Ska and Reggae Spotlight: The Slackers “Have The Time”

The Slackers are a New York, NY-based reggae/rocksteady/ska band that started in the 1990s and have been going strong ever since.  “Have The Time” is the first song of theirs I’d heard, and I immediately fell in love.  I love the catchy rhythm and the rough, raw vocals.  I also love the fact that this band is brave enough to make a classic ska sound when classic ska has all but been forgotten by those who aren’t fans of it.  I could easily see this song being performed back in the heyday of Jamaican ska.  In fact, I’m wondering if it’s a cover, that’s how good it is.

I would like to do an ‘Overdue’ installment on The Slackers someday, because I’ve been a slacker myself in discovering this band.  Should have happened a long time ago.  Until then, here’s “Have The Time”: