ThE MEDICINALS

“The Medicinals, an amalgam of musicians from the shores of Lake Ontario in western New York, have released three songs to date. They dropped their first single, the Afrobeat flavored anthem, “We Gonna Get Through,” on June 30th, 2020. Two years to the day later, they followed that up with an uplifting homage to reggae music and their hometown of Rochester, NY, titled “Love the Sound.” With the recent release of their latest single, the band seems to be ahead of their pace of releasing a track every two years. This is great news! Why? With Major League Baseball having just opened their 2025 season, I’ll put it in baseball parlance: The Medicinals are three for three, i.e. they’re batting a thousand. For those not into sports, in other words, they have achieved perfect/flawless success. I really dug their first track. I loved their second song. And their third release…to continue the baseball metaphor, they clobbered out of the park. This winner, titled “Reach You,” instantly puts a vigorous bounce in my step and prompts me to sing along loudly, especially when the chorus hits with its “Wo-ooahh, I’m coming in the morning…” And this is not just lip service. I mean it literally. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve listened to this song numerous times while walking my dog throughout my neighborhood. Every time, I find myself bobbing to its irresistible beat, wondering if anyone is laughing at me from inside their homes as I groove to the music coming from my ear buds invisible under my hoodie. One of the main creative forces behind this band and whose voice graces their music, Dylan Savage, has been known over the past two decades for his songwriting, singing and guitar work in Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. For this reason, The Medicinals music strongly resembles that of GPGDS. Savage’s distinctive voice, delightfully saccharine and placid, lends itself to lovers rock songs and has often reminded me of reggae luminary Gregory Isaacs, who The New York Times had once labeled “the most exquisite voice in reggae.” That comparison comes rushing to mind with “Reach You,” especially with the aforementioned line “I’m coming in the morning,” which conjures Isaacs’ massive hit, “Stranger in Town,” in which the Cool Ruler sings, “I wanna love you in the morning.” According to the band via their press release, The Medicinals’ latest song, produced by Savage and bandmate Will McKenna, “delivers a heartfelt message about love, togetherness and resilience through life’s ups and downs. At its core, ‘Reach You’ is a song about connection—whether with a partner, a friend, or the world—highlighting the power of music to bring people closer.” With all of the stress and strife bombarding us these days, “Reach You” is a welcomed salve.” - Dave Sheffman

“Led by Dylan Savage (of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad), The Medicinals dropped one of the most gorgeous tracks I’ve listened to this year and the tune shares an important messages of love and resilience over an irie reggae riddim. The track was released by Jackson Yard Records. Turn this one up!” - Jeremy Morgan

“Exactly two years ago to this day, June 30th, Rootfire published a First Listen Premiere for The Medicinals’ debut single, “We Gonna Get Through,” an energizing blend of reggae, Afrobeat, and funk. Sort of a supergroup composed of members of local bands that perform roots reggae, electronic/drum and bass, hip-hop and indie-pop, the Rochester, NY, collective keep the “island vibes” going today with a new track accompanied by a video that is truly a love letter to their hometown. Their latest release, “Love the Sound,” a collaboration between guitarist/songwriter Dylan Savage of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and his cousin, Florida-based producer Jimmy Beats, offers a similarly vitalizing sonic tonic, yet with more lighthearted lyrics compared to their anthemic first single. Just as danceable, it is the perfect summer sizzler to lift spirits and get bodies moving, which makes its upful video, directed and filmed by Medicinals’ bassist/vocalist, Will Mckenna of “underground funktronic dance rock” band, RootsCollider, a perfect visual representation of the music. Yeah, you know it’s a real good time Living up, feeling life Turn up the music now Everybody just love the sound Upon the opening drum roll, a young woman, portrayed by friend of the band, Jackilyn Jamie Morehouse, turns up the volume on her car stereo. Alternating shots of her pretty, smiling face and her own point of view show her driving along the highway, approaching the city with its skyscrapers in the distance. Soon, through the car window, viewers see a series of colorful murals that showcase the city’s vibrant art culture, followed by a statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who published his newspaper, The North Star, in Rochester and lived in the City for many years. Next, the rich, horizontal light of golden hour enhances more shots of the artsy downtown landscape, which are interspersed with glimpses of Morehouse blithely dancing to The Medicinals on stage at The Lilac Fest, a downtown event that has been celebrating Rochester’s abundance of lilacs and live music for over thirty years. Back in the car, waterfowl serenely float on the Lake Ontario shoreline, followed by a shot of the full orb of the brightly burning sun and its deep orange rays reflecting off of the still water. From here, Morehouse ascends some concrete stairs to enter a funky little tiki bar, and seconds later she presumably emerges from the back to join some friends on the beach to bathe in the glorious apricot glow of the sunset. Next, viewers find themselves inside the tiki bar, amidst a supremely jovial crowd frolicking in reverie. (With the proper product placement, this could fittingly be a television ad for a Mexican beer or some sweet libation like Surfside Vodka & Tea.) According to Savage, this establishment is the legendary Marge’s Lakeside Inn, which has been around since the sixties and has an “amazing vibe” as the only bar in Rochester with a beach as its backyard and a breathtaking view of Lake Ontario. To me, the idea of Rochester always conjured up images of frigid, snowy weather, but after watching this video, I now have a completely different picture of the city. If I worked for the official tourism promotion agency of the city, Visit Rochester, I’d be making an offer to McKenna. As of today, “Love the Sound” is now available on streaming platforms and a must-add for those summertime vibes playlists!” - Dave Sheffman

“And though The Medicinals are fairly traditional with their one-drop moves and deep-dish grooves, there is a lush underpinning that adds additional texture and tone spice. It’s happy but not frivolous, and serious all the while, assuring cynics and optimists alike that they are actually gonna get through. This single rocks steady.” - Frank De Blasé

“While much of The Medicinals music fits centered under the reggae umbrella, “We Gonna Get Through” skirts the perimeter. While maintaining an essence of reggae, the overall concoction, propelled by brass that calls for people to stand up and march, vibes more like a funky Afrobeat/modern rock mashup. This instrumentation shifts the lyrical message of perseverance from simply a song of hope to one that has purpose, making “We Gonna Get Through” an anthem to rally the brave agents of change demonstrating in our streets to continue fighting the good fight.” - Dave Sheffman