Natty Jean - Santa Yalla (Manjul Music/Baco Music Records/Socadisc)
It had been quite a while since we saw some new talent emerge from the stables of Manjul (see also Bishob, Takana Zion), but now there's Natty Jean's 'Santa Yalla' ("thank god").
Malijah - Dancin’ Shoes (Reggaeland Records)
We'd preferred to have been able to tell our friends of Reggaeland Records otherwise, but Malijah's 'Dancin' Shoes' didn't really tickle our fancy.
Dub Colossus - Dub Me Tender Vol. 1 + 2 (Real World Records)
Yours truly was already a big fan of Dub Colossus, but with 'Dub Me Tender Vol.
Edzayawa - Projection One (Soundway Records)
One of the many bands Fela Kuti took under his wing in his African Shrine during the early nineteen seventies (see also Hedzoleh Soundz) was Ghanaian Edzayawa, an afro-rock band influenced by the rhythms of the Ewe from Southeast Ghana and Western Togo.
Doctor L - The Great Depression (Dizzyness Music)
For conceptual artist and musician Liam Farrell aka Doctor L the photos and videos he makes, are just as important as the music on 'The Great Depression' (the first part of what eventually should become a triptych).
Various Artists - Jah Golden Throne (Zion High Productions)
Not all that long ago we were still bombarded with roots compilations like 'Jah Golden Throne'.
Tarrus Riley - Mecoustic (Soulbeats Records)
As the title indicates, 'Mecoustic' is not really a "new" Tarrus Riley album, but a collection of his hits, which for the occasion were given an acoustic twist.
Buadee - Life Journey (Lipstick Notes Records/Pias)
The veterans in the Belgian reggae scene will still remember Buadee from his time with The Skyblasters, the slightly younger generation may know him from Buadee & The Walkers and a whole new generation can now discover him through his new album 'Life Journey'.
Budzillus - Auf Gedeih Und Verderb (Munk Munka Records/Rough Trade Records)
Berlin based Budzillus is one of these bands that are difficult to categorize.
Clinton Fearon - Heart And Soul (Chapter Two Records/Wagram)
With 'Heart And Soul' Clinton Fearon recorded a sequel to his most popular album, the acoustic 'Mi An' Mi Guitar' from 2005.
Groundation - Building An Ark (Soulbeats Records)
What's left to say about yet another Groundation album? The Californians definitely don't need yours truly's recommendation any longer, but we'd still like to point out a few differences between 'Building An Ark' and previous Groundation albums if we may.
Prince Fatty & The Mutant Hifi - Return Of Gringo (Mr Bongo)
Prince Fatty (Mike Pelanconi) and The Mutant Hifi (Nick Coplowe, the former right hand of On-U Sound chief Adrian Sherwood) define 'Return Of Gringo' as a "surf/ska/spaghetti western soundtrack album for a movie that is yet to be made" and how could a description like that not attract our attention? Name-wise the western genre has always been closely intertwined with reggae, but Prince Fatty and The Mutant Hifi even go a step further: 'Return Of Gringo' sounds as if Ennio Morricone went to record one of his spaghetti western soundtracks in a studio in Kingston.
Singing Melody - They Call Me Mr. Melody (VP Records/Fat Eyes)
Fans of Singing Melody remained dissatisfied, because it had been a decade since the former L.
The Klezmatics - Tuml = Lebn: The Best Of The First 20 Years (Piranha) & Live At Town Hall (Soundbrush Records) + Amsterdam Klezmer Orchestra - Mokum (Essay Recordings)
In the slipstream of the Balkan-hype, klezmer, the in origin instrumental music of the Yiddish speaking Jews from Eastern Europe, has also become ever more popular.
Balkan Beat Box - Give (Crammed Discs)
For 'Give', Balkan Beat Box went back-to-basics.
Jah6 - Jah6 (Top-Notch Music/Universal)
Yours truly is a big fan of Jah6 and, after the release of their debut EP last year, looked forward with anticipation to their first album.
Sens Unique - Envie EP (Self-published)
Sens Unique is a Belgian quintet playing what they themselves describe as "world folk rock à la française", a description yours truly can agree with as the five tracks on their 'Envie' EP contain traces of folk, rock ('Moi-Même'), French chanson, tango ('La Bête Est Là') and even a bit of reggae ('Je Me Plains').
Jah Sun - Battle The Dragon (Special Delivery Music)
Dragon slayer Jah Sun hails from Humbolt County in California and backed by the Redemption Band produced the excellent 'Battle The Dragon'.
I-Octane - Crying To The Nation (VP Records)
In all honesty we have to admit we had a hard time getting through I-Octane's album debut in one take; only with the greatest difficulty, a degree of tone deafness and a great fondness for the preconceived MTV r&b made popular by artists like Rihanna, could one classify 'Crying To The Nation' as being a reggae album.
Various Artists - Live At The Turntable Club (17 North Parade/VP Records)
Bit of a rarity, this 'Live At The Turntable Club', because even though this album barely lasts 36 minutes, this 1974 live recording is apparently the first ever live album to come out of Jamaica.