John Browns Body

John Brown's Body is an eight-person modern reggae group. As of January 2006, they have released five studio albums and toured across the U.S. for nine years. Their music has been described by the New York Daily News as "more Massive Attack than Marley", and "reverant and revolutionary at the same time", a nod to their futuristic take on reggae music and their ability to put a unique twist on this music. The group has been called America's best and most original reggae band, and continues to play almost exclusively original material. Read more on Last.fm …read full bio

John Brown's Body is an eight-person modern reggae group. As of January 2006, they have released five studio albums and toured across the U.S. for nine years. Their music has been described by the New York Daily News as "more Massive Attack than Marley", and "reverant and revolutionary at the same time", a nod to their futuristic take on reggae music and their ability to put a unique twist on this music. The group has been called America's best and most original reggae band, and continues to play almost exclusively original material. They have performed with a variety of groups over the years, including Dave Matthews Band, Ozomatli, Broken Social Scene, and Jurassic 5, in addition to headlining across the nation at the theater level. They were awarded "Best World Music Act" at the 2001 Boston Music Awards, and "Best Live Act" the next year. As a result of the loss of bassist Scott Palmer from cancer, John Brown's Body went under some dramatic line-up changes during the Summer of 2006. Kevin Kinsella (Vocals and Rhythm Guitar, considered by some to be the Godfather of John Brown's Body) has formally left the band on good terms alongside hornsmen Dan Delacruz and Chris "C-Money" Welter. The band is now led by futureroots pioneers Elliot Martin (Vocals) and Tommy Benedetti (Drums). John Brown's Body is in the midst of its tenth year of performing, supporting its latest studio album, Pressure Points (Easy Star Records). The seven-member group (from Ithaca, NY and Boston) has developed a strong reputation for it's originality and superb, energetic live show during its ten-year career. The trademark JBB sound evolved out of the early 90's rock and reggae outfit Tribulations, and developed into a 21st century band founded on torque heavy drum and bass, four part vocal harmony, and a horn section. JBB's sound has also sprung from its attention to songwriting and arranging. The bands two lead singers, Kevin Kinsella and Elliot Martin, point to diverse influences from Johnny Cash and Sam Cooke to Massive Attack and 311. "I grew up in small town America, upstate New York, and we were listening to a healthy dose of Motown, Americana and singer-songwriters. As a guitarist and singer, I construct my tunes on the porch, work out the changes and melody and then later add the rhythm section," says Kinsella. On the other hand, Martin's style is born out of his home studio in New York, where he takes a different approach to building a tune. "To me, the drum and bass form the seed. That's where I start. Then I layer in the other parts I want, but only once the drum and bass are solid. "These two diverse approaches to songwriting have provided JBB with an extensive play list of original songs over the years. Pressure Points has spent nearly every week on Billboard's Reggae Chart since being released the last week of April 2005. The Beat wrote: "Confident and humble, edgy and easygoing, Pressure Points is a brilliantly realized step forward for John Brown's Body, for American reggae and for reggae in general." The band has drawn respect and admiration across the music world, sharing the stage with the likes of Jurassic 5, The Dave Matthews Band, and Broken Social Scene as evidence of their universal appeal. The Village Voice called them "the most authentic purveyors of "Truth and Rights' music around" earlier this year. After self-releasing their first album on ITown Records, they were subsequently signed to Shanachie Records and released three albums (Among Them, This Day, and Spirits All Around Us). The Boston Herald called them "one of the world's best roots-style reggae bands" after the release of This Day (2000). This led to an appearance at the Bob Marley Day Festival in Miami, FL., alongside Lauryn Hill and others. In the following years, the band has played many of the major U.S. Festivals and performed an average of over 100 shows a year for the past 8 years. In the past year, they completed a wildly successful tour of Hawaii and were featured on the USA SurfRoots Compilation, alongside Damian Marley, Long Beach Short Bus, and Michael Franti. So far in 2006, the band has toured nationwide with Slightly Stoopid and also were invited to perform on the Dave Matthews and Friends Cruise to the Bahamas. Over the course of a handful of albums, John Brown's Body has gotten tons of props for its approach to reggae. Far from being some Bob Marley cover band that plays reggae night at a Daytona Beach bar, the Boston/Ithaca, NY-based band fuses socially conscious lyrics with a vintage roots sound epitomized in the use of B3 organ, a horn section, great harmony vocals and a general warm analog production sound that recalls reggae's 1970s heyday. The eight-piece band's first album for the great Easy Star label sticks with that sound while also tastefully updating it with a bit more pop melody carried on the vocals, particularly on "Blazing Love" and "Make It Easy." Those looking for something more rootsy among the dozen songs should get what they need from "What We Gonna Do?" or the chugging "Resonate." Some question the band's origins in the Northeast (and not Jamaica), but there is no roots reggae band out there better than JBB. -- Tad Hendrickson "Of all the stateside roots-rock reggae at it's best, this NY State-based outfit beams that mystic vibe best." - The Village Voice " With each new release John Brown's Body takes on an identity all their own and Spirits All Around Us is their most focused statement to date." - The Beat "John Brown's body is frequently lauded as the best American reggae band. I haven't heard a better one, and, in their style, you'd be hard pressed to find much better in the islands, either. They may sing about "picking up a good vibe" themselves, but they offer plenty of the same to all who will listen." - Cosmik Debris : - By Shuan Dale - December 2002 "The most solid dub to be found today, "Spirits All Around Us" sizzles with energy but shows great pace. The band is from Boston but make no mistake, this is a roots reggae band at its finest." - Front Porch : Fredericksburg, VA - By Jeremy Sutton - August 2002 "They are one of the best bands I have heard in a long time because they play authentic, soulful roots-reggae that has an addictive rhythm and fabulous musicianship." - Relix : - By Brad Weiner - October 2002 "America has produced some fine home-grown reggae bands and John Brown's Body is one of the best." - The Beat : Los Angeles, CA - June-July 2002 "JBB might be the best reggae group of our time. They manage to be musically diverse within what is obviously a traditional reggae vibe." - Vail Daily : Vail, CO - by Wren Wertin - July 14, 2002 PRAISE FOR PRESSURE POINTS, THE NEW ALBUM FROM JOHN BROWN'S BODY: "Pressure Points is a remarkable statement of arrival by John Brown's Body. It's their strongest, most consistent effort to date." - Popmatters "Showcases the band's blend of roots fundamentals and global pop sensibility. JBB sometimes evokes The Police or 311, if the latter had mellowed and grown up a bit." - Relix "JBB has come of age, maturing into innovators building on the sturdy foundation laid down by Jamaican musicians of a generation ago." - Jahworks "If it is possible to be both reverent and revolutionary, JBB has found a way with their new album." - New York Daily News "The most authentic purveyors of 'truth and rights' music around." - The Village Voice Read more on Last.fm. 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…shrink me down again