In Case You Missed It: Shaking Off the Dust

November 19, 2010 By Mike Duquette — No Comments

In October, Epic remastered and reissued Shake Off the Dust…Arise, the debut album by reggae artist Matisyahu.

If that name isn’t sounding particularly “reggae,” it’s because the artist – born Matthew Miller and raised in White Plains, New York – is a Hasidic Jewish artist. The juxtaposition of these two cultures – note-perfect in the reggae tradition, but sung by a bearded, soft-spoken man in traditional Hasidic garb – nonetheless made Matisyahu a notable act, and debut single “King Without a Crown,” first heard on breakthrough concert LP Live at Stubb’s (2005) and released from major-label debut Youth (2006), was a Top 30 hit.

Matisyahu has released another handful of albums since then, including most recent studio effort Light (2009), but Epic has taken the time to reissue the artist’s first-ever album, 2004’s Shake Off the Dust…Arise (recorded for indie label JDub), which had fallen out of print and commanded high prices on the secondary market. The physical disc is available through Matisyahu’s official Web site and can be downloaded through the usual providers.

Hit the jump to see the track list.

Matisyahu, Shake Off the Dust…Arise (Epic/Or Music/JDub, 2010 – originally released on JDub, 2004)

Chop ‘Em Down
Tzama L’Chol Nafshi (Psalm – 63:2-3)
Got No Water
King Without a Crown
Interlude
Father in the Forest
Interlude
Aish Tamid
Short Nigun
Candle
Close My Eyes
Interlude
Exaltation
Refuge
Interlude
Warrior
Outro

Tracks 1 and 16 re-recorded for No Place to Be (Epic/Or Music/JDub, 2006)
Track 4 re-recorded for Youth (Epic/Or Music/JDub, 2006)

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Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, having written at and worked for all three major catalogue music labels and contributing to Allmusic, Billboard, Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Classic Rock. He's penned liner notes for Verve, Chess, Mondo and Soul Music Records.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.