Pre-order the new album “Keep Your Step” and listen to the second single “A Message From The Meters” here: https://found.ee/KeepYourStep
Killer Groove Records presents “A Message From The Meters”, the second single from the highly anticipated new studio album by Italian early reggae & rock steady ambassadors The Appetizers, out on April 10 on limited-edition LP, CD digipack and digital format featuring two exclusive bonus tracks. Album pre-orders are available starting from today at the following link: https://found.ee/KeepYourStep The single is out today on all digital platforms and also available as a limited-edition 7″ vinyl (300 copies worldwide).
More than a cover, this single is a musical bridge connecting the New Orleans funk icons with contemporary reggae vibes across genres and generations. With this reworking, The Appetizers bring their reggae sensibilities to the forefront, weaving the off-beat swing of Jamaica with the disciplined rhythmic architecture of classic funk. This fusion highlights how naturally the two genres converse: the reggae one-drop meeting the funk backbeat, dub-infused ambience wrapping around sharply defined guitar stabs, basslines that glide between Caribbean pulse and Crescent City strut. The result is a fresh reinterpretation that feels both reverent and boldly personal.
Their version filters the instrumental brilliance of The Meters through their own sonic lens: warm, deep, and steeped in rock steady textures. It’s a meeting point between two deeply rhythmic worlds, a message carried through groove, spirit, and time.
The second single comes with raw footage of the band performing their tribute to one of the most influential and pioneering groups from New Orleans, the Meters. The video captures the Appetizers in the studio putting their own spin on the tune and highlights the deep connection, in both groove and message, between reggae and funk, continuing the Jamaican tradition of reinterpreting classic jams.
The Appetizers are a rock steady and early reggae band born in Milan in 2020, brought together by a crew of musicians deeply embedded in the Italian and international reggae scene for years. Different paths, shared vision: recreating that vintage Caribbean and American sound with authenticity, respect, and a forward-thinking edge. Drawing inspiration from Jamaica’s golden era and channeling the soul of Delroy Wilson, Alton Ellis, the early Wailers and The Upsetters. The Appetizers carry forward the essence of bass culture with a pure, fully organic approach.
Their debut album Listen Up! (2022), released via Belgian imprint Badasonic Records (home to The Slackers, The Aggrolites, David Hillyard & Victor Rice), featured ten original tracks and a dub cut by Victor Rice. Distributed across Europe, the UK, the US and Japan, it quickly earned international recognition among reggae connoisseurs and selectors worldwide.
Following extensive touring, including shows with The Slackers, Black Uhuru, Skip Marley and more, the band returned to the studio to record Keep Your Step, their second album produced by Killer Groove Records. Here the band expands its musical language, weaving together the spirit of historic Jamaican labels like Studio One and Treasure Isle with ’60s funk, arriving at a warm, organic and timeless sound: soul, Jamaican roots and modern sensibility in perfect balance. Their lyrics explore heartbreak, social issues, and reflections on life and music, performed with dedication and respect for tradition, while always pushing forward.
If you’re into The Skatalites, The Ethiopians, and those classic Caribbean rhythms, this one’s for you.
