Audio By Carbonatix
Time moves pretty damn fast, no matter what you smoke. For fans of Sublime, the death of Brad Nowell, the trio’s leader, feels like it happened yesterday, but he actually overdosed on heroin in May 1996 — nearly nine years ago. Surviving bandmates Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh went on to form the Long Beach Dub Allstars, a ten-piece ensemble whose groove-happy approach never quite delivered the buzz of the original lineup. More recently, the Allstars splintered, with a slew of groups forming from the fragments: Dubcat, Chapter 11, Volcano, and Long Beach Shortbus, in which Wilson teams with Allstars alum RAS 1, supplemented by guitarist Trey Pangborn and drummer Damion Ramirez. Judging by Flying Ship of Fantasy, the Long Beachers’ debut, the Shortbus isn’t heading for new territory, despite the presence of a tune titled “Constantly Changing.” The results are akin to a copy of a copy of a copy, or perhaps a supply of weed that’s dried out and lost its potency. Time is a cruel mistress, dudes. — Roberts
