Fat Freddy's Drop

by Andy KellmanThey've dubbed themselves "hi-tek soul," but Fat Freddy's Drop -- featuring producer and leader Fitchie, vocalist Joe Dukie, saxophonist Warren Maxwell, trumpeter Toby Laing, trombonist Joe Lindsay, guitarist Tehimana Kerr, and keyboardist Iain Gordon -- could just as easily be considered a modern reggae band that incorporates soul and dub. Prior to releasing their first album, 2005's Based on a True Story, they were already well-known in their native New Zealand; the album shipped gold and became the first independent release to reach number one on the country's chart. By the end of the year, the band had left an impression in several other countries, including England, where listeners of Gilles Peterson's BBC Worldwide program voted it as the Album of the Year.