“... And the Battle Begun”
By Barry L., Hemet, CA
When people ask what my favorite CD is, my answer depends on the day, my mood, or what is hot at the time. Well, now things are a little different. A friend recommended a relatively new disk by the RX Bandits, a popular Seal Beach-based ska band, and I was stunned at how musical a ska band could sound.
There really aren’t enough words to describe the different and pleasing sound that this southern California “hippy” group is able to create. One of the highlights is lead vocalist Matthew Embree. He is one of the better male vocalists in the business today, and to think that the ska genre was able to snag such a star is truly amazing.
Another great aspect of this album and band is the keyboards. Steve Choi plays an original Rhodes electric piano in a few of the tracks for a sound not usually heard in modern music, especially ska.
And last, but certainly not least, is the sense of randomness in the group’s music. So often, you seem to know what is coming next in a song even if you’ve never heard it before, but the RX Bandits really go out of their way to make a unique sound to enjoy. If you are a music junkie, then this is absolutely a must-have album, hands down. .
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