Dirty heads is a reggae–punk fushion band out of Huntington Beach, California, US formed in 1996. The founding members, MC, Jared “Dirty J” Watson and vocalist/guitarist, Dustin “Duddy B” Bushell met at a party in high school.
Bushell was in a punk band and had recorded some hip-hop demo tapes and the two started collaborating, recording in Bushells garage. They created their blend of pop-punk, reggae and hip-hop that was to see them through their recording career under the name “Dirty Head”, which was apparently the name they earned from their family members in their garage days.
Before long they had formed a full band with other members, percussionist Jon Olazabal, drummer Matt Ochoa, and bassist David Foral. They were scheduled to release their first album, “Any Port in a Storm” with Warner Brothers but decided they’d stick it to the big record label and went with EMG.
The first single, “Lay Me Down”, featuring Rome Ramirez from Sublime with Rome, got them a Number 1 slot on the Billboard Alternative Song Chart for 2010.
The rest of the album was a symposium of big wigs including Beatles sessioner and R&B multi-instrumentalist, Billy Preston, Vandals drummer, Josh Freese and reggae singer Tippa Irie.
Dirty Heads began to tour regularly, supporting the likes of Unwritten Law, 311 and Matisyahu.
After a recording hiatus, they put out “Cabin by the Sea”, which also hosted a bunch of cameos including Kymani Marley on “Your Love”, a reappearance of Rome Ramirez on “Mongo Push”, Matisyahu on “Dance All Night”, and hip-hop veteran and cameo machine Del the Funky Homosapien on “Smoke Rings”.
Their studio album, “Sound of Change”, debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Alternative Albums Chart, with the single “My Sweet Summer” drawing in a new electronic infusion to their rootsy reggae sound, resulting in a dolled-up dancehall number with a melancholic undercurrent, its chorus channeling some the jilted blues tracks of the 1960s, perhaps most recognizably Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”.
Lee Foss
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