Holy Wow: Extra Classic Shows That Good, New Jamaican-Influenced Music Not An Impossibility

It's understandable that you're skeptical. We were, too. But -- at least judging from this local project's new single -- Extra Classic is that rare, Jamaican-influenced (white) band that isn't a total embarrassment. (They're at least the second such happy surprise in S.F. that we know of.) "Congo Rebel," the first single due out this Saturday in honor of Record Store Day, isn't quite a traditional reggae song, and that's a good thing. We'd rather call it dub-psych or something (though it's not quite a dub, either -- the 7-inch has a true dub version on the reverse side). Basically, it's a trippy, bouncy rave-up with smoky female vocals and a deliciously stodgy rocksteady bassline. And it's catchy as hell. 

Not surprisingly, Extra Classic recorded "Congo Rebel" and its other work on vintage tape machines, capturing some of the analog magic that made its influences sound so good. The band is releasing the 7-inch on its own imprint, Nopal Records, and there are only 300 of them.