Trop Rock Music

I've found a few places on the web that tried to define the genre -- I think DJ DK, from Island Time Radio, said it well:

TROP ROCK (trop-rok) -- a mixture of rock-n-roll and country music blended with an island style theme and lyrics. See also Buffettesque, and Caribilly.

I'm happy to report that trop rock is finally, slowly coming in to it's own as a recognized music genre. CD Baby has added it as a category just within the past month, and Pay Play (a website where you can download songs for 88 cents) has also added trop rock to their list of options under the "ROCK" category. Some tireless lobbyists for the cause can be found at The Margarita Mafia. You will find that site is also a great resource for different artists. So, pour yourself a boat drink, pull up a deck chair, and let's explore some music.

In a word, no. I have nothing against cover bands, but that is not what trop rock is, and not what I'm showcasing in these lenses. While most of the artists and bands I'll introduce you to do play some Buffett (and that is how a lot of them started out) - they have gone beyond that. They've got their own style, their own music, and most all have their own CD's out too. Jimmy Buffett is definitely acknowledged as starting the trend, and is easily the most recognizable name you may encounter here. We (trop rock fans) also claim
a number of better known names (more mainstream acts, if you will) -- Kenny Chesney, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Bob Marley for instance. I'm going to put them in a separate lens for you. Part of the reason to separate those acts out also, is that in addition to Trop Rock, they often do fall into other, more easily defined genres as well. For now, on to the trop rock -- just follow your ears.

It's a rhythm and a sound and an attitude, and it's bound to be fun.

from his web site: James "Sunny Jim" White spent more than a decade living and working in the Cayman Islands, and this experience gave him plenty of material for original songs. With Sunny Jim's laid-back attitude and island style, his music is often described as uniquely "American Caribbean". From ballads to fun-loving, upbeat Soca tunes, Sunny Jim's songs tell stories of life on a Caribbean island. His reputation as a storytelling songwriter grows with each new release.

Sunny Jim is a regular on Radio Margaritaville (www.margaritaville.com). In 1999, Radio Margaritaville traveled to the Cayman Islands to broadcast James' show live to a world-wide internet audience, an experience that inspired a song that ended up on his fourth CD, Tropical Trader. His other records include: Postcards from Seven Mile Beach, Life in the Laid Back Lane, Sandbar Serenade and Escape Artist. Two of his songs won awards in the Cayman National Songwriters Competition. Some of his past and current venues include: Margaritaville Café Citywalk (Orlando, FL), Margaritaville Café (New Orleans, LA), Margaritaville Café (Key West, FL), Capt Curt's Backroom Saloon (Siesta Key - Sarasota, FL), Lulu's Sunset Grill and Bar (Fair Hope, AL), Hemingway's Tropical Grill & Bar (Marietta, GA), Conch Republic Seafood Company (Key West, FL), Crabby Bill's (Key West, FL).

Grab a beach chair, bury your toes in the sand, and join Sunny Jim's "Life In The Laid Back Lane".

One of the very cool things about Trop Rock artists is their willingness - even eagerness - to collaborate with their fellow musicians. Time and time again, at festivals, parties, and conventions, it is par for the course to have the band on stage call up one or more of the members of the other bands. And they always manage to sound like they have played together forever.

One of my favorite collaborations ever was when two very talented musicians decided to take it a step further and set out on a tour together. Sunny Jim and Jim Morris decided to follow the road that circles the Gulf of Mexico. Two great songwriters and their guitars. And, lucky us - they made a live album out of the tour. To enjoy this album yourself, go here to buy it.

from his website: Jim Morris is devoted to storytelling. Whether it is a thoughtful ballad about doomed love or an anthem to a night of drunken revelry, you can always count on songs with carefully drawn characters, clever lyrics, and satirical charm. Although Jim's musical style is admittedly reminiscent of Jimmy Buffett and Jerry Jeff Walker, he has a knack for defying categorization. He mixes a whimsical island sound with a splash of Texas to produce a sound that is uniquely Gulf and Western.

Jim grew up in Georgia and has a heritage rich in music. His grandfather led a dance band, and everyone in the family either played an instrument or sang. At age 10 Jim taught himself to play the guitar by listening to Hank Williams records. After college, while pursuing a career in human resources management, he continued to write songs and dream of the day when he could do it full-time. "After I graduated, I wanted to be a drifter and a writer; instead, I settled for corporate executive and closet entertainer". Following a business trip during which he renewed his love affair with the southwest coast of Florida, Jim took the leap he had been contemplating for some time and left the corporate world for good.

Jim spent the subsequent years writing songs and playing gigs around Florida. From the beginning he took a big risk by featuring his original music. "I spent about a year writing and developing a catalog of songs. I was unsure of my ability to sing and play the guitar professionally, but I thought my songs might separate me from the other performers." Eventually, Jim felt pressure growing to perform more outside the state of Florida. "I wanted to broaden my fan base, so I hit the road a bit."

in their owns words: We started as a five-piece, Jimmy Buffett tribute act five years ago. We still play plenty of Buffett, but we are now a member of the Trop-Rock genre (bands that fans of Jimmy Buffett like to listen to) via our original music. Our first album, "This Ain't Duval Street", sold over 2,500 copies and is still available on our website. Our second album has been released on Little Feat's Hot Tomato Records label and is now available at Hot Tomato's website. It will be available at amazon.com, VH1.com, Barnes&Noble, Best Buy, etc... Both albums are receiving airplay on Radio Margaritaville (Sirius 31), and various local radio stations throughout the U.S. We are now a seven-piece band, sometimes adding an extra musician or two. We have opened for Jimmy and played with several members of his band. We tour throughout the Mid-West, with some national trips scattered in each year.

Boat Drunks on MySpace.

from their website: Allow me to introduce you to The CalypsoNuts: Robbie Meade and Lynley Tolls-Meade. Robbie has played The MGM Grand, The Frontier, The Mint, and The Sands in Las Vegas; as well as The Historic Nevada Lodge in North Lake Tahoe and in Reno at Fitzgerald's. He's toured the country with the band Nyte Flyte, and was well known in both Virginia Beach and in San Francisco with the band Instant Karma. In 1998, came the launch of The CalypsoNuts -- a brilliantly designed duo that focuses on the fun,"islandy" styles. Robbie says, "The CalypsoNuts are designed to be the party band's party band, from slow stuff to relax and listen to, to full tilt, shake it 'till you drop, dance music, and all with "THE SHOW" in mind". Lynley Tolls, also occasionally known as "Lola", comes from the less than tropical Cleveland, OH. Her performing started with Broadway musicals and numerous stage and dance shows. A fifteen year resident of the Hampton Roads, VA area, Lynley was Dance Captain aboard the Spirit of Norfolk for five years. She also performed with Virginia Beach Little Theater and Commonwealth Musical Stage, and choreographed a production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" for the Hampton Dinner Theater. In addition to her vocal talents, Lynley plays lead and double second steel pans, congas, bass guitar, and is responsible for a great many of the sequences used over the course of an evening. Lynley may be on stage one minute and in the crowd the next; nothing slows her down. Watch her change from Lynley to Jessica to Sheila and back again all in one night.

The CalypsoNuts on MySpace

from their website: Tropical Soul takes their fans on a musical journey that sends them south where the palm trees sway and warm ocean breezes blow. Their tunes range from covers of acoustic beach and pop music, to island-flavored original songs. This duo from Central PA has been playing their summertime tunes for crowds year-round for almost seven years. In addition, they are frequently traveling out of the area to play for their fans from around the Country.
Tropical Soul performs between 75 and 100 shows per year. Their appearances include openings for national artists such as Jimmy Buffett, Scott Kirby, Peter Mayer, Mac McAnally, Club Trini, Bill "The Sauce Boss" Wharton, and St. Somewhere. They have performed with John Frinzi, Doyle Grisham, and James "Sunny Jim" White among others. Musical collaborations include R. Scott Bryan, who spent five years with the Sheryl Crow Band and who played percussion and produced both the "Tropical Soul" and "No Plans At All" CDs, and Tina Gullickson, of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band.

from a "Keynoter" article: While Livingston and his band mates are not native Conchs, Mile Marker 24 has become somewhat of a musical ambassador for the state of mind that is the Florida Keys. Blending rock backbeats with island rhythms and a little country twang, Livingston best describes the groups' sound as "tropical rock".

Any group can throw on tropical shirts and flip-flops and play music that conjures up island images, but Mile Marker 24 takes the idea a step further to really give their live shows an authentic Florida Keys aura.

"We took a 1952 Johnson Outboard motor and turned it into a margarita machine," Livingston explained. "That's been a blast. We always fire that up during the show and pass around some drinks to the crowd."

Howard Lingston & the MM24 Band on MySpace

Now that you've found a band you love, now what? Well, go to the artist's website and buy their music. You can also check out the artist's schedule at TropicalDreams.net for a national entertainment schedule that is updated weekly.