Reggae mon!
 

So I've really started liking reggae recently.

It all started when I was living with roomates who were friends with some Hawaiian guys. We'd go up there and drink beers and (the other guys would) smoke weed while we listened to reggae.

I dunno if it's just the connection between relaxing beer drinking times while listening to reggae or what, but I just find the music relaxing.

I can be pretty pissed off but I'll plug in some reggae and I just calm down. It's wierd...

I'm no "reggae expert" but I like Bob Marley (only a few of his songs tho) and SOJA - Soldiers of Ja Army.

Who do you guys like? And additional reggae artists I ought to look up?

check out the 311 tour this summer, pepper is opening, then bob marley's original band the wailers, fricken ridiculous huh? then 311

www.311.com

look up peter tosh to start, ill add more as i sober up/ take a nap
hydroponics is also good

There is a group called Burning Spear that I like a lot.

Reggie Stepper, Toots and the Maytals, Barrington Levy are all good imo. All I listened to while playing GTA: San Andreas was K-Jah and they turned me on to some of those artists I just mentioned. Peter Tosh & Bob Marley are always good, I have a few of their albums.

definitely check out Bedouin Soundclash, they're the only "reggae" I really listen to and are so good

UB40, Elephant Man, any of the Marley brothers too. I like Damien and Stephen's stuff although Stephen Marley is a little less reggae more R&B, but hell, theyre related.

And if you want to listen to something not so good, go ahead; get a Sean Paul CD.

HA HA! Dude, I hate that guy, seriously. Well, he does have good beats, but I can't find any of his songs without the words in it. :p

check out Jacob Miller and Jimmy Cliff as well.

if you came to reggae a rock fan, you've gotta check out the clash's reggae stuff..........they were soooo good at it:

guns of brixton, armagideon time, white man in hammersmith palais, police & thieves, and revolution rock are all great cuts.

there is so much great reggae.
i would track down a compilation--"respect for studio one"
discovering studio one is like discovering another motown. they were that good.
most of the bands associated with more roots style reggae, and who blew up internationally on island (which remixed the music, taking down the bass and pushing up the guitars) were studio one bands: the wailers, burning spear, etc.

another great studio to check out is black ark, which was run by lee "scratch" perry--as well as perry's own dubbed out work.
start with the congos classic first album and go from there.

mad professor's ariwa records label is very good--its output is split between lovers rock and dub. much of the dub is great.

other dub producers: scientist, king tubby, niney the observer...

a friend recently turned me onto morgan heritage family--fine stuff as well in a more synth driven mode.

too much stuff....gregory issacs, culture, burning spear, abyssinians, prince far i, linton kwesi johnson, mutabaruka, steel pulse (older stuff especially---through "true democracy"), garnett silk, bunny wailer--the list is huge.

i would get anything you can find on blood and fire records (a great reggae/dub reissue label) and soul jazz (uk)--both are consistently excellent.

but as a starting point, locate a good studio one comp.
excellent stuff.

hey i knwo the feeling that you are talking about. i feel the same too when i listen to reggea, it just gets my grooves on at anytime, no matter what my mood is. P.S i have been listening to reggea ever since i started taking music seriously

most talented and innovative reggae talent is actually a child of marley...

damien marley has 3 incredible albums like nothing else.

Try Buju Banton or Hepcat.

Not so much reggae as trippy dub, I'd recommend Dreadzone - excellent stuff.

If you really want to get into reggae, be sure to approach its roots properly. Check out the ska movement for a bit (e.g. The Skatalites) because it along with jazz was a big influencer.

But if you just want to jump into it, be sure to approach Bob Marley at his heart: he was a rebel. His popularity is upheld by his love songs (of which he only did like 13 or so), but his core music is that of protest for human rights and equality. He tackled racism, poverty, and government strife. You can also trace his influence well into hip hop and the various punk movements. Punk itself was also influenced by ska and took up similar themes as Marley did.

If you are listening to Marley "properly," it shouldn't only be relaxing, it should also be inspiring.

Good stuff. I've always had a thing for reggae. Took a cruise to the Bahamas and all I remember is the music.