hotBreath music Review
G
eorgia-based ska band Lowdive makes a splash with its first album, a perfect companion for a warm summer night Here’s the thing about ska music, it never stopped being cool. Sure, ska, has enjoyed its highs and lows in the American music mainstream — bands like Sublime and No Doubt have given it commercial viability in the past that it might never reach again.
when you think you’ve got Lowdive figured out, they start shredding some guitar riffs or changing up their arrangements and you realize, there’s more to Lowdive than the typical ’90s-influenced ska band. Lowdive is at its best on songs such as “So Glad,” the album’s second track that is bright, catchy and bound to make listeners move. “Rum” is another standout. It’s breezy and would sound perfect in a Captain Morgan commercial. “Ska T P” cranks up the volume a bit, and shows Lowdive’s rock chops. Make no mistake, this is a good thing.
It’s Breezy And Would Sound Perfect In A Captain Morgan Commercial.
Charts aside, ska is viable at least every year. When the weather starts to get nicer, when the cold subsides for spring and summer, when people want to dance to a slanky groove, you can never go wrong with throwing on some ska jams.
Because ska has proven itself to be a timeless genre of party music, local music scenes across the country are full of capable musicians looking to cash in on weekend drunks who never stopped being fans of Sublime, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and the like. While channeling those bands and playing a reasonable cover of “Santeria” can get a band a good ovation on a Saturday night, that’s not Lowdive’s mission statement. And “Rude Girl” proves it. They’re making something original, fun and with a flavor all its own. ON THE WEB Get more info on Lowdive and hear their music at: • lowdivemusic.com • lowdive.bandcamp.com • facebook.com/Lowdivemusic
Ska is, at its essence, party music. It’s the soundtrack to a good time. Cracking open “Rude Girl,” the debut album from Lowdive, it’s pretty obvious this sextet is all about a good time too. It only takes listening to the first song — a ditty titled “Tumor,” a not-so-amusing subject that Lowdive turns fun — to make it clear that these guys are a blast. Because if you can entertain people with a song about a tumor, then you’re doing something right. Lowdive hails from Athens, Ga., and consists of Jay Rodgers, Tonka Green, Dede Giddens, Josh Perkins, Scotty Nicholson and Colin Hatmaker. They’re veterans of the Athens music scene who are also longtime friends. By honing in on the ska grooves of the ’90s, adding some reggae and rock elements, plus a few surprises, the band has managed to become a popular choice for music lovers within their hometown scene. But “Rude Girl” proves the band is capable of more than just making a bar-full of locals dance. The album is slick and diverse, with quality songwriting backed up by on-point musicianship. Lowdive is smart enough to mix punchy, uptempo ska songs with slower grooves every once in a while. And just
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