SHOK WAVE is your weekly new REGGAE music. SHOK WAVE finds music that is out there in the form of Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, Ska, Dub, Reggae Rock & anything else musical with a Caribbean origin and in any language.
Here is what we found this week.......Enjoy!
REGGAE
Fortunate Youth "Love For The Music"
Fortunate Youth is slowly and surely becoming one of Americas best reggae bands. There was a time when this band was in disarray. No lead singer and the bands future was uncertain. The band has always maintained good vibes and no egos as stated in the albums first song 'CA Vibes.' It has never changed and consistency is key in life. 'What A Dream' describes their gratitude and how they are now traveling the world doing music.. They are no longer just a Cali band. The album is named '"Love For The Music" for good reason. They love what they do and it clearly shows. The album opens with the single & video 'CA Vibes.' 'Tell Me' shows a musically different side of the Youth by being a modern day ol' time ska tune. Dan Kelly never seems like a person that wants to be alone. In this song he just wants to dance the night away with love. You are going to love the New Orleans style Jazzy horns, too. Nothing but 'Good Lovin.' So by now you should be feeling good. It's that time of year for us it's a 'Hot Hot Summer,' one of the hotter ones in recent memory hitting a 121 degrees in Florida. Love the video it's basically a surf video of Hawaii's North Shore. 'Baby Don't Go' is another love song and not the norm for the boys of Fortune. Dan sings 'I've been watching you, you've been talking without talking at all. We could use a little bit of dancing, romancing.' Do not miss their interlude 'DM Interlude,' especially if you are a lover of music. It's an instrumental that has a jazzy feel. We love that reggae vibe mixed with more instrumentation. 'Never Gonna Fall' has a third new musical dimension we do not typically hear, which is dub. This is a much dubbier tune. We do not recall a dub tune from this band. Musical expression is running rampid at the Fortunate Youth house and we love it. ' Life is just a melody....it's just a beat to my feet...music it yea, something about the music ...it's got me moving....' We hear you and we feel you and this is the frequency we want to be on because 'Music Is Key.' Never heard this song before and it struck with the very first words. Wait we thought the song was over and the lyrics struck again. You ready for this.....' Life is a wave in the ocean and I can't wait to jump in I'm going down to hear that sound, I can't wait to jump in, going down to hit that sound, looking out at the sea.' This really speaks to us. Our two favorite loves in life, outside of family are the music & the ocean so thank you. This really spoke to us. We are going to end it there, even though there's one more song. For us, it can't get any better than this. Even without listening to the last song, I can honestly say, every song on this album is at least, a good song 4.5 stars out of 5 and we don't give out 5's.
Kristine Alicia "Love Manifesto"
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Kristine Alicia releases her deeply personal and emotionally resonant album, Love Manifesto, a powerful exploration of love in all its forms—romantic, self-reflective, vulnerable, and triumphant. Love Manifesto began as a personal experiment—a musical journal born from Kristine's own dating experiences. What started as a private exercise in emotional processing evolved into a sonically rich, relatable body of work. “I wanted the goal of this expression through song to first help me look within at my own ways of handling relationships,” Kristine shares. “And in doing so, help others feel connected and free to embrace the vulnerabilities and emotions of love. ”Each track chronicles a chapter in this honest exploration—from the bold vulnerability of “Energy” and “Kingman”, to the flirtatious charm of “Lollipop”. The raw ache in “Miss You”, the unwavering devotion in “Soldier of Love”, and the empowering self-realization in “I Am” guide listeners through the emotional landscape of what it truly means to love and be loved. With heartfelt lyrics, soulful melodies, and Kristine Alicia’s unmistakable vocal clarity, Love Manifesto is more than an album—it’s an invitation. An invitation to reflect, to feel, and ultimately, to recognize that the most powerful love begins within. It also shows Kristine digging deep into her self and exploiting her talent that shines very bright on "Love Manifesto.' Her voice has matured yet there is still room to grow. Her melodies have become stronger and her lyrics & songwriting have gone deeper to present the best representation of her musical side to date. It is an exciting time for Kristine Alicia and we as music lovers get to experience good reggae music of love.
Various Artists "Red Fyah Riddim"
This one caught us. It took us until now to realize this was a riddim after hearing several of these songs separately like the bad tune from Stalk Ashley 'Love Is All We Need.' Or the first tune has a vibe Nasri & Shenseea. We love Shenseea, it was Nasri that got us. 'I'll Be Fire' was the first tune we heard on the riddim and it's the first one on this mix. Then there's the ever consistent Romain Virgo with 'Two Faced.' We were really surprised by Vanessa Bling. We know her as an artist. This tune has to be her best ever reggae tune called 'You Are The One.' Other good tunes are Alaine 'Answer,' Monifa 'Empty Words' and Sirhyn 'Love Yourself.'
SOCA
Various Artists "To The Island Riddim"
Not exactly soca per se, you could call it soca with real Bahamian flavor. The songs go in order of the mix from best to good. 'She Running' starts it with Shine 242. Notice the 242, thats how you know it's from the Bahamas. Sounds like a crazy relationship. Maybe the girl likes another guy anyway let her run, even if she's got your heart. We think you will be better off. She's probably one of those that Karrington McKenzie is singing about. We all want one 'Sweet Ting.' This is what happens when you get 'Caught Up,' as told/sung by Zahira Bahamas. All this mix up is a result of her/him pulling one over. In other words , in this case, 'She Trick Me.' by Jammin Rahming.
WORTH A LISTEN
Black Pearl Livingston "Your Richness Is Life"
We do not say much with selections under 'Worth A Listen' because we want our readers & listeners to make their own conclusion on the music under this section of our blog. We will say that Black Pearl is the sister of Bunny Wailer & Bob Marley. At the age of 62, this is her debut album.
Pepper 'Generator (Bad Religion cover)
Little Stranger 'Brain Stew (Green Day cover)'
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