If you have a copy of the new Bigger Thomas CD 'Steal My Sound' (if you don't have a copy, you can download a pay-what you want copy here), you may have noticed that the liner notes were written by a certain Jason Lawless. I think its fair to say that Lawless may be one of the most passionate and exuberant advocates for ska and reggae here in the U.S. Based in Los Angeles, he manages the Dancing Mood suite of blogs and web sites. Now he's attempting to take what he does for the ska and reggae community to another level by spearheading an effort to launch the Reggae 69 Fan Club.
The Reggae 69 Fan Club is based on the model of the Columbia Record Club of the 70's and 80's with a twist. While the mission of the club is to release a limited edition collection of 7" vinyl records to celebrate the music of Jamaica and ska and skinhead youth sub-culture, the way you join and pay is unique. First, members join using Kickstarter.com, which is a web service that helps launch creative projects by letting its users state goals while raising funds. The best part of this innovative approach, is that prospective club members don't get charged unless the project actually launches.
So what do you get for joining? At a basic level, you'll receive the vinyl singles recorded by California ska and reggae bands like The Impalers, Revivers, Ocean 11, Roger Rivas, and The Bullets. Join and donate at a higher level and you will get all sorts of cool stuff like exclusive club badges, patched, a poster, t-shirt, etc. According to Lawless, “The Reggae 69 Fan Club needs your support though if it is to succeed. We’ve lined up some great bands who you know of already – bands that love and bleed for what they do everyday. We’d like to help get some new music out for them – the real vintage reggae lovers – for the DJ’s out there and the fans.” One of Reggae 69 Fan Club's first releases will be a double A side from the Irie Beats band of "lost" tracks produced by Brian "Boom Boom" Dixon of The Aggrolites. You can stream the track here.
Need a bit more information? Watch this video which further explains the idea and concept:
To make all of this happen, you the fans and music lovers need to pledge a total of $5,000 through the Kickstarter web site. While the club is well on its way to meeting its goal, the deadline to get in on this deal is this Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 11:00 pm (U.S. EDT). To get more information visit the Reggae 69 Fan Club web site where you can download a free copy of The Bullets 'Sun Drenched Witch'
To join the club visit the Reggae 69 Club Kickstarter.com page.
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