
Following the release of their latest single 'Hard in The City' Flex caught up with Justus Lacewell, the singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist of Denver-based Reggae-Rock band Justus and The Limits to find out more about what goes into their eclectic sound. If you enjoy Justus' picks be sure to check out 'Hard in The City' at the end of the article.
1. Stephen Stills - So Many Times
"This is such a beautiful song from the Manassas days. The thickly layered harmony vocals are instantly recognizable as a Stephen Stills production and the recording fidelity is so crystal clear and lush. The acoustic guitar sounds absolutely amazing and the mandolin parts complement the intro guitar work so perfectly. The way Still’s voice has just the tiniest bit of fry during the second verse imparts an extra touch of raw lyrical emotion and the pedal steel guitar work on the solo is beyond powerfully lonesome. When I think of my current musical idols, Stills is up there at the top, both for his raw talent and vision as a songwriter but also as an incredible guitarist in his own right. I started writing reggae on the guitar when I first started writing music and it took me a long time to be able to write folk rock songs with the big shiny “cowboy chords”. Stills is a verifiable master of this."
2. Wailing Souls - Down On The Rocks
"I love the Wailing Souls. They are masters of roots reggae and are truly emblematic of that classic sound. Down On The Rocks has such joyous energy. The opening horn riff is jubilant and anthemic and immediately catches your attention. The saxophone solo is incredibly tasty with tons of embouchure control and the band in general is so LOCKED. I also really enjoy the mix. The compression on the snare makes it sound just the tiniest bit rubbery and delicious and the bass EQ is punchy but round making it sit in the mix perfectly. The happy go lucky energy is juxtaposed by masterfully delivered and sung lyrics that are so REAL and touching on the theme of abject poverty. Reggae is one of the few genres where a song can seem happy on the surface but be about something completely different and darker in mood if you really listen. Throw in multi-part backing vocals and a percussive style rhythm guitar and you have yourself a true classic of roots reggae."
3. Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne
"This is such a tune! This is one of the first things that really clued me into Steely Dan. Just the most funky clavichord driven feel you can imagine and the recording and mix are of the highest quality. The arrangement fits together like a watch and I particularly love the guitar solo because after it runs its course it lands on a little bridge progression plateau that is a fascinating and well written dynamic. The guitar’s tone itself is years before its time and is extremely overdriven but compressed to smoothness with sustain for miles..really tasty stuff. Steely Dan are complex both lyrically and arrangement wise and the music nerd in me loves all the little intricacies they inject into the music. Each song is it’s own being and they are all perfect little self contained vignettes of music. This song itself is a semi biographical ode to Owsley Stanley, the former Grateful Dead sound engineer that pioneered the Wall Of Sound PA system and the inspiration for their popular “dancing bear” logo."
4. Aretha Franklin - People Get Ready
"I will preface this by saying, I am a HUGE Curtis Mayfield fan. One night I was hanging out listening to music and decided to listen to every studio cover of People Get Ready that I could find to see which one was the best and I stumbled across Aretha’s. I don’t think I have ever heard anything this slow in tempo that has grabbed my attention quite like this. What incredible power her voice has! Just so personal and dripping with emotion that you almost get the sense she is in the room with you when you hear her start singing. The combination of the back up singers and horn section are unbelievably soothing and the buried Hammond organ combined with the extremely clean Pop Staples-style guitar riffing really flesh this tune out. In addition to all this, the arrangement features a full step key change up in the middle which I have a giant soft spot for. It puts an extra little shine on the final half of the song and is an arrangement tool I always am trying to work into my songs when I am writing. Rest In Power Aretha."
5. Steel Pulse - Find It…Quick
"Steel Pulse are their own thing completely within the reggae world. They are one of the groups that really raised my awareness of reggae arrangements and Find It…Quick has all the elements of a classic Steel Pulse song. The piano skank, guitar, and percussion carefully fit together but not on top of each other to create an effect similar to cogs and gears meshing. This all locks in so incredibly hard and creates a groove that is nearly overflowing with energy. Combine this with David Hinds’s incredible vocal control and tight but understated backing vocals and you have a reggae classic that is uniquely their sound. I have been very fortunate to have opened for them and they are just as tight of a band live. Incredible craftsmanship of the highest order."
Listen to 'Hard in The City'
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