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Bio
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The Slackers Biography (1991-2003)
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The Slackers are a seven piece band that hails from New York City. Formed in 1991, the band has been experimenting with mixes of ska, reggae, soul, swing, garage rock, and jazz for over 10 years. By following their muses of the Skatalites, the Beatles, Bob Marley, Lee Perry, Bob Dylan, and Curtis Mayfield, the Slackers have created a niche all their own in contemporary music.
Their first full length recording, Better Late Than Never (1996), featured a raw, direct sound that drew inspiration from Jamaica and brought it into New York in the 1990's. The New York Times was quick to declare that the Slackers are part of "The Sound of New York."
Upon signing with Tim Armstrong's, Hellcat Records, in 1997, the band released Red Light, which saw them evolving to a smoother, more melancholy and soulful sound. The runaway hit from this album was "Watch This" which received extensive college radio airplay and was featured on the Give Em the Boot compilation which sold over 200,000 copies.
In 1998,the Slackers followed up Red Light with a 19 song, all original opus, entitled, The Question. Filled with songs inspired by lost loves, dead heroes, and alcohol, it was proclaimed to be the "new Exile On Main Street", by the leading Dutch weekly, OOR. The single from this record was "Have The Time", which produced a video that was shown extensively on Matt Penfields' Indie Nation (MTV). As a reviewer at CMJ put it, "The only question left to ask…is why all new ska records don't sound so respectful and together?"
Since the release of Red Light, the Slackers have done nine US tours and six European tours and numerous mini-tours. They have appeared on the stages of the Warped Tour (1998), the Lowlands Festival (1999) Pukkelpop (1999), CMJ (2000), Montreal Jazz Festival (2000), the Bourges Festival (2001), the Dour Festival (2002), as well as countless small club and bar gigs from Los Angeles to Amsterdam. The Slackers have inspired a devoted cult following that drives hundreds of miles to attend their gigs. The Slackers focus on their live show led to the release of their official bootleg in 2000, Live At Ernesto's, a present for all their fans.
On their 2001 release, Wasted Days, the Slackers continued to demonstrate growth and a timelessness that defies the shallow trends of today. The opening title track, Wasted Days, declared "What have I done wrong that I should be sorry?" and this confident tone was continued throughout the disc. The fans responded with enthusiasm to the mp3 single, the pedal steel driven Ska of "Dave's Friend", making over 6,000 downloads in the first 2 months of its release. Another single, a "ganja-choked" reworking of Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive", was praised by such varied publications as Maxim and the Village Voice. This growing popularity caught the attention of National Public Radio, and the Slackers were a featured segment on the "All Things Considered.” Following the airing of this segment, (week of 7/24/01), Wasted Days rose to #6 on the Amazon.com sales charts.
In 2002, The Slackers continued their breakneck schedule and made huge strides in bringing their sound to diverse audiences. For two months they toured the States as openers for Irish/Pub Rockers, The Flogging Mollys, on the 50 date, “Drunken Lullabyes” tour. This was in addition to 90 gigs they did as headliners including sold out shows in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Amsterdam, and Madrid. During this time, the Slackers began working on a project of collaborating with different artists in a mission to bridge the generations of Jamaican-influenced music that has spread all over the world.
This labour of love became "Slackers & Friends" (2002) a self-produced cd featuring Glen Adams (the Upsetters), Cornell Campbell (the Uniques), Congo Ashanti Roy (the Congos), Doreen Schaeffer (the Skatalites), Ari-up (the Slits), Ranking Joe, Chris Murray, DJ Cris the Reducer, and Larry McDonald. This cd immediately gained national and international attention for its deep reggae grooves. One song, “Matey Exterminator,” is to appear on Guy Ritchie’s new BBC show, “make my day” later this year.
The rhythm continues with the release of Close My Eyes, The Slackers seventh full LP, September 9, 2003 on Hellcat Records. The Slackers continue touring the world to spread their message to the masses. |
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