I saw The Sorts (of Washington D.C.) a few times at the end of the 90's, a band comprised of Joshua LaRue (guitar, vocals), Stuart Fletcher (bass), and Chris Farrall (of Hoover, drums). An incredible collection of talent.
Josh was another huge inspiration for me. His guitar playing was a fantastic mix of funk, jazz, reggae/dub- and used some unconventional techniques that excited the hell out of me. In particular, he would throw in this muted scratch/rake into his soloing and riffing that I subconsciously use all of the time. (Stole. I stole it.)
I messaged him once after stumbling across his profile back in the Myspace days. I told him that I was a big fan and that he was a huge inspiration, then offered to send an audio I had of a gig they did in Louisville. He responded as if he thought I wasn't serious.
This is the only release they had on them when I saw them at the Sugar Doe Cafe (Louisville, Kentucky) in 1997...? I think. To tell the truth, this single- so obviously dub-inspired- was over my head. But I liked it. I bought every album they released and saw them a few more times before they quietly disappeared.
This rip includes part 1 and 2, as you will likely here where it pauses then resumes.
(Most of their releases are on the Spotify. They were also involved in a project called Sea Tiger that is very similar but, perhaps, a little expanded in scope, instrumentation, and sound. Check that out as well.)
