A Conversation in Dub

This week we’re listening to lovers rock music from The Netherlands, from artist JOJO Gladstone. We listen to the track “Glad That I Found you” from the 2017 album, JOJO. We talk about the very clear Roots Radics influences he pulls from, and JOJO and his band’s dedication to replicating the sound of a certain era of Jamaica. We hope you enjoy this tune and check out all of JoJo Gladstone’s music,...

This week, James is joined by Dave Shiffman to talk with JC from the band, Self Control. We discuss their latest single “Ice Breaker” - a politically charged modern roots tune addressing ongoing social injustices, especially in the Los Angeles area where they are based. We talk about the production of this song as well as their forthcoming EP, how the band started, and some exciting future plans....

We’re back from our hiatus with an amazing new tune! We listen to the opening track from the new album by Eureka Sound called “Rediscover.” We get into the art of genre bending, the beauty of space in a song, and the stellar musicianship of this band. Catch Eureka Sound live either at one of their shows or backing Nick Sefakis out on the road! You can hear “Rediscover” on all major streaming platf...

This week Stephan Mash of The Reggae Plug fills in for Mark. We talk with Hector Roots Lewis, who you might recognize from his performances with Chronixx and Tribal Seeds, portraying Carly Barrett in the movie ‘Bob Marley: One Love,’ or his solo music. We also get into detail about his debut full length album, “Cosmic Roots” produced by Johnny Cosmic. Check out Hector Roots Lewis’ music and his ma...

Mark is back from his honeymoon in the French Polynesian islands, and he brought some new (to us) music back with him. This week we feature the song “Natura” by Eto from Tahiti. We talk about the cultural significance of reggae in the Polynesian Islands and the unique spin they put on the genre. Mark shares some highlights from his trip there and shines light on the beautiful music, culture and pe...

This week, Mark is out, but James is joined by Robert Stokes. Robert is a Ska & Rocksteady aficionado in Las Vegas, Nevada. We take a deep dive into the origins of ska music and how it has evolved over the decades in different parts of the globe. We talk about the differences between the subgenres and bust some myths people may have about ska music. Robert Stokes performs regularly in and arou...

Dave Shiffman fills in for Mark this week as we discuss new music by Jamaican pioneers, Keith & Tex. Known for their 1967 version of “Stop That Train,” the duo has been putting out a lot of new music in the last decade. We listen to the title track from their newest release “Gun Life” produced by Roberto Sanchez. We talk about the song’s insightful lyrics, its production style, and rocksteady...

This week we are paying tribute to the legendary Max Romeo who passed away on April 11th at 80 years old. Max Romeo was a Jamaican roots reggae icon and released hit songs that continue to be sampled by musicians today. We break down his classic tune “Chase the Devil”, Produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry at Black Ark with The Upsetters band. We get into Max Romeo’s unique vocal style as well as Scratc...

This week we feature the song “Dub Stop” by Eli-Mac. This was the single for her 2014 EP, DubStop . We discuss how her unique style blends so nicely with the familiar Hawaiian reggae style, as well as the sample choices and the subtle details within the track that make it memorable. Be sure to catch Eli-Mac during festival season this year! ⁠ You can listen to "Dub Stop" on all streaming...

This week, our friend Dave Shiffman fills in for Mark, and together we talk with Josh Swain from the Movement. We highlight their newest single “So Cool” featuring Nick Hexum of 311. We talk about the formation of the band, working on this new single and album and collaborating with artists among the scene. Josh has been working in the reggae scene for over two decades and has a lot of insights an...

This week we’re highlighting a song by legendary ska-punk group, Fishbone. “Unyielding Conditioning” was on their 1993 album,  Give a Monkey a Brain and He’ll Swear He’s the Center of the Universe.  Being the single ska tune on a mostly heavy metal album, there is a lot to break down here. We talk about the high energy, the lyrical content, the instrumentation and so much more. Hope you enjoy this...

Disclaimer : We reviewed this song already in episode 93, but we honestly forgot! So, we reviewed this song as if we never had before, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did the second time around! This week, we dive into some early UB40 music and review the song “One in Ten” from the 1981  Present Arms album. This album precedes the “Red Red Wine” era of the band and has a much more roots and...

This week we’re celebrating what would be Bob Marley’s 80th birthday! For this occasion, we brought back our Wailers expert, Dan “Thundermon” Battaglia. We talk about our favorite Bob Marley songs and what they mean to us. We talk about the recent biopic, “One Love” and Dan shares fun anecdotes and stories about Bob Marley and the Wailers. Dan also ties this into a brief background on Leonard Pelt...

This week we listen to and break down “Just Magic” and the dub version by Kiko Bun. This is not the first time we’re featuring a track by Kiko Bun and certainly will not be the last. We break down this self produced track and the classic 80’s rubadub style that pays homage to the Jamaican classics. We hope you like these tracks as much as we do. Dig into the rest of Kiko Bun’s catalog for more ama...

We are stepping in to the new year with Steel Pulse’s 1984 hit “Steppin’ Out.” We talk about Steel Pulse’s progressive style and sound and get into the intricate details of this track that make it such a catchy classic. ⁠Podcast Merch Store

For the last episode of the year, we listen to the scorcher “One in a Million” by Half Pint. We talk about the track’s simplicity despite being a catchy hit in early Jamaican dancehall. We encourage you to dig into the Half Pint catalog and learn about where and how this style originated as it continues to inspire so many. In the latter portion of this episode, we pay tribute to those reggae legen...

This week we listen to the brand new single from Flying Vipers, “Show Me” and the dub version, “Show & Tell.” This is their first release with Easy Star Records and both versions showcase Kellee Webb on lead vocals. We talk about the warmth and vibe of the tune, and its interesting orchestration. We look forward to seeing what else Flying Vipers has coming up! You can hear this track on Bandca...

This week we listen to two tracks: “Anywhere But Here” & “Valentine’s Day” by The Steady 45s. We discuss how the band stays true to the traditional style of early 60s Jamaica in terms of songwriting, the way the music is performed, and the recording quality. Both tunes are from the 2017 album Trouble in Paradise , where they showcase the band’s impressive range from one song to the next. We ho...

This week we are joined by a fellow member of the Rootfire family, Jim The Boss. Jim just released a Halloween themed dub album called “Jim The Boss Presents: Dubs From The Grave.” We talk about the creation of this album, his backstory of getting into reggae music and some of Jim’s past accomplishments. He also shares details about some fun and exciting projects he has coming up. We had a lot of...

This week we listen to “Humans” by the Southern California based band, Eureka Sound. This Is the second track from the 2019 album  Word to Mankind . We talk about the unique soulful elements throughout the song, the harmonies, and so much more. This is a first listen for Mark, so you’ll hear his real, initial reaction to a powerful song. We hope you enjoy this song, and we highly recommend listeni...

This week we listen to a classic tune by Pablo Moses called “Music is My Desire.” We talk about the progressive style and clean production in his music, break down the percussiveness of the song, and much more. We hope you like this tune and check out the rest of the Pablo Moses catalog. You can hear “Music is My Desire” on all streaming platforms and on Youtube. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast Merch Store

This week we’re joined by singer and songwriter Devin Morrison a.k.a. Man Like Devin. You may know Devin as the lead singer in The Expanders, guitarist for Long Beach Dub Allstars, host of The Reggae Podclash, or his solo album, “Wheel and Shoulder.” We talk about his introduction into reggae music with Roger Steffens, the process of writing and recording his solo album, and future plans he has in...

This week we’re joined by fellow reggae podcaster and producer, Henry Karyo. Henry hosts the “Rootsland” podcast as well as the limited “Kingston to Cali” podcast series. We talk a bit about his background as a producer in Jamaica working with Tuff Gong. We discuss the logistics of podcast hosting and the current state of reggae music. Henry gives us some insights on his future plans regarding phi...

This week we watch the live studio version of Johnny Osbourne’s “In Your Eyes” from the newly released Baco Sessions EP . This is the 2024 live rendition of the classic tune “In Your Eyes” from the Never Stop Fighting album, released in 1982. We talk about the band dynamic, Johnny Osbourne’s experience and of course his amazing voice. We encourage you to watch the video for this song because you w...

This week we listen to a new single from Daman featuring Sara Lugo, “No Competition.” While we were more familiar with Sara Lugo’s previous work, it’s always great to hear collaborations and get to know other producers/musicians. We talk about the layering of the instruments, the dub influences and the beautifully done vocals. We hope you enjoy this track and we also hope that there are more of th...