STICK FIGURE 'SET IN STONE' REVIEW

New Album Drops Friday, November 13

Tour starts January 14, 2016 in Sacramento

The inherently talented Stick Figure returns with an absolute scorcher of a record! Set In Stone is aptly titled as it permanently etches 'Stick Figure' on the figurative stone tablets listing only high-quality roots reggae. Stick Figure showcases the talents of multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Woodruff. His music has a unique style that creatively blends upbeat roots reggae with the reverberating echoes of dub.
Three years in the making and over 1 hour in length, Set In Stone begins with "Fire on the Horizon", a tune that could easily double as the opening jam for their upcoming tour. You simply get lost in the intro. The riddim is smooth, slow and hypnotic with a perfectly placed guitar twang throughout and a 'jam-for-10-minutes-if-you-want' guitar solo to close the track.
"In This Love" bubbles with a positive vibe and infectious beat with lyrics to match. "Sound of the Sea" is a classic! Booming, one-drop drum and bass amidst a tale of longing for the past. "I want to go...I want to feel the way I did...I want to go back to the way it was." Then it switches. The riddim breaks down and with that the listener is told "just a little bit longer. The music's making us stronger." Nice outro to one the gems of the record!
Set In Stone also features some serious collaborative talent. Rebelution's Eric Rachmany guests on "Mind Block", a solid tune laced with a twinge of Aswad's 'Dub Fire'. Slightly Stoopid partners on the upbeat groove "Choice Is Yours" and the infamous Collie Buddz lends his skill on the track "Smokin' Love".
 The echoes, reverb and other sound effects are ever-present, yet never over done. Subtly immaculate. "Out The Door", "Shadow" and "Weary Eyes" are perfect examples.

Woodruff with Stick Figure's current lineup of  Kevin Bong (Keyboards), Kevin Offitzer (Drums) and Tommy Suliman (Bass).

"Sentenced" incorporates a haunting organ riff set a top a pulsating, simple drum and bass that perfectly compliments the sad story being told. The piano adds a gentle sense of elegance to a tune describing the hardship and heartache of being "sentenced, living in detention" for shooting a man dead. Big tune dat!! 
The delivery and simple, yet poignant lyrics on "Sunshine and Rain", "One of Those Days" and "All My Love" shows that Stick Figure has developed an understanding of what reggae music is all about. Words are important but the message of a song can be completely lost if there's too many lyrics packed in a verse or chorus. These tunes are layered but at the same time simple and catchy.
"Smiles on Faces" featuring K.BONG is a wonderful conclusion to an album that you don't want to end. It's a unique track with a sort of Death Cab for Cutie meets Modern Roots Reggae feel. The riddim is lively and the message is positive with Woodruff and K.Bong alternating verses seamlessly. For the song to include the King Yellowman classic lyric "if all the girls in the world we're living across the sea, what a wonderful swimmer, yes you know that I would be" makes it even more lovable!! Boom Tune!.... Driver Pull up dat!
Set In Stone is arguably Stick Figure's finest album to date. The musicianship, as usual, is first-rate and near perfection. That being said, this record really takes things to a level that even Stick Figure had yet to reach. Wooddruff's attention to detail when crafting a song is extraordinary. Every sound is crisp, clean and superbly placed in a seemingly effortless way. Top to bottom 'Set In Stone' should be counted as one of the best Reggae records of 2015/16. Stick Figure just keeps getting better with every album. Crucial!

Track Listing:
1. Fire on the Horizon
2. In This Love
3. Sound of the Sea
4. Choice is Yours feat. Slightly Stoopid
5. Mind Block feat. Eric Rachmany
6. Sentenced
7. Out the Door
8. Weary Eyes
9. Smokin' Love feat. Collie Buddz
10. Shadow
11. One of Those Days
12. All My Love
13. Sunshine and Rain
14. Smiles on Faces feat. KBong

RAGING FYAH SIGNS TO DUB ROCKERS (VP)

Billboard Announces Details on the Jamaican Band's Multi-Album Venture with VP Records' New Imprint

"...most promising acts...their revolutionary spirit evoking the late Peter Tosh or Steel Pulse circa the late 1970s"  - Billboard

Raging Fyah, one of Jamaica's leading roots rock bands of this generation, signs to Dub Rockers, the newest imprint from the world's largest reggae distributor VP Records. The five-piece collective, hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, will release multiple albums on Dub Rockers, which will include publishing and merchandise rights. Their first studio album with label is slated for 2016.

Throughout November, Raging Fyah will tour California - performing in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles. Then, they head east for their New York City showcase on the 24th. See full tour schedule below.

This week, Billboard announces the full details on their signing here.

The band releases an official statement about the news. "Many have compared our sound to the feel good reggae in the 1970s when it was all about the groove of the music, so signing with Dub Rockers/VP Records is like a match made in heaven being that they are known to be 'miles ahead in reggae.' With their experience in promoting reggae music from that time until now, we feel we are good hands."

"Raging Fyah breeds a progressive sound while staying true to real roots reggae.  You know it is made from the heart and can feel the positive energy they bring. It's undeniable. This type of authenticity is rare and we are excited to help spread the word worldwide," states VP Records President Chris Chin.

This summer (prior to Raging Fyah's signing), VP Records' distribution arm VPAL reissued their first two albums Judgement Day (2011) and Destiny (2014) to get music enthusiasts acquainted with their soul-filled sound that has been making waves in the latest reggae renaissance.

Raging Fyah consists of Kumar Bent (lead singer), Courtland White (guitarist) Anthony Watson
(drummer), Demar Gayle (keyboardist) and Delroy Hamilton (bassist). Some of the members met at Edna Manley College of Visual & Performing Arts in Kingston, but the band itself didn't form until 2006. Inspired by the likes The Wailers, Third World, Steel Pulse and Aswad, Raging Fyah tackles similar topics of socio-economics and politics with an underlying message of hope and inspiration. Fueled by passion, purpose and life experiences, their lyrics touch and motivate people from all walks of life and their lush lively instrumentation soothes the soul. Their vintage sound coupled with a fresh contemporary flare gives them a particular edge over their predecessors.

Since their debut, their infectious vibes have been spreading like wildfire. The band has already made a name for themselves in their native country playing large stage shows such as as Reggae Sumfest, Rebel Salute and Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival. They have also developed a devoted following internationally, after performing on South American stages as well as headlining major European reggae festivals (Summerjam, Rototom Sunsplash and Garance). This spring and summer, Raging Fyah has been touring Europe non-stop - performing at both intimate venues and large-scale festivals throughout France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany Poland, Austria, Belgium, New Caledonia and more. They are steadily capturing the hearts of North American listeners too, earning highly-coveted performances at annual concerts like Sierra Nevada Reggae Festival in 2014. More U.S. dates will be announced for the rest of the year and 2016.

U.S. Tour Dates:
Nov. 18 (Wed) in Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe's Alley
Nov. 19 (Thu) in San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco State University
Nov. 20 (Fri) in Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
Nov. 22 (Sun) in Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
Nov. 24 (Tue) in New York, NY @ Milk River

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