Slacking with me every step of the way.

I noticed that The Slackers are severely lacking in representation here among the moggers so i felt it was my duty to remedy that to the best of my ability.I first heard the Slackers when i was probably 16 or 17 years old and they immediately stole a piece of my heart, of which they have yet to release from their grasp. As far as i'm concerned they can keep it, so long as my ears are capable of interpreting and perceiving sound waves i shall find no lacking in the space where my heart has been pilfered. Perhaps it is because i have never found another group of musicians who are so collectively tight in producing a sound that is so decidedly loose and relaxed. It may be due to their years of consistent and uncompromising output of quality written and recorded albums that i hold them so dear. Whatever the reason, they have become a mainstay in my life for nearly ten years.Frontman Vic Ruggiero's brilliance cannot be overstated in understanding what The Slackers mean to me personally and what so many others have found both contagious and endearing in their music. His thick Bronx accented voiced which effortlessly leads listeners through story upon story can only be summed up as perfectly imperfect, making it almost impossible for listeners not to sing along to. His lyrics lead you through the songs like a lighthouse through a thick evening fog, bringing you safely to shore time and time again. Ruggiero's lyrics cover a fairly broad range of topics sometimes morbid, sometimes political but more often they are beautifully crafted love songs that are hard not to connect with on some level.Something perhaps even more amazing than The Slackers song writing is their ability to create recordings of unparalleled warmth, something rare in this digital age of loops and samples. Their albums have the feel of a conscience effort to create a sound that reflects their cohesiveness in what seem to be single takes, all insruments being recorded simultaneously. Whether this is the case, i cannot say but the results of their studio efforts clearly do not bear the signs of tedious post-production or digital manipulation, leaving their music with a vibe that harkens back to days gone by.I chose to upload a song off of one of their earlier albums, "Redlight", which perhaps represents that vibe more than any of their other albums. The song "Come Back Baby", however, may not represent their reggae/ska/rocksteady style to it's full extent, which is more typical of their music, but i could not resist. This song tugs at my heart more than most and instantly brings me back to moments in my life of which i am grateful to have shared with such beautiful music. I don't like the idea of choosing a "favorite" band as music can be as varied as each individual who listens to it, but if i had a gun to my head and was forced to choose or suffer the ultimate consequence, i can say with confidence that i know what i would instictively blurt out... and i wouldn't think twice about it.