NEW MUSIC
KIRSTY ROCK DROPS HER DEBUT SOLO ALBUM SLOW BURN IS OUT NOW ON EASY STAR RECORDS
Kirsty Rock, best known around the world as a member of the internationally renowned reggae super group Easy Star All-Stars, brings the fire with her own distinctive, soulful, and earthy reggae sound on her solo album debut, Slow Burn, out now on Easy Star Records. The release coincides with an official video release of the title track, which was a collaboration between acrobatic dancer Julia Baccellier, Rock, and Rock’s long standing collaborator D888. Rock says about the video: “The visuals and movements are an unveiling in which we accentuate the beauty of that journey – vulnerability, a shedding, and in finality, empowerment. [...]
THE BLACK SEEDS RELEASE HEAVY NEW ROOTS HIT, AND VIDEO, ‘GAME OVER’
Aotearoa eight-piece The Black Seeds have today released their new heavy reggae single ‘GameOver’, accompanied by a dub-version. Also out today is a captivating video for ‘GameOver’ -set on the inside of a pinball machine. Packed with muted guitar riffs, driving bass and drums, and an infectious horn section, ‘GameOver’is a classic reggae track that showcases the band's iconic sound. Led from the front by vocalist Barnaby Weir, ‘Game Over’ tackles the challenging subjects of adversity, depression and the daily domestic grind.“The lyrical content of this song describes some of the challenges and feelings of life as a musician and parent in [...]
EASY STAR PRESENTS JONQUAN & ASSOCIATES, OUT NOW
THE NEW ALBUM EVOKES THE GOLDEN AGE OF REGGAE WITH AN ALL-STAR GUEST LINEUP INCLUDING CARLTON LIVINGSTON, ELLIOT MARTIN, SCREECHY DAN, & MOREDJ, singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer JonQuan is proud to announce the release of his new album EASY STAR PRESENTS JONQUAN & ASSOCIATES. Working closely with two-time GRAMMY winner Victor Rice (Easy Star All-Stars, Bixiga 70, Ticklah), JonQuan has fashioned an album’s worth of brand-new tunes that evoke the majesty of the golden age of reggae, while still feeling absolutely up to the minute in content and style. Accompanying each JonQuan-produced track on the album are dub versions mixed by Rice. [...]
GROUNDATION DROPS FOURTH SINGLE FROM UPCOMING STUDIO ALBUM – ONE ROCK
“MARKET PRICE” IS OUT NOW ON EASY STAR RECORDS/BACO RECORDSAfter dropping three notable singles, Groundation releases “Market Price,” an inspiring spiritual track showcasing the diversity of the group’s upcoming studio album One Rock. The fourth single kicks off with slow dreamy piano notes, before breaking into an uptempo jazz melody that then slides into sunny, soothing reggae. The music creates a sonic reflection with the music balancing out the heaviness of the lyric. On "Market Price," bandleader and songwriter Harrison Stafford rages against a sick, immoral society, stating, “Please don’t judge man’s soul tonight, we’re not ready, Lord.” In the end, the song’s [...]
WINTA JAMES PRESENTS THE ‘GRATITUDE’ RIDDIM, A NOD TO ‘JUGGLING’ CULTURE
Producer Winta James has today released the full ‘Gratitude’ Riddim, which features versions from Jaz Elise, Samory I, Mortimer, Kumar Fyah, Naomi Cowan and Ras-I. The Riddim is a contemporary reggae one drop riddim, featuring traditional drum and bass from the legendary duo, Chris Meredith & Wilburn “Squidly” Cole. The songs, recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, finds the artistes in a reflective mood, with their lyrics centering around themes of gratefulness, love, faith, and self-awareness. Titular track ‘Gratitude’ and the prayerful ‘Love and Mercy’ by Jaz Elise and Samory I respectively, were the first versions out from the project. The now released remaining versions complete [...]
SAMORY I TELLS US THAT ‘LOVE AND MERCY’ WILL ALWAYS BE SHOWN BY THE ALMIGHTY
Armed with his self-professed calling to proclaim the Almighty’s message, Samory I has today released ‘Love and Mercy’, a comforting reminder to others in the face of strife. The track is the next single on the new juggling “Gratitude Riddim,” the latest from producer Winta James.The Riddim features versions by Jaz Elise (whose titular version is also out now), Mortimer, Kumar, Naomi Cowan, and Ras-I. The track, in keeping with the overarching theme of the juggling project, speaks to the fact that ‘Love and Mercy’ will always be granted by the higher power. “The inspiration for “Love and Mercy” comes from the struggles we [...]