(We have a guest writer in the house!  Gabe from Pressure Drop Soundcast and the Music Is Our Occupation Blog is giving us East Coasters info on what's poppin' out West.  Enjoy! --Michelle)

Throughout the year the West Coast of the U.S. has been a strong breeding ground for many of today's ska and reggae heavyweights.  Most people are familiar with these acts, but what's happening on the West Coast right now? Who are the up-and-comers to look out for?  Well there is plenty happening, and a strong pool of musicians with varied influences, dishing out some quality tunes.

Seattle, Washington
Seattle has been pretty prolific musically in past years. The last ska band that comes to mind from Seattle is Easy Big Fella and my brain stops there.  But in recent years the Georgetown Orbits have been sparked new life into the scene with their dynamic upbeat ska and reggae. They really pay homage to the roots, and man, do they know their music. Catch 'em live and you might here a blistering ska rendition of Booker T and The MG's "Green Onions". They might slow down the pace with a heavy roots-reggae number and vocalist Darryl Grandison

Northern California
The Bay Area is bubbling with a ska and reggae beat.  We know the great bands that have come outta here. It's like a mecca of musical richness and culture.  With ex-members of Monkey and Big Rigg, the Street Vendors have hit the Bay Area hard with some scorching shows alongside top acts like the Slackers and the Aggrolites.  From Sacramento, these guys draw on strong Jamaican ska influences. Their bass player Todd Bryan and drummer Brandon Riggen got experience like dirt, and their horn section will blow you away. Just check out some of their live music on  http://streetvendors.podomatic.com/. They tell me that they plan on recording an album in the future and will actually put out a CD with liner notes. Their live sets include covers of such classics as "I Won't Let You Go" by Blues Busters, "Mr. Chatterbox" by Bob Marley, or the Skatalites' "Latin Goes Ska". What a wide range!  Keep an eye on them.
Web site: thestreetvendors.net
MySpace: www.myspace.com/streetvendorsska

A few hour north of Sac, Boss 501 is causing a stir with their infectious blend of dub, ska, reggae, and rocksteady. Vocal/guitarist Esco Chris has started a monthly club with Boss 501 supporting both local and touring bands.  So far they have put on shows with Deal's Gone Bad, the Impalers, the Street Vendors, and several others.  These guys boast members of the Pedaltones and One Big Step. They just performed at this summer's  High Desert Ska Festival in Colorado and made quite the impression.  They also just released a self-titled CD and it's hotter than hot cakes! Like the great Jamaican recordings of the past, Esco Chris takes note by recording all music right in his living room, and mixing it all himself. Using these types of DIY methods, they really capture that Jamaican sound that set them apart. You gotta hear it to appreciate it.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/boss501

Southern California
After leaving the Aggrolites (notably his last show being in DC), J Bonner is going full force with his Jandisc Records project. They just put out a new 45 single "Bun A One" featuring vocalist Jah Faith and the heavyweight reggae sounds of the Black Emeralds. The band consists of varying musicians in cluding members of Hepcat, the Aggrolites, the Vessels, the Debonaires, and plenty more. Future plans include singles, 12" Discomix 45's, and most likely a full-length. "We've got tons of material that needs to be released. Right now I'm finalizing a deal with Heartbeat Records to issue a full-length of Jandisc material featuring top ranking Jamaican vocalists such as Lone Ranger, King Stitt, Dillinger, Trinity, the Viceroys, and plenty more. We are planning to voice the tracks at Studio One (Jamaica) which will be very exciting.  We just launched the web site JandiscRecords.com where you can buy our 45's." -J Bonner
MySpace: www.myspace.com/jandisc

All photos courtesy of their respective MySpace pages.