Dirty Reggae

There are quite a few contemporary reggae bands who play in a very traditional, old-school style. Very, very few are as dedicated to recreating the sounds of classic reggae and rock steady as the Los Angeles-based Aggrolites, a group that came together when its members were sought out individually to back up reggae legend Derrick Morgan on some live gigs. The chemistry was good enough that they ended up sticking together, and on their first album they not only play as if it were still 1969, but the recorded sound is carefully calibrated to make it sound as if the album were made back then (listen to the drums on “Hot Stop”!). Funky, soully, and as sonically raw as a classic Upsetters album, Dirty Reggae is a joy from start to finish.