The Shacks 10” EP / CD – Big Crown – 2016

Leon Michels is becoming a legend in the East Coast retro soul scene founding bands like El Michels Affair & Menehan Street Band and playing in groups such as The Expressions & the Mighty Imperials. From playing multiple instruments, to songwriting, & producing he has birthed several funky soul jazz albums over the past 15 years. His unique craft of creating cinematic instrumental soul music has helped his groups gain fans beyond just soul & jazz. His music has also been heralded by lovers of hip hop, funk, & soundtracks and with his newest endeavor, the Shacks, he continues to display his versatility. Yes, Leon Michels has done it again, with his version of indie rock on the self-titled debut, The Shacks EP.

The Shacks is led by singer Shannon Wise & guitarist Max Shrager creating a stripped down whispering style of indie rock which is part soul, part rock & part French pop. Leon Michels produced most of the music on the record and luckily discovered Wise’s soft style by chance one day while she was with Shrager in the studio. The song they recorded that day turned out to be the first single by the group called “Strange Boy” which would be released as 7” inch single on Big Crown. The song is ultra dreamy with hints of lo fi, garage influenced rock, but Wise’s honest & effortless vocals give each lyric a beautiful life. “Strange Boy” starts off with Wise quietly uttering “Strange boy you make no sense / and when you talk the room gets tense…Strange boy you drink your fill / you only like me cuz I’m new.”  Nothing overly poetic, but genuine and perfectly performed.

The self-titled EP ranges from folk like somber moments of “Left It With the Moon” to the dub style of “Hands In Your Pockets” to the indie pop “This Strange Effect” and the more romantic harmonies of “Orchids”. The Shacks is a beautifully crafted collection of songs that not only sound amazing but also have that authentic vibe of music made by real people; not paid studio hands micro managing every measure. Wise & Shrager are young & talented, and blessed to be in the hands of Leon Michels who will certainly keep their sound organic and relevant. We loved this record and recommend you check it out. Also, it’s worth noting that the 10” does not include the two songs from the 7” single “Strange Boy” & “No Surprise” which can also be found with all the songs on the CD version.

-AJ – 2017

Tradition – Captain Ganja & the Space Patrol LP – Venture – 1980 (Bokeh Versions RE LP 2017)

When Jamaican music hit the UK scene in the late 60s, it was a merely a novelty offered to the working class teens of all color. With the start-up of Trojan Records and sounds such as Ska, Roots, Rocksteady and Lover’s Rock, it wasn’t long before Britain adapted its own street variation with a rebel sound. By the 70s, Reggae began to flood the streets and became one of the most influential sounds to the British music scene.

In 1976, Tradition was formed by Chris Henry, Les McNeil, Paul Thompson, Paul Dawkins and Tony Matthews. Initially the band’s sound was Roots, Lover’s rock, & dub. By 1980, Tradition created a long lost gem of some of the most progressive and inventive Dub reggae that pushed the boundaries of the genre itself with, “Captain Ganja and the Space Patrol”.  At the time, dub music was an established sub-genre dominated by a few artists that popularized the sound, such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Scientist. More specifically, the “Space” Dub sound was largely given credit to Scientist’s 1981 record release, “Scientist Meets the Space Invaders”.  “Captain Ganja and the Space Patrol” was released a year prior, and never received the proper marketing and distribution to give Tradition the recognition it deserved; virtually never seeing the light of day. For decades this record has been an artifact and a “holy grail” for every Reggae collector, selling for hundreds of dollars. Thanks to the British record label Bokeh Versions, this long lost gem has been reissued in 2017, giving every collector a chance to get their hands on this astonishing LP.

With a standard ‘slow and low’ dub approach, Tradition mashes this foundation with Roland samplers, echoed synths and jazzy improvisations giving it a rich conceptual space-age/science fiction atmosphere and breaking away from the normal drum and bass progression that popularized dub music. With tracks such as “Morning on Mars” and “Subaquatic Swerves”, I get a sense of laying on a sunny beach, yet it’s inhabited on a different planet. The mysterious wet synths, echoes, effects and rocking bass, mixed with the bright trumpets and oceanic sound effects, gives it a smooth blend of the two completely different atmospheres. Conceptually dub music was birthed out of removing vocals from reggae songs to create reggae instrumentals also called riddims. This stripped down approach to reggae can be an acquired taste, but “Captain Ganja and the Space Patrol” would be my first recommendation to anyone wanting to delve into the world of Dub music. The complexion of this record would keep any type of listener attuned and excited instrumentally and vocally. Make sure to pick this LP up from one of Britain’s finest revival dub/progressive record labels that’s currently running the scene!

TG – 2017