The Movement

Opening was The Movement, a Rock/Reggae/Hip-Hop fusion quartet out of Philadelphia, PA. A perfect choice to open for 311, The Movement readied the crowd with high energy and positive vibes, and drummer Gary Jackson played on a unique Rasta-style drum set. - Stubble MusicZine

Opening was The Movement, a Rock/Reggae/Hip-Hop fusion quartet out of Philadelphia, PA. A perfect choice to open for 311, The Movement readied the crowd with high energy and positive vibes, and drummer Gary Jackson played on a unique Rasta-style drum set. - Stubble MusicZine

From Matisyahu to Slightly Stoopid and any number of touring bands, reggae has inspired a movement of blue-eyed imitators. Some do it better than others. The Movement has managed to do something different, entertaining. - Riddim Jamaica

From Matisyahu to Slightly Stoopid and any number of touring bands, reggae has inspired a movement of blue-eyed imitators. Some do it better than others. The Movement has managed to do something different, entertaining. - Riddim Jamaica

Jordan Miller and Jay Schmidt of the band The Movement play onstage during NT's first-ever Reggae Fest Thursday afternoon in the Library Mall. - North Texas Daily

Jordan Miller and Jay Schmidt of the band The Movement play onstage during NT's first-ever Reggae Fest Thursday afternoon in the Library Mall. - North Texas Daily

The Movement has played with G. Love, Blues Traveler, 311, the Wu Tang Clan, and a whole slew of other rock, reggae, and hip hop artists. Though relatively new, the eclectic quartet is already making a name for themselves, with Set Sail reaching number 7 on the iTunes top 100 reggae albums in May of this year. - Connect Statesboro

The Movement has played with G. Love, Blues Traveler, 311, the Wu Tang Clan, and a whole slew of other rock, reggae, and hip hop artists. Though relatively new, the eclectic quartet is already making a name for themselves, with Set Sail reaching number 7 on the iTunes top 100 reggae albums in May of this year. - Connect Statesboro

Those familiar with the hugely popular sound that the duo first formed on its self-released debut On Your Feet won’t be disappointed with The Movement 2.0, which refines the hip-hop and reggae hybrid, adding in acoustic textures and kitchen-sink production. - Free Times

Those familiar with the hugely popular sound that the duo first formed on its self-released debut On Your Feet won’t be disappointed with The Movement 2.0, which refines the hip-hop and reggae hybrid, adding in acoustic textures and kitchen-sink production. - Free Times

...what can you tell us about new material for the new album? Any new songs in particular you guys are looking forward to recording? - The Pier Magazine

...what can you tell us about new material for the new album? Any new songs in particular you guys are looking forward to recording? - The Pier Magazine

Every so often a band comes along that, when you hear their beats, you just catch the vibe. It's like listening to that great party band that can play a set list of nonstop original music, but make you feel like you're listening to one of your favorite albums. - Campus Activities Magazine

Every so often a band comes along that, when you hear their beats, you just catch the vibe. It's like listening to that great party band that can play a set list of nonstop original music, but make you feel like you're listening to one of your favorite albums. - Campus Activities Magazine

Attention anyone still mourning the loss of Sublime, or feels like 311 have fallen off their game since their heyday in the mid 90’s: I have your new favorite band right here. - Skope Magazine

Attention anyone still mourning the loss of Sublime, or feels like 311 have fallen off their game since their heyday in the mid 90’s: I have your new favorite band right here. - Skope Magazine

...these guys are very in your face, live and full of energy. Bringing you some moveable reggae rock with a hint of hip-hop. Still promoting their most recent release, “Set Sail”. Perfect music to throw on at a party to have with some food, beer and surrounded by some good friends. This was another band I had never seen before but this sure won’t be the last time I see these guys. - Branch Out Music

...these guys are very in your face, live and full of energy. Bringing you some moveable reggae rock with a hint of hip-hop. Still promoting their most recent release, “Set Sail”. Perfect music to throw on at a party to have with some food, beer and surrounded by some good friends. This was another band I had never seen before but this sure won’t be the last time I see these guys. - Branch Out Music

There are not too many albums out there that when the first time you hear them you feel this incredibly raw energy that is just so immersed in honesty, that their lack of production values make the listener focus on the songs themselves and feel the true passion of the artist. What’s rare about these types of albums is you can’t set out to make one - they just happen. Records that come immediately to mind that capture this type of magic are Sublime’s 40oz to Freedom, Dirty Heads Dirty Demos, Unsound’searly recordings and The Movement’s On Your Feet.

So it was with a little apprehension I began listening to The Movement’s follow-up studio album, Set Sail, finally seeing the light of day released more than four years later from its amazing debut. I was especially nervous, since the band this time round has replaced DJ Riggle (Jon Ruff) who was the unique backbone of the band with live instrumentation Jay Schmidt (bass) and Gary Jackson (drums).

However... from the opening track Say Hello, The Movement founders vocalist/guitarists Josh Swain and Jordan Miller subside any doubts, it is a fun upbeat track that instantly reminds you the true brilliance of the band is Josh and Jordan’s verbal interplay. Taken under producer Chris D's wing (G Love, Stoopid & The Expendables), The Movement unleashes one joyous dance tune after another, such as the album’s title track with its bouncy keyboard leads; the wicked record scratching and vocal chants on Impressions and Alright; and you will need a refreshing cool glass of Cool-Aid after grinding your hips and bumping your head to this guaranteed to be live favorite.

Philly homeboy G Love makes a vocal and harmonica guest appearance on the acoustic Another Man’s Shoes, and is a nice addition of variety, but up to this point thanks to tracks like Ocho Rios and Sweet Summertime it’s a non-stop party.

In a lot of ways Set Sail feels like the album Slightly Stoopid would have made after Longest Barrel Ride, if it wasn’t having such line-up issues at the time. Following the cult of On Your Feet, Set Sail is as close to a perfect party reggae rock album you can find. - The Pier

There are not too many albums out there that when the first time you hear them you feel this incredibly raw energy that is just so immersed in honesty, that their lack of production values make the listener focus on the songs themselves and feel the true passion of the artist. What’s rare about these types of albums is you can’t set out to make one - they just happen. Records that come immediately to mind that capture this type of magic are Sublime’s 40oz to Freedom, Dirty Heads Dirty Demos, Unsound’searly recordings and The Movement’s On Your Feet.

So it was with a little apprehension I began listening to The Movement’s follow-up studio album, Set Sail, finally seeing the light of day released more than four years later from its amazing debut. I was especially nervous, since the band this time round has replaced DJ Riggle (Jon Ruff) who was the unique backbone of the band with live instrumentation Jay Schmidt (bass) and Gary Jackson (drums).

However... from the opening track Say Hello, The Movement founders vocalist/guitarists Josh Swain and Jordan Miller subside any doubts, it is a fun upbeat track that instantly reminds you the true brilliance of the band is Josh and Jordan’s verbal interplay. Taken under producer Chris D's wing (G Love, Stoopid & The Expendables), The Movement unleashes one joyous dance tune after another, such as the album’s title track with its bouncy keyboard leads; the wicked record scratching and vocal chants on Impressions and Alright; and you will need a refreshing cool glass of Cool-Aid after grinding your hips and bumping your head to this guaranteed to be live favorite.

Philly homeboy G Love makes a vocal and harmonica guest appearance on the acoustic Another Man’s Shoes, and is a nice addition of variety, but up to this point thanks to tracks like Ocho Rios and Sweet Summertime it’s a non-stop party.

In a lot of ways Set Sail feels like the album Slightly Stoopid would have made after Longest Barrel Ride, if it wasn’t having such line-up issues at the time. Following the cult of On Your Feet, Set Sail is as close to a perfect party reggae rock album you can find. - The Pier

Often when you are face with limitations, those constraints can create something special. For example, not having a drummer and relying on a pretty cheap drum machine for beats for your album. On Your Feet was thrown together on less than a shoe-string budget and was recorded in under 24 hours. The result - an original and powerful musical statement of two guys just playing music to entertain themselves.

It's pure magic. And maybe this end result contributed to such a long break between albums, On Your Feet is hard to top (though the follow-up Set Sail comes close). From the get go, the catchy Hola and the title track, set the pace for one of the most fun and upbeat records to travel the soundwaves. - The Pier

Often when you are face with limitations, those constraints can create something special. For example, not having a drummer and relying on a pretty cheap drum machine for beats for your album. On Your Feet was thrown together on less than a shoe-string budget and was recorded in under 24 hours. The result - an original and powerful musical statement of two guys just playing music to entertain themselves.

It's pure magic. And maybe this end result contributed to such a long break between albums, On Your Feet is hard to top (though the follow-up Set Sail comes close). From the get go, the catchy Hola and the title track, set the pace for one of the most fun and upbeat records to travel the soundwaves. - The Pier

The Pier Album Rating: 4.5 stars

Release Date: Nov 24th, 2014

Record Label: Independent

Official Website: themovementvibe.com




Artist Background:

Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, the reggae-rock group The Movement was formed in 2004 by a trio of Sublime and Pixies fans. Joshua Swain, Jordan Miller, and John Ruff, aka DJ Riggles, launched The Movement with their “alternative reggae” debut album, “On Your Feet.” In 2008, the group met Chris DiBeneditto, a Philadelphia-based producer who had worked with like-minded acts such as Slightly Stoopid and G. Love & Special Sauce. Relocating to Philadelphia, they recorded 2008’s “Set Sail” at DiBeneditto’s Philadelphonic Studios. The Movement expanded with the addition of Gary Jackson on drums and Jason “Smiles” Schmidt on bass. In 2012, Miller left the group, and the trio, now fronted by Swain, released their fourth album “Side By Side,” in 2013.

In 2014, the group added Keyboardist/Producer, Brendan Dane, aka Alific, to the group. Now, The Movement has released a live acoustic album titled Beneath The Palms that is made up of 11 songs, including 2 covers, recorded at two separate locations. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 were recorded at The Compound Studio, outside on the front porch, in Valley Center, CA. Those tracks were engineered & mixed by Shelby Meddock. Tracks, 4, 6, 8 and 10 were recorded with Sugar Shack in Bonita Springs, FL from their Sugarshack Video Sessions and were engineered by Alex Casement and mixed by Brendan Dane. The entire album was then mastered by Danny Kalb in Columbus, OH with cover-art by Kc Cowan


Album Review:
This all acoustic album better identifies The Movement as being side by side, showing fans how well they sound when performing raw & uncut. If you’re looking for an all acoustic album in the realm of Slightly Stoopid’s Live & Direct: Acoustic Roots, look no further than this surprise release by The Movement.
Beneath The Palms includes Joshua Swain on vocals & acoustic rhythm guitar, while Gary Jackson plays the drums as we hear Jason “Smiles” Schmidt on acoustic lead guitar, providing back-up vocals with occasional bass. Alific contributes keys during the Sugarshack session on songs “Echo”, “Small Axe”, “Habit”, and “Another Man’s Shoes”.
Joshua’s soulful vulnerability can be heard through his raspy, nasally & sometimes slurred delivery, best compared to a down the middle cross between Kyle McDonald of Slightly Stoopid and Bradley Nowell of Sublime.

This is every bit of a live acoustic album as you’ll hear with offbeat whistling, talking, yelling, shout-outs & heavy breathing. Performing acoustic and stripped down music shouldn’t be perfect or over-produced. All of those unplanned nuances, noises and effects that naturally make their way onto the recording, is all the extra production that’s needed for any Acoustic release.

This is an album that you turn up to JAM, not to bump. It screams energy with soul coming off the free spirited performance of aggressive finger plucking & subtle drums with occasional keys. You can hear what each instrument is doing and how it’s communicating with the other parts, enabling an intimate experience with the music for the listener.
There couldn’t be a better example of both spirit & soul, then on the performance & cover of Bob Marley’s “Small Axe”. This is the albums best performance and now one of my favorite covers. It’s not just the singing and the playing, but the overall emotion that affectionately pours out, making it one of the more captivating songs on the album.
Some of the stand-out songs for me were “Ocho Rios”, “Hola”, “Small Axe” and “Habit”. There weren’t any songs that I skipped & I did become a new fan of older songs that didn’t win me over on previous releases with “Another Man’s Shoes”, “Sweet Life”, “Gift” and “Mile High”. All of the songs were enjoyable, but the aforementioned just seem to elicit more emotion, spirit & soul.

They revisit songs from each of their previous albums, with the exception of One More Night (when Josh Swain wasn’t in the band). Even songs where former vocalist Jordan Miller was previously featured, his parts go unnoticed and unquestioned as Joshua makes the song his own in a stripped down environment.

The Movement does a fine job with making their past songs a nostalgic memory of what they were, but new & innovative enough to further appreciate the alternative mix. This was the case with their cover of Sublime’s “Get Ready”, “Hola” as well as hearing “Habit” with the subtle addition of Alific on keys.

Beneath The Palms isn’t a ground breaking album and they didn’t reinvent the wheel, nor did they have to. This is music being performed and enjoyed the way it was intended. It’s live & raw with natural energy that you can’t help but to gravitate towards. There are a lot of bands that hide behind the production of a studio or playing live on top of a click-track, but Beneath The Palms further displays that The Movement can deliver just fine in its primitive form.

I was a bit disappointed that newer songs weren’t introduced and performed. Beneath The Palms, however, is a release that could be a great first impression to any new Movement fan and for longtime fans, it’s enough for you to drool over. This album reaffirms The Movement’s side by side chemistry & musical depth by solely & confidently relying on their own raw talent to deliver something truly enjoyable.




Written & Reviewed By: Mike Patti

 - The Pier

The progressive reggae trio hailing from South Carolina, The Movement recently released a new single titled “Rescue” which premiered April 14th of 2015 on Rootfire Records, marking it the first new material since the 2014 acoustic album Beneath The Palms. The track showcases The Movement’s progression as both artists and human beings, taking you on a conscious journey that tackles subjects such as personal struggle, growth, friendship and simply being grateful.

Talking about the new release, lead singer of The Movement Joshua Swain stated, “It really speaks to the struggles that I’ve had as a musician and contemplating basically life and exactly what you want out of it.”

The boys of The Movement is having a very “road heavy” year thus far, touring and sharing the stage with such artists like Collie Buddz, Tribal Seeds, Leilani Wolfgramm,Fortunate Youth, Hirie, Stick Figure, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, plus many many more.

For more information about The Movement, give theirwebsite a visit, or give them a follow on Facebook. - Top Shelf Reggae

After spending 7 weeks touring across the country, The Movement has announced their headlining Rescue tour that will get underway May 15th and stretch through the end of June. Their new single, also titled “Rescue”, will most certainly play as soundtrack to the 21 date tour.

“We’re just wrapping up a two month tour. We traveled across the country and back with our brothers Tribal Seeds. Looking forward to getting home and recharging before hitting the road on our headlining ‘Rescue’ Tour this summer!” says vocalist-guitarist Joshua Swain. TheMovement_Rescue

On April 14th, 2015, The Movement released their new single “Rescue” via Rootfire. This is the groups first official release since they dropped Beneath The Palms, an 11 track live-acoustic mix, back in late November 2014.

“It really speaks to the struggles that I’ve had as a musician. Contemplating life and exactly what you want out of it,” explains Joshua of “Rescue”. The song was produced by Danny Kalb, whose credits include Ben Harper, Karen O, Spirit Animal, among many more. You can pick up “Rescue” on iTunes by clicking HERE!


Their Rescue tour will most certainly include them playing “Rescue” live and when asked if there were any plans to perform any cover tracks, Joshua acknowledged that “We’ve got some cover ideas. Perhaps a Chronixx tune is in order.” They’re also known to throw in a Sublime cover into the live-set from time to time.

The tour essentially kicks off May 15th in Eagle, CO for the Eagle Outside Festival. From there they head back to the east coast where they’ll spend the bulk of the tour performing in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Ohio, Florida and you get the point.

I asked Joshua where he’s looking forward to playing on the upcoming tour and he explained to me that he was born in Myrtle Beach, SC. “So it’s really cool that The Carolina Sessions is happening there,” referring to the Cali-Roots festival on October 3rd. Joshua also mentioned their May 15th Eagle Outside Festival, saying: “We’ve never played Eagle, CO. It’ll be nice to see another side of Colorado.”

View all dates for the tour below a long with relevant links and a stream of “Rescue!” - The Pier

The Song:
Feel good vibes and uplifting lyrics are at the core of reggae-rock group The Movement‘s latest single, “Rescue.” Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, the band fuses the sounds of Slightly Stoopid, Stick Figure, and others alike. “Rescue” is the group’s debut on Rootfire Records, and their first release since last year’s Beneath the Palms album. Joshua Swain is the group’s vocalist, while Gary Jackson plays drums and Jason Schmidt handles the bass. The song was produced by Danny Kalb, whose credits include Ben Harper, Karen O, Spirit Animal, and more. Rootfire pushes progressive reggae, blending genres while pursuing the classic reggae sound, mixing influences from bands like Sublime and Pixies.

The Movement was formed in 2004, launching their alternative reggae debut album, On Your Feet. In 2008, the group recorded Set Sail at Philadelphia producer Chris DiBeneditto’s Philadelphonic Studios, selling over 10,000 copies to date. The Movement expanded with the addition of Gary Jackson on drums and Jason “Smiles” Schmidt on bass. In 2012, Miller left the group, and the trio, now fronted by Swain, released their fourth album, Side By Side, debuting at #2 on the Billboard Reggae Chart. In 2014, the group released Beneath The Palms, a surprise acoustic album as a free gift to their fans, and have a new full length album for 2015 in the works. Check out “Rescue” below.

Listen to “Rescue”: https://soundcloud.com/rootfire/the-movement-rescue

Check out the Rootfire premiere: http://rootfire.net/rootfire_events/rescue/

Buy “Rescue” on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rescue-single/id984627266


The Background:
Hailing from Columbia, South Carolina, the reggae-rock group The Movement was formed in 2004 by a trio of Sublime and Pixies fans. Joshua Swain, Jordan Miller, and John Ruff, aka DJ Riggles, launched The Movement with their “alternative reggae” debut album, “On Your Feet.” In 2008, the group met Chris DiBeneditto, a Philadelphia-based producer who had worked with like-minded acts such as Slightly Stoopid and G. Love & Special Sauce. Relocating to Philadelphia, they recorded 2008’s “Set Sail” at DiBeneditto’s Philadelphonic Studios. The album has sold over 10,000 copies to date. The Movement expanded with the addition of Gary Jackson on drums and Jason “Smiles” Schmidt on bass. In 2012, Miller left the group, and the trio, now fronted by Swain, released their fourth album “Side By Side,” debuting at #2 on the Billboard Reggae Chart. In 2014 The Movement released “Beneath The Palms,” a surprise acoustic album as a free gift to their fans, and announced plans to record a new full length album in 2015. - The Industry Cosign

The progressive reggae trio hailing from South Carolina, The Movement recently released a new single titled “Rescue” which premiered April 14th of 2015 on Rootfire Records, marking it the first new material since the 2014 acoustic album Beneath The Palms. The track showcases The Movement’s progression as both artists and human beings, taking you on a conscious journey that tackles subjects such as personal struggle, growth, friendship and simply being grateful.

Talking about the new release, lead singer of The Movement Joshua Swain stated, “It really speaks to the struggles that I’ve had as a musician and contemplating basically life and exactly what you want out of it.”

The boys of The Movement is having a very “road heavy” year thus far, touring and sharing the stage with such artists like Collie Buddz, Tribal Seeds, Leilani Wolfgramm, Fortunate Youth, Hirie, Stick Figure, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, plus many many more.

For more information about The Movement, give their website a visit, or give them a follow on Facebook. - Top Shelf Reggae