Island music.
What the heck does that mean? Music played on an island? Toes in the sand? Reggae music? Jimmy Buffett? Yacht Rock? I think all these things qualify. When people come to Hilton Head or go over to Daufuskie (hopefully this will help people spell the name of that island more betterer) what do they wanna hear? I’m here to tell you, I KNOW WHAT THEY WANT. Do we give it to them?
Well…yes and no.
Fact: People on vacation love steel drum music…they love reggae tunes. They wanna hear Bob Marley and they wanna hear Buffett. Who started this phenomenon, I do not know, but it’s pretty simple when you break it down.Everyone has a job. (Well, most people over 15.) We work and we get tired of doing the same thing over and over again. We wanna go on vacation and drink and relax, but for some of us relaxing is hard. Watching a singer or a group play songs usually takes your mind somewhere else, especially a song about relaxing on a beach. It’s like being told you’re gonna get hit over the head and then getting hit over the head, which makes it so much better when it happens. “I’M GONNA REALLY GIVE IT TO YOU! Then, WHAMM-O!”
You get it, I hope.
So, we know that Jimmy Buffett has created this beach bum guitar player persona, and he crushed, killed, slayed it. He sings about cooking shrimp, getting drunk, flip-flops and sailors. The reggae dudes don’t really do that.
Reggae is more about the SOUND of the music being relaxing and hypnotic. The lyrics are usually about love or spiritual stuff. It’s just one of those things that fits the beach vibe. Of course, the dreadlocks don’t hurt.
Nothing like a swingin’ dreadlock to hypnotize you into submission.
Standout Island music tracks for me:
- “Rastaman Chant” by Bob Marley
- “Son of a Sailor” by Jimmy Buffett
- Anything by Sublime (I didn’t mention these guys but they are really beachy sounding…surfy and beachy.)
- “Drunk on Daufuskie” by Lowcountry Boil (duh)
Spent all my money, can’t find my keys.
I’m drunk on Daufuskie.
D-R-U-N-K on Daufuskie.
Eight square miles of heaven, that’s not a misquote.
Ain’t no going home, cause I missed the last boat.
Visit soundcloud.com/rasjvon/drunk-on-daufuski to Get Drunk on Daufuskie with Jevon Daly and Lowcountry Boil. Song written by Gary Pratt and Jevon Daly featuring Mick Ayres on clawhammer banjo.
Article written by Jevon Daly
