Prunedale’s Militia of Love unleashes streams of earnest – and unique – reggae-Latin-world music.

After 10 years as frontman of the beloved San Diego reggae collective Cardiff Reefers, who regularly sold out shows and performed alongside internationally known acts like Steel Pulse, Robbie Melendez began to feel like a caged bird. He felt the Reefers were just more filler in a market that had become oversaturated with young Cali reggae groups like SOJA and Rebelution.

He had brief stints with the Salinas funk band High Street, hard rockers Trial By Fire and cover band Super Duper. And then Militia of Love (MOL) took flight nearly seven years ago when Melendez – on bass and lead vocals – brought together former member of the Rock Steady Posse Gregg Ichikawa (guitar and vocals), Efrain Cantu (drums and percussion), former member of Dubwize Steven Sagrero (keys and organ), Jarod Flores (sax) and its newest edition, former blues singer Lara Price (vocals).

Melendez crafted a unique, free-flowing cocktail of Latin rhythms, roots reggae and pop that’s just as invigorating as it is an embodiment of social harmony.

“I go for a unity vibe,” he says. “I think there’s so much beauty out there in the world it all needs to be represented.”

Since Melendez is Puerto Rican and a couple of the band members are Mexican, the foundation for versatility came together fairly naturally – the frontman considers MOL to be a predominantly Latin music group. But he also describes the music as an “American melting pot.”

On Friday at Planet Gemini, MOL will headline a multi-act showcase featuring Lujan and the Yard Stylee All-Stars, South Bay Dub All-Stars and DJ Spleece.

MOL’s 2011 full-length, 14-track debut Life and Love is a globetrotting, musical collage bustling with vim. Driven by a funky “Get Up, Stand Up”-tinged bassline, “Big Badda Boom” is an ode to various reggae styles, from early upstroke ska to R&B-heavy rocksteady.

Sticking to one of reggae’s universal reccurring motifs of one-love and unity, a flurry of Latin percussion envelopes “A Bailar,” which celebrates people coming together from different walks of life to dance the night away.

“It seems like we’re bombarded by negativity, so I try every day to establish a sense of community,” Melendez says. “People need to realize that we are all in this together. We don’t necessarily need to put aside our differences, because our differences are our strengths, but we need to figure out how to be more loving and less egotistical.”

Nothing brings people together like a nice fatty. MOL’s ganja-inspired “Groove On” – featuring Price’s sultry vocals on lead and harmony – is a mash-up of Santana Abraxas-style crisp guitar riffs and roots-reggae a la The Heptones.

MILITIA OF LOVE, Lujan (MOL working with him) and the Yard Stylee All-Stars, South Bay Dub All-Stars and Plus DJ Spleece perform at 10pm (after comedy), Friday, July 19, at Planet Gemini, 2110 N Fremont St., Monterey. $15. 373-1449.

~HEAR MORE HERE ~

militiaoflove.net

reverbnation.com/lujan

dubfx.com