Tag #Reggae

Central California Latin ska reggae band MENTO BURU releasing new EP “East Bakersfield Christmas II”

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We recently checked out Mento Buru, a 7 piece band from Bakersfield, CA that combines an energetic blend of Latin alternative, Jamaican SKA and reggae sounds.

You can listen to East Bakersfield Christmas II on Spotify Here , Apple Music Here

Veterans of ska music’s hyperactive nineties third wave, the group has released music on the Moon Ska and Steady Beat record labels establishing their reputation as a genre-defying musical act around the globe.

Now, the band is excited to announce the release of, “East Bakersfield Christmas II,” a six-song follow up to their hugely popular 2020 holiday ep. Titled in honor of the historic and culturally diverse neighborhood where the group formed and still resides, the ep is a sonic reflection of the culturally rich area that also boasts its own colorful musical history.

“We had such an overwhelming response to our last holiday release,” said lead vocalist Matt Munoz. “There was no doubt in our minds that we had to keep this project going. We are so Thankful to KCSOS and our generous community sponsors for this collaboration and look forward to sharing this new collection of songs with our fans who’ve given us so much support all these years. Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad!”

Recorded at Summit Studios in Bakersfield, the project was mixed by acclaimed studio engineer Reade Wolcott (We Are The Union, Fat Mike’s Fat Mic Podcast) and mastered by Dave Fore (Collie Buddz, The Lacs, N2Deep.)

Over the years the band has also shared stages with musical heroes The Specials, The English Beat, Los Lobos, The Dirty Heads, Fishbone, Ozomatli, Buck Owens(of course!) and countless others in addition to performing at The Broad Stage, The Roxy, Whisky a Go Go, The Viper Room, BB Kings venues, and countless festivals

Made possible through a collaboration with Kern County Superintendent of Schoolsand generous community sponsors, “East Bakersfield Christmas II” will be available at Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Pandora and YouTube beginning Dec. 15.

We are absolutely loving “East Bakersfield Christmas II from Mento Buru, It’s the perfect dose of Christmas joy .

San Diego CA Reggae/Rock/Soul Duo The Goodies Deliver Brilliant New Single “Runnin”

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Recently we had the opportunity to check out the new single “Runnin” from San Diego, CA reggae/rock/soul duo The Goodies.

You can listen to “Runnin” on Spotify Here and On Apple Music Here

The Goodies,founded by Justin Goodman (“Goodie”) and Zan, have given us an amazing new single with “Runnin” which, will appear on their upcoming 6-song debut EP , due out in January 2024 .

The track is the follow-up to their recent singles “The Maze,” and “Around The World.”

“Runnin” from The Goodies is a well crafted song that you simply can’t resist, Zan’s performance is absolutely phenomenal.We love the vibe and sound of “Runnin” –Bravo!

“Runnin” was recorded at 17th Street Recording Studio on Costa Mesa with Lewis Richards (The Dirty Heads, Micah Brown, Seedless)

The epic track features, Zan-vocals , Justin Goodman – Vocals, Guitar, Nick Sabia – Vocals, Lewis Richards – Bass (Dirty Heads, Slightly Stoopid, Sugar Ray, Train, Fortunate Youth), Ronnie King – Keys (Snoop Dogg, The Offspring, Rancid, Pepper, Pennywise), Zeb Dekofsky – Drums (Tribal Seeds, Fortunate Youth),Eric Hirschhorn – Sax, horn arrangement (Rebelution),Cade Gotthardt – Trumpet (Snoop Dogg, Arturo Sandoval, Tribal Seeds)

Of the latest single, the band says, ““Runnin” is the story of Zan, who like many young people at 18, found herself entangled in a bunch of bad situations she needed to break free from! It tells her journey of doing what needed to be done at any cost and summoning the courage to leave! Well…. She did, in her 1973 VW bus, to San Francisco, where she managed to make a fresh beginning, rise above, and set out on a new path in life.”

The Goodies have spent the last several months engaging with fans via a well-received series of videos featuring the duo putting their own spin on classic songs by the likes of Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Guns N Roses, Willie Nelson, Queen, and many more (these covers are absolute fire, you need to check them out .

Watch The Goodies’ cover song video series here:Here

The duo says, “As we started introducing all the new original music we have been working on, we felt like releasing this series of covers would give the listeners more context into where some of our inspiration comes from. Our love for music is very diverse and we draw inspiration from so many different places, we wanted to put our abilities to the test and we really had fun exploring these amazing songs in a Reggae style.”

The Goodies have this unbelievable energy with their music. We can’t wait for more music from The Goodies, they make music that will put a smile on your face and touch your soul.