New Dubby Conquerers (2001) - Seeed

Once upon a time I was supposedly ruder than rude and tougher than tough. Boots and braces. Lager lout. If we weren't at a goth/industrial club we were at a ska show. DC had a late 90s resurgence. The Pietasters keep bringing crowds in. The NYC SKA MOB had sets at the 9:30. The Skatalites played at...well everywhere. Tiny bands from along the East Coast and the Midwest opened and sometimes headlined at places like The Velvet Lounge or Phantasamoria. One of the owners of La Cueva told me about the club he was opening with his friend when he was a teller at the Bank of America and I came up to the counter in my jacket. We saw Mephiskapheles several places. The Stubborn All Stars played regular like.

And then I moved to Austin in '99. Seen a couple of shows but it ain't the same. 'Cept that Skatalites show Amanda realized what the hype was about. Of course I have to say that The Stingers are a solid Soul/Riddim band from ATX.

Basically Ska and Riddim has taken a back seat over the last few several years. I pick up a Trojan Boxset here and there but I haven't been really paying attention to what the American labels have been putting out. The Easy Dub All-Stars have put out two excellent cover albums: Dubside of the Moon and Radiodread. Personally I think Dubside is a better album but thats just me.

Like I said in a previous post Seeed is a great band I just found out about. Now those of you know me know I penchant for bizarre world music. Not quite as bad Paul Simon or David Byrne but still...

Seeed's New Dubby Conquerers is a solid solid solid album. In all honesty I don't know why it took me seven years to find this album. Maybe I should read the emails I get from skaworld.com every once in a while. This album is brilliant in a way I haven't heard since the heyday of The Stubborn All Stars. Although Seeed has a sticky Collie riddim that makes me hanker for a four footer.

New Dubby Conquerers is a summertime album. Pool party, chicks in bikinis, fat boy grill masterin', just that right before lager takes control but you're sweatin out more lager than you're takin in, everythin a'ight, put this on random with What's Goin' On, Innervisions, and The Harder They Come. For a starter mix that should do you just fine.

Nitty gritty:

• Dancehall Caballeros. I don't give a shit what these krauts are saying. It's dope. I'm not well versed in Dancehall. The mix-up on this makes for a track is a brilliant album opener. I'd sell my mother for sin to hear this ear bleeding loud in a klub.
• Riddim No. 1 has a sample beat of the intro riff off Could you be loved or whatever shite later Marley song it was. Other than that the song is all on the plus side. It's got bounce. It's got the kind of bounce that the ladies like. Fun but vaguely dirty.
• Pape Noah has a classic Third Wave sound. No seriously, listen to Hepcat's Out of Nowhere.
• Walk Upright is downstepper. The kind of song you slow dance kind of naughty wit your rude girl.
• Dickies B is the single video song. Man, I tell you what...this song has bounce. This is the kind of shit you want to block party. Everyone with an ounce of Soul in their soul can shake their ass to this. I really want to hook up the old Polk monsters to hear this song.
• Psychedelic Kingdom is a classic cool down. Time for a pint, time to risk a snog, leaning elbow first against the wall trying not piss on your brogues.
• Sensimilla. Syrupy. Once upon a time...
• We Seeed. Brilliant song sampling Junior Murvin's Police & Thieves. Sure, we've heard the sample before but in this sample it's a bon mot. Something to make to smile while you sway and dance.
• Tide is High. Once a cover of cover then Blondie fekked bout with it. These lads, either because they actually give a shit or I'm drunk enough to think this is brilliant, have done an excellent cover.
• Top of the City is the type of song that would make me shift from boot tip to boot tip and roll back and put my heels in and back into it. This is a show off the rocksteady steps with a heavy bass sway. Ladies and gentlemen he pulled off that back pivot lager intact.
• Fire the Hidden. Another song that you hear while waiting for a lager. Elbows pulled back on the rest. Too lagered to lean smile and put that bobcuts pint on your tab.
• Miss Understanding. That same girl gives you a half smile, knowing you're laggered and harmless, but kind of cute in a stumbling way, she's seen worse. So she gives you a dance. And maybe if you can remember which foot is which foot she might give you a real number.

In case you couldn't guess I love this album.