The Aggrolites are an American reggae band from Los Angeles , California , United States, which formed in 2002.
54-753: The Aggrolites are an amalgamation of two previous Los Angeles reggae and ska bands, the Vessels and the Rhythm Doctors. They formed in 2002 as a live backing band for reggae icon Derrick Morgan , and were asked to record music for a new Morgan album. The project was never released, but the recording sessions inspired the Aggrolites to become a permanent band. They have served as the backing band for Phyllis Dillon , Scotty, Joseph Hill of Culture , Prince Buster , and Tim Armstrong. Regarding their musical style, Aggrolites organist Roger Rivas has stated that
108-455: A "dub plate"), but as demand for them grew eventually sometime in the second half of 1959 (believed by most to be in the last quarter) producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid began to issue these recording on 45rpm 7-inch discs. At this point, the style was a direct copy of the American "shuffle blues" style, but within two or three years it had morphed into the more familiar ska style with
162-593: A Jamaican police officer , Reid left the force to help his wife Lucille run the family business, The Treasure Isle Grocery and Liquor Store at 33 Bond Street in Kingston . He made his way into the music industry first as a sound system (outdoor mobile discothèque) owner, promoter and disc jockey in 1953. He quickly overtook Tom the Great Sebastian as the most popular sound system in Kingston. Soon he
216-479: A combination of the sounds of 1960s soul music , funk , and skinhead reggae (also known simply as early reggae ) constitutes what the band has dubbed "Dirty Reggae". In 2003, the Aggrolites released their debut album, Dirty Reggae , on local reggae label Axe Records. The album was recorded at Signet Studios in Los Angeles in one day, with each song recorded in one take, and with many lyrics improvised on
270-687: A feature during the summer that the Specials song " Ghost Town " was a hit, although this work was in a slower, reggae beat. Most of the 2 Tone bands had multiracial lineups, such as the Beat (known as the English Beat in North America and Australia), the Specials , and the Selecter . Although only on the 2 tone label for one single, Madness was one of the most effective bands at bringing
324-624: A re-emergence of the traditional skinhead subculture . The early 1980s saw a massive surge in ska's popularity in Germany, leading to the founding of many German ska bands like the Busters, record labels and festivals. In Spain, ska became relevant in the 1980s in the Basque Country due to the influence of Basque Radical Rock , with Kortatu and Potato being the most representatives bands. Skalariak and Betagarri followed in
378-441: Is that it derives from Johnson's word skavoovie , with which he was known to greet his friends. Jackie Mittoo insisted that the musicians called the rhythm Staya Staya , and that it was Byron Lee who introduced the term "ska". Derrick Morgan said: "Guitar and piano making a ska sound, like 'ska, ska". After World War II , Jamaicans purchased radios in increasing numbers and were able to hear rhythm and blues music from
432-406: Is their first album for Young Cub Records. In 2015 the band released three new songs on Bandcamp. Later those songs were re-recorded for their sixth studio album, Reggae Now! , released on May 24, 2019. It is their first album for Pirates Press Records. The band's song "Free Time" from the album Reggae Hit L.A. was featured in the film Bandslam . The band's song "Work to Do" was featured in
486-519: The 1964 New York World's Fair . As music changed in the United States, so did ska. In 1965 and 1966, when American soul music became slower and smoother, ska changed its sound accordingly and evolved into rocksteady . However, rocksteady's heyday was brief, peaking in 1967. By 1968, ska evolved again into reggae. The 2 tone genre, which began in the late 1970s in the Coventry area of UK,
540-621: The Dance Hall Crashers becoming known on the touring circuit. The mid-1990s saw a considerable rise in ska music's underground popularity, marked by the formation of many ska-based record labels, booking organizations and indie zines . While Moon Ska was still the largest of the United States' ska labels, other notable labels included Jump Up Records of Chicago , which covered the thriving midwest scene, and Steady Beat Recordings of Los Angeles , which covered Southern California's traditional ska revival. Stomp Records of Montreal
594-506: The Southern United States in cities such as New Orleans by artists such as Fats Domino , Barbie Gaye , Rosco Gordon and Louis Jordan whose early recordings all contain the seeds of the "behind-the-beat" feel of ska and reggae. The stationing of American military forces during and after the war meant that Jamaicans could listen to military broadcasts of American music, and there was a constant influx of records from
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#1732801976879648-459: The off beat . It was developed in Jamaica in the 1960s when Stranger Cole , Prince Buster , Clement "Coxsone" Dodd , and Duke Reid formed sound systems to play American rhythm and blues and then began recording their own songs. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant music genre of Jamaica and was popular with British mods and with many skinheads . Music historians typically divide
702-857: The 1960s "epitomized the absolute peak of the style", according to music historian Colin Larkin . He had a long string of hits with performers like Stranger Cole , the Techniques , Justin Hinds and the Dominoes , Alton Ellis and the Flames , the Paragons , the Jamaicans , and the Melodians . Reid held a fierce, mutual professional rivalry with Coxsone Dodd starting in the late 1950s and through
756-543: The 1960s, specialising in ska and rocksteady , though his love of American jazz , blues and soul was evident. Reid had several things going for him that helped him to rise to prominence. He made a concerted effort to be in the studio as much as possible, something his counterparts did not do. He was known as a perfectionist and had a knack for adding symphonic sounds to his recordings and producing dense arrangements. Furthermore, his records were considerably longer than those being produced by his rivals. His tunes often broke
810-427: The 1960s. Reid's Trojan and Coxsone's Downbeat were the top two sound systems in Jamaica when active, and the competition extended to their Treasure Isle and Studio One labels, respectively. According to singer Brent Dowe of The Melodians , "When they were playing records, they were playing against each other...If you were singing for one, you couldn't go and sing for the other, or if you did you couldn't go back to
864-508: The 1990s and launching the genre into the public eye. Over the next few years, a string of notable ska and ska-influenced singles became hits on mainstream radio, including " Sell Out " by Reel Big Fish and " The Impression That I Get " by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, all of whom would reach platinum status with each of their respective albums. By 1996, third wave ska was one of the most popular forms of alternative music in
918-498: The 2 tone genre into the mainstream, with hits such as " One Step Beyond ", " Night Boat to Cairo ", and " Our House ". The music of this era resonated with white working class youth and West Indian immigrants who experienced the struggles addressed in the lyrics. Ska historian Albino Brown (of the radio program The Ska Parade ) coined the term "third-wave ska" (3rd Wave Ska) in 1989 and helped to catalyze such multi-platinum bands as No Doubt and Sublime . Third-wave ska originated in
972-590: The Beatles' " And I Love Her ", and radically reinterpreted Bob Dylan 's " Like a Rolling Stone ". They also created their own versions of Latin-influenced music from artists such as Mongo Santamaría . The Skatalites, Lord Creator , Laurel Aitken , Roland Alphonso, Tommy McCook , Jackie Mittoo , Desmond Dekker , and Don Drummond also recorded ska. Byron Lee & the Dragonaires performed ska with Prince Buster, Eric "Monty" Morris , and Jimmy Cliff at
1026-553: The Gator" (which was Coxsone Dodd's number one selection). The first ska recordings were created at facilities such as Federal Records , Studio One , and WIRL Records in Kingston, Jamaica with producers such as Dodd, Reid, Prince Buster, and Edward Seaga . The ska sound coincided with the celebratory feelings surrounding Jamaica's independence from the UK in 1962; an event commemorated by songs such as Derrick Morgan 's "Forward March" and
1080-762: The Skatalites ' "Freedom Sound". Until Jamaica ratified the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works , the country did not honor international music copyright protection. This created many cover songs and reinterpretations. One such cover was Millie Small 's version of the R&;B/shuffle tune, "My Boy Lollypop", first recorded in New York in 1956 by 14-year-old Barbie Gaye . Small's rhythmically similar version, released in 1964,
1134-603: The United Kingdom. The Specials recorded " A Message to You Rudy " in 1979, featuring Rico Rodriguez , who played trombone on both the original Dandy Livingstone recording and the Specials' version. The 2 tone movement promoted racial unity at a time when racial tensions were high in England. There were many Specials songs that raised awareness of the issues of racism, fighting and friendship. Riots in English cities were
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#17328019768791188-457: The United States. By the late 1990s, mainstream interest in third wave ska bands waned as other music genres gained momentum. Moon Ska Records folded in 2000, but Moon Ska Europe, a licensed affiliate based in Europe, continued operating in the 2000s and was later relaunched as Moon Ska World . In 2003, Hingley launched a new ska record label, Megalith Records . In the early 21st century, ska
1242-612: The United States. The Uptones from Berkeley, California and the Toasters from New York City —both formed in 1981 — were among the first active ska bands in North America. They are both credited with laying the groundwork for American ska and establishing scenes in their respective regions. In Los Angeles around the same time, the Untouchables also formed. While many of the early American ska bands continued in
1296-493: The United States. To meet the demand for that music, entrepreneurs such as Prince Buster , Coxsone Dodd , and Duke Reid formed sound systems . As the supply of previously unheard tunes in the jump blues and more traditional R&B genres began to dry up in the late 1950s, Jamaican producers began recording their own version of the genres with local artists. These recordings were initially made to be played on "soft wax" (a lacquer on metal disc acetate later to become known as
1350-479: The difference between R&B and ska beats is that the former goes " chink -ka" and the latter goes "ka- chink ". Famous ska band the Skatalites recorded "Dynamite", "Ringo" and "Guns of Navarone". One theory about the origin of ska is that Prince Buster created it during the inaugural recording session for his new record label Wild Bells. The session was financed by Duke Reid, who was supposed to get half of
1404-661: The early 1990s and their influence is visible outside the Basque Country in punk-rock bands like Ska-P , Boikot and many others that have gained importance in the Spanish rock and punk rock scene and festivals. The Australian ska scene flourished in the mid-1980s, following the musical precedents set by 2 Tone, and spearheaded by bands such as the Porkers . Some of the Australian ska revival bands found success on
1458-460: The film 50/50 . Ska Ska ( / s k ɑː / ; Jamaican Creole : skia , [skjæ] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae . It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues . Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on
1512-614: The first American ska punk band to find mainstream commercial success, with their 1994 album Question the Answers achieving gold record status and peaking at number 138 on the Billboard 200 . In 1995, punk band Rancid , featuring former members of Operation Ivy, released the ska punk single " Time Bomb ", which reached number 8 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks , becoming the first major ska punk hit of
1566-574: The first bands of genre. Then bands like Spitfire , Distemper , Leningrad and Markscheider Kunst became popular and commercially successful in Russia and abroad in the late 1990s. Japan established its own ska scene, colloquially referred to as J-ska , in the mid-1980s. The Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra , formed in 1985, have been one of the most commercially successful progenitors of Japanese ska. Latin America's ska scene started developing in
1620-674: The first one for a long time." By the 1970s, Reid's poor health and the trend towards Rastafarian influenced roots reggae, noticeably reducing the number of releases from Treasure Isle. Reid forbade Rasta lyrics from being recorded in his studio and thus Coxsone Dodd was able to dominate the Jamaican recording industry. Reid maintained his high-profile largely by recording the "toasting" of DJs U-Roy and Dennis Alcapone as well as vaguely Rasta-influenced oddities such as Cynthia Richards ' "Aily-I". At around this time, Reid protégé Justin Hinds noticed his boss appeared unwell and recommended
1674-543: The four-minute barrier, while most ska songs were barely longer than two minutes. The material that Treasure Island issued exemplified the cool and elegant feel of the rocksteady era. In an interview for Kool 97 FM, Jackie Jackson along with Paul Douglas and Radcliffe "Dougie" Bryan were asked about the many recordings they did together as the rhythm section for Treasure Isle Records, and working with Sonia Pottinger and Duke Reid. Duke Reid made an impact with his presence at toasting battles, trying to out play other DJs. He
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1728-468: The history of ska into three periods: the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s; the 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s in Britain, which fused Jamaican ska rhythms and melodies with the faster tempos and harder edge of punk rock forming ska-punk ; and third wave ska , which involved bands from a wide range of countries around the world, in the late 1980s and 1990s. There are multiple theories about
1782-568: The instrumentals with Armstrong as lead singer. They released a new album on June 5, 2007, called Reggae Hit L.A. , which won an IGN award for Best Reggae Album of 2007. The Aggrolites made an appearance on the Nick Jr. / Paramount+ show Yo Gabba Gabba! , created by Christian Jacobs , lead singer of The Aquabats . In mid-2007, original bassist J Bonner quit the band and played his last show on August 12, 2007, in Washington DC. He
1836-497: The mid-1980s. Latin American ska bands typically play traditional ska rhythms blended with strong influences from Latin music and rock en Español . The most prominent bands include the Grammy nominated Desorden Público from Venezuela and Grammy awarded Los Fabulosos Cadillacs from Argentina, who scored an international hit single with " El Matador " in 1994. By the early 1980s, 2 Tone-influenced ska bands began forming throughout
1890-423: The musical traditions set by 2 Tone and the mod revival , bands such as Fishbone , the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Operation Ivy pioneered the American ska punk subgenre, a fusion of ska and punk rock that typically downplayed ska's R&B influence in favor of faster tempos and guitar distortion . In 1986, No Doubt , a ska punk band was formed. They were one of the more mainstream ska bands that set
1944-570: The national music charts, most notably Allniters , who had a number 10 hit with a ska cover of " Montego Bay " in 1983. The 30 piece Melbourne Ska Orchestra has enjoyed success in recent years, touring internationally, including sets at Glastonbury and Montreux Jazz Festival . A Russian (then-Soviet) ska scene was established in the mid-1980s in Saint Petersburg as a kind of anglophone opposition to more traditional Russian rock music. Strannye Igry , AVIA and N.O.M. were among
1998-407: The off-beat guitar chop that could be heard in some of the more uptempo late-1950s American rhythm and blues recordings such as Domino's " Be My Guest " and Barbie Gaye's " My Boy Lollypop ", both of which were popular on Jamaican sound systems of the late 1950s. Domino's rhythm, accentuating the offbeat, was a particular influence. This "classic" ska style was of bars made up of four triplets but
2052-431: The origins of the word ska . Ernest Ranglin claimed that the term was coined by musicians to refer to the "skat! skat! skat!" scratching guitar strum. Another explanation is that at a recording session in 1959 produced by Coxsone Dodd , double bassist Cluett Johnson instructed guitarist Ranglin to "play like ska, ska, ska", although Ranglin has denied this, stating "Clue couldn't tell me what to play!" A further theory
2106-550: The punk scene in the late 1980s and became commercially successful in the 1990s. Although some third-wave ska has a traditional 1960s sound, most third-wave ska is characterized by dominating guitar riffs and large horn sections. By the late 1980s, ska had experienced a minor resurgence of popularity in the United Kingdom, due to bands such as the Burial and the Hotknives . The 1980s and 1990s also heralded many ska festivals, and
2160-425: The record label Bad Time Records due to their movie This Is New Tone. New Tone now has a vague definition and is used to describe the modern ska scene in general. Duke Reid Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (21 July 1915 – 1 January 1975) was a Jamaican record producer , DJ and label owner. He ran one of the most popular sound systems of the 1950s called Reid's Sound System , whilst Duke himself
2214-465: The songs to release. The guitar began emphasizing the second and fourth beats in the bar, giving rise to the new sound. The drums were taken from traditional Jamaican drumming and marching styles. To create the ska beat, Prince Buster essentially flipped the R&B shuffle beat, stressing the offbeats with the help of the guitar. Prince Buster has explicitly cited American rhythm and blues as the origin of ska: specifically, Willis Jackson 's song "Later for
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2268-542: The spot. In November 2004, the Aggrolites were featured on Hellcat Records compilation Give 'Em the Boot IV , and were officially signed to Hellcat in October 2005. The Aggrolites' self-titled Hellcat debut was released on May 9, 2006. In December 2006 they toured the UK as the support band for Madness . The Aggrolites collaborated with Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong for his solo album, A Poet's Life . They provided
2322-537: The stage for many up and coming bands. Two hotspots for the United States' burgeoning ska scenes were New York City and Orange County , California. In New York, Toasters frontman Robert "Bucket" Hingley formed the independent record label Moon Ska Records in 1983. The label quickly became the largest independent ska label in the United States. The Orange County ska scene was a major breeding ground for ska punk and more contemporary pop-influenced ska music, personified by bands such as Reel Big Fish and Sublime . It
2376-461: The store. He became proprietor of a number of labels, chiefly Treasure Isle and Dutchess (his spelling). Much of his income derived from licensing agreements with companies in the UK , some of which set up specialist Duke Reid labels. He was known to carry his pistols and rifle with him in the studio and would sometimes fire them to celebrate a successful audition. He dominated the Jamaican music scene of
2430-454: Was Canada's primary producer and distributor of ska music. Additionally, many punk and indie rock labels, such as Hellcat Records and Fueled by Ramen , broadened their scope to include both ska and ska punk bands. Asian Man Records (formerly Dill Records ), founded in 1996, started out primarily releasing ska punk albums before branching out to other music styles. In 1993, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones signed with Mercury Records , becoming
2484-433: Was Jamaica's first commercially successful international hit. With over seven million copies sold, it remains one of the best selling reggae/ska songs of all time. Many other Jamaican artists would have success recording instrumental ska versions of popular American and British music, such as Beatles songs, Motown and Atlantic soul hits, movie theme songs and instrumentals (007, Guns of Navarone). The Wailers covered
2538-404: Was a fusion of Jamaican ska rhythms and melodies with punk rock 's more aggressive guitar chords and lyrics. Compared to 1960s ska, 2 Tone music had faster tempos, fuller instrumentation, and a harder edge. The genre was named after 2 Tone Records , a record label founded by Jerry Dammers of the Specials . In many cases, the reworking of classic ska songs turned the originals into hits again in
2592-488: Was also sponsor and presenter of a radio show, Treasure Isle Time. A jazz and blues man at heart, Reid chose "My Mother's Eyes" by Tab Smith as his theme tune . Other favourites of his included Fats Domino , a noticeable influence on the early Reid sound. He began producing recordings in the late 1950s. Early Reid productions were recorded in studios owned by others, but when the family business moved from Pink Lane, Kingston to Bond Street, Reid set up his own studio above
2646-552: Was characterized by a guitar chop on the off beat —known as an upstroke or 'skank'—with horns taking the lead and often following the off-beat skank and piano emphasizing the bass line and, again, playing the skank. Drums kept 4 time and the bass drum was accented on the third beat of each four-triplet phrase. The snare would play side stick and accent the third beat of each 4-triplet phrase. The upstroke sound can also be found in other Caribbean forms of music, such as mento and calypso . Ernest Ranglin asserted that
2700-545: Was dressed in a long ermine cloak and a gilt crown on his head, with a pair of Colt 45s in cowboy holsters, a cartridge belt strapped across his chest and a loaded shotgun over his shoulder. It was not uncommon for things to get out of hand and it was said that Duke Reid would bring the crowd under control by firing his shotgun in the air. Reid initially disliked ska for being too simple and having too much focus on drums rather than on guitar. However, he eventually got behind ska and produced numerous hits. Reid's ska productions in
2754-476: Was here that the term "third wave ska" was coined and popularized by Albino Brown and Tazy Phyllipz (hosts of the Ska Parade radio show) to describe the new wave of ska-influenced bands which were steadily gaining notoriety; and Brown wrote the first treatise on ska's third wave in 1994. The San Francisco Bay Area also contributed to ska's growing popularity, with Skankin' Pickle , Let's Go Bowling and
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#17328019768792808-576: Was known as The Trojan possibly named after the British-made trucks used to transport the equipment. In the 1960s, Reid founded record label Treasure Isle, named after his liquor store, that produced ska and rocksteady music. He was still active in the early 1970s, working with toaster U-Roy . He died in early 1975 after having suffered from a severe illness for the last year. Reid was born in Portland , Jamaica . After serving ten years as
2862-788: Was mostly absent from the radio, though there were exceptions. In 2017, Captain SKA reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart with " Liar Liar GE2017 ." In 2018, the Interrupters broke into the U.S. charts with their single "She's Kerosene." By 2019, several publications started wondering aloud whether a "fourth wave" of ska was about to emerge. The term New Tone to describe a fourth wave of ska has started to pick up traction. The term New Tone originates from new ska band Bad Operation, to describe their two-tone sound and their city of New Orleans. The term has been popularized by
2916-467: Was replaced by Hepcat bassist David Fuentes. Fuentes died on September 23, 2007. The band entered the studio in early 2009 to record their fourth album. It was released June 9, 2009, and titled IV . The band kicked off a US tour in October 2009 before joining Slightly Stoopid for a run of dates in November 2009. The band released their fifth studio album, Rugged Road , on February 22, 2011. It
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