwriters to bring a racial and political consciousness to his music, and soon followed this with songs such as "People Get Ready", "I'm So Proud," "This is My Country" and "Check Out Your Mind". "Keep on Pushing" was even adopted as an anthem for Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. By the end of the decade he was a now a pioneering voice in the Black Pride Movement, along with the likes of James Brown and Sly Stone. Mayfield's "We're a Winner", became a Number 1 soul hit and even gained Billboard pop Top 20 success, and became the adopted anthem of the Black Power and Black Pride Movements when it was released in late 1967.
By the end of the 60's Mayfield had become a song writing powerhouse in Chicago, writing and producing scores of hits for other artists. He also owned the Mayfield and Windy C labels, distributed by Cameo-Parkway, and was partners in the Curtom label (first independent, then distributed by Buddah then Warner Bros and finally RSO). Finally in 1970 he decided to part company with The Impressions and go solo. Curtom would go on to release most of Mayfield's landmark 70's records, as well as records by the Impressions, Leroy Hutson, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staples, and Baby Huey and the Babysitters, a group which at the time included Chaka Khan, with many of these records being produced by Mayfield.

The commercial and critical peak of his solo career came with the album Super Fly, the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film of the same name, and one of the most influential albums in African-American history. Unlike the soundtracks to other blaxploitation films, most notably Isaac Hayes' score for "Shaft", which glorified the ghetto excesses of the characters, Mayfield's lyrics consisted of hard-hitting commentary on the state of affairs in black, urban ghettos at the time, as well as direct criticisms of several characters in the film. Bob Donat wrote in Rolling Stone Magazine in 1972 that while the film's message "was diluted by schizoid cross-purposes" because it "glamorizes machismo-cocaine consciousness... the anti-drug message on [Mayfield's soundtrack] is far stronger and more definite than in the film." Along with Marvin Gaye's "What's Going' On" and Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions", this album ushered in a new socially conscious, funky style to soul music. He was dubbed 'The Gentle Genius' to reflect his outstanding and innovative musical output with the constant presence of his soft yet insistent vocals.
"Super Fly" brought phenomenal success that resulted in Mayfield being tapped for additional soundtracks, some of which he wrote and produced while having others perform the vocals. Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded Mayfield's soundtrack for "Claudine" in 1974, while Aretha Franklin recorded the soundtrack for "Sparkle" in 1976. Mayfield worked with Mavis Staples on the 1977 soundtrack for the film "A Piece of the Action". He was in danger of overreaching himself being writer, producer, performer, arranger and businessman but seemed to cope and still produce a remarkable output.
Though his popularity began to fade in the late 70's with the rise of disco, Mayfield continued to record hopeful, inspirational music and tour actively in the United States, Europe, and Japan. In 1990, during an outdoor concert in Brooklyn, New York, a lighting scaffold fell on him and he was left paralyzed from the neck down. Amazingly though he continued to compose and record music, learning to sing while lying flat on his back and letting gravity create the necessary pressure on his lungs. In 1995 he received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the following year he released what proved to be his final album, "New World Order". In the years following his accident, Mayfield’s health continued to deteriorate, and in 1998 his right leg was amputated due to complications from diabetes.
On December 26, 1999, Mayfield's failing health finally got the better of him and he passed away at the age of 57. A two-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (he gained admission with the Impressions in 1991 and as a solo performer in 1999), Mayfield had been living in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Altheida. He had 10 children and seven grandchildren.

So there it is a brief history on one of my all time favourite artists Curtis Mayfield, who is remembered for his introduction of social consciousness into R&B and for pioneering the funk style in the 1970s, with many of his recordings, with the Impressions becoming anthems of the Civil Rights and Black Pride Movements in the 1960s. He also has left us with the album, "Super Fly", which is regarded as an all-time great (#69 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums) that influenced many and truly invented a new style of modern black music. His distinctive, hard guitar riffs influenced the development of funk, and were highly influential on a young Jimi Hendrix who cited Mayfield as his biggest influence. When he taught himself how to play guitar, he tuned the guitar to the black keys of the piano, giving him an open F-sharp tuning — F#, A#, C#, F#, A#, F# — that he used throughout his career. Also, he sang most of his lines in falsetto (not unique in itself, but other singers in his time mostly sang tenor), adding another flavour and uniqueness to his sound. He is also regarded as influencing other landmark albums, like Herbie Hancock's 'Head Hunters'. One magazine notes, "eulogies...have treated him...as a sort of secular saint--rather like an American Bob Marley". That noted, as said earlier, he is not as well-known as contemporaries like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, or James Brown, perhaps because of their more consistent streams of hits or more mainstream style of music. Nevertheless, he is still highly regarded for his numerous innovations in the 1960s and 1970s and for his unique style of music, perhaps best described as "black psychedelia... remarkable for the scope of its social awareness".

Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate

Well I was going to do a big full blown review of this LP, but seeing as you can find one near enough everywhere now I don’t think I’ll bother. I do however feel I should just throw in my 2 pennies worth.
Now Madness LP’s in the past have tended to consist of the 3 or 4 killer tunes that tended to be the singles, plus a few other crowd pleasers, like “Bed & Breakfast Man” or “On the Beat Pete” and the rest just fillers, the awful “Solid Gone” springs automatically to mind. With this LP however I am pained to find a single dud, and I would go so far to say that this is without doubt the finest LP they have ever produced, and is indeed the most complete Madness LP ever!
Every song on here is beautifully crafted, and you can here parts of all their early work thrown into the mix, the frivolity, of “One Step Beyond” and “Absolutely”, the darker elements of “Seven” and the branching out from the ‘Nutty Sound’ of “Rise & Fall”. You can also easily hear the musical hall influence of Dickensian London, indeed title track “The Liberty Of Norton Folgate” is like a mini musical as it tells the story of many diverse characters, while the music changes pace and style with ease. It is like being lead along by the hand, while flying high over London, by some kind of spirit then swooping down for it to relate the tale, before flying off again for the next instalment.
There are a couple of reggae influenced tracks on here in the shape of “Forever Young” with its full on horns and pounding bass, plus the dreamy “Africa” complete with nyabinghi drums. I also really like “We Are London”, which is a funky little groover, which takes you on a tour of the capital, while embracing its diverse ethnicity and cultures while asking can “we all live together as one big family”?
The whole LP is made up of a rich texture of sounds, with clever observational and catchy sing-a-long lyrics that we have come to expect from Madness. I don’t know if this LP will see a rejuvenation in Madness and that they will no longer be seen as ‘a band your dad likes’ but if you are of a certain age and do…. then don't! Go get it and I think you'll be more than pleasantly surprised!

1. Overture
2. We Are London
3. Sugar And Spice
4. Forever Young
5. Dust Devil
6. Rainbows
7. That Close
8. MK II
9. On The Town
10. Bingo
11. Idiot Child
12. Africa
13. NW5
14. Clerkenwell Polka
15. The Liberty Of Norton Folgate

"Possibly the most complete Madness LP ever!!"

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“Their first studio album since 1999’s ‘Wonderful’, ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ comprises fourteen tracks of quintessential Madness; subversive, expansive British pop music at its finest as you would expect from one of the country’s most successful and enduring bands.
As with all previous Madness albums, ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ features songwriting contributions from across the band and is a timely reminder of the ability of this unique act to turn their hand to multiple musical styles. The band’s home town is the star of the show from lead track ‘We Are London’ through to the closing 10 minute finale of the title track, celebrated for its diversity and characters and as the backdrop to the tales of lives lived. Few bands have come close to soundtracking London in the way of Madness and ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ is an audio guide to the greatest city on earth.

The title is inspired by one of those wonderful quirks of British law. Norton Folgate is a small area of East London distinct from the surrounding borough in terms of local government, an original ‘libery’ drawing its administration from the people of the area. Originally the haunt of actors and artists, including Christopher Marlowe, Norton Folgate is symbolic of the spirit and independence of London and its people, a city built on innovation and adventure…”

{Taken from the official album blurb….}

RAGGA, RAGGA, RAGGA!

Out now on Greensleeves Records is 2009's volume of the Ragga Ragga Ragga! Series. The LP to me has more of a Hip Hop, R&B , dance feel especially with tunes like Ding Dong's "Man A Gallis" and Andrew & Wada Blood's "Hustler For Life (La La La)", which both ride along nicely on Wayne Unga Thompson's 'Gallis'-riddim', but feel a bit like Euro club hits, perhaps just more of a sign as to how the world is shrinking.
Best tunes for me on here are opening track from Vybez Kartel "Life Sweet", which without doubt is a sweet tune, the Stephen McGregor produced "Gimme Gimme" by Beenie Man , "Nuh Bleach Wid Cream" by Mavado and finishing it all off nicely is "Corrupt" by Dancehall stalwart Bounty Killer. All in all I found this a bit hit of and miss affair, but then for me Ragga starts and ends with SL2's classic "On A Ragga Tip"


Full Tracklist:

01 vybz kartel - life sweet
02 black crucial - real stingers
03 laden - time to shine (piano riff from abc)
04 busy signal - money tree
05 mavado - nuh bleach wid cream
06 aidonia - flying dagger aka 100 stab
07 rdx - bend over
08 bragga dat - dagga dat
09 ricky blaze & fresh prince - how me look
10 tok - gimme little (if you want me)
11 beenie man - gimme gimme
12 assassin - dem nuh want no gal
13 ding dong - man a gallis
14 wada & andrew blood - la la la
15 bounty killer - corrupt

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Predator Dub Assassins - Vintage 1970's style roots reggae music

Predator Dub Assassins were formed in October 2001 and played their debut show at NYC’s Continental to benefit the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks on Manhattan. A loyal following developed around P-Dub, as people were quick to connect with the band’s music. Since then the group, formed around multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Ras Timothy(aka Predator), has continued to enthral live audiences everywhere with the Dub Assassins’ own brand of original 1970’s style Rasta roots-reggae.
Predator Dub Assassins released their first CD in July 2005 and, since then, have been performing non-stop to a loyal following which they have seen grow rapidly. Regular appearances at popular area venues continue to provide the group with a link to the NY/NJ scene from which they were spawned.
Predator can also be heard on recent CDs by The Itals, Ronnie Davis, WestBound Train, Barry and the Penetrators, King Django, Dr Ring Ding, Stubborn Records, and; of course, Ska legends Inspecter 7.

This self titled LP is a fine collection of songs and not as the name would suggest a collection of instrumental reggae dubwise tunes, and kicks off nicely with the 'Norwegian wood' tinged, flute playing, nicely paced skank of 'Gunman', with it's DJ delivery style anti-gun culture lyrics. This is then followed by 'Never Go Astray' which ups the pace a notch and sees Ras Timothy turning in a smooth, measured vocal, and that is in fact how the LP continues with some beautifully executed songs, full of consciousness, spirituality and views on every day life. Indeed for a band with Dub in their name there are only two instrumentals, the bass throbbing, haunting melodica blowing, echo laden ' Dread From Clarendon' and the jumpin' 'Ska#48'. All in all a good solid selection of tunes.

http://www.stubbornrecords.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=23985&cat=&page=2

Tracklist:

1 Gunman

2 Never Go Astray
3 Kool & Deadly
4 Candy
5 Ease Up
6 Dread From Clarendon/Ras Gregory Love Dub
7 Sugarman
8 Knowledge
9 Ska#48
10 Bible Reveals Again
11 Million $ Man
12 Zion-I
13 Truths & Rights

Tighten Up: The Brixton Sessions

Tighten Up: The Brixton Sessions

Forthcoming dates:

Sat 4 July & Sat 5 Sept@ The Prince

467-469 Brixton Road(Junction w/ Coldharbour Lane)
Brixton SW9
Doors: 10pm-3am
Gate Pressure: £3 All Nite


Selectas: Tim P & Mistah Brown
Pon Di Mic: The Mighty Champian MC


Tighten Up Crew come again in July & September!!!


MISTAH BROWN, TIM P & THE MIGHTY CHAMPIAN MC return to the heart of Brixton for another crucial mash up of Scorching Ska, Cool Rocksteady, Rockin' Roots, Old-Skool Dancehall, Dangerous Dub and anything else they can get away with for your dancing pleasure. Their very special guest for the nite will be South London's own STEPHEN TAW (aka: MR. SOUNDTAPES) mixing and blending the ruffest, tuffest Jamdown sounds all nite long! Expect good vibes, rewinds galore and quite simply one of the best knees-ups in the Big Smoke - Guaranteed!!!
ALL for a Credit-Crunch-busting THREE QUID ALL NITE!



more info:
www.myspace.com/tightenupcrew
www.dancecrasher.co.uk/
mistahbrown@hotmail.com/

Mighty Mighty Bosstones - New Album Soon

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have announced plans to hit the studio to record a new full length Album:

"We have been busy for quite a while now writing songs and recording demos for a new MMB full-length. This month we will begin recording the album in Los Angeles with our good friend Ted Hutt on board as Producer. The process to this point has been really fun and we currently have 20 or so new songs in the works. Since we are all going to be out there, we thought we'd take a quick spin up the coast to see some people and places we haven't seen for a long, long time."

Though the band issued Medium Rare in 2007, they have not recorded a new studio full length since 2002's A Jackknife To A Swan.

Tour Dates:

July 9, 2009 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues - Voodoo Glow Skulls & Knockout

July 10 2009 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore - Voodoo Glow Skulls & The Impalers

July 11, 2009 - Victoria, BC - Victoria Curling Club - Victoria's 10th Anniversary Ska Fest

July 12, 2009 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO - Voodoo Glow Skulls and Broadway Calls
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