| Available On March 3rd Through Pirates Press Records And March 24th Through Record Stores Comes In Two Different Variants New York City, NY — February 10, 2023 — Legendary reggae act THE SLACKERS have announced that their 1998 album, “The Question,” will be reissued via Pirates Press Records. The double LP, available in 12″ Black and 12″ Blue & Green ‘Galaxy’ vinyl, will be available on March 3rd on Pirates Press Records’ webstore and on March 24th in record stores around the world. This release is the latest chapter in the fruitful relationship between The Slackers & Pirates Press Records. With the reissue of “The Question” joining those of “Redlight,” “Wasted Days,” and “Live at Ernesto’s,” the band’s LP output from their explosive creative period between 1997-2000 – as well as the acclaimed 2006 LP “Peculiar” – are all back in print on vinyl for fans & collectors alike! The band has also issued their best-selling brand new LP “Don’t Let the Sunlight Fool Ya” via the label, alongside numerous 12″ and 7″ singles. “The Question” was originally released in 1998 on Hellcat Records and followed up their breakthrough, critically-acclaimed release “Redlight.” While “Redlight” put them squarely in the spotlight of the reggae and ska scenes of the late 90s, “The Question” undoubtedly reaffirmed that they were deserving of such recognition. CMJ’s Mark Woodlief proclaimed “The Question” was “…one of the brightest and most understated moments of the modern ska era.” The Slackers took no time in 2022 making up for two years of inactivity due to the pandemic. Last spring, the band released “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” which hit #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts. They coupled this with relentless touring and could’ve easily rest on this. Instead, they then released a two-song 12″ UV printed record called “New York Berlin / Tell Them No” which added two more tracks to their already massive catalog. In support of these new releases and reissues, the band will continue to travel the world including an already announced U.S. tour coupled with several European festival appearances.  Rolling Stone has hailed The Slackers as “THE legendary New York City ska band” and this is by no means hyperbole. Having formed in 1991, The Slackers released their debut album in 1996, “Better Late Than Never,” and then signing with Epitaph Records and releasing their breakthrough full-length, “Redlight,” in 1997. From there, the band traveled the world and began to develop a prolific audience through their fun and energetic shows. 14 full-lengths later, countless EPs, singles, and touring all around the world playing to thousands and thousands of fans from Tokyo, Japan to their hometown of New York City, The Slackers have remained the standard bearer for modern ska and reggae. Marc Wasserman, author of “Skaboom! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History,” says The Slackers’ “…songs are about real darkness, depression, anger, sadness and loneliness, and some of the political songs as well are pretty vibrant.” The New York Times dubbed the Slackers part of ‘the sound of New York,’ and The Slackers just keep at it, only improving with age and experience – writing better and better songs, and continuing to build and strengthen that global Slackers family. Washington Post has described the impact The Slackers have left on the ska scene: “The Slackers have become the elder statesmen in American ska music, setting the stage for a new generation of musicians and a thriving scene….they remain at the top of their game.” |
| Catch The Slackers on tour: 04/17/2023 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade 04/18/2023 – Charleston, SC – Tin Roof Alley 04/19/2023 – Charlotte, NC – Neighborhood Theatre 04/20/2023 – Blacksburg, VA – The Lyric 04/21/2023 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage 04/22/2023 – Croydon, PA – Broken Goblet Brewery 04/23/2023 – Pittsburgh, PA – Crafthouse 04/25/2023 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop 04/26/2023 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place 04/27/2023 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Opera House 04/28/2023 – Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – The Hub 04/30/2023 – Ithaca, NY – Deep Dive05/17/2023 – St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill 05/18/2023 – Kansas City, MO – Madrid Theatre 05/19/2023 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown 05/20/2023 – Denver, CO – TBA 05/21/2023 – Colorado – TBA 05/23/2023 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad 05/25/2023 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom 05/26/2023 – Flagstaff, AZ – Yucca North 05/27/2023 – Las Vegas, NV – Punk Rock Bowling 8/03/2023-8/05/2023 – Blackpool, UK – Rebellion Festival 08/08/2023-08/11/2023 – Tolmin, Slovenia – Punk Rock Holiday The Slackers are: Vic Ruggiero – vocals, organ Agent Jay – guitar Dave Hillyard – saxophone Glen Pine – trombone, vocals Marcus Geard – bass Ara Babajian – drums |
I have to start by telling you that I've been anticipating this release for quite some time and because I'm a fan, this may come across as a bit biased. For the unaware among us, Slackness is a collaborative project between Chris Murray and The Slackers. I'll have to admit I was taken a bit by surprise with Slackness. I wasn't sure what to expect, so let me tell you what I got. 12 great tracks of the heart and soul of ska. The recording offers up a smorgasboard of ska reggae and roots, some old and some new. Slackness starts with a great cover of "Janie Jones" and into a more traditional Chris sounding track that appears to be co-written with Dan Potthast of Mu330 fame. (admittedly I'm assuming here based on the writing credits.) The CD continues into a few remakes of older Chris songs with the added twist of being backed by The Slackers, one of the hardest working bands in ska today. I particularly enjoy "Rastaman Rock", a tuffed up version of the original. The tracks close with a ironically upbeat war protest song entitled, "Why We Go To War". I guess this is like the magical moment when someone got their peanut butter on someone else's chocolate. If you've ever wondered what Chris would sound like backed up by a full band of the caliber of the Slackers, give Slackness a whirl. Out now on Unstrictly Roots In closing, you can tell that Chris Murray is totally OG … Check that freakin' bling homie!