The Adjusters were an American

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

band from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, United States, active from 1995-2003. The band was known for its fusion of 1960s soul sounds with traditional ska & reggae as well as its progressive political views.

History

Formed in 1995 at the University of Chicago, the Adjusters first gained notoriety within the university community before releasing their first album on Chicago-based Jump Up! Records in 1997. The band was notable both for bringing a political message into their music as well as incorporating soul music into the predominantly ska-punk sounds of the midwest ska scene at the time. The Adjusters played many shows during this period (1997-1998) throughout the midwest and east coast, most numerously with Detroit-based ska-jazz band The Articles and NYC-based

The Slackers The Slackers are an American ska band, formed in Manhattan, New York in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers' notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of Nort ...

. The Adjusters' second album "Before The Revolution" was released on

Moon Ska Records Moon Ska Records was one of the most influential ska record labels of the 1980s and 1990s. The label operated from 1983 until 2000, and during those seventeen years, only released ska and ska-influenced music. Originally named ''Moon Records'', as ...

in 1998, produced by

Victor Rice Victor Rice (born April 17, 1967) is an American musician, record producer and mix engineer from New York City. Raised in Huntington, New York, Rice attended the Manhattan School of Music and began his professional career in the late 1980s duri ...

, with a foreword by author

Thomas Frank Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, and several tracks mixed by

Jon Langford Jonathan Denis Langford (born 11 October 1957) is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Langford is a founder member of the punk band The Mekons, the post-punk group The Three Johns, and the alternative country ...

of the Mekons. After the dissolution of Moon Records in 2000, the Adjusters' third album "Otis Redding Will Save America" was released on German label Grover Records in 2003. This album was also produced by Victor Rice and the single "Can't See the Light" features German ska & dancehall artist

Dr. Ring-Ding Dr. Ring Ding (Richard Alexander Jung) is a German reggae, ska and dancehall artist. In the more than 20 years of his musical activity, he has become an integral part of the international music scene. Jung lives in Germany, but spent a part o ...

. The band has been inactive since 2003. Drummer/producer Rench went on to front bluegrass-hip hop act

Gangstagrass Gangstagrass is an American bluegrass music, bluegrass and hip hop music, hip hop group, most known for the theme song of the FX (TV channel), FX television show ''Justified (TV series), Justified''. The group is founded and led by Brooklyn music ...

Band members

Daraka Kenric - Vocals
Joan Axthelm – Vocals
Jessica Basta - Vocals
Matt Parker - Organ (formerly of The Donkey Show)
Jason Packer - Guitar
Julien Headley – Drums
Josh Thurston-Milgrom – Bass
Nick Dempsey – Saxophone
Raphael Leib – Trumpet
Tom Howe – Trombone
Rench - Drums, Production

Discography

Studio albums
''The Politics of Style'' - 1997, Jump Up! Records
''Before the Revolution'' - 1998,

''Otis Redding Will Save America'' - 2003, Grover Records Singles
"Michael Manley" (7") - 1996, Rosa Luxemburg Records
"Rebel Jam" (7") - 1998, Black Pearl Records Collections
''Stormwarning'' - 2002, Grover Records

References

External links

Official Site

Our Town - Music VideoSka's Lost Cause
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adjusters, The Musical groups from Chicago Third-wave ska groups Musical groups established in 1995 American ska musical groups