David Dye from World Cafe WXPN put together a piece on The Lions, Stones Throw's 12-man reggae crew, whose album This Generation drops in February. The 8-minute segment plays two tracks from the album. Stream or download via NPR.com
Download MP3 | "Next: The Lions" (World Cafe 1/21/13)
Stream | "Next: The Lions" (World Cafe 1/21/13)
In 2007, a dozen or so reggae and soul artists met in Los Angeles and eventually formed The Lions. Heavily inspired by the culture surrounding Jamaican music both old and new, the group is deeply rooted in soul, but also has a rough edge reminiscent of The Upsetters or The Rockers Band.
Members Deston Berry, Alex Désert and Malik Moore handle lead vocals, while Black Shakespeare produces the backing tracks. Guitarist Dan Ubick and bassist Dave Wilder also contribute, along with a mix of musicians who've played with Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul and Raphael Saadiq.
The band's latest album, This Generation, is set for release on Feb. 26. Hear two great tracks from the record in this installment of World Cafe: Next.
+ PRE ORDER: THE LIONS THIS GENERATION 45 BOX SET
+ STONES THROW PODCAST 77 BY THE LIONS
+ LA WEEKLY: THE LIONS GIVE ROOTS REGGAE NEW LIFE
