Ska Blah Blah » pepper pots

New Pepper Pots!

JJ Loy — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:00:03 +0000

Last year, The Pepper Pots blew my mind with their poppy Ska/Reggae/Girl Group style album, Skake It! Now their back, dropping the Ska sounds for one that’s closer to the neo-soul thing that you’d expect from Daptone records… and with good reason. The new album, Now, was produced by the man, Binky Griptite, the dangerously talented guitarist for Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings.

I’m sad to see the JA influences diminished on Now, but in a lot of ways, this is the best work The Pepper Pots have put out. Here’s your chance to form an opinion before you rush out to get the new record… please enjoy:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwuKwGo82rc]

Cut the Chit Chat – 03 – Hard Edged Dub

JJ Loy — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:59:00 +0000

Maybe I’ve had the wrong impression for a long time, but I had always seen Dub Reggae as chill-out music- something to be passively and herbally enjoyed. Dub is a Weapon was the first band, that I encountered, to change the vibe from relaxing to energetic, with squealing guitars and double-time rhythms. And now, groups like Dub Trio are fulfilling this aggressive dub destiny by mixing creepy Dub FX into Bad Brains style Hard Core.

This episode brings you this sound, plus other non-traditional Dub approaches from bands like the Beastie Boys, Gotan Project, and the Drastics.

Babylon Motorhome – Big Band Vid Link
The Drastics – Al Q’runka Live Vid Link
Beastie Boys – Suco De Tangerina Vid Link
Dub Trio – Illegal Dub Vid Link
Slackerland All-Stars – Dub #1 Live
Dub is a Weapon – Unlabeled Live Track Live Vid Link
Crazy Baldhead – Controls
Gorillaz feat. Terry Hall – M1A1 Terry Hall Vid Link
Gotan Project – El Capitalismo Foraneo Vid Link
Pepper Pots – We Must Believe (Remix) Live Vid Link

Other Link of Interest:
-Archive.org has a ton of live Dub sets form many of these groups. Plus it’s free! Link (search for Dub)

Cut the Chit Chat – 01 – New Ska

JJ Loy — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 02:21:00 +0000

My next series of interviews is still a ways off, so I thought I’d try to keep everyone interested by running an all-music series. Look forward to episodes featuring Skinhead Reggae, Dub Revivalism, and more.

In this episode, I play some of the best Neo-Trad Ska to come out of the past couple of years. You’ll hear bands from the States, Europe, and Asia; all of them calling back to Jamaica, but adding something modern.

I’ve added links where I can, and I encourage you to buy something from any of the bands that you like.

The Caroloregians – Super Bikini Link Ska Cubano – Istanbul Link, Link

Pepper Pots – King of the Street Link

Westbound Train – Fatty Fatty, Boom Boom Link

The Debonaires – Interrupted Link

The Determinations feat. Ego Wrapping – A Love Song Video Link

Heavy Step – You Got It (Newish – I couldn’t find any Deal’s Gone Bad)

ASPO – Nuthouse Shuffle Link, Video Link

The Moon Invaders – Consciousness Link

The Pepper Pots – Runaway Video Link

The Upsessions – Cool Ska Time Link

The Slackers – Robots

If you are in a band or know of one, that plays Jamaican Revivalism in any form, and would like it to be featured on an episode of Cut the Chit Chat, please contact me: jjloy@skablahblah.com