Brooklyn in the states and Brixton in the UK have long been the main ports for Jamaican riddim exports. Cassettes and vinyl began to arrive from dancehalls, dj’s, jams and dubplates in the late 1970’s. The NY-based Slackers took full advantage of the influx. Later, networking with the talent behind many of those hits. Brooklyn and Kingston are far away geographically but the musical imports over the years have The Slackers sounding like a Kingston Afternoon in Dub.
Recent after-hour recordings by The Slackers match dub-ready instrumentals with improv, providing a foundation for master mixing by another Brooklyn-native, King Django. After getting the ‘Django treatment’ at Version City Studios, An Afternoon in Dub, on Special Potato/Do Tell Records, will be released January 11, 2006, (available online at www.theslackers.com and on tour prior to distribution). Executive Produced by bass player Marcus Geard, Afternoon features no less than 12 players including several revisiting Slackers as well as Reggae greats Glen Adams (Upsetters), Larry MacDonald (Rivers of Babylon) and Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse).
The Slackers hit the scene in 1991 when Third Wave Ska was beginning to pick up some serious steam. Groups like The Specials and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were raging and the rude and reckless style of the Slackers fit right in. But, unlike their contemporaries, The Slackers skewed more to the Rude Boy style from Jamaica than Ska Skinheads from the UK. The Skatalites, Lee Perry, King Tubby... bands, producers, engineers of Jamaica are the influences here.
A couple years into their career, before 7" LP’s showed their reggae style, The Slackers were sitting in limbo. Punk fans who liked their early work and Ska influences were sometimes taken aback by increasingly intricate rhythms, songwriting and the mere fact that the songs were longer than a couple minutes and contained more harmony and chorus’. Reggae publications and audiences paid little more attention to those two-tone Ska kids from NY. Ironically, the Slackers consider themselves a modern Reggae band. Slackers & Friends (2002) helped connect the dots. The Slackers horn section, together since the beginning, help lay the authentic sound for Reggae greats Cornell Campbell, The Congos, Glen Adams of The Upsetters, Doreen Schaffer of The Skatalites, Larry MacDonald and others.
Plenty of compilation work for The Slackers and their side projects has kept them busy... Vic Ruggiero, Keyboardist, flavorful lead singer, one of the main writers for the band, also wrote several songs for Rancid and appears in The Stubborn All-Stars and on... David Hillyard and The Rocksteady 7’s jazz flavored Island homages Playtime and United Front (flyonthewallmedia.com/2005/presskits.php?id=7). Legendary Jamaican drummer Larry MacDonald appears in Rocksteady 7 and on Afternoon... Live at Ernesto’s, an album recorded in Sittard, NE, further exemplified the Slackers are not two-minute men, with songs and sets of impressive length. The tour for 2003’s Close My Eyes (flyonthewallmedia.com/2005/presskits.php?id=8) album publicized a three-hour minimum set.
"It happens at the end of almost every session. The Captain says we’re done for the day and the band wants to keep on playing. At the end of this particular session we said ‘Keep the tape rolling’ and laid down some fresh and raw rhythms. Reggae sushi if you will. This whetted the appetite for even more rhythm, which lead to thoughts of a Slackers Dub album. To complete this labour of love we dug through to the way-back of the freezer to find some overlooked delicacies from past sessions. The resulting cuts were then laid before renowned Reggae gourmands who poured over them, adding layers of dub and reverb, for the deepest of traditional and modern flavors. We hope this combination of ingredients and loving preparation results in a sonic experience that tempts you to devote this and many other afternoons to the pursuit of Dub." - Marcus J Geard, Afternoon Executive Producer, Slackers Bassman
The Slackers announce three special shows...
Supporting their underground release, An Afternoon in Dub, and anticipating their eighth full length LP, Peculiar (February 2006, Hellcat), The Slackers are giving their hometown a Holiday treat with two shows at the Knitting Factory, December 17th and 18th in NYC. Washington DC also gets a visit January 7th. The Slackers then head to Europe for a spring tour.
Dec. 17: Fridays first set will be a mix of vintage and brand new Slack material. The second set, Slackers with Special Guests, will include sturgeon (leftover crack), with more TBA.
Fresh from opening for The Slackers on tour, Captain of Industry will start off the night.
DJ Victor Rice will be mixing live dub.
Dec. 18: Saturday night Red Light special; The Slackers 1998 release Red Light sets the mood with a themed-set. Followed by an all-request show. Fans can submit requests through TheSlackers.com (or yell ‘em out at the show).
As well as two Slack sets, there will be two opening bands; Buford O’Sullivan & the Weapons and Tri-State Conspiracy.
Victor Rice will once again bring the dub tricks.
12/17/2005, Friday NY New York The Knitting Factory 8PM
THE SLACKERS HOLIDAY SHOWS- DAY 1
Set 1: mix of old and new Slackers songs.
Set 2: Slackers and Special Guests
Opening: Captain of Industry
DJ: Victor Rice
12/18/2005, Saturday NY New York The Knitting Factory 8PM
THE SLACKERS HOLIDAY SHOWS- DAY 2
Set 1: Red Light revisited.
Set 2: All Request Set.
Opening: Buford O’Sullivan & the Weapons
and Tri-State Conspiracy
DJ: Victor Rice
01/07/2005, Saturday DC Washington 9:30 Club 8PM
THE SLACKERS IN DC
815 V St. N.W.
<- Back to Projects
Recent after-hour recordings by The Slackers match dub-ready instrumentals with improv, providing a foundation for master mixing by another Brooklyn-native, King Django. After getting the ‘Django treatment’ at Version City Studios, An Afternoon in Dub, on Special Potato/Do Tell Records, will be released January 11, 2006, (available online at www.theslackers.com and on tour prior to distribution). Executive Produced by bass player Marcus Geard, Afternoon features no less than 12 players including several revisiting Slackers as well as Reggae greats Glen Adams (Upsetters), Larry MacDonald (Rivers of Babylon) and Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse).
The Slackers hit the scene in 1991 when Third Wave Ska was beginning to pick up some serious steam. Groups like The Specials and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were raging and the rude and reckless style of the Slackers fit right in. But, unlike their contemporaries, The Slackers skewed more to the Rude Boy style from Jamaica than Ska Skinheads from the UK. The Skatalites, Lee Perry, King Tubby... bands, producers, engineers of Jamaica are the influences here.
A couple years into their career, before 7" LP’s showed their reggae style, The Slackers were sitting in limbo. Punk fans who liked their early work and Ska influences were sometimes taken aback by increasingly intricate rhythms, songwriting and the mere fact that the songs were longer than a couple minutes and contained more harmony and chorus’. Reggae publications and audiences paid little more attention to those two-tone Ska kids from NY. Ironically, the Slackers consider themselves a modern Reggae band. Slackers & Friends (2002) helped connect the dots. The Slackers horn section, together since the beginning, help lay the authentic sound for Reggae greats Cornell Campbell, The Congos, Glen Adams of The Upsetters, Doreen Schaffer of The Skatalites, Larry MacDonald and others.
Plenty of compilation work for The Slackers and their side projects has kept them busy... Vic Ruggiero, Keyboardist, flavorful lead singer, one of the main writers for the band, also wrote several songs for Rancid and appears in The Stubborn All-Stars and on... David Hillyard and The Rocksteady 7’s jazz flavored Island homages Playtime and United Front (flyonthewallmedia.com/2005/presskits.php?id=7). Legendary Jamaican drummer Larry MacDonald appears in Rocksteady 7 and on Afternoon... Live at Ernesto’s, an album recorded in Sittard, NE, further exemplified the Slackers are not two-minute men, with songs and sets of impressive length. The tour for 2003’s Close My Eyes (flyonthewallmedia.com/2005/presskits.php?id=8) album publicized a three-hour minimum set.
"It happens at the end of almost every session. The Captain says we’re done for the day and the band wants to keep on playing. At the end of this particular session we said ‘Keep the tape rolling’ and laid down some fresh and raw rhythms. Reggae sushi if you will. This whetted the appetite for even more rhythm, which lead to thoughts of a Slackers Dub album. To complete this labour of love we dug through to the way-back of the freezer to find some overlooked delicacies from past sessions. The resulting cuts were then laid before renowned Reggae gourmands who poured over them, adding layers of dub and reverb, for the deepest of traditional and modern flavors. We hope this combination of ingredients and loving preparation results in a sonic experience that tempts you to devote this and many other afternoons to the pursuit of Dub." - Marcus J Geard, Afternoon Executive Producer, Slackers Bassman
The Slackers announce three special shows...
...two Holiday shows in NYC and a show in DC.
Supporting their underground release, An Afternoon in Dub, and anticipating their eighth full length LP, Peculiar (February 2006, Hellcat), The Slackers are giving their hometown a Holiday treat with two shows at the Knitting Factory, December 17th and 18th in NYC. Washington DC also gets a visit January 7th. The Slackers then head to Europe for a spring tour.
Dec. 17: Fridays first set will be a mix of vintage and brand new Slack material. The second set, Slackers with Special Guests, will include sturgeon (leftover crack), with more TBA.
Fresh from opening for The Slackers on tour, Captain of Industry will start off the night.
DJ Victor Rice will be mixing live dub.
Dec. 18: Saturday night Red Light special; The Slackers 1998 release Red Light sets the mood with a themed-set. Followed by an all-request show. Fans can submit requests through TheSlackers.com (or yell ‘em out at the show).
As well as two Slack sets, there will be two opening bands; Buford O’Sullivan & the Weapons and Tri-State Conspiracy.
Victor Rice will once again bring the dub tricks.
Just the Facts/Mini-Tour:
12/17/2005, Friday NY New York The Knitting Factory 8PM
THE SLACKERS HOLIDAY SHOWS- DAY 1
Set 1: mix of old and new Slackers songs.
Set 2: Slackers and Special Guests
Opening: Captain of Industry
DJ: Victor Rice
12/18/2005, Saturday NY New York The Knitting Factory 8PM
THE SLACKERS HOLIDAY SHOWS- DAY 2
Set 1: Red Light revisited.
Set 2: All Request Set.
Opening: Buford O’Sullivan & the Weapons
and Tri-State Conspiracy
DJ: Victor Rice
01/07/2005, Saturday DC Washington 9:30 Club 8PM
THE SLACKERS IN DC
815 V St. N.W.
<- Back to Projects
Copyright ©2008 
Old Dog