Natty Christmas

This is Christmas music for people, like me, who can’t stand Christmas music.  Jacob Miller puts a 70’s-era reggae spin on five classic holiday songs.  Enjoy!!

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Mike iconXmas Music to Drink To
by Mike Streeter

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When I was in college in Chicago, I worked part time at a seasonal store.  Whatever holiday was approaching, we sold the appropriate stuff.  In early-November, the Christmas decorations arrived from our warehouse and we would spend weeks assembling displays of twinkling lights, garland, giant Christmas trees, ornaments and all the rest.

For two months there was a steady stream of Christmas muzak piped in through the Radio Shack sound system.  I’ve heard it all.  It would always start off with a compilation of classics like Bing Crosby’s Silver Bells and Frank Sinatra singing The Christmas Song.  In small portions it wasn’t bad.  Then U2 and John Melloncamp appeared on A Very Special Christmas album and we played it over and over.  Someone discovered the Motown Christmas Album and even a decent rock n roll holiday record that featured a few songs by Bob Dylan.  But as the weeks went by, the music got worse.  Much worse.

John Tesh cut a Christmas record that year, so did Celine Dion.  Horrible!  The Chipmunks Rock Christmas, Merry Merry Christmas by the New Kids on the Block, The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas, and Xmas for Lovers all showed up and were played constantly as people shopped for their holiday decorations.  It was torture and by the time December 25th of 1992 rolled around I had a serious hatred of Christmas music and I still do today.

Since then I’ve tried to find an appropriate soundtrack to play at my house during holiday feasts, gift opening and egg nog sipping sessions.  It’s been a long and arduous search, but I can finally recommend a Christmas album that has just enough holiday cheer and a heavy dose of island vibes.  Natty Christmas by Jacob Miller!

Miller had a string of solo reggae hits in the early ’70’s and eventually became the lead singer of Inner Circle .  His Christmas album was among the first to come out of Jamaica and is still one of the best.  He successfully puts his spin on 5 classics and is sure to give you the holiday spirit.  So, grab your eggnog, settle in with family and friends and enjoy a very Natty Christmas.  Yes, this is Christmas music to drink rum to!

Pick it up at Amazon or Itunes.

Jacob Miller hanging with Bob Marley
Jacob Miller and Bob Marley

MARLEY Premier

The long anticipated documentary about the life and music of Bob Marley has finally been released to critical acclaim in theaters worldwide.  GO SEE IT!!

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“MARLEY,” the eagerly anticipated, most definitive, and only authorized bio-documentary film on the life, music, and global impact of the legend himself, Bob Marley, premiered last night in his beloved Jamaica at Emancipation Park, Kingston Jamaica in a free showing to Jamaicans from all walks of life.

“MARLEY” marks the first time the Marley family has authorized the use of images and film footages from the Bob Marley archives.

The film will is being released today in cinemas in the United States, United Kingdom, on video on demand (VOD) by Magnolia Pictures and streaming on Facebook.

Produced with the unprecedented support of the Marley family, “MARLEY” is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald who is best known for “One Day in September,” the documentary about the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He is also responsible for “The Last King of Scotland,” “Life in A Day,” and ” Touching the Void.” McDonald has compiled the most definitive, authorized film on the life, legacy and global impact of a true legend, the Hon. Robert Nesta Marley, one of the most loved and influential singers, songwriters, musicians and activists in history.

The film was produced by Steve Bing, Shangri-La Entertainment and Charles Steel, Cowboy Films. The executive producers are Bob’s son Ziggy Marley and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell in conjunction with Tuff Gong Pictures.

“This documentary is the ultimate revelation of my father’s life,” said Ziggy Marley. “The family is proud to be able to have the world finally experience this emotional journey.”

Music: Rootz Underground

It’s Friday!!  Ditch work, grab the iPod and a bottle of rum and get ready for a lazy afternoon.  Here’s the latest installment of Music to Drink Rum To.

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A few years ago we found ourselves on the back roads of St. Croix in a rented Jeep searching for out-of-the-way rum shops and dive bars.  We found several!  One particular place was nothing more than an old tin-roofed wooden shed sitting at the water’s edge.  They had one of the best views in the Caribbean with a nice selection of Virgin Island rum and good food.  We sat there for a few hours talking to the bartender, drinking and listening to his collection of CDs.  This guy knew his music and introduced us to a reggae band that would soon become one of our favorites.  That was our first listen to Rootz Underground. 

With beautiful melodies and inspirational lyrics, Rootz Underground continues to carry the roots reggae torch, but with an edginess that sets them far apart from any other artist on the scene.  They are destined to become worldwide hit makers.  

Hailing from Jamaica, this six-piece band has been playing together for more than 10 years but didn’t record their first record until 2008.  MOVEMENT, as the album was appropriately named, was a hit in Jamaica and scored them invitations to play reggae and world music festivals around the globe.  Two releases later, Rootz Underground has quickly gone from playing club gigs for a hand full of loyal fans to sharing the stage with some of the biggest artists in music today.

Here’s what Reverb Nation is saying about them: Rootz Underground has been blessed to be able to be amongst the return and rise of the band format coming out of Jamaica, at a time when dancehall and hip-hop are in the forefront they found themselves as a group performing lyrically conscious original ‘roots’ reggae music.

Over the last decade they have won their fans and the respect of their contempories one explosive show at a time showcasing and projecting a collective energy that captivates audiences with its pure intention. It is with this ability to engage and hypnotize that Rootz Underground has set out on the tour trail, traveling through the Caribbean, North America and Hawaii in an effort to carry the message of upliftment, positivity and oneness. The year 2008 saw them touring America extensively on joint bills with foundation powerhouses such as Gregory Isaacs, Israel Vibration, The Wailing Souls, Dean Fraser as well as acts such as Anthony B and Tarrus Riley. 

Rootz Underground clearly has a long career ahead of them and we’re anxious to hear what their upcoming album has to offer.  In the meantime, enjoy some of our favorite tracks from MOVEMENT, their 2008 debut and holder of some truly awesome jams.  Enjoy. 

[youtube width=”700″ height=”420″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwJYI5QITPc[/youtube]

[youtube width=”700″ height=”420″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdM2i2ooF-w[/youtube]

[youtube width=”700″ height=”420″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVJIKPItAWM[/youtube]

Get more Rootz Underground here:

Rootz Underground – the official website 
Facebook 
Amazon

Music: Studio 1 Christmas

If you’re looking to put an island twist on this year’s holiday soundtrack, check out Christmas Greetings from Studio 1.  Jingle Bells has never sounded so good!

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Christmas is just a few days away and that means it’s time to break out your collection of holiday records and CDs.  If you’ve been following Rum Connection for very long, you know that we have a low tolerance for bad music.  Unfortunately, most Christmas music seems to fall into that category.  

Sorry, Britney Spears singing White Christmas doesn’t cut it for us, Deck the Halls by Kenny Rogers is just about as bad and Amy Grant singing Silent Night is just pathetic.  Seriously, just because it’s Christmas music doesn’t mean that it has to be lame, right?

For the last few years we’ve been on a mission to find a handful of decent Christmas soundtracks to play at Rum Connection headquarters during our frequent eggnog sipping sessions.  This year we dug up a real holiday gem.  Once again, we’ve discovered that much of the worthwhile Christmas music on the market comes directly from Jamaica.  This year’s find is called Christmas Greetings from Studio One and it’s the perfect combination of yuletide cheer and sunny island vibes.

If you’re not familiar with Studio One, here’s the scoop.  Of all the successful reggae record labels from the ’60s an ’70s, they had some of the best talent .  They’re often referred to as the Motown of Jamaica and put out hit after hit for more than a decade.  Studio One recorded and published some of the best works by Bob Marley & the Wailers, Lee Scratch Perry, Freddie McGregor, Dennis Brown, Toots & the Maytals and countless others.  When we heard that they resurrected and republished some super-groovy Christmas songs by a variety of these artists we had to investigate.

Christmas Greetings from Studio One contains 12 tracks of roots reggae with a festive twist.  With selections by Horace Andy, Toots & the Maytals and ska legends, The Silvertones, you know it’s going to be good.  But the highlight of the whole record goes to Alton Ellis doing an original song called Praise Jah it’s Christmas.  This is Christmas music to drink rum to, folks.  Enjoy and have a great holiday.  Cheers!

[youtube width=”700″ height=”420″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efjv_FAWKcA[/youtube]

Download a copy of Christmas Greetings from Studio One at Amazon.com.

Music: Steel Pulse

Our “Music to Drink Rum To” series returns with the perfect soundtrack for a sunny Friday afternoon, classic reggae from the one and only Steel Pulse. Enjoy.

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Music To Drink Rum To – Steel Pulse

Music constantly fills the air at Rum Connection headquarters.  It’s a critical part of my day, used as inspiration, and as essential to my happiness as sunshine, beaches and happy hour.  All genres of good music are welcome here.  I joke that it must be “good music to drink rum to” but that’s about the only restriction.

My appreciation for reggae came at an early age and by sheer chance.  In 1988 I went to an INXS concert in suburban Chicago and the opening band just happened to be reggae legends Steel Pulse.  I was 14 years old and had never heard anything as cool or moving.  The next day at school as my friends were talking about INXS, I was talking about Steel Pulse.  The hook was firmly set.  I still hold them in high regard as reggae pioneers and have seen them live several times over the years.

Here’s more about Steel Pulse from our friends at All Music Guide.

Steel Pulse is one of Britain’s greatest reggae bands, rivaled only by Aswad in terms of creative and commercial success. Generally a protest-minded Rastafarian outfit, Steel Pulse started out playing authentic roots reggae with touches of jazz and Latin music, and earned a substantial audience among white U.K. punks as well. Their 1978 debut, Handsworth Revolution, is still regarded by many critics as a landmark and a high point of British reggae. As the ’80s wore on, slick synthesizers and elements of dance and urban R&B gradually crept into their sound, even as their subject matter stayed on the militant side. By the late ’80s, Steel Pulse had won a Grammy and were working full-fledged crossover territory, but never reached the same degree of commercial acceptance as Aswad or Inner Circle. They subsequently returned to a tough-minded, rootsy sound that nonetheless made concessions to contemporary trends with touches of rock-steady and dancehall.  

They’ve recorded more than a dozen albums since forming in 1978, but the ’80’s were the best years for Steel Pulse.  The electric keyboard nearly killed many good bands in rock and reggae during that era, but somehow ‘Pulse embraced the technology and made it work for them.  Their biggest hits are off of a 1984 album called Earth Crisis.  Here are some of the best songs from that record.  Enjoy your Friday everyone!!

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HdwLWJtKGM[/youtube] 

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDODX5_n3Us[/youtube]

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdg3hnxANOw[/youtube]

Get more Steel Pulse here:
Steel Pulse – the official website
Facebook
Amazon 

Bacardi LIVE

Combining live music, social media and rum cocktails, the Bacardi “Best Shared Live” campaign takes off in an interesting direction this summer.

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Bacardi Best Shared Live

Taking the “BACARDI Together” campaign to new heights, the “Best Shared Live” program creates opportunities designed to bring people together to celebrate live music, friends and rum cocktails. “Best Shared Live” will leverage Live Nation Entertainment’s marketing distribution platforms including digital, mobile and social media to reach millions of fans as they plan their summer concert experiences.

“BACARDI is an iconic spirits brand with a unique history and heritage that has always championed a spirit for life,” said Toby Whitmoyer, vice president and category managing director, rums at Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.  “Through the ‘Best Shared Live’ program, we will tap into Live Nation Entertainment’s multi-faceted digital marketing platforms surrounding live music to bring people together and strengthen brand awareness among our target audiences. We are excited to kick-off summer with this breadth of promotions for our consumers and music fans alike.”

Targeting the coveted “twenty-something consumer” who enjoys nightlife and music, the “Best Shared Live” summer music program encompasses a robust array of elements featuring both promotional assets and digital media, including:

  • Live Nation Entertainment Concert Cash: BACARDI products will feature download codes for Live Nation Entertainment Concert Cash, redeemable on LiveNation.com’s BACARDI -branded landing page for tickets and artist merchandise.
  • Best Shared Live Sweepstakes: Fans may also enter the Best Shared Live Sweepstakes, which supports the “Best Shared Live” platform and reinforces the BACARDI brand message of bringing people together, in this case, through live music. The grand prize winner will win four tickets to the Live Nation Entertainment concert of his/her choice anywhere in the US, plus airfare and hotel accommodations. The sweepstakes will be promoted across all Live Nation Entertainment media channels.
  • Branded Concert Guide: Live Nation Entertainment will create a BACARDI branded summer concert guide, a custom content platform with unique videos highlighting some of the hottest artists on tour this summer.
  • Custom Facebook Module on LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com: Live Nation Entertainment will position BACARDI as a brand that brings music fans “together” within the social media environment through a custom Facebook module on LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com. The integration will be a unique bilateral Facebook application allowing fans to let their friends know which concerts they are planning to attend.
  • Mobile Web Platform: Live Nation Entertainment will also integrate BACARDI into its mobile advertising platform, providing the brand with an even deeper connection to fans whenever they seek music information.

“Concerts are a natural way to bring people together, and Live Nation Entertainment’s depth of touch points spanning social media, mobile and digital promotions, are a perfect way for BACARDI to bring consumers together in a relevant and engaging way,” said Russell Wallach, president of Live Nation Network. “The BACARDI ‘Best Shared Live’ program leverages our robust marketing platform to reach millions of fans as they celebrate summer with their favorite artists and form a richer connection with the BACARDI brand.”

Click here to register at Best Shared Live

Music: Mishka

It’s important to keep plenty of good music around the rum shack, right?  Well, be sure to check out the reggae sounds of Mishka.  Friday chillout music at its best.

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A few years ago while searching for new reggae records we were turned onto a Bermudian artist named Mishka.  We’d heard good things about him and remembered a hit song he had in the UK in the late ’90s called “Give You All The Love.”  So we bought his latest cd (back when all music was bought at stores on little pieces of plastic called compact discs) entitled “Above the Bones” and hurried home for a listen.  This cd played at Rum Connection headquarters for more than a week and is still one of our favorites.  This is the kind of music that makes you realize how lame your collection was before buying it.

Mishka’s path into the world of music is an interesting one.  His parents literally raised him at sea on a sailboat that carried them throughout the Caribbean.  His daily routine involved studying, wind surfing and discovering the music of the islands.  Folk and rock were both early influences, but reggae was the genre that stuck.

Here’s more about Mishka from his website bio:

Mishka had a unique childhood and extraordinary upbringing.  Born to a Bermudian father and Nova Scotian mother, he grew up on his family’s boat, sailing from island to island in the Caribbean.  A child of the islands, it was almost inevitable that he’d be drawn to reggae, Rastafari, and the natural mystic that inhabits his music and his soul.

“The music I heard growing up from my parents, sisters and the places we visited gave me a lot of musical and cultural flexibility.  Everything I’ve ever heard blends together in what I do.  I’m a huge reggae fan but there’s folk, soul, rock and other elements in the music.”   Mishka’s international outlook is a product of his nautical background.  “We sailed all over the Atlantic and Caribbean,” Mishka recalls.  “We visited Brazil, all the Caribbean islands, even made a cross-Atlantic trip to Portugal and England.”

Mishka was signed to Alan McGee’s Creation label in the UK in 1997.  In 1999, Mishka released his first single, “Give You All the Love” which was an immediate success charting in the Top 40 in the UK and Top 10 in Japan.  Mishka released his self-titled debut album later that year which received much critical acclaim in both the UK and Japan.  Mishka’s second album One Tree was produced by Swedish producer Martin Terefe (KT Tunstall, James Morrison) in 2005.  On his third album, Above the Bones, Mishka worked with long time Sly & Robbie guitarist, Daryl Thompson, who played for many years with Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru.

It was at this time that Mishka met actor Matthew McConaughey.  The two shared a deeply rooted appreciation for reggae music and it was a natural fit for McConaughey to sign Mishka to his j.k. livin’ record label.  In February of 2009, Above the Bones debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and Mishka was named 2009’s Best New Artist in the singer/songwriter category by iTunes.

Mishka’s latest album, “Talk About” has had the same success and he’s even scored a sweet (and unusual) spot as an accompanying act on Kenny Chesney’s tour.  Keep an eye out for him in your area this summer.

Here’s one of our favorite tracks from Above the Bones.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61HTXwsZBCA&feature=player_detailpage[/youtube]

And here’s a live shot of Mishka at The Roxy in Hollywood.  His recorded material is amazing, but he’s one of those artists that really shines on stage.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQeFoXbp-Zc&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

And here’s an interesting hotel room video of Mishka singing Stir It Up with a little help from Kenny Chesney, Matthew McConaughey and the crew from No Shoes Radio.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMeiqIfrMLU&feature=fvwrel[/youtube]

Get more of Mishka here:

Mishka – The Official Website
J.K. Livin’ – His label
Facebook

Music: Finley Quaye

Reggae at its best with a pinch of dub, folk and lounge thrown in for good measure.  Finley Quaye has been on our Sunday chillout soundtrack for quite some time.

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Every now and then an artist comes along that seems to stay on constant rotation on the Rum Connection iPod.  Finley Quaye is that kind of artist.  His music is truly genre-bending with a solid foundation in reggae, but influences that run the musical spectrum are evident.  Music critics constantly compare him to  Michael Franti, Bob Marley and John Lennon.  Not bad company to be in.

Here’s a bit from his website bio:

Finley Quaye got his first record deal with Polydor Records in 1994.  He began working with Epic in 1996 and in 1997 hit the UK top 20 twice with “Sunday Shining” and “Even After All”.  His debut album Maverick A Strike is a masterpiece capturing the sunshine vibe of primetime Marley but placing it firmly in the concrete of mid nineties bohemian Britain and making it pure pop.

Finley’s following two albums are even more musically satisfying and challenging and were released on Epic, Vanguard (2000) and Much More Than Much Love (2004).  ‘The Best Of The Epic Years’ was released on Sony/BMG during the summer of 2009. He lives in the United Kingdom and is currently working on a new album with a brand new band.

As you can see, Finley has been putting out great music since the mid 1990’s, but we discovered him while listening to the official soundtrack to Thicker Than Water, a surf movie directed by Jack Johnson.  Even After All, his contribution to that record, is one of those songs that you just put on repeat and listen to for an hour or so.  Here it is.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=214cQIpcCIc[/youtube]

Finley has recorded nearly 15 albums since his start in ’94 and they’re all packed with song after song of great music.  His Best Of album from his years recording at Epic has just been released and is a great start for anyone new to his music.  Pick it up at Amazon.  As you will discover, all of his records tend to mix well with a daiquiri, warm weather and the company of good friends.  Enjoy!

Get more of Finley Quaye here:

Finley Quaye-The Official Website
MySpace
Facebook

Joyful Noise

More great music to drink to…..yeah, I said it.  This new release from I-Grade records might be the perfect reggae soundtrack to your next rum party.  Enjoy!

Get details from the crew at Flip Switch.