South Florida Jams

Ska revivalists The English Beat will join forces with Fishbone and Outlaw Nation for the "Spring Skaward" tour, a month-long trek of the US that kicks off in early 2010. The Birmingham, England-based English Beat will hit the road stateside beginning Feb. 12 in Austin after finishing up a handful of solo headlining shows along the West Coast. The co-headlining tour with Fishbone will venture to 20 cities throughout the eastern half of the nation before wrapping with a March 6 concert in Englewood, CO. Details are shown below. The English Beat has released three studio albums, the most recent of which--"Special Beat Service"--hit shelves in 1982. Since that time, the reunited outfit has dropped five compilation sets, including last year's "You Just Can't Beat It: The Best of the Beat." Los Angeles ska rockers Fishbone continue supporting 2006's "Still Stuck in Your Throat" and are anticipating the forthcoming arrival of the group's fifth DVD, "Everyday Sunshine: A Fishbone Documentary," early next year. Louisiana reggae rockers Outlaw Nation are touring behind "New Day," the group's recent Stoopid Records release, which surfaced in October. For more information please visit www.thebeatuk.com or www.fishbone.net

In 2006, John Brown’s Body found itself at a crossroads, when the death of bassist Scott Palmer broke the band’s heart. After the tragedy, several longtime members left the group. But, a strange thing happened to the band staring at its own mortality: somehow, JBB emerged transformed and inspired. A vital, creative energy sprang from the band’s new dynamic and new members. JBB found itself pushing more at the edges of reggae. New songs incorporated slinkier bass lines, denser instrumentation, less predictable rhythms. Beats became funkier, more drum-and-bass inflected. JBB realized it was at a turning point: keep playing the same style of music, or follow the new sound and see where it leads. It was the same way the band members felt about reggae: how do you break rules and create something unique while still honoring the music that came before? The answer is that it’s possible (and ultimately necessary) to push forward. “Future Roots,” which the band began using to describe its sound as far back as its 2005 Pressure Points release, took another step forward. The current evolution builds on a reggae foundation, incorporating elements from different genres. The new songs are timeless and futuristic all at once, anchored and exploring simultaneously. These explorations are instantly evident on Amplify, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Reggae Chart in October 2008. For more info visit www.johnbrownsbody.com

Formed in 2003, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk was initially put together by keyboardist Ivan Neville on a whim in order to perform a solo gig at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Ivan called in cousin Ian Neville (guitar), the double-bass bottom of both Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, and drummer Raymond Weber to round out the show. Named after a song Ivan had recently written, Dumpstaphunk’s informal performance became that of immediate legend. The project has since grown from chance side-project into what is now widely considered to be New Orleans’ most popular musical export. The band was recently voted 2007’s “New Orleans Best Funk Band” by both Offbeat Magazine and Gambit Weekly, and performs at some of the nation’s largest music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Voodoo Fest, 10,000 Lakes, and High Sierra. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk now stands on its own as the legitimate torchbearer of all things funky both in New Orleans and beyond with the release of their debut EP, Listen Hear. Listen Hear provides at long-last the aural, syncopated nastiness listeners have been denied outside of a Dumpstaphunk live performance. Saxophonic magician, Skerik, also guests on the EP. Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk is not re-writing the book so much as adding a much needed new testament. While fortunate enough to stand upon the shoulders of giants, make no mistake – Listen Hear is not an attempt at world music or feel-good vibrations, like that of some of their counterparts, but rather straight-ahead inner city funk for the masses. Tracks like “Living in a World Gone Mad” and “Turn This Thing Around” describe the troubling times we live in, while songs like “Meanwhile” and “Shake” suggest accepting such times in order to enjoy life. This release not only marks the band’s official musical debut, but also serves as a group’s formal transformation from popular side-project to full-time occupation. For some that might seem trivial but with Dumpstaphunk’s collective resume it speaks volumes. The members of Dumpstaphunk have recorded and performed with a veritable who’s-who of popular music over the years including the Rolling Stones, Dave Mathews, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer, Trey Anastasio, Emmylou Harris and, yes, even the Neville Brothers. And while the members of Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk will surely continue to get the calls to do such collaborations, it will become increasingly difficult to find the time as the band forges ahead creating a new identity and standard for New Orleans music. For more information please visit www.dumpstaphunk.com

Steel Pulse was formed in 1975 in Birmingham, England. The founding members were schoolmates David Hinds (the primary songwriter as well as the lead singer and guitarist), Basil Gabbidon (guitar), and Ronnie "Stepper" McQueen (bass). All of them came from working class West Indian immigrant families, and none had much musical experience. They took some time to improve their technical proficiency, often on Roots inspired material by the Wailers, Burning Spear and several other prominent Jamaican artists. McQueen suggested the group name, after a racehorse, and they soon fleshed out the lineup with drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett, keyboardist/vocalist Selwyn "Bumbo" Brown, percussionist/vocalist Alphonso "Fonso" Martin, and vocalist Michael Riley. The group wound up as an opening act for punk and new wave bands like the Clash, the Stranglers, Generation X, the Police, and XTC, and built a broad-based audience in the process. In 1988, Steel Pulse released State of Emergency, their most explicitly crossover-oriented album yet. They also contributed the track "Can't Stand It" to the soundtrack of Spike Lee's classic Do the Right Thing. The 1992 live album Rastafari Centennial marked the beginning of a return to the group's musical roots, and earned another Grammy nomination. The following year, they performed at Bill Clinton's inaugural celebration, the first reggae band to appear at such an event. Steel Pulse is one of Britain's greatest reggae bands, in terms of creative and commercial success. Steel Pulse started out playing authentic roots reggae with touches of jazz and Latin music, and earned a substantial audience worldwide. Their 1978 debut, Handsworth Revolution, is still regarded by many critics as a landmark and a high point of British reggae. By the late '80s, Steel Pulse had won a Grammy and were working full-fledged crossover territory. They subsequently returned to a tough-minded, rootsy sound and have added touches of dancehall and hip-hop along the way. For more information please visit www.steelpulse.com

Rodrigo and Gabriela are two fast-fingered, Dublin-based, Mexicans with a unique sound created on acoustic guitars. Their music is difficult to define, straddling both world and rock, and often imbued with timeless Hispano--classical influences. The fire in it comes from their life-long passion for metal music. This spring, Rodrigo y Gabriela beat both the Arctic Monkeys AND Johnny Cash to number one in the Irish charts. Rodrigo is a deft finger-picker who can move from raging speed to sensual soul in the space of a fret, while Gabriela employs fast, rhythmic techniques. Her percussionist's thrashing of strings and drumming of the instrument's body inevitably raises comparisons with flamenco -- which they acknowledge as an influence but swerve as a pigeonhole. The duo's repertoire flies beyond familiar Latin folk guitarists' styles because of the metal connection: their re-workings of Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway to Heaven' and Metallica's 'Orion' are musts, and the presence, on 'Ixtapa,' of the fiery Hungarian gypsy violinist, Roby Lakatos, is inspirational. For more information please visit www.rodgab.com

As 2009 begins historically in America, so begins what is shaping up to be another historic year for the Chicago rock band Wilco -- the group formed by guitarist and songwriter Jeff Tweedy in the mid-1990s. 2009 will see the release of a new studio album – their seventh. It follows their Grammynominated 2007 recording Sky Blue Sky (which followed their 2005 double Grammy winner A ghost is born.) Recordings have been underway at the band’s Chicago studio, The Loft. The current plan is to emerge from Chicago’s deep freeze with a completed album by the spring thaw (which in Chicago could mean summer….) Before the new studio recording, Nonesuch Records will release Ashes of American Flags, a new film presenting the band live in concert during their 2008 tour. Culled from concerts in five quintessentially American venues - Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Tipitina’s in New Orleans, The Mobile Civic Center, The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C. – the film captures the energy, poignancy and musicality of a Wilco concert and tour. Ashes of American Flags is a Trixie production in association with Nonesuch Records and dBpm, Inc. Shot in HD and directed and produced by Brendan Canty (Fugazi) and Christoph Green, it intersperses interviews with band members and day-in-the-life footage as the band travels across the U.S. It sees worldwide release on Nonesuch Records this April. For more information please visit www.wilcoworld.net

G. Love and Special Sauce’s Superhero Brother is their third album for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire label, and 10th overall (counting their 2002 best-of and last year’s live CD/DVD) in a career that now spans 15 years. It’s been a long, successful run for the Philadelphia native and self-described “hip-hop blues artist,” whose self-titled 1994 Okeh/Epic Records debut was certified Gold on the strength of the MTV hit, “Cold Beverage,” and a non-stop performing ethic that still has them playing more than 150 shows a year. In fact, the group just recently returned from a headline tour in Australia that was highlighted by some shows with Jack Johnson, and will accompany him to Europe this spring. Upon their return to the U.S., the band will be headlining their own outdoor amphitheatre tour with John Butler Trio later this summer. “We’re a hard-working band,” says G. Love of the group’s turnaround over the last two albums, 2006’s Lemonade and 2004’s The Hustle. “Every time we hit the stage or the studio, we make sure we give 150%. Playing in front of people is just such an integral part of the experience for us. We love to ride that energy and get that instant reaction.” Superhero Brother, recorded in Philadelphia at The Studio and the band’s own Philadelphonic Studios, as well as Longview Farms Barn in Sturbridge, MA, combines both political and party songs. The album is a reflection of the band’s eclectic recipe for its Special Sauce, from tasty, post-hip-hop Beatles-influenced blues-rock (“Communication”), spicy tropical island rhythms over an Archie Bell and the Drells “Tighten Up” groove (“City Livin’”) and well-seasoned Chambers Brothers-style funk-rock crossed with Cream’s “I Feel Free” (“What We Need”) to sweet, blue-eyed Philly soul (“Crumble”), a red-hot Stones-y “Sympathy for the Devil” vibe (“Peace Love and Happiness”) and homemade, rappin’ blues layered on top of a John Lee Hooker Delta stomp (“Superhero Brother”). “I think of us as a rock and roll group,” explains G. Love. “We definitely incorporate a lot of different flavors, which is why we tried to focus on what we’re known for this time… Making sure the backbeats are funky. Each song tells a unique story, both in subject and musical style.” For more info visit www.philadelphonic.com

Recording artist Julian “JuJu” Marley is excited to announce the release of his highly anticipated record, Awake, on May 26 via Ghetto Youths/Universal. Recorded at the Lion’s Den in Miami, Florida, and Tuff Gong in Kingston, Jamaica, the music and message presented throughout Awake is rife with the inspiration of all the family who have come before. This set of hypnotic beats and soulful vocals was inspired by life and spirituality and incorporates the roots-reggae sound that Julian has made his own, infused with street-energy hip-hop, bubbling dancehall, and a smooth combination of R&B and reggae. The album features collaborations with brothers Stephen Marley on “Little too Late” and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on “Violence in the Street” and rapper Mr. Cheeks on “Oh Girl.” First single “Boom Draw,” an easy roots-dancehall tune will impact radio on XX and is now available exclusively on iTunes. The release of Julian’s 1996 debut album, Lion in the Morning, launched the talented musician into the public eye. The record was followed by a successful international tour with The Uprising, performances with the Ghetto Youths Crew, an opening act slot with the Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers world tour, a Marley Magic family performance during New York City’s Central Park Summer Stage series and a featured artist position on the 1997 rock-oriented Lollapalooza tour. Julian has toured extensively with Damian and worked together with Stephen and Damian on the 1999 production of the platinum-selling Chant Down Babylon, a remix album by various hip-hop and rock artists covering Bob Marley & The Wailers songs. For more info visit www.myspace.com/royalmarley

The brainchild of singer/guitarist Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal was among the second wave of bands to emerge from the sprawling Elephant 6 collective. A native of Athens, GA,Barnes was inspired to form the euphoric indie pop group in the wake of a broken romance with a woman from Montreal. From the start, the band buoyed its bright, flamboyant indie pop sound with elements of psychedelia and vaudeville; Of Montreal's earliest records also exhibited a lo-fi sound that bordered on twee pop, although the band steadily shed those influences throughout the early 2000s. Early 2004 found Barnes exploring a bouncier, synth-driven avenue with the release of Sunlandic Twins, but things began to get complicated in his personal life at the same time. Through the emotional turmoil, Barnes concocted what was to be his darkest, most personal, and ambitious album yet -- Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? -- in 2007. Arriving one year later, Skeletal Lamping furthered that ambitious sound by emphasizing Barnes' outrageous alter ego, "Georgie Fruit," whose influence pushed the album toward funk and prog territory. For more information please visit www.ofmontreal.net

Wanee Music Festival

The Akron, Ohio-based duo The Black Keys is well known for its concentrated, hermetic approach to recording, hunkering down with rudimentary equipment in an unfinished basement or commandeering the floor of a vacant local rubber factory to create terse but soulful rock that seems to have time-traveled into the pair's amps from some long-ago radio show. But guitarist-vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney now admit they were ready for a change of scene-as well as some company. So when they got the opportunity to work with Grammy Award-nominated producer-musician-provocateur Danger Mouse, a/k/a Brian Burton (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, The Grey Album), they agreed, for the first time, to leave their familiar environs. They weren't quite willing to cross state lines yet, though. Dan and Patrick were childhood buddies who grew up in the same Akron neighborhood and attended the same schools. But they didn't recognize their natural musical affinity until well into high school when they started jamming together with other aspiring musician friends, who they soon ditched. Early demos of The Black Keys featured a third member, who played a moog bass, but he didn't last long either, and they subsequently carried on as a duo. Says Dan, "Pat and I just click. We walk in to a groove quite easily. It's kind of hard to describe." Their minimalist approach to rock is similar to what the late-70s New York City duo Suicide's has been to electronic dance music: The Black Keys have been able to make something ferociously noisy, deceptively melodic, and surprisingly sincere out of the simplest tools and riffs. (Unlike Suicide, though, they're more congenial than confrontational with their audiences.) "I'm more pleased with the sound of this record than any we've ever made," Pat concludes. "Rather than mask things in, like, a low-fi fog, we can make things sound big and fucked up at the same time." For more information please visit www.theblackkeys.com

Emerging in 2004 with a woodsy blend of midtempo rock and reverb-laden vocals, Band of Horses quickly gained an audience in their native Northwest before Everything All the Time made them indie rock darlings. Multi-instrumentalists Ben Bridwell and Mat Brooke founded the group after an eight-year run with Carissa's Wierd, and an early performance alongside future labelmates Iron & Wine caught the attention of Sub Pop Records. The Seattle-based label signed the group in 2005 and reissued their self-released EP later that year, while Band of Horses retreated to the studio to record their full-length debut. Everything All the Time emerged in March 2006 and was warmly received; however, Brooke did not tour in support of the album and had officially left the group by July, choosing instead to devote his time to another Sub Pop act, Grand Archives. Nevertheless, Bridwell solidiered on with now-permanent bandmates Rob Hampton (bass) and Creighton Barrett (drums), playing stateside shows and touring Europe in support of the band's debut. The group returned to the States and relocated to Mt. Pleasant, SC, to be closer to their families; soon after, Band of Horses entered the studio with producer Phil Ek (who also helmed Everything All the Time) to record their sophomore album. Cease to Begin was released in October 2007, and the band set off on another stateside tour that same month. For more information please visit www.bandofhorses.com