The Slackers


The Slackers are an American ska band formed in Manhattan, New York, in 1991. Their music blends ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz, drawing heavily from 1960s Jamaican music while incorporating American and British influences.
Emerging from New York City's early-1990s ska scene, the band became associated with the revival of traditional ska and rocksteady in the United States in the 1990s, distinguishing themselves from the more punk-oriented third-wave ska movement through an emphasis on roots reggae, rocksteady, and soul-based arrangements.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, the Slackers have released numerous studio albums, toured extensively across North America, Europe, South America, and Japan, and maintained a largely independent, do-it-yourself approach to recording and touring.
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Career

By the mid-1990s, The Slackers had become an established presence within the American ska and reggae underground. The band’s second studio album, Redlight, was released on September 23, 1997, received notable critical recognition. It was ranked number seven on Billboard editor Carrie Bell's "The Year in Music " list, and its title track charted at number 116 on the CMJ Radio Top 200 during the week of November 10, 1997, marking its third week on the chart.
Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, The Slackers maintained a steady release schedule, accompanied by extensive touring. During this time, the band became known for long, varied live sets and a large rotating repertoire, reportedly comprising over 200 songs, including original material alongside covers adapted to their roots-oriented style.
Interviews from the era emphasize the group's reliance on live performance rather than mainstream promotion as the central driver of their career, with touring serving as both their primary source of income and their preferred creative environment. Members have also described their studio work as an extension of their live performances, with arrangements and recordings shaped by material tested and refined on tour.
The Slackers continued to release albums and tour extensively in the decades that followed, maintaining a steady output and a consistent live presence. In 2022, the band released the album Don't Let The Sunlight Fool Ya, which reached number one on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.

Related projects

Members of The Slackers have also been involved in a range of other musical projects, including Reggae Workers of the World, David Hillyard & The Rocksteady Seven, Crazy Baldhead Sound System, Da Whole Thing, The Hall Trees, Stubborn All-Stars, and the SKAndalous All Stars. Vocalist and organist Vic Ruggiero has also pursued a solo career, performing both original material and reworked Slackers songs, and has contributed keyboards and piano to several albums by Rancid.

Members

Current lineup

Former members and contributors

Former producers and collaborators

  • Victor Rice – producer and bass
  • Zack Levine – producer
  • Eric Sierra – songwriter
  • David Lindome – producer

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

  • "2-Face"
  • "International War Criminal"
  • "Pully Split"
  • "You Must Be Good"
  • "Little Joe"
  • "Minha Menina"
  • "Dreidel"
  • "New Years Day"
  • "Xmas Every Day"
  • "Crazy Baldhead"
  • "Sarah"
  • "My Bed Is A Boat"
  • "By You With You For You"
  • "Heroes b/w Always On My Mind"
  • "I Can't Hide"
  • "The Boss"
  • "Wrongfull Suspension"
  • "Peculiar"
  • "The Way Of A Woman"
  • "Baba Roots"
  • "Sleep Outside"
  • "Nobody Listening"
  • "Blue"
  • "Widowland"
  • "Watch This"
  • "人にやさしく / Wicked Must Survive"
  • "Don't Let The Sunlight Fool Ya"
  • "New York Berlin"
  • "Kill You".

Demo cassettes

Live albums

Collections

Compilations

DVDs

  • Give 'Em the Boot : "And I Wonder"
  • The Slackers: A Documentary
  • The Flamingo Cantina Series with The Slackers
  • ''The Slacker Live On Video''