Last week, B. Hold called and asked me to write a brief bio of him for the Steppin Razor blog. It was around 4 in the morning when my phone rang, and B explained that he always gets up so early to milk his neighbors and gather the flying squirrel eggs. He rambled on for several minutes, snoring intermittently, and barely conveyed his reason for calling: since he had written the blog posts about James, Johnny, and Mark, the band wanted someone else – someone with no knowledge whatsoever of who or what Steppin Razor is – to write Ben’s bio. Since then, I have been familiarizing myself with the band’s music, and it’s okay, I guess. But what really impressed me as I talked to band members was their high regard for one another as individuals, a respect that is unashamed of the most personally revealing information.

James Hoy, for example, offered a graphic account of Ben’s first attempt at colon-cleansing:

We were loading in for our weekly Wednesday gig at Spence Cafe in West Chester, and Ben was the last to arrive, as usual. He came in haste, almost crashing into the dumpster, yelling something about how he might have soiled his pants with falafel and rancid apple juice. Luckily, his boxer shorts intercepted most of the mess, but he was left with rotted bean curd sepia colored pantaloons, and no change of clothes with him that night. I had to stand behind him when we played at Spence back then, and believe me, it was a struggle to get through three whole sets on that fateful reggae night.

Since then, B always brings extra pants and underwear, his fiber-rich diet making this absolutely necessary. He admits to being a chronic sharter, but he says, “It’s nothing a little handful of Gold Bond can’t absorb.” Ben was even offered an endorsement deal from Gold Bond on one occasion, but declined when he was told that he wouldn’t be allowed to demonstrate in commercials how he applies the medicated powder. Still, everyone who knows B. Hold the Sharter considers his name synonymous with Gold Bond. John Myers recalls of the aforementioned reggae night,

On the third day after the shart of Bean, a Gold Bond sticker arose from the depths of the dumpster of Spence and was placed on the steering wheel of my chariot to remind me of the events that had taken place….and there it still lies, withered and torn, but untouched, as it is the holiest of Gold Bond stickers.

Mark Patterson spoke fondly of another of B. Hold’s famous tendencies: falling asleep whenever something awesome is happening. Whether it’s a great song on the radio, a triple rainbow, or James doing a Jack Daniels-induced chicken dance on Johnny’s face,

…he just passes out. Maybe he has narcolepsy or something, I don’t know, but this one time, we had a dance party at the old Steppin Razor beach house, and as soon as everybody started dancing, B. Hold passed out and teleported himself to his bedroom. After a few hours, we wanted to wake him up to join us, so we shouted, “To B. Hold’s room!” and charged in. Somebody placed a magic 8-ball on his chest, waking Ben up quickly, but this proved fatal. And this other time, we were all riding in the van rocking out to Lady Gaga or SOJA or something, and Ben passed out and started snoring really loud. James took a picture of Ben that time, and oh man, it looks like a dead version of that Chicken Lover guy from that one episode of South Park. It’s hilarious, but sometimes I feel bad that he always misses out on the awesome stuff that we all get to experience. But then I stop feeling bad because it’s hilarious.

"...looks like a dead version of that Chicken Lover guy from that one episode of South Park." - Mark Patterson

B. Hold also considers himself something of an anthropologist, always reading things that nobody cares about and traveling to other parts of the world to poke his nose into other people’s business, thinking that he can somehow live up to his motto, “Do Good,” that he stole from somebody in Jamaica. Everywhere he goes, he carries around something to write with, convinced that he will eventually capture a brilliant idea on paper. One of his old notebooks was intended for this purpose, but it came to be used by all of the band members for jotting down random thoughts. This “Black Book,” as it is affectionately called among the Steppin Razor family, contains top secret information, most of which is written in Sarlacc language, B. Hold being one of the few people on earth who can still decode this ancient alphabet.

For all of his quirkiness and repulsive characteristics, the other three members of Steppin Razor have grown rather fond of B. Hold since the bassist first joined the band as a “bongo apprentice and triangle smasher.” Hoy recalls one of the happiest evenings of his life, “I was over at Ben’s bungalow, showing him some scratch tracks I had recorded – which eventually became ‘Against the Current’ and ‘Rise Up’ – and he made this ridiculously good adult beverage that he called ‘Vitamin Drunker,’ which was basically just cheap cheap vodka and orange juice, maybe some of those squirrel eggs, I don’t know, but it was gooood.”

B. Hold, whose contributions to the new Steppin Razor album include “All Dem Have” (below) among others, currently lives in Big Beaver, Pennsylvania with his cat and five children. He works for the CIA and none of the above is entirely true.

James “P. Dub” Hoy wrote the music for “Against the Current,” and both Johnny and B. Hold (that’s me!) wrote the lyrics. Then it sat on the back burner for a couple of years while we contemplated becoming a Pete Townsend tribute band, trying to learn as many of his songs as we could. Eventually, we realized that it was inevitable: we were meant to play reggae, even if none of us had the hot surfer bods, the bleached rent-a-locks, or the cute nasal vocal capabilities typical of the genre. That’s when we decided to add “Against the Current” to our repertoire and make our comeback to the world of reggae music. Like most drummers, Mark isn’t usually mentioned in terms of songwriting; but the solid, steady 4-on-the-floor riddim and the percussive accents throughout this track are but a small taste of the creativity with which he complements the other Razors.

Mark wasn’t always such a talented and meticulous drummer, however. In fact, when he was born, he was completely incapable of playing drums. It is hard to believe after all these years, but Mark was born with no arms, and only a stump, and two legs. His mother, presidential candidate Joanne Huntsman, recalls that heartbreaking day:

After hours of pointless labor, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! How did that thing come out of me? I begged and begged the doctor to take it back, to keep it there at the hospital. I couldn’t take it home with me – what would my family think? I lay there in my hospital bed for years, wishing it were just another horrible stump-baby nightmare. And all of a sudden came a miracle that changed everything.

That miracle she’s referring to was none other than Mark’s fairy godmother, who granted unto the child not just one arm, but two, and the most state-of-the-art stump extension treatment in the history of treatments. Glorious day! But the gift of a somewhat normal body did not come without certain stipulations. Before leaving the maternity ward that day, the fairy godmother said unto him, “Yea, child, thou must go forth into the world with good vibes of comfort and joy, spreading reggae unto all nations. But beware – do not play ‘No Woman, No Cry’ for any audience, unless you have been paid at least $5000 (US) in advance, lest thine arms be withered and thine stump forever rancid.”

Mark heeded the words of his fairy godmother, and has since lived a relatively happy life, considering he suffers from chronic cynicism and athlete’s foot on all three feet. He lives in an unpronounceably-named village in Chester County, Pennsylvania, blessed by a matrimonial connection to one of the world’s sweetest women, Allyson. They have a dog, Izzie, and upwards of 300 cats, all named Joshua. “It’s a lot of fun, really,” he explains. “I get a sort of sick pleasure yelling at the cats all day long. ‘Joshua, Joshua, Joshua….’ It’s kinda like counting triplets on a hi-hat: ‘Trip-el-et, Trip-el-et, Trip-el-et… Jo-shu-a, Jo-shu-a, Jo-shu-a….’ I know, I’m silly.”

Silly, yes. That describes Mark to a T. But T is just one letter, and without all of the other letters of the alphabet – letters that stand for awesome, percussive, funny, highly intelligent, thoughtful, business savvy, loyal – you wouldn’t have enough letters to make up the one word that describes him best: Mark Patterson.

Here's a picture of Mark playing his instruments. Johnny's son Jonah calls him "Gark," but Mark secretly hates that.

You may have noticed an unfamiliar instrument in this song, something that one of my friends described as “reminiscent of Italian folk ballads.” Though it is related to the Italian vibrandoneon, what you’re hearing is a melodica, a 20th-century Hohner invention that combines the reed technology of woodwind instruments with a miniature piano keyboard. You may have heard it before in Bob Marley’s “Sun is Shining,” anything by reggae legend Augustus Pablo, or the theme song from Perfect Strangers. It was also featured on “Jah Herb,” from our first album, Gold in Rule.

Our very own John Myers played it for “All Dem Have,” as well as “Things,” another one of my (B. Hold’s) songs from …Against the Current. Myers studied music performance at West Chester University, where he mastered over 83 instruments each semester. Though his primary concentration was the jaw harp, he also got pretty good on the bass guitar, clavichord, trombone, flugelhorn, and fundeh, all of which he played for both of our albums. The blow organ (another name for melodica) is one of his favorite instruments to play, as it reminds him of long nights in the conservatory during his WCU days.

Johnny is married to a woman (believe it or not) named Stacy, and they have a most adorable 2-year-old son named Jonah. True fact (unlike some of the things I’ve written above) – Jonah can already identify reggae music, and when his daddy’s music comes on, he recognizes it right away. Some experts believe that this is due, in part, to an experimental indoctrination process that John and Stacy have developed together; but I think the boy just inherited an ear for reggae.

Until recently, Myers had a head full of long dreadlocks that he had grown for about 7 years or so. While battling the evil Lord Sarlaac Jay in the Daalsbeep quadrant of the Blabalonn Galaxy, a puuh fighter shot a corrosive fluid into Johnny’s hair, leaving the melodica master with no choice but to chop off all of his locks with a high E string. Here are before and after pictures, in no particular order:

I decided to start with our lead guitarist, James Hoy, because we just released one of his songs from the upcoming album. If you didn’t catch “Rise Up” on Wednesday, check the Soundcloud link below.

James is a 29-year-old finger ninja from Intercourse, Pennsylvania. He says the most random things to strangers, and occasionally writes down his thoughts in a collection called Deep Thoughts by P. Dub (we hope this will be released in hardback someday, after some serious editing… because James is a terrible speller). Why “P. Dub”? Well, that has been James’s nickname since the summer of 2006, the first summer that Steppin’ Razor occupied the Jersey shore. It’s a long story, but James earned the “P. Dub” title because of beer pong (or was it beer pool?) and Venus Williams. Let’s just say Hoy has one mean sinker.

James Hoy (left) walks through his field of dreams. A modern-day Kevin Costner in his own right, James "Sacrifical Lambchops" Hoy would like to be your best friend. (Photo by Brett Schoen)

James’s bragging rights: he once survived a fall down 500 stairs (he got to ride to the hospital in a helicopter that night!). He invented whiskey thousands of years ago. He can play really fast. He makes really good chocolate chip cookies. His girlfriend, “Double-N,” is one groovy chick. He fashions things out of recycled rubber, saving thousands of lives every day. It’s true.

Most importantly and pertinently, however, James Hoy has contributed some brilliant songwriting to Steppin’ Razor over the years. He doesn’t write a lot of songs, but his tunes are always crowd favorites. Take “Guidance,” for example. Featured on our 2009 debut album, Gold in Rule, this song consists of a simple but captivating riddim over which Hoy glides, whammies, and spanks notes up and down the fretboard. As we did with the title track on our upcoming 2nd album, …Against the Current, Johnny and I put lyrics over the “Guidance” riddim, a fun basis for such a collaboration. Originally, I rapped a verse, and then I remembered that I’m a dork, so I wrote some simple lyrics I could sing, which fit the song much better. Hoy’s music is a lot of fun to sing over, because it’s not complicated – it’s catchy and in-your-face, and it’s repetition doesn’t wear on you, as long as you’re willing to let go, feel the groove, and dance (or whatever your body does when music comes on). He’s also that way in person: he doesn’t say a whole lot, but when he talks, he’s to-the-point, honest, and often sidesplittingly hilarious.

Here’s one of his greats, “Rise Up” (lyrics by John Myers), from …Against the Current (coming next month).

February 25 – the night we opened for dancehall legend Barrington Levy. If you’ve been following us for at least a couple of years, you know we had a heartbreaking experience in 2009 when, so the story goes, Mr. Levy wasn’t allowed in the US in time to play the show at the Note. We were supposed to open that show, and this was perhaps the worst in a long series of letdowns for us. We may never have recovered from this disappointment and disillusionment, were it not for Jamaican Dave coming through with this great opportunity at the Blockley Pourhouse in Philadelphia this year. We’ll never forget the hundreds of faces staring at us when we took the stage as they impatiently waited for Barrington to arrive, their cold gazes melting away, much to our relief, when we started playing. But we couldn’t have enjoyed it so much without all the support from our friends and fans that night.

The first third of 2011 was a little slow for us, as our bassist, B. Hold, was wrapping up his thesis before graduating from Penn State. Inspired by his experiences with reggae music, and informed by two weeks of field research in Jamaica, this gargantuan paper, “We Black Build the Music”: Rastafarian Perspectives on Participation of Whites in Reggae and Nyahbinghi Music, was complemented by a 32-minute video documentary, Our Songs of Patience. Whether you’re a reggae musician or just a fan, we highly recommend this video to deepen your appreciation for this genre.

We did the usual Atlantic City beach bar gigs, which were fun as always, even though the rain seemed to downpour on us at the end of every gig, when it was time to take our gear across the boardwalk and back to the van. Luckily, we came away with no damage, enjoyed many a Sunday afternoon with fun-loving crowds on the beach, and made a few new friends in the process. But the highlight of summer 2011, without a doubt, was this:

That’s right, we got to open for Toots & the Maytals, legendary founding fathers of reggae music. Many of you were there, so we don’t need to tell you how incredible this was. The Blockley sold out that night, which is an impressive feat for a Wednesday night in July – but after all, it’s Toots we’re talking about.

The best things comes in threes – says this band that has never played a waltz (yet) – so it was only fitting that we got on the bill with John Brown’s Body, one of our favorite reggae bands, in November. All 4 Razors agree: JBB is one of the most talented and creative acts in reggae music today, far surpassing the majority of manufactured island pop that somehow passes as reggae. If you’re not listening to these guys, you’re seriously missing out.

Wondering what that picture is on the flyer above? Well, certain members of the band have these fancy Android-powered phones that have schmancy cameras with nifty special effects. On late-night drives home from gigs, especially in the torrential downpours we mentioned earlier, we take pictures of the road ahead of us. Mark made this flyer using one of his photos that looked especially cool and flyer-appropriate, but we have plenty more that, at least for us, symbolize the psychedelic exhaustion that comes from a long day at a gig in the hot sun, especially when you’re trapped inside of Morpheus (the band van) with James Hoy for a couple of hours at a time (you have to know the guy).

Speaking of the band van, we did have one sad moment this year (besides the loss of Johnny’s dreadlocks due to an unfortunate smelting accident). We had to say goodbye to our good friend, Morpheus. The old gray van has served us well for over three years, and we have many memories from within that we would be quite unwise to share with any of you. But here’s a shot from Labor Day weekend at the Getdown Festival in Mebane, NC, the furthest we’ve ever taken Morpheus on the road. Thanks to our friends Kim and Paul for letting us crash that weekend – Morpheus does not like to be slept in.

Morpheus Unloaded

As we say goodbye to another great year, we look forward to an even better one. We’re starting it off with a show at the North Star Bar next Wednesday, January 4th – click here for your tickets! And in preparation of the upcoming album release, we’re posting a song on Soundcloud every Wednesday in January – the return of Reggae Wednesday, if you will. We already released track 1, “United Nation,” on Christmas Day. Please enjoy and let us know what you think.

Stay tuned for an official album release date announcement, have a safe New Years Eve, and look forward to 2012 with courage and thanks!

Johnny, Mark, James, and B. Hold

The best things come in threes, so it’s fitting that we open for one more of our favorite bands before 2011 comes to a close. This Friday at The Note in West Chester, PA, we’ll be opening for John Brown’s Body, along with Thunder Body (featuring former members of Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad). Both of these bands have some non-reggae influences – hip hop, rock, jazz, and West African sounds – but in terms of popular bands performing authentic, quality reggae in the US today, they are leagues above the rest. We hope you can join us in supporting the sort of thing we’ve been striving for from the start: original, solid, conscious music.

Here’s a likkle JBB to whet your whistle for this Friday night:

You can buy tickets here or get them at the door for $17. This is an 18+ show. Doors at 8pm, Show starts at 9.

There’s one song from early 2007 that has a great story behind it. James Hoy, aka P. Dub (long story for another time), had recorded a few ideas with his guitar and the built-in drum machine on his BOSS BR-8. One of these went on to become “Guidance,” another is “Rise Up” on the new album, and there’s one we haven’t worked on yet, which we labeled “P-11.” But there was a slower track that James recorded, and we called it “P. Dub’s Chant” because of the “ooh”s he added to it (yes, he can sing, too!). Just as we had done with “Guidance,” Johnny and I each wrote a verse for “P. Dub’s Chant,” exchanging our ideas over email.

My lyrical contribution was, to say the least, far from uplifting. I was going through a rough time, financially, had recently ended an unhealthy relationship, started watching my grandmother suffer from Alzheimer’s, and was disillusioned by a recent job change. This was reflected in what I wrote for the first verse:

I don’t feel at home no more
I gotta pack a few things, hit the road, throw away the key and lock the door
But I don’t know what I’m leaving for
There’s something out there, I know
I’ve seen it out on the horizon in the evening glow
And the longing just grow and grow
I’m never satisfied, I’m just a hypocrite
I sing, “Give thanks and praise,” but I get sick of it
And then I whine and bitch and take it out on others
When I’m envious of my more wealthy brothers
I’m told there’s a reason for the place I’m in
But I feel like I’ll never see grace again
Mama always said, “Just be patient, Ben”
But I’ll never learn my lesson unless I face the wind

And move on, against the current
Move on, against the serpent
Move on to a place where I’ll be positive
Move on to a place where I know Jah Jah live

Part longing, part confession, part last-ditch effort to motivate myself, this verse (and the chorus) reflected the sort of hopelessness I was going through. It didn’t help at all that it was February, and winter makes me virtually useless.

Then Johnny wrote back with an awesome 2nd verse:

I have to be honest,
I’ve never gone hungry for too long
Never had to worry ’bout where I’d be sleepin’
or where I belong
My parents broke their backs so I can live my life
the way I want to live
To express myself the only way I know how,
Through the music that Jah Jah give

For that I’m thankful,
It didn’t have to turn out this way
I could be roamin’ the streets with no direction
What will I be eatin’ today?
So everytime I’m down about life and how its goin’
I try to think of all the times
My parents stayed up late fussin’ and fightin’
Wonderin’ what tomorrow they’ll find

But they pushed on…against the current
Pushed on against the serpent
Pushed on to a place where they’d be positive
Pushed on to a place where Jah Jah live

This was exactly what I needed to read. He starts off by basically saying, “I may not exactly be able to relate to the hunger or the uncertainty about where you’re going to live in a few months,” but continues by remembering how much his parents went through so he could be where he is today. He didn’t give me the “how can you complain?” treatment, and he recognized that I was literally not eating enough. But he indirectly gave me the kick in the ass that I needed, showing me an example of perseverance and its fruits. I’m not sure if I ever thanked him for that. I’ll try to remember next time I see him.

This song eventually came to be called “Against the Current,” and it’s a regular in our repertoire now. When we were trying to figure out a name for the 2nd album, we had a few different ideas, but as soon as one of us said, “Against the Current,” I think we were pretty much all in agreement on it. Mark pointed out how it sums up where we are as a band, and that really rang true with me. In a world where egos dominate the radio (and yes, even the “reggae” “scene”) and originality is the direct opposite of profitability, we’ve often wondered if we’ll ever “feel at home,” if there is a place for the music we’ve put so much thought and love into. But there are always a few dedicated friends and fans who come out to support us, reminding us just how rewarding it can be to stick with what you believe in.

Several of the songs on Against the Current echo this theme, reminding us that there are far worse situations we could be in, so we need to make the most of what we’ve been given, and try to make the world a better, more just, and more hopeful place in the process. We hope you’ll reap the same inspiration from this album. You all deserve it.

Jah Guide,

B. Hold

We hope you’ve all had nuff fun in the sun this summer. The weather has been strange here in the Northeast, but we’ve been blessed with some great times in Philly and at the Jersey shore once again this year, and we apprecilove all of you who have come out to support us and the upful message of reggae music. From an unforgettable show at the Blockley with Toots & the Maytals, to the lovely security guard dancing in front of the stage at Bally’s Beach Bar on 8/21, this summer has left us with a wealth of memories and laughs to last a lifetime.

But there’s really no need to post a typical, sentimental, end-of-the-season blog post here today. We have a couple of announcements to keep the good vibes rolling into the autumn (which, here in PA, is a beautiful season)…

The GETDOWN!

Got any Labor Day Weekend plans? Well, you do now! Come to Mebane, NC on Saturday, 9/3 to see us at The Getdown Music Festival and Campout, with a great line-up of bands from all over the eastern US. Or make a whole weekend out of it and camp out from Thursday to Monday. We’ve heard of a lot of these bands through the Home Grown Music Network, so we’re looking forward to a variety of sounds and a really good time. For more information, go to thegetdown.org.

Almost there…

Many of you have been patiently waiting for (but frequently asking about) the new album, Against the Current. Well, it is coming along very nicely, to say the least. Johnny has given us all some rough, rough mixes to listen to, and I can’t stop listening to it. Mark has come up with some killer album art, too. It’s so close we can almost taste it, and we definitely smell it. But you know we want to give you a solid album once again, so we’re not rushing it. There’s no official release date yet, but I will say this: you’ll definitely have it in time to gift-wrap several copies and put them under the tree for your family and friends; you’ll hopefully have it in time to give thanks for it with a side of cranberry sauce; and you may even find yourself dancing to it in your Snookie costume.

Stay tuned for more info on Against the Current and our CD release parties. In the meantime, you can read some of the lyrics from both albums on our Lyrics page.

Give Thanks,

B. Hold, James, Johnny, and Mark

photo by Brett Schoen, One Light Imaging

GREETINGS!

How’s everybody doing? Hangin’ in there? Good to hear, good to hear. What have we been up to? Good question. Well, we’ve been booking shows and working on our follow up CD to 2009′s Gold In Rule.

A new CD?! We want DETAILS!

Yes, we’ve been mentioning it for some time, and while we would’ve like to have had it done before now, some things just can’t be rushed. The title will be Against the Current and it should be done by the end of summer 2011!

So, where you playin’?

5/22 – Super Adoption Day, Philly – Noon
5/22 – The Drake, Jenkintown – 5 PM
5/26 – The M Room, Philly – 9 PM
6/12 – Bally’s Beach Bar, AC – 4 PM
6/26 – The Drake, Jenkintown – 5 PM
7/3 – Bally’s Beach Bar, AC – 4 PM
7/17 – The Hilton Beach Bar, AC – 1 PM
7/20 – The Blockley w/Toots!, Philly – 9 PM
7/24 – The Hilton Beach Bar, AC – 1 PM
8/13 – The Hilton Beach Bar, AC – 2 PM
8/21 – Bally’s Beach Bar, AC – 4 PM
8/27 – The Hilton Beach Bar, AC – 6 PM
9/4 – Bally’s Beach Bar, AC – 4 PM
Labor Day Weekend, The Getdown Fest, Mebane, NC

What, you want the highlights? How about all of them?! Okay, okay, we’ll break it down for you:

This Sunday, May 22, we’ll be performing for Super Adoption Day, an event put together by Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia. This is the single biggest pet adoption day in the city and we’re very excited to have been asked to be a part of it (thanks Wendy!) We’ll kick off the event with a 1 hour set at noon, then we’ll be heading to The Drake in Jenkintown for 3 more sets out on the deck from 5 to 9! Oh, and both shows are FREE.

Thursday, May 26, we’ll be debuting at the M-Room, 15 W. Girard in Fishtown (right by Johnny Brenda’s). We’ll be joined by Delaware’s Brixton Saint and M’Balia. We should be hitting the stage around 9 PM!

Another BIIIIG event will take place on Wednesday, July 20, when we open for the legendary Toots and the Maytals at The Blockley in Philly! Get info and tickets HERE, and get ‘em quick because let’s be honest, they won’t be around for long!

And last (for now), Labor Day weekend, we’ve been invited to play at the GetDown Music Festival in Mebane, North Carolina! The final lineup has not yet been confirmed, nor have we gotten the final confirmation on when our set will be, but we’re pretty stoked!

That’s it for now. Please check out some of the links and thank you for supporting Reggae music. Do Good.

-Johnny, Mark, James, and B. Hold