One of the most notable bands to emerge out of the New York City ska revival scene of the 1990s,
the Slackers is comprised of vocalist
Marq Lyn, vocalist/keyboardist
Vic Ruggerio, guitarist
T.J. Scanlon, bassist
Marcus Geard, saxophonist
David Hillyard, trumpeter
Jeremy Mushlin, trombonist
Glen Pine, and drummer
Luis Zuluaga. After beginning their career in 1991 playing rocksteady and ska in the 2-Tone vein,
the Slackers moved toward a more traditional style, even adding a horn section in 1994. They issued their debut LP,
Better Late Than Never, in 1996, followed a year later by
Redlight. The group resurfaced in 1998 with
The Question;
Live at Ernesto's appeared two years later;
Wasted Days, which featured a cover of
Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," surfaced in early 2001. Two years later,
the Slackers released
Close My Eyes, the band's harsh reaction to the events of 9/11 and a reflection of what followed. With that and the band's own personal responsibilities to their families,
Close My Eyes highlighted a more mature approach from
the Slackers. The
International War Criminal EP and the Japan-only
Slack in Japan preceded the 2006 release of
Peculiar. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide