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On the strength of their self-titled Hellcat Records debut, The Aggrolites leading purveyors of dirty reggae will hit the road again with their fusion of late 60s Jamaican Reggae, funk and classic American soul. Commencing November 16 at California State University, Fullerton, the Southern California-based quintet’s three week trek wraps December 6 at the Trocadero in Philadelphia.

Led by guitarist Brian Dixon and frontman Jesse Wagner, the band which also counts bassist J Bonner, keyboardist Roger Rivas and Hepcat/Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards veteran Scott Abels on drums skillfully adds their own brand of raw intensity and grit to an authentic stew that’s been compared to the likes of Lee Perry, Bob Marley, James Brown, WAR and Toots & The Maytalls.

Reflecting a deep love for reggae, rocksteady and ska, The Aggrolites is a nineteen-song mix of sing-alongs and instrumentals that sounds as if it could have emerged out of Kingston circa 1967. Speaking of how they translate to the stage, Wagner says, “Watching a ska or reggae band, if you don’t like the music, you’re going to be bored out of your mind, because most bands stand onstage with a deer-in-the-headlights look. We try to do something to catch their eye, because if you think about it, The Specials used to jump around, people like Prince had sex appeal, someone like Otis Redding would get down on his knees we try to put that energy into the music.”

Dirtied up by a group of guys who range in age from their mid-twenties to mid-thirties, this is reggae not only informed by many of the aforementioned icons, but also by The Clash and Rancid. In fact, it was the latter’s Tim Armstrong along with his label co-leader Chris LaSalle, who brought the band to Hellcat in time for The Aggrolites, which dropped on May 9, 2006.

Praise for the band has been weighty. Rolling Stone gave the disc three and a half stars, calling it, “a glorious surprising treat” and “ideal for your next soul shakedown party.” Meanwhile, Aversion wrote, “it is so true to form that, were it not for the modern production, they would be virtually indistinguishable from lost Studio One tracks.” With exposure via L.A.’s influential Indie 103.1, plus opening stints for Madness, Rancid, Flogging Molly, The Selecter and The Slackers, The Aggrolites are on the move. Catch em if you can.

The Aggrolites Tour Dates Are As Follows:
11/16/2006 Cal State University Fullerton CA
11/16/2006 Galaxy Theatre Santa Ana CA
11/17/2006 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach CA
11/19/2006 El Rey Theater Los Angeles CA
12/04/2006 Great Scott Allston MA
12/05/2006 The Lions Den New York NY
12/06/2006 Trocadero Philadelphia PA