Spreding the Dub

West Palm Beach is a small microcosm of old wealth residing on the beach somewhere in between Disney land and South Beach.  The demographic here is an odd mashing of college students, migrant workers and rich Jews from N.Y. escaping the cold.  As a transplant here myself from the great North East, I sometimes miss the piss infested, smoke filled, ultra small venues of the streets of New York.  More often than not, these longings for a street culture are outshined by the sun and sea.  One aspect that I have learned to love here are the real residents of Florida, my local peers and their music taste.  When I first arrived here three years ago I knew nothing of reggae, maybe some Sublime here, a little Bob Marley there…the genre of music never really had any application in my life, but now it’s thoroughly enjoyable. 

Artists such as Slightly Stoopid, Pepper, Rebelution, Damien Marley, Collie Budz, and the Expendables, all frequent this area in response to a wide fan base and easy going lifestyle.   Most recently Damien Marley was here at Cruzan Ampitheater with Nas promoting his new album called Distant Relatives.  The album is decent, the instrumentals can kind of get sleepy but the vocals can slap you awake if need be.  (Sorry for the supreme lack of underground-ness in my choices)

Key Song: Na Mean

Slightly Stoopid is always great with their slow jams and unintelligible lyrics, leave it to this band to get a party in slow motion and head swaying. 

Key Song: Wiseman

Finally, the most recent favorite and yes I know that my discovery of these guys is about four years too late, Rebelution

Key song: Safe and Sound

All of these songs are a great listen for cooling it on the beach, sipping a corona, reminiscing about old times, and wishing you were at North Shore or New Port Beach.  Some of my best memories here are of seeing Pepper and the Expendables, who bless us with their punk/reggae at least once a year.  Either way this music has found its way into my ears and heart, and will always remind me of my time here in SoFlo…if I ever leave that is. 

Special thanks to a local artist, Spread the Dub, who plays every Thursday at Reef Road.  I watched these guys play at a friend, Reed’s house party.  Some definite skills, played some sublime covers to please the crowd and some original content as well.  My only gribe was that we had to turn off the tunes by midnight in order to not all be arrested. 

Check them out here.