Version City news and updates

We've been sent a ton of news from King Django's Version City Studio and Stubborn Records. The label's website is now back online and has upcoming releases planned with a re-release of Django's Roots & Culture CD as well as planned releases from The Cold Spot
8, Crazy Baldhead and Da Whole Thing. Here's some of what's going on at Version City:

Chris Murray recorded six tunes for an upcoming album with the Slackers rhythm section, it was produced by Vic Ruggiero.
California's Aggrolites layed down four rhythm tracks at Version City between shows on their east-coast tour.
Hub City Stompers (featuring former members of Inspecter 7) recently completed a full-length entitled Blood, Sweat and Beers with King Django at the controls, out now on Megalith Records. The band are currently writing new material and plan to go back in the studio
soon to record another album.
Coolie Ranx (ex-Toasters, Pilfers) has started a record label called KombaNation and a new band named Obi Ajula. Expect a CD release from them later this year.
King Django did a punk rock dub mix for Pittsburgh punk-ska band The Code. It appears as a hidden track on their recent EP, available now from Jump Start Records.

That's not all. Click below for news from the Version City Rockers, Victor Rice, Mr. T-Bone and the Version City Clubhouse shows.

Version City Clubhouse:

The Version City Clubhouse Tuesday night weekly party at Club Seho (113 Ludlow Street, New York City) is going strong after 7 months. King Django spins the first Tuesday of every month, and on other weeks different guest selectors spin a mix of reggae, ska, rocksteady and dancehall. There is usually a guest band at 10:30 and Jammyland All-Stars play a live rub-a-dub dancehall set at 11:30 with host Treasure Don and plenty of guest MCs. The party is almost always free. Two CDR's of these parties are now available at www.stubbornrecords.com - Version City Clubhouse recorded live in November of 2003, and Version City Sound Summit recorded live in
August 2003.

On Thursday nights the action moves to New Brunswick, NJ, with the Version City Hubhouse at the Court Tavern. Upstairs is always free with Steady Sound System playing ska, soul, and reggae, and Version City Sound on the second Thursday of every month. Downstairs has live ska, reggae and punk bands for a low cover charge.

Ska Mob Tour

In July, the Ska Mob 2004 featuring King Django, Dr. Ring Ding and Eastern Standard Time will hit the road for a second leg heading west and north for Canada's Victoria BC Ska Festival. Watch www.kingdjango.com for dates.

Version City Rockers:

Django also recently completed a Version City Rockers album for Antifaz Records in Puerto Rico, to be released shortly. The 9-song reggae album entitled Darker Roots features members of Stubborn All-Stars, the Scofflaws, Skavoovie and the Epitones and Inspecter 7 matched with Skatalite Cedric Brooks and classic Jamaican vocalists Sugar Minott, Yabby You, Ashanti Congo Roy, Sister Nancy, Ranking Joe, Little John, Glenn Brown and Ronnie Davis.
Meanwhile, Django has started work on another Version City Rockers album which will feature vocals from dancehall reggae legends Johnny Osbourne and Carlton Livingston as well as Dr. Ring Ding, Justin Dillavou (ex-Skoidats), John Pinto (Cold Spot 8), Jack Ruby Jr. (the Toasters),
Daddy Lion Chandell and others.

Mr. T-Bone

Italy's Mr. T-Bone recorded vocals and other overdubs at Version City for his upcoming album Mr. T-Bone Sees America mixed by Victor Ruggiero and King Django and out soon on Megalith Records.

Victor Rice:

Victor Rice also had a busy winter in the studio. The Stingers' new CD, All In A Day, is now available on Grover records. His production of Belgium's Moon Invaders is also now available from Grover. In his new base in SÃ£o Paulo, Brazil Victor just mixed Mass Hysteria's new CD, Mistress and Men, available this month on Primary Voltage Records. He is now mixing and mastering the new CD from France's TwoTone Club. Victor returns to NYC in June to continue work with the VR Octet, Strikkly Vikkly, Drum Thief, Crazy Baldhead, Buford O'Sullivan, Caz Gardiner and more for the rest of 2004!