The Lord of the Rings films put New Zealand’s beauty and creative spirit on the pop culture map. Flight of the Conchords revealed New Zealand’s unique wit. Now reggae/funk sensations The Black Seeds — Conchord friends and former band mates — are ready to take listeners one step deeper into the Other Down Under, with infectious grooves, slamming brass, and booty shaking beats on the group’s first North American release, Solid Ground (Easy Star Records; Released exclusively on iTunes September 15; everywhere else September 29, 2009), and on their debut U.S. tour with John Brown’s Body this September. Produced by the band’s guitarist Mike Fabulous, the album oozes with The Black Seeds’ distinctive flavor – from the heavy-hitting, Karma-inspired “Slingshot” and darker reggae/dub-infused tracks like “Send a Message” and “The Bubble,” to infectious reggae gems like “Take Your Chances,” “Love Is A Radiation” and “Come To Me,” and the funk/soul filled “Rotten Apple” and “Afrophone.” The North American release adds two previously unreleased bonus tracks: the funky soul instrumental “Year Of The Pig” and a dub version of “Strugglers.” The iTunes release will have two additional exclusive bonus tracks: an acoustic version of “One Step At A Time,” which lays bare the songwriting prowess of the band, as well as a dub version of “Bulletproof.”Look for more info on pre-ordering this album through the Easy Star website in a few days.http://www.easystar.com/
