I am a little ball of hate.

Anybody who's been hating on Seth McFarlane's job hosting the Oscars can go fuck themselves. There, I said it.



What's that have to do with this particular roots Reggae song by Cimarons? Not a goddamn thing. But I can't remember for the life of me what idea I had for the "words" part of this post. I totally had one, but it's further gone than Deadmau5's steet cred. There, I said it. Dude's a clueless, egotistical little cunt that makes mediocre kiddie music. Can you tell I'm in a mood to vent some spleen today? Maybe this tune will help. Reggae's always got that positive vibration, mon...

Cimarons - Free As Life

Nah, didn't work. So fuck Mumford & Sons, too.

Pooping On My Party

Okay, so now I'm pissed. One of my Mediafire accounts has been suspended, probably due to a complaint from some fuckstick record company. So a shitload of the mp3s on the blog are no longer available. Now that's not enough by itself to engorge my rage, but I had a bunch of non-blog-related files on there that are gone now, too. I feel like I've been stolen from! And yes, I realize the irony in that statement, so shut up...



I'm so irate, I can't even concentrate on this post. Just know that Derrick Harriot is one of those Reggae guys that white people casual Reggae fans probably never heard of, but he was kind of a big deal and made good music...

Derrrick Harriot - Home, Home, Home (ysi)

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find something to punch in the face...

You have (1) attachment!

Sorry the posting's been light around here... I've been rather busy this past week trying to destroy all of cock shots Anthony Weiner has sent me on Facebook. Dude is incorrigible. Honestly, I think he could have avoided this whole kerfuffle if he'd just done his homework... everyone knows the best place to post your cock shots is on LinkedIn...



I'm not sure whether to introduce Prince Fatty as a dude or a band, because seemingly it's both. But he's not the one singing. He's sort of a mastermind of sorts. And if we're being honest, I can't tell you if this album as a whole is good or awful. Haven't listened to it yet (although a quick check of the personnel would hint that it is very, very good)... but it doesn't really matter because this Cypress Hill cover is genius enough to make it worth it your while regardless...

Prince Fatty - Insane In The Brain (ysi)

Okay, so now I have equalled last week's post total. Huzzah! Tea and decorative cakes for everyone!

Put some jerk on the barbie

Now that it's August and hot as fuck (well, it's not at my house... I live at the beach. If the marine layer had a dick, I would glady suck it... I am that gay for moderate temperatures and cooling breezes.), thoughts turn to barbecue music, which for me always includes some Jah...



... therefore, here's some smooth roots Reggae from The Travellers, who were what they call a "harmony group", which isn't that difficult to understand. They sing harmonies and shit. Like the '60s Soul groups. I love the idea of a Reggae harmony group, though. I can see it now. Dude in front and three in back. All wearing the matching suits but with three-foot dreads. And their mic stands are all shaped like giant bongs. That's what they looked like, right? Because that's what they should have looked like... and if they didn't, I don't wanna know about it...

The Travellers - Know Yourself (ysi)

And that's pretty much all I have to say about that...

D.O.A.

"This is anti-autotune, death of the ringtone
This ain’t for iTunes, this ain’t for sing-along
This is Sinatra at the opera, bring a blonde
Preferably with a fat ass who can sing a song"

- Sean Carter

I have, unfortunately, been forced to listen to a large amount of current chart Pop at my job recently and the one thing I've noticed... other than how generally fuckawful it is... and I know this isn't exactly breaking news, but the fucking autotune! Every damn song is using it now and it makes every damn singer sound alike. The only difference between me and Ke$ha is an effects processor... okay, and tits. Me + Effects Processor - Tits = Ke$ha, and I will make you a cover of "Tik Tok" to prove it. Except that I hate that song like poison. Got stuck in my head for like three weeks straight. I almost jumped in front of a bus to end it. Anyhoo, I wonder if the kids these days (who are on MY FUCKING LAWN AGAIN! GET OFF THERE!) would be able to have any appreciation for raw, untreated vocals (here comes the segue) of someone like Alton Ellis. They'd probably be all like, "This guy can't sing at all". Actually, kids, this is what the human voice really sounds like. It's not always perfect. As, a matter of fact, the imperfection is what gives it some soul. Then they'd probably ask me what Soul is and I'd smash them upside the head with something heavy and/or sharp. Dig the Rock Steady sound...

Alton Ellis - Joy In The Morning (ysi)

Nice. And I'm sure that if Alton Ellis were alive today, he'd be thrilled that I spent more of his post quoting Jay-Z and talking about some chick with a fucking dollar sign in her "name" than him... but thems the breaks, pal...

Have you no love for the bongo?

I've noticed a disturbing trend here at the Tonegents MP3 Emporium and Furry Chatroom... I've posted a few Latin tracks lately and they really haven't received many downloads at all. What is this, Arizona? Stop being so racist, you racists. Love your brown brother and his syncopated rhythms! LOVE HIM!



Anyhoo, today we have for you racists some Reggae saxamaphone courtesy of Cedric 'Im' Brooks. Bios I read say he's considered the greatest Reggae saxamaphone player, but really... he's the only Reggae saxamaphone player. So I guess it was a unanimous choice. That's probably not true, but if you're coming here for facts... well, let's just reinforce again how bad of an idea that is, kay? Back on topic, this guy was very dope and got into some really freakin' cool Sun Ra meets Fela vibes later on, but this one is pure Roots stylee and quite frankly I could listen to this stuff ALL day long...

Cedric 'Im' Brooks - Give Rasta Glory (ysi)

Oddly, this bad boy seems to be way out of print, so do your worst...

Cedric fell into a coma back in February and I actually couldn't find any updates as to his condition, so I'm just gonna assume he pulled a Bret Michaels and is back on tour rockin' with The Skatalites, whom he also plays with. Yup, I'm gonna vote for that...

These songs are different than the other ones! Gah!

When a group releases a follow-up to an album you were completely gay for, sometimes it's hard to assimilate. "These songs are different than those songs! What the? Do I like it? Um... yes?" You know what I mean?



Anyhoo, that's the deal for me with Fat Freddy's Drop. I was so obsessed with pretty much every song on their debut that it just sounded weird to hear them doing different songs. But I'm getting over it, because Joe Dukie still has that voice and the tunes, after the initial shock, reveal themselves to be more than worthy...

Fat Freddy's Drop - Pull The Catch (ysi)

Yep, countdown to obsession with this Fat Freddy's Drop album has commmenced...

Throwing Backstreet to The Lions

I think I'll have to make it quick to today... The Backstreet Boys are in the building, and it's total pandemonium. It is also 1997...



Q: What happens when members of some of L.A.'s best funk bands (Orgone, Breakestra, The Rebirth and more!) get together and, for shits and giggles, decide to record a Reggae album?

A: The Lions happens. And it's pretty righteous indeed...

The Lions - Ethio-Steppers (ysi)

And today you get a YouTubes extra...



Okay, I'm gonna go throw some NSNYC gang signs and start some trouble... wish me luck...

What do Amish people have to do with Reggae? Nothing.

Today's artist has the name of an Amish guy, but he's not. Do the Amish people even have music or is it just the Devil's Ear Candy?



I don't think I've touched on the label Soul Jazz Records much around here, and that's a dang shame because they put out some pretty good stuff... almost none of which is Soul or Jazz music, but whatever to that. I'm pretty sure they started out as a re-issue label for Funk/Reggae/Punk mega-obscurities and have recently moved on to put out Techno & Dubstep records... so yeah, not an easy label to label (ha!), but they generally put out quality regardless of genre. This XXX% Dynamite series is a real winner for those who like it Jah-style... and there's something like 8 of them now I think. Here's a track from Jacob Miller, whom I didn't know much about, but he was the original singer of Inner Circle, a group definitely on the White Frat Boy Reggae Radar, a.k.a. they were pretty big...

Jacob Miller - Healing Of The Nation (ysi)

So... turns out the Amish do have music and from this description it sounds like it's just as awful as you might imagine. Anybody been to any Amish shows? Lemme know...

"Summer" Songs Week, Installment the Third

"Summer" Songs week continues with another cover, and this one is a doozy...



One thing I've discovered over the last couple of years is that there is a Reggae cover version of pretty much every song ever released, especially '60s and '70s songs. I imagine that's because most of the time the guys were too stoned to concentrate on writing new songs, because A) that shit's hard and B) I'm huge into stereotypes. I mean there's not too many other reasons I can think of that would drive someone to record a Seals & Crofts cover, and "Keyboard King" Jackie Mittoo is unfortunately too dead to dispute my theory. So therefore it stands. He was really stoned... and it pretty much sounds like it...

Jackie Mittoo - Summer Breeze (ysi)

... I mean, dude doesn't even get the chorus right. Yeah, I know the words to this... so?

Just enough time for a quickie

No time for the jibber-jabber today, so...



... enjoy this classic bit of DubReggaeJungle from the amazing first album by Bristol's Smith & Mighty, with none other than Mr. Horace Andy on the vocal... I think... I'm reasonably sure...

Smith & Mighty - Down In Rwanda (ysi)

Sorry to rush, but I gotta go...

In which I phone it in...

Didn't watch the Golden Globes last night, but I'm glad that Slumdog Millionaire won. Go see that movie. It's good and stuff...



I guess what we have today is what you could call a precursor to Dancehall, some early Reggae/Dub toasting from the excellently named Tapper Zukie. You know, the more I think about it, the more I can see that name being a little raunchy. Think about it.

"Hey, that girl's cute."

"Yeah, man, I'd like to Tapper Zukie!"

And... that's it. That's the joke... the tune's better...

Tapper Zukie - Ital Pot (ysi)

Actually I think I will blame today's substandard comedy on the fact that I'm seething with bile over Andre Dawson once again not getting voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's a travesty... and as good an excuse as any...

Live Like A Refugee

Spanning the globe, it's Tonegents...



Some music stars claim to be from rough backgrounds... did you know that 50 Cent got shot or something?... but few stories can compare to that of the Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars. These guys were victims of a decade long civil war that cast a massive number of people into a life of moving back and forth between refugee camps in Guinea, which was, to be inappropriately glib, not a whole lot of fun. But the guys got together in the camps to play music to keep people's spirits up, got discovered by a group of furriners (thank goodness not Ry Cooder and his stupid douche-y slide guitar) and got the chance to make an album and documentary that won them some worldwide acclaim. But unlike the Buena Vista Social Club, they were not all 120+ years old, so these guys make music very much for modern times, as the rapping portion of this Reggae-styled song would suggest...

Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars - Weapon Conflict (ysi)

Not freakin' bad, eh? Here's a clip from the documentary as well...



Inspirational stuff, and I think fitting for what could be a very inspirational time here in the next 24 hours. Not that there's a real connection, I guess, but it was a decent line, so I just threw it out there hoping you wouldn't notice... :P

Something you may not know...

Prepare for a shocker...



Now, I don't know if you knew this, but apparently sometimes Reggae artists like themselves some marijuana. I know, shocker. But just in case you have any doubts, I will direct you to Mr. Linval Thompson and his cryptically titled album, I Love Marijuana. I know, tricky... but you'll figure out the hidden meaning, I'm sure. Anyhoo, this is a really, really good, yet sadly out of print, Reggae album that also includes the jam "Dread Are The Controller", which led off Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead's Reggae mix CD for Trojan. Been a while since I worked a random Radiohead reference into a post. Bet ya thought I was slippin'...

Linval Thompson - I Love Marijuana (ysi)

Now, I'm not not going to say that I don't not like the marijuana myself, if you don't not know what I'm sayin'... know what I'm sayin'? Hey, ya never know who's readin' this... :P

Spyz is dope, man

In which I trumpet a very obscure band that I was into when I was in college (cough cough) years ago...



... and that band would be 24/7 Spyz. "Howmany whatsnow?", you say. Well, I'll tell you. They were a black Rock band from New York, back in the era when black Rock bands were maybe going to be the next big thing... which never really happened despite the success of Living Colour and Fishbone. But these bands definitely did pave the way for far less talented white people to mix Rock & Rap & Funk in ways that horrify music fans to this very day. So, um... thanks a bunch for that, fellas. Anyhoo, the Spyz were a fantastic mix of all of the above plus some Reggae, too, kind of like a funkier Bad Brains, or a black Red Hot Chili Peppers. They coulda shoulda been huge, but constant line-up turnover and record label stupidity kept 'em from the big time. And while this isn't your typical Tonegent selection, I do love this album. So here's a happy little ditty about a bunch of people getting killed the failed 1987 attempt to have free elections in Haiti... so yes, a feel-good tune...

24/7 Spyz - Ballots Not Bullets (ysi)

The Spyz (I always want to pronounce that "spizz" for some reason. But hey, give your band a dumb name...) also had a really good song about the Exxon Valdez disaster. No, really. So suck on that, Zach De La Rocha...

Fire up that grill

I'm sorta breaking one of my unwritten rules about how often to post the same artists, but screw it... sometimes it's fun to be able to say "first!"...



... so here's the lead single from Quantic's forthcoming "tropical reggae project". If this track is any indication, it's gonna be the BBQ album of the summer. Yes, I am still obsessed with barbecues. I am nothing if not predictable...

Quantic - Ciudad Del Swing (ysi)

So go pre-order that record pronto... then pre-order some hot dogs... then, um, I dunno... chill out until that shit gets there or something...

The Youth Army

A little bit of classic Reggae, a little bit of genetic engineering...



Big Youth was a Reggae dude who was really into his dreads. I mean, he mentions them twice in three words in his album title, and in about half the song titles on this record as well. I would make fun of him for this, but, as you can see, his dreads were so powerful that they actually produced a clone of Big Youth within his own hairdo. I call him Little Big Youth. I wonder if the government knows about this, and I wonder if they ever captured and did experiments on Big Youth's dreads in hopes of creating a clone army that they could pay solely in marijuana...

Big Youth - Some Like It Dread (ysi)

Personally, I wouldn't put it past 'em, and quite frankly a Rasta Clone Army would probably come in pretty handy in Iraq. Give them insurgents a nice contact high and they'll be charging the kebab stand instead of setting car bombs... just sayin'...

Am I stoned or not? You'll never know...

Spark up a fatty for today's tune...



... because it's some classic reggae from Legalize It, Peter Tosh's debut solo record, which is, you know, pretty famous & stuff. I don't think he mentions weed in this particular song, but I'm too stoned to tell. Just kidding... or am I?

Peter Tosh - Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised) (ysi)

This Jah guy sounds pretty swell... anyhoo, I must also give Peter Tosh bonus points for inventing words, because inventing words is rad. My favorite - "tricknology" (instead of "technology")... that just sounds cool. But then again, he also invented "shitstem" for "system", which is pretty hacky in comparison and shows a general lack of effort. Maybe it would seem more clever if I was stoned... or am I?

Tsk, tsk. White people...

Okay, before we get back to Blog-achella and yet more Indie Dance flavor-of-the-blog-week acts, its time for one of the masters' first appearance at Tonegents...



It really kinda sucks how Bob Marley's music, for a lot of people, has become synonymous with drunken white frat boys, but pretty much anyone who's gone to college in the US at any school with a "fraternity row" knows what I'm talkin' about. Rich white kids get their first taste of the ganja and it's "No Woman, No Cry" at top volume while they do keg stands in the front yard... and then comes the date rape. Yep, once again, white people ruin it for everyone. It's literally made many people I know unable to stand hearing any of Bob's songs... sigh. But I decided to transfer my spite directly to the frat boys, sparing Bob the wrath, because he was pretty darn good at music...

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Brand New Second Hand (ysi)

Ha! See what I did there? I gave you one Peter Tosh sang on... curveball! But anyhoo, if you can relate to my little rant above, give Bob another chance. One.

Now let's get biblical

First off, I know that this blog has readers in Minneapolis and I hope none of you had loved ones involved in the collapse...



Here's a cut from the debut album from Roots Reggae group The Congos. If you believe what you read, this is quite possibly the best Reggae record ever. At least that's what about 50 people said on Amazon. And we all know that Amazon customer reviews are like the law, only moreso. It's produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry, which is always a good sign, and the singing is quite good. Best ever? I have no idea. You tell me...

The Congos - Sodom and Gomorrow

Actually, I think an even better match would be Saddam and Gamera...




... but maybe that's just me.