Coming Soon Vol. XXX

The Message Riddim [Don Corleon Records]

'Rise Up' by Ce'Cile

Okay! First up this week is a riddim which has been destroying everything in site over the past couple of weeks or so - It’s the latest from the greatest in the game, Don Corleon - The Message Riddim. Although the riddim follows in the line of others such as the Drop Leaf, Seasons, Major & Minor and some of Don’s other more prominent Reggae work, this one is unique because, just as the title would suggest, unlike those pieces, the Message is geared towards material of social and cultural contexts and not love songs. For the ‘body’ of the riddim, Corleon taps several of the usual suspects of his riddims such as Pressure Busspipe (HUGE tune in ‘Jah Love’), a surprising Ce’Cile in less familiar terrain, Richie Spice, Protoje, Da Professor and even Kartel as well as Sophia Squire, Ikaya and an increasingly regular Ky-Mani Marley. To my ears this thing is breathtakingly beautiful (yes - I just said breathtakingly and that’s probably the first time I’ve ever typed that word) - It is really really nice and I may just slap a review on this one.

Potential Rating: 4.75/5
Releases soon
Digital

“Most Wanted: Assassin” [VP Records]

'Do It If Yuh Bad'

Next up is another very big deal of sorts (kind of) as VP Records doubles up on its ”Most Wanted” series in March. Along with the previous installment for the erratic Tiger, we’re also going to get an edition from my favourite Dancehall artist of the past few years, Assassin. This is interesting because it kind of is going to make me hypocritical because when you do this with people such as Vybz Kartel or Bushman or the likes I’m going to complain because the tunes aren’t very old or obscure at all, so you’re really not digging too far back for what is essentially a ‘greatest hits’ style release. But of course I’m not going to complain about that here, because I love Assassin’s music. HOWEVER, I would’ve certainly enjoyed if the tunes were pulled from just a bit earlier, but songs such as ‘To Make Money’ and ‘Do It If Yuh Bad’ (both on the album) almost strike on what I’m talking about (they could’ve done ‘Wi Ah Bad From, Wah Gwann’ . . .). And if you haven’t tapped into what’s going on with Assassin then definitely check this one when it drops and hopefully it isn’t the only piece of business between VP Records and the current most talented Dancehall artist in the world in 2011.

Potential Rating: 4.25/5
Releases on March 29
CD + Digital

“Covers For Reggae Lovers Vol. 2” [VP Records]

I pretty much always get this series confused with one of the other two other Lover’s Rock series from VP Records, ”R&B Hits In Reggae Style” and/or ”Songs For Reggae Lovers” and you probably do as well. So, to add some distinction, here we have the latest edition of ”Covers For Reggae Lovers”, which is REALLY close to ”R&B Hits In Reggae Style” in actuality and very close to ”Songs For Reggae Lovers” (which has a new installment releasing this week) in title. I’m probably not going to be able to make the connections here to most of the originals, so instead, I’ll just tell you who good is on the album - We have Sanchez, Richie Stephens, Sadiki, Maxi Priest (with Richie Stephens), Tinga Stewart (alongside Elaine Shepherd), Hezron and even Maurice. If you REALLY like Lover’s Rock then you have some big things going on early in 2011 and here’s another.

Potential Rating: 3.5/5
Releases on March 22
CD + Digital

Ragga Ragga Ragga 2011 [Greensleeves Records]

The more interesting of VP/Greensleeves series releases making the post this week is the latest edition of ”Ragga Ragga Ragga” with its excellent cover and usual madness of some sorts. This year not much has changed and you get most of the expected faces on such a release. There’s Kartel (three times), Mavado (twice), Ele & Bounty Killer, Chino and I-Octane (both of whom are becoming more and more frequent on VP releases). Of course Gyptian is mixed in and even Buju. Still, as far as tracks, the main point here may be the possibility that ”Ragga Ragga Ragga 2011” may just be the first actual CD with Spice’s BIG hit from 2010, ‘Jim Screechie’.

Potential Rating: 4/5
Releases on March 8
CD + Digital

“Journey To Israel” by Singing U [MZ Kwo]

Here’s an album you may not give a damn about, but I’ve been waiting on it for a year or two! Singing U FINALLY delivers his third studio album (I THINK), ”Journey To Israel”. I haven’t been over impressed with the Portland born singer (who I think is now based in Germany) or anything, but he’s just been doing very solid work and I thought that the notion of him having a new album was an excellent one and here it is! From the sound of it (the album is on Juno - have at it), that’s a quality which well carries over into his album which doesn’t actually follows the ‘script’ of being only a heavy Roots Reggae album. I hear some Dancehall and even some Soca involved in as well and I’m definitely looking forward to digging my teeth into this one - You should join me.

Potential Rating: 4.5/5
Releases on March 11
Digital (and likely CD)

“Heat” by Little Roy [Pharos Records]

'Heat'

I’ve never been a really big fan of veteran Little Roy’s over the years, but I’ve heard so many good things about his forthcoming release, ”Heat”, that I thought that it’d be a pretty good idea to let you know about it. The album comes courtesy of someone named Pharos Records that I don’t know that I’ve ever heard of, but is apparently out of the UK and they actually did his last album, ”Children of The Most High” (like I said, I’m not a fan). I’m enjoying what I’m hearing on the album clips hear and as I mentioned, I’ve heard so many nice things about this one that it actually seems amazing that it’ll be another month and a half before it releases, but I’ll be picking it up.

Potential Rating: 4.25/5
Releases on March 20
CD + Digital

The Nyabinghi Riddim [Bombrush Records]


'Terrible Stranger' by Sizzla Kalonji

Next we have the latest creation of Bay-C (from TOK) and his Bombrush Records imprint, the Nyahbinghi Riddim which dropped in sometime last year and has now made its way to album form. As the riddim’s name would suggest, this is definitely a Roots heavy riddim which is centered around a Nyah drum set. So, intelligently so, Bay-C two masters of such compositions, Sizzla Kalonji and Tarrus Riley (whose ‘Shaka Zulu Pickney is MASSIVE) and they’re joined by the likes of Konshens, Christopher Martin, Shane-O and Bombrush’s own Sleepy Hallowtips.

Potential Rating: 4.25/5
Releases Tomorrow
Digital

“Journey” by Qshan Dia [J&D Records]


'Too Late'

Yes - I’m writing a ’coming soon’ post for an album which is a decade old, but it’s a good one and it’s also one which effectively checked out of circulation maybe half that time ago, but it’s coming back. Vincy born baritone voice sweet singing Qshan Dia should be a much bigger name than he is today, but thankfully his career seems to be getting in gear these days almost ten years after he dropped his debut and only album to date, ”Journey” for J&D. Well, making wonderful timing, the album, which is nearly impossible to find in CD form these days has been brought back (by VP Records, I believe) and is going digital. It wasn’t GREAT or EARTHSHAKING (and certainly not breathtaking), but it was very good music (my personal favourite (which I knew on site) was ’God’s Identification’) (also loved ’Too Late) and here’s another opportunity to take a listen and check Yami Bolo and Richie Spice making guest stops.

Releases on February 15
Extremely hard-to-find CD + Digital

“Changes” [EP] by Gentleman [VP Records]

I thought that I’d mention Gentleman’s new EP release, ”Changes”, not based on the EP itself, of course, but more based on what it means. In advance of big new releases, sometimes VP Records puts out a digital EP (Etana is apparently so big that she got two) (more on her tomorrow) and that’s obviously what’s going on here as well as this piece was presumably dropped in advance of the full-on album from Gentleman, 2010‘s ”Diversity”, finally being given a full wide ranging release by VP. Stay tuned.

Releases on February 22
Digital

“Genesis” by Maikal X [VP Records]

You can pretty much see what I just wrote about ”Changes” and apply it to this case as well because after a year or so of being stuck in Holland and only on Dutch iTunes, Maikal X’s debut album, the impressive ”Genesis” is finally given a worldwide release date by . . . VP Records. This isn’t very surprising as in 2008 Greensleeves picked up the worldwide release for Ziggi’s outstanding sophomore effort, ”In Transit” and, of course, that album, just like this one comes courtesy of Rock ‘N Vibes Entertainment.

See Review
Releases on February 15
CD + Digital

‘Keep The Joy’ [single] featuring Anthony B by Smiley [Love & Unity Music]

And lastly (after writing my ass off) - Coming soon this week is Achis Reggae favourite Smiley who taps another outstanding Jamaican chanter (after Junior Kelly), the about to be talked about Anthony B for his latest single, ‘Keep The Joy’. This damn song had me VEXED for the better part of about three days or so because I KNEW I’d known that riddim from somewhere and you’ll never guess where it caught on. I had this big sounding voice in my head and I couldn’t quite put my finger on whose it was, but I got it into my head that it was Mark Wonder and it was! I had the lyrics wrong (I was thinking, “oh Mama, don’t cry”) for the tune which turned out to be ‘Don’t Cry’, which of course . . . Features Anthony B! The Al.Ta.Fa.An. Produced song exists on the chanter’s MASSIVE ”My Hope” album, the ”Mark Wonder & Friends” set and two of the singer’s previously released tunes as well (and of course I wanted to know the name of the riddim and I knew that ”My Hope” had such information printed within its case, so I dug it up) (that’s what happens behind the scenes here at Achis Reggae people! Top notch research in a shoebox!) (and the riddim’s name is the Strength). Anyway, that goes to show what a truly small world it is and this one sounds like a big tune, looking forward to hearing it.

Potential Rating: 4/5
Releases on February 18
Digital

- In Stores Now -

“Rasta Love” by Anthony B [Born Fire Music]


'Love Is The Answer'

Okay so, ANTHONY B HAS A NEW ALBUM. It’s the same album (it even has the same title) of the release which was supposedly coming out on VP Records in 2009, but as it turns out, ”Rasta Love” becomes the direct followup to ”Life Over Death” from 2008 - On his own Born Fire Music label. Okay, so I recognize a few of the tunes on this album but not too many, so I won’t even try to go on about it a great deal, but I will tell you that it features combinations with the likes of Peter Tosh, Ky-Mani Marley, Gyptian and even George Nooks so yeah, it’s a big deal and get it before we do and tell me how it is. I do have a bit of a feeling about this one, but I’ll save that - right or wrong - for my review which is almost guaranteed to come later this month.

CD [Hopefully Digital]

{Note: Upon further research (I.e. actually looking at the tracklist) I do know quite a bit of the songs on this album, but I’ll keep my feelings to myself until I hear it full on}

‘Nature’ [single] by Tarrus Riley & Prince Koloni [Transportation Label]

I figured that I’d actually make it ‘official’ because I’ve been mentioning it a lot lately - Jamaican star Tarrus Riley links with Prince Koloni from out of Suriname to make a big single which is currently combusting all over the globe, ‘Nature’. The tune is receiving a very nice push and is now available for your digital consumption and hopefully it’ll lead to something pretty big (for Koloni, of course) like an album, which is reportedly on its way in 2011.

Digital

‘In Love With Me’ [single] by Blazer Dan [Freezeland Entertainment]

Biggup Blazer Dan who may actually have a full length album dropping this year, but until then, Freezeland Entertainment (from out of Canada, I believe), are releasing a single for the singer which comes in a very nice Lover’s Rock old school style, ‘In Love With Me’. It’s a bit different than what I’m used to hearing from Blazer (that type of stuff is next), but it’s a very nice song and we wished he may’ve gotten the chance to do more of it - If you do not know, Blazer Dan was killed last October in his native Trinidad.

Digital

The Pitch Bend Riddim [Jusshane Productions]


'Deuces' by Ms. Alysha

And lastly, I always try to make it a point to mention Soca releases and this week we have a digital release of a very nice piece, the Pitch Bend Riddim from Jusshane Productions. It’s a very ‘formal’ production obviously as the three artists voiced are Mr. Raymond, Mista Vybe and lyrics machine Ms. Alysha! So check it out, not too heavy on the jump and wave, but cool cool Soca indeed.

Digital