WAREIKA HILL “S/T” CD (JUMP081)

Wareika Hill is the cream of Philadelphia’s crop, rising to the top with a JA tip. From the ashes of Rathskeller, the Blue Roots and Bagga Riddim Band comes a hot blend of roots, soul and funky reggae. Veterans of the Philly reggae and ska scene, Sean “MacIrie” McPhillips (drums), “Lord” Tedford Juachon (lead vocals/trombone), and Dave “Squire” Segal (lead guitar) have played together in various incarnations on Continue reading WAREIKA HILL “S/T” CD (JUMP081)

PRESSURE COOKER “WHAT SHE WANTS” CD (JUMP082)

What She Wants is Pressure Cooker’s sixth full-length album of new original reggae songs for 2009, culminating a year and a half of studio recording sessions held in the Brighton & Allston neighborhoods of Boston. Craig Akira Fujita, Pressure Cooker’s unique frontman leads the nine piece band through a versatile array of 70’s style reggae, rocksteady and ska music, skillfully mixed by the group’s renowned sound engineer Craig “Dubfader” Welsch. (10 FT. Ganja Plant, John Brown’s Body) The result is a fresh set of fifteen songs exploring themes on love, good times and hard times, all the while keeping the sound and spirit on a lively, upbeat vibe. Highlights include “Can’t Stop Thinkin’,” “Hold On,” “One Kind of Love,” “Higher Than High,” “Without Purpose,” Continue reading PRESSURE COOKER “WHAT SHE WANTS” CD (JUMP082)

THE DRASTICS “WAITING” CD (JUMP079)

2006’s Chicago Massive was perhaps a bridge too far for the Drastics, a sprawling two-CD set that, while eminently entertaining, was at times a study in excess. Waiting, in contrast, returns the group to their roots, a sharp, tight set that’s a potent reminder of the band’s power to thrill. Every number within is a fascinating aural journey, with Anthony Abbinanti‘s studio wizardry as crucial to the trip as the Continue reading THE DRASTICS “WAITING” CD (JUMP079)

THE DRASTICS “CHICAGO MASSIVE” 2xCD / 12″ EP (OUT OF PRINT) – (JUMP076)

THE DRASTCS have set the world a blaze with their unique style of heavy roots dub reggae, taking inspiration from past masters (King Tubby, Lee Scratch Perry, Augustus Pablo) and blending in afro-beat, jazz, hip-hop, dancehall, and R&B. Formed in 2003 from the ashes of rock-steady soulsters The Zvooks, The Drastics quickly made a name for themselves with the release of their 2005 debut album “Premonition”, featuring guest vocalists and musicians from Chicago (Vandell Harris, Prince Gonzalez), Boston (Westbound Train members and Craig Continue reading THE DRASTICS “CHICAGO MASSIVE” 2xCD / 12″ EP (OUT OF PRINT) – (JUMP076)

Various Artists – “Still Standing – North American SKA Uprising” CD (JUMPMEG050)

Don’t call it a “COMEBACK” or “FOURTH WAVE”! Don’t believe what THE MEDIA tells you. SKA never died. Didn’t hear it on the radio much? Did the SKA SECTION disappear from your local store? Music industry CONSPIRACY! They wanted YOU to believe that SKA was a TREND, so they could discard it conveniently when a new “alternative poster-child” came along! If SKA was a TREND – why does it continue to thrive in 2003? Why has it existed since the early 60’s? Why has SKA music become a part of every youth culture across the world? LIES! The music industry has been telling you LIES! And you believed it! You Fool! Continue reading Various Artists – “Still Standing – North American SKA Uprising” CD (JUMPMEG050)

SKAPONE – “The Black and White Album” CD – (JUMP083)

SKAPONE members have been performing ska on Chicago’s scene for over 20 years now – an amazing feat to say the least! Performing mostly original compositions, Skapone’s driving rhythm section is complimented by outstanding vocals and horns. The band appears at at many clubs and venues, as well as corporate and charity events throughout the Chicago area and mid-west. The band hit the studio hard in 2007 resulting in a August 2008 release to an outstanding crowd at the Abbey Pub! Continue reading SKAPONE – “The Black and White Album” CD – (JUMP083)

DEAL’S GONE BAD – “The Longest Happy Hour” CD – (JUMP069 – OUT OF PRINT)

Deal’s Gone Bad has been many things to many people. Watching numerous waves of ska, rock steady, and reggae music rise and fall before them, this is the band you count on to keep going, despite all the odds, membership changes, trips in and out of substance dependence, marriages, and even the birth of a child. For 11 years, DEAL’S GONE BAD has been the reggae pride of sweet home Chicago, evolving with new personnel and new ideas, but never losing the love Jamaican and American soul music, piracy, and the art of intoxication. Continue reading DEAL’S GONE BAD – “The Longest Happy Hour” CD – (JUMP069 – OUT OF PRINT)