Dirty Heads is an American reggae rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1996 by Jared Watson and Dustin Bushnell, blending hip hop delivery with beachy melodic hooks. Their breakout Lay Me Down topped the alternative chart — Cabin by the Sea (2012) is the easy entry point. Browse Dirty Heads vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Dirty Heads formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1996 around Jared Watson (Dirty J) and Dustin Bushnell (Duddy B). Their breakthrough single Lay Me Down (2009, featuring Sublime with Rome's Rome Ramirez) topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart for an extended run. The band has continued releasing material across multiple labels in the 2010s and 2020s.
Dirty Heads' sound combines reggae rock, ska punk, hip hop, alternative rock, and pop reggae, with Watson's hip hop-influenced vocal delivery contrasted with Bushnell's more melodic singing and acoustic guitar work. They sit firmly in the California reggae rock and beach rock tradition alongside Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, and the Expendables.
Pressings of the Dirty Heads catalog across multiple labels have been issued in color variant and limited editions.
Listeners new to Dirty Heads typically start with Cabin by the Sea (2012) or Dirty Heads (2016).
