The Adjusters-Stormwarning
As one might expect, the only flaw in this album is the fact that its not
new material. What you have here is six tracks from the first Adjusters full
length, "The Politics of Style," three tracks from "Before the
Revolution," one track from the 7" "Michael Manley", three
songs from comps, and three unreleased tracks. The previously released songs
are supposedly a best of. They're all good choices, but most any of the other
songs, especially from "Before the Revolution" would have been equally
appropriate selections. The first new song is a Vic Rice and Rench dub of "None
But Heaven." It's a beautiful song and a well-crafted dub that uses just
enough lyrical passages to perfectly convey the message of the original. Next
up is "The Fightback Part Two." I felt disappointed with this track
when I paired it with Part One, but when I considered it as an independent song
it seemed good. The classic funk sound of Part One gives way to fast, danceable
beats with the funk underneath.The witty lyricism is replaced by all-out political
attack, complete with the chorus of the Crass classic "Do They Owe Us a
Living." (Course they do!) The final new track is the soul instrumental
"Wicked." Not bad, but I prefer other Adjusters instrumentals like
"Special Prosecutor" and "Burnt Cream." While owners of
the full lengths might not want to bet this for three new songs, the 7"
and comp tracks are amongst my favorite Adjusters songs. The cover of "Town
Called Malice" has energy usually reserved for live shows, and "The
Way you Move" is one of my favorite slightly over the top sexy soul songs.
I just can't wait for the long overdue release of their new full length. Nice
lyric book written by Daraka with band history and commentary on the songs too.
The Adjusters-Otis Redding will Save America
Otis Redding continues with and breaks from the classic Moon Ska release Before
the Revolution. Like Before the Revolution,
this album presents a political vision. Also like Before the Revolution, the
Adjusters kick it with various styles of music. While their previous release
tied their songs together thru a common era, Otis Redding unites its material
with an underying electronic,
trip-hopish foundation. The ska instrumental that starts off the album, "WTF
Ska," is built over beats reminiscent of Fat Boy Slim. The next track,
a cover of Gil Scott Heron's "Gun" also has electronic beats and scratching
under the killer soul/funk vocals. So, while Before the Revolution had songs
from many genres, Otis Redding has multiple genres influencing each song. "If
You" borders on a straightforward hiphop track, but it has definite triphop
elements and a nod to reggae in some drum riffs. All in all, there's terrific
reggae, funk, soul, and electronic music throughout the album. As always, the
vocals are truly killer. A worthy followup to Before the Revolution.
After Hours-The Trouble with These Guys Is...
Wow. Out of California comes more great traddish ska. This album is a studio
project, I believe there's a total of 29 musicians on this record. In addition
to Brad Pate (See Spot) and Brian Dixon (Rhythm Doctors), who are the main people
behind this, Greg Lee, Alex Desert, and David Fuentes of Hepcat, Jesse Wagner
and Mark Quan of the Rhythm Doctors, Chris Murray and many other excellent musicians
contribute to After Hours. The great vocals, plentiful killer horn solos, and
great compositions testify to the skill of the whole ensemble. The general vibe
I get from the album is a sexier, more produced, version of Hepcat you'd listen
to while chillin' in a lounge. The whole thing is great-I find it just as musically
pleasing as Hepcat while having a more diverse sound due to the many players
involved. "Blue Over You" from Primosonic Rhythms is fairly representative
of the quality of this album, which alongside with the new Stingers album, I
recommend for all who dig the ska and reggae. It strikes me as slightly over-produced-a
little of the smoothness could be sacrificed for that old school JA sound, but
that's just personal taste and I'm a big fan of this album nontheless.
Jamaica 69-Recuerdos de Kingston
This Mexican group wasn't kidding with the album title. Not just the songwriting,
but the production is very, very
reminiscent of old time ska and reggae from JA. I was really taken by surprise
by the overall authentic sound of this
album. There's many ska songs, and a few killer skinhead reggae tunes as well.
The songs are more or less all in
Spanish, but are pretty easy to understand with a basic grasp of the language.
As long as you know bailar means to
dance, you've got the gist of several songs on here. There's 11 originals, two
covers (Penny Reel and Regresa a Mi)
and two live tracks. Highly recommended for lovers of the true ska and reggae.
King Django and the Scrucialists-King Django Meets the Scrucialists
The King out of NYC lays down vocals over this Swiss reggae outfit's rhythms.
Unlike past Django albums, this is relatively
straightforward modern reggae. That said, the melodies, licks, and harmonies
can get a little unusual at times, giving this album a unique sound. The cover
of Blue Oyster Cult's "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" doesn't sound
out of place at all. Django's lyrics are top notch as always, and his vocals
have never sounded quite this good to my ears. Dr. Ring Ding contributes to
the two straightforward dancehall tracks on here, to good effect. When he says
"supercalifradulisticexpealadocous," you gotta love it. The music
of the Scrucialists took a little while to grow on me, but as of the third listen,
I'm really digging it. The Scrucialists clearly play many styles of reggae very,
very well, and their music is perfectly suited to Django's stylings and lyrics
on this album. Overall, a terrific album.
Various-Still Standing
The much anticipated megacomp is pretty much what you would expect. If ya don't
know already, this is a 4 cd compilation, retailing for 15-20 bucks, that is
supposed to represent the North American ska scene's survival and future. So,
in evaluating it, there's two things to consider: first, the straightforward
quality of the music, and second, how accurately it reflects what's happening
in the North American ska scene today. Regarding the quality of the music, what
do you think you're going to get with 88 bands? Some good, some bad, some spectacular,
some mediocre. There's also great variety in the styles represented. Generally
I'd say it's about a quarter trad ska and reggae, a quarter ska punk, and half
everything in between. That's a lot of skapunk for someone like me, but on the
other hand, you could look at this comp as buying a long cd of trad ska and
reggae with three free cds of 2tone, third wave, and skapunk bands. Or one cd
of skapunk with all that other stuff of course, if you are so inclined. There
was pleasing diversity of styles within these subgenres as well. I definitely
found enough songs I enjoy to justify this comp for me. Which brings me to the
second area-how this comp represents the scene. Something vital to this thing
being successful in supporting the scene is its introducing new bands to people.
Several bands I was marginally familiar with, and some I wasn't at all, impressed
me with their tracks. Las Cabriolas and Mike Mowry's solo track left me wanting
to hear more of their stuff. The Scorchers and the Vessels delivered killer
skinhead reggae instrumentals. Rudy Crew, with some old nyc ska mob types, got
me looking forward to their upcoming full length on Megalith records. I've enjoyed
the Steady Ups for a while, but "Come to Tell the World" is my favorite
song of theirs, and one of my favorite songs in general for that matter. With
a few exceptions, I was pleased with the songs chosen to represent these bands.
The heavyweights from all spectrums of the scene are on this comp, which is
a good thing although I don't care for Forces of Evil, for example. The Slackers
contributed a song from their upcoming album, and the Bosstones put on a song
only available on 7" right now. Many bands I already dig delivered great
tracks, such as the Stingers, King Django's Roots and Culture Band, and Pressure
Cooker. On the downside, the lack of bands from south of Texas is disappointing,
as is the absence of Go Jimmy Go, who I like more than all but two or three
of the bands on here. The lack of Bluebeats material is also a little strange,
given that they have a full length coming out on Megalith. The Rivercidal bands,
such as Full Spectrum, the Debonaires, etc. and other groups from Primosonic
aren't represented except for Irie Beats and After Hours-too bad, the whole
Primosonic crew houses a disproportionate amount of talent from the scene today.
Another downer is the large amount of tracks I already have on other albums.
But in the context of an 88 song comp for the price of a normal cd, I'd have
to forgive this things shortcomings and strongly recommend it to ska fans of
all sorts. The upcoming Megalith releases-nysje, bluebeats, vic rice, and rudy
crew for example, definitely are amongst the best bands on here, so the future's
lookin good.
The Allstonians-Go You
Boston's contribution to the trad ska scene, the Allstonians are simply really
damn good. The lyrics mostly are about drinking and such. While this subject
matter is somewhat cliche now, thanks to bands like the Pietasters, it is done
very well. In Goodnight Daniel, the singer wonders where he'll wake up in the
morning. Funny stuff. The CD contains both instrumental tracks and ones with
vocals. The vocal harmonizing is terrific. The musicianship is really top notch,
though. Pick it up if you can find it, now that Moon's gone, that'll be pretty
tough.
Bargain Music-77 003
Do you like country music? Punk? Reggae? Dub? Funk? Hip-Hop? How about all of them at the same time? This mixture of styles is one of the most enjoyable CDs I've ever heard. Bargain Music delivers their strange blend straight from long beach. In addition, the similarity of their music to Sublime makes comparisons inevitable. Just imagine Sublime without ska and with more rap and dub, and you get the picture. The singer is great, it's very strange to hear such an amazing voice singing silly lyrics about colostomy bags and such. Guest stars pepper the album, from Bad Brain's HR to Mike Watts to Petra Hayden. Even though I've had this CD for quite some time and it is constantly in my listening rotation, I still hear new things in every song. Between the seemingly infinite replay value, incredible diversity, great voice, and good lyrics, this is as good as Sublime, at the very least.
The Bluebeats-Live and Learn
Live and Learn was released in 2000 by Moon, but didn't get much attention,
probably because Moon was already in trouble and couldn't promote its bands
or releases. This 5-man NY band plays trad ska at its best. Their sound reminds
me of Hepcat, except they don't use horns; the keys are pretty prominent instead.
The songwriting is great, the vocals kick ass, and the lyrics are unusually
strong for the genre. Topics range from love (for the hopeless romantic in all
of us) to religous hypocrisy. The only downside is the whole CD sounds pretty
much the same. Overall quite good nonetheless..
The Chinkees-Peace Through Music
Just in case you don't know, this project of Mike Park (ex-Skankin Pickle) is
anti-racist. Also, it's really good. This is one of the few skapunk albums I
can still stand listening to. There aren't any horns, and a strong organ part
gives this band a strong and recognizable sound. In contrast to most skapunk,
I'd describe it as very nice sounding. The organ part is beautiful, and there's
very little distortion. The lyrics are hands-down my favorite, as far as skapunk
goes. Many songs are very socially conscious, and most of the others deal with
heartfelt personal experiences of Mike Park.
The Chinkees-Searching for a Brighter Future
Fans of skapunk should love this album. Hell, even people that dislike skapunk
generally, like yours truly, should give this a listen. The organ driven music
is catchy as ever, but this album is much more sophisticated musically than
the previous Chinkees material. The vocals and lyrics are noticeably better.
Of course, Mike Park's lyrics have always been good but on this album seem more
personal and heartfelt. They still have a political edge, of course, but often
this is reflected through thoughts on people of human nature, like in the song
"Another angry man, he goes to war." The music shifts from ska to
punk to reggae within the songs, always with good transitions, like Sublime
with a different sound. Add in some some organ solos, like in the cover of "Bank
Shot," and great guitar themes ("I Scream") and you've got a
generally great record. Definitely my favorite release from the Chinkees.
Chris Murray-Raw
The title pretty much says it all on this one. For those who don't know, this
album consists of thirteen songs recorded on a walkman, and one live song. So
what you get is rough recordings of Chris Murray singing and playing guitar.
The first time I listened to Raw, I was impressed with the songs, but wished
he'd recorded it on a 4-track. Upon further listening, the walkman seems very
appropriate. Some of the tracks have a brief introduction along the lines of
"I wrote this song when..." and this combined with the rough recording
quality gives the album a very real live feeling. It seems like the perfect
format for Chris Murray's style-it feels authentic, like it was the way he was
supposed to record. The guest vocals from Neville Staples and members of Hepcat
and Go Jimmy Go were a little disappointing. They're all great at what they
do, but I didn't feel they added anything to the songs. "Rocksteady,"
with Go Jimmy Go members providing backup vocals was a letdown-the smoothness
of their style really clashed with the feel of this album and Chris Murray's
vocals. Too bad, I love Go Jimmy Go and Chris Murray. Nontheless, this is a
great album. If you're unfamiliar with Chris Murray, you might want to check
out a more traditional recording first. But for his fans, this delivers the
goods.
Debonaires-Self-titled
California's the Debonaires blew me away with this follow-up to Groovin' After
Sundown. Their sound has changed a bit. I believe they lost their singer and
tenor sax player, while picking up a new tenor sax/singer and a trumpet player.
While I thought Groovin' After Sundown was a technically good and pleasant sounding
album, it never caught me. I've hardly listened to it, it just never seemed
to sound quite "right" and realize its potential. I'd say they realize
that potential on this album, and it seems as though that potential was goddamn
enormous. Upon hearing the first track, "Criminals," I was immediately
struck by the great, soulful vocals of the new singer over the sweet reggae.
There is also a great dub sounding bridge in the middle, the transitions to
and from which are perfectly executed. I went on to really dig all the vocal
tracks. They sound very influenced by, and remind me of, artists such as the
Heptones and Delroy Wilson-high praise, my opinion. There is actually a cover
of the Paragon's (or maybe just John Holt's?) "Left with a Broken Heart."
The Debonaires definitely do it justice. The dub tracks and instrumentals are
excellent as well. They display diversity-Gracia y Vega shows off a great guitar
part, while Fortune Teller is also horn-driven. Many of the tracks are driven
by, or at least feature prominently, the a badass organ part. In comparsion
to other contemporary acts, these guys remind me of Westbound Train meets Pressure
Cooker meets the Rhythm Doctors, except while I like all three of those bands
quite a bit, I like this more. Between this release and primosonic rhythms,
I have the utmost respect for the Rivercidal Records label
The Gadjits-At Ease
Some kids in Kansas City recorded this one on Hellcat. I think it's a pretty
unique sound, and that's pretty hard to find in the ska scene these days. It's
a combination of poppy ska and 50's rock 'n roll. The lyrics are simple and
straightforward, and unusually good. I especially like "Tell Yourself,"
which deals with being a quitter and selling out, and "Beautiful Girl,"
which is about a cool chick wasting her life with an asshole. Likewise, the
songs are simple, but catchy. There's also a perfect cover of the skinhead classic,
"Skinhead Girl."
Go Jimmy Go-Music from upcoming album "Soul Arrival"
Some nice trad ska opens this CD with "Mama Bird." Next up is the reggae tune "No Grumble." Both these tracks are fairly unoriginal, but good vocals and playing make them stand out. "Take it Easy" really gets this album going-it's reggae influenced, but overall is clearly a rockin' soul song that knocked me on my ass. The next track, "Pretending," keeps the great music going with it's slow reggae and slightly strange "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing backup vocals that make the song. "Slow Time" is good reggae, but once again unoriginal. "In Betwee Times" closes the album with another great soul track. Overall a diverse and fairly original album which I'd recommend without hesitation.
Go Jimmy Go-Slow Time
"This is the sound of day-brought to you through the inspiration of yesterday!" This intro to the last track of Slow Time sums up the album perfectly. Go Jimmy Go's Reggae and ska is taken to another level by other influences, most notably in the soul-driven vocals. The lead singer has a superb voice, and an impressive falsetto to boot! On top of that, the backup harmonies are truly great. There's also a slight funk influence on the slow reggae tune "Jemima" and a clear funk influence on "Set me Free." The musicianship is good, but diverse songwriting and spectacular vocals make this one of my all time favorite albums.
Go Jimmy Go-Soul Arrival
I'll start this simply and to the point: I think this is the best contemporary
ska/reggae album available. I normally don't have favorite albums because when
I do it usually changes on a weekly, if not daily basis. But this is my favorite
CD. Here's why. First, unbeatable vocals. Both the lead singer and the background
vocalists are pretty damn impressive, and the soul style is perfect for the
music. I prefer 'em to Hepcat, they're certainly equals. Next reason why this
is essential-the songwriting. The music on this disc is extremely diverse. Reggae
songs like "Slow Time" and "Soul Arrival" are catchy, unique,
and impressively played. On top of that, the songs shift seamlessly from one
section to a different musical or vocal style. GJG also tosses in some great
trad ska songs like "Mama Bird" and "Push me Out," with
a northern soul-esque intro and conclusion. Not to mention "Good to You"
and "In Between Times," killer soul songs, the latter of which slips
in some steel guitar. The next to last track, "Bit o Soul," even showcases
some Chris Murray-like folksy reggae. Lordy, I even liked the lyrics, which
emphasize a positive vibe.Good stuff.
Hepcat-Out of Nowhere
Ahh, the first Hepcat record and my personal favorite of their's.
This is the CD that to me, signaled the start of the trad ska revival. The trademark
Hepcat vocal harmonies are here, and the songwriting is great. Bonus points
for an ass-kickin' cover of the Wailers' "Hooligans." The songs are
generally faster and more ska-oriented, in contrast to the slow reggae of later,
which culminated in Push n' Shove.
Hepcat-Push n Shove
I was shocked when I picked this one up. For the first time, I was disappointed
with a Hepcat album. Recorded shortly before their breakup, I wish I felt they
had gone out on the high note befitting such a great band. Unfortunately, I
can't. This is crap. The ska is almost completely gone, leaving bad reggae/r&b.
I don't have any objection to reggae, but this reggae sucks. Even Hepcat's greatest
strength, the vocals, are weak. There were already issues regarding Alex Desert's
time commitment to the band, and I think he only did guest vocals on this CD.
It's probably not that bad a CD, but compared to my expectations for Hepcat,
this was quite a letdown.
Hepcat-Right on Time
This one was the first Hepcat release on Hellcat Records, and is
a testament to the quality of that label. The music is split between poppier,
traditional ska, and slower reggae. As always, top-notch singing and playing.
Bonus points for "Open Season is Closed," a hilarious direct answer
to the Stubborn All-Stars' DJ Challenge, "Open Season."
Hepcat-Scientific
Hepcat's sophomore effort, Scientific is good stuff. Trad ska that would sound
at home coming from a Jamaican sound system, this is authentic-sounding ska.
As always with Hepcat, there's instumentals and non-instrumental songs. There's
a lot of variety on this one. The songs range from uptempo ska to slow reggae.
If you get this, you're getting great vocal harmonizing and strong musicianship.
The Hippos-Heads are Gonna Roll
WTF? How can a band go from being my favorite horn-driven, RBFesque skapunk
band to this crap? I mean seriously. Come on. The hell is this? I count 2, that's
2 songs with the ska beat. And guess what? One of them is already on their first
album. The rest of this is alternative rock with a strong keyboard part. But
not a ska, organ type keyboard. A crappy electronica style keyboard. Bottom
line: I hate this. If you want to hear it for yourself, email me and I'll just
bring it to the next show I'm at and give it to you. Oh, and the lyrics blow.
The Hotknives-Home
This CD is the perfect intersection of twotone ska and pop music. If you've heard European pop-ska such as Mr. Review, the Busters or Liberator before, you have a pretty good idea of what this sounds like. This is pretty much perfect ska within that genre. If you like that type of music, this CD is a must-have. Good lyrics and varied sound all with a clean, poppier ska beat. If you don't like that genre, it's probably worth your time checking out the Hotknives. Download some Mp3s to hear popska at it's best.
The Nods-self titled
The sticker on the CD case proclaims this to be "The Slackers REAL first
album." The dealio is that this is Slackers material from 1990-1994, but
because of their contract with Hellcat, they had to release it with another
name since it isn't on Hellcat. The songs date back to a time when the Slackers,
as the liner notes put it, "drew equally from Jamaica as well as England."
There's very little horn parts; the vast majority of the songs don't have any.
Most of the them have a strong 2Tone feel, although a few of the slower ones
hint at the Slackers to come. Don't get this expecting a Slackers album. It
isn't the Slackers you know. Get it because it simply is damn good ska.
Pama-International
This act out of the UK plays reggae and ska while incorporating loops and samples
and such. Much of it has a pop edge, particularly the ska songs, which remind
me of the Specials with electronic elements. It's somewhat similar to the solo
work of Fermin Muguruza in concept, except that Muguruza's work was closer to
the dance end of the spectrum, while this is closer to ska/reggae. At times
it also reminds me of the Specials meet Sublime. I really enjoyed this album,
I felt it combined the catchiness of 2tone with greater musical complexity.
For the record, I don't go around comparing bands to the Specials much,
these guys really do remind me of the Specials. Good stuff!
The Pietasters-Turbo
One of the increasingly rare bands from the third wave who are still around,
the Pietasters come through strong on their Fueled by Ramen label debut. That
said, this album probably isn't for everyone-it's light on the ska and heavy
on the soul, with a little reggae thrown in for good measure. Most everyone
will find some songs they like and dislike due to the diversity of the album's
sound-not surpising, given that there are ten credited songwriters. Overall
I found it to be very enjoyable, but I would only recommend it to someone who
likes stax influenced soul, or if they aren't familiar with soul, oldies in
general. For the record, my favorites are the tight cover of "Mellow Mood"
with its great vocal harmonies, the humorous reggae of "Drunken Master,"
and the ska/soul number "Nothing Good to Eat," which was written by
the Slackers' Vic Ruggiero. I like it!
The Players-Hate the Game
As their first album was all instrumental, I was expecting this record to sound
like a bunch of highly skilled musicians playing a more sophisticated pop-ska/third
wave ska. Things got off to a disappointing start with "p.o.p," which
sounded more like just another band playing a catchy tune reminiscent of Reel
Big Fish, or Edna's Goldfish.. The Players came through with what I was expecting
soon after with "Dave's Song" and "Once Again" though. Dave's
song is an uptempo ska cover of a notorious B.I.G. song and a Wu-Tang song with
half-rapped, half-sung vocals. This is followed by another great track, "Once
Again." This is another fast ska song, but a killer bass line, great horn
riff, and excellent use of congas separate the Players from the rest of the
pack. The two instrumental dubs mixed by Vic Rice are also top notch, and have
a distinctive sound. On the down side, live covers of "Wrong Way"
and "Same in the End" by Sublime and "Nude Beach" by the
Scofflaws aren't bad, but don't seem to offer anything over the originals. Overall,
Hate the Game strikes me as an uneven album. Some of it seems like average pop
ska, and I don't think the covers should have been included. But the Vic Rice
dubs are excellent, and tracks like "Dave's Song and "Once Again"
are third wave at its very best. Check out two reviews with a somewhat different
take at DC ska.
The Scofflaws-self-titled
Mike Drance is currently the singer of the respected trad band the Bluebeats.
Vic Rice is a respected member of the dub/trad ska/electronica scenes in New
York. Buford O Sullivan's been experimenting with ska and a computer. So hearing
this album is a journey back to their fun-loving 3rd wave days. This is an ok
album. The lyrics are pretty good, especially on the anti-work track "Paul
Getty." There's also some diverse instrumentals, but there are some throwaway
tracks, and the version of "Paul Getty" is much better on their live
CD, which I would recommend over this one.
The Scofflaws-Record of Convictions
The 3rd studio album from the NY band is also my favorite of theirs. A lot of
people have said the Scofflaws lost their most talented members. I would probably
have to agree with this. The improved songwriting more than makes up for this,
and the remaining musicians and replacements for the old ones are more than
good enough to get the job done. Plus, Buford O Sullivan on T-bone is there,
and he kicks ass. The style incorporates swing, r&b, big band, and other
stuff too. The instrumentals are especially strong. The lyrics are also surprisingly
good, they are the best I've heard from this band. This is a very underappreciated
album.
Secret Agent 8-Start.Action.Stop.
Texas City's finest come through strong on their sophomore release. Start.Action.Stop
features just about everything I look for in an album-mature, diverse songwriting,
quality musicianship, and good vocals. The range of styles that can be found
on this cd deserves a mention. "Trip into the Blue Zone" is a fast
paced instrumental with nice horn and guitar solos. The other instrumental,
"Coast to Coast" drops the horns and showcases a slow and beautiful
guitar part reminiscent of old school surf and slide guitar. "Please Stay"
and "Things to Come" kick it with some killer slow reggae. Then there's
the uptempo soul influenced "Fool" in addition to a handful of fast
ska tracks. On top of all that is "So Cold," which I won't even attempt
to classify. Let me just say it's a strange, dark ska song that many of my friends
who usually don't like ska dig. SA8 realizes the potential of its big size (9
members) by creating great harmonies and using different instruments, from theremin
to keys, at ideal times. This stuff is clearly the work of a talented and experienced
group. The album isn't without flaws though-"Just Unite" is repetitive
reggae and "Whats the Use" sounds like something recorded by a young
skapunk band, in fact the latter is so out of place it's a bit strange to hear.
Nontheless, overall a great album. Some of the best non-trad ska I've come across
lately. Recommended!
Skoidats-A Cure For What Ales You
This is one of the most underappreciated albums to come out for a while. The
sophomore effort of these rudies and skins is somewhat different than their
first one. Most noticeably, whereas the ska and oi was combined, much of "A
Cure" divided into straight ska and straight oi. The good news is they're
both done well. As expected, the lyrics are mostly about heavy drinking and
physically hurting other people quite severely.
Skoidats-The Times
First off, the one gets bonus points for having a cool cover. The rude boy's
2tone shoes next to the skinhead's boots are not only cool lookin', but is a
perfect description of the Skoidats. The best (only?) band to combine ska and
Oi!, this is probably the best thing to ever come from Montana. There's one
straight Oi! song, but with the exception of that, I'd describe the sound as
ska-punk with an emphasis on the ska, and talent. The lyrics deal with working,
heavy drinking and kicking ass. I can't relate to any of those, but I love this
album anyway.
The Slackers-The Question
This record is amazing. The musicianship is top-quality, but the songwriting
takes this album to another level. I'd consider this one of the few must-have
ska CDs. All 19 tracks are exceptionally strong. Even more impressively, unlike
many trad or neotrad albums, the songs are extremely diverse. Styles range from
the slow reggae of "No More Crying," and "Make me Smile,"
to the uptempo ska of "Have the Time." Also included for your listening
pleasure is a toasted version of "The Question" immediately following
"The Question." Both are awesome tracks, and the contrast keeps things
interesting.
Sound Patrol-Slow Motion
Fans of trad ska and dub will love this. This Houston trio lays down some incredibly complex sounds and harmonies despite only having three people. The CD starts off with some soul music during the intro to "The Breakup" before the songs kicks into slow trad ska reminiscent of Hepcat musically and vocally. An extended slow guitar solo provides a nice break before the vocals return close the song. Next up is "Wastin Time." The smooth vocal harmonies are still there, backed by some upbeat ska. An excellent guitar solo and a keyboard solo also spice up this track. There's similar tracks throughout the CD, interspersed with several dubs. The dubs don't grab me as much as the ska, but the more I listen to them, the more I like them because I keep picking up new effects. It's also nice to have the diversity on the CD. One other song of note is "Possibly Maybe." It's a slow dub with rapping over it that gets increasingly interesting as the song goes on. A lot of the CD is pretty good, and at times it's spectacular.
Steady Ups and The Speakeasies-Reggae Showdown
What we have here is five tracks from the Steady Ups, a reggae outfit from Sacremento,
and five tracks from the Speakeasies, a ska/reggae group from Connecticut. The
Steady Ups consist of a drummer, bassist, two guitarists, and three vocalists.
(Two chicks, one dude) The drum, bass, and guitar parts of the Steady Ups strike
me as their greatest strength. These guys lay down absolutely terrific rhythms,
definitely amongst the best in the American scene today. I felt their vocals
and lyrics aren't of the same calibre unfortunately. Which isn't to say they're
bad-rather, they just aren't on par with the musicians. I wish the production
and songwriting emphasized the music more-when a song has a brief instrumental
section, like "I Never Wanted to Hurt You," it really takes the song
to the next level. it After a few listenings, I throughly enjoyed the vocals
of "You Amaze Me," which is probably why its my favorite track from
the Steady Ups side. I stil dig this music quite a bit, and I do forsee their
vocalists improving. Hence, I'm eagerly waiting for the Steady Ups upcoming
full length. Overall, I can groove to this side anyday-I do wish the tracks
were a little more diverse, but no big deal. Two tracks from the Speakeasies
stood out to me: "Country Boy" originally by the Heptones, and "Time
Will Tell." The former puts the slow soulful song to a faster beat and
updates the lyrics. ("...and the World Trade Center") It sounds quite
different than the original, but I found it catchy and still emotionally expressive.
"Time Will Tell" showcases the ability of the Speakeasies to put out
great slow, soulful reggae with a nice guitar part. The other three tracks were
all pretty good. The defining characteristics of the Speakeasies side were soulful
vocals, very nice sparse horn and guitar lines, and a slight pop edge in the
production. Check out the Steady Ups
site and The Speakeasies site for songs
and such. For alternate reviews, check out Ska
Au Go-Go's excellent review section, and DC
Ska's music review vault.
The Stingers-self titled
The Stingers' first CD delivers pretty good reggae, soul, and rock. That said, ska is the nucleus of this record. The album begins and ends with two of the best tracks, which both happen to be ska songs. "16 Guns," a skankin' anthem of freedom fighters/robbers stickin it to the rich in the old west gets things going with great vocal harmonies, a distinctive offbeat guitar, and some nice trombone work. The reggae really comes out later with "Pretty," a melancholy warning about a girl. Once again the vocal harmonies a terrific. "This Time Around" and "Yours For the Taking" show off the band's soulful side. The lyrics are funny, hopelessley romantic, and everything in between. The great lyrics, along with great playing and singing form the common thread on this diverse debut.
The Stingers-Big (in Mississippi)
This three song ep gives a great preview of the upcoming Stingers full length. The first song is the reggae love song "Rich Boy Now." This well-written track keeps the listener's attention, and has great lyrics and vocals. The next song, "Mikey," shows the Stingers going beyond the standard reggae and ska genre. It starts off with a strange and dark sounding rock intro. Then it catches you off guard with an extremely upbeat chorus. Then, out of the blue comes a half-toasting, half-sung section. The track takes another upbeat turn with a nice trombone solo. There's also a great guitar solo thrown in for good measure. The transitions between all the sections are impressively natural sounding, making the sound really work. The last song, "Just Ain't Right," highlights a great guitar theme and impressive vocal harmonies. Overall, this CD shows a band with great musical talent and the ability to write great songs within the ska and reggae genres, as well as songs that go beyond them. A great release.
The Stingers-This Good Thing
The Stingers's first album had some good songs like "Punk at 15,"
"16 Guns," and "China Dread." But the Stinger's sophomore
release is without doubt one of the best contemporary takes on traditional ska
and reggae. Things start off very strongly with "Get Away"
a political ska song with straightforward rock choruses. Towards the end, Raga
from Sound Patrol provides vocals to a great reggae breakdown, warning to "beware
of red light/bluelight redlight/bluelight." Next up is "Melodrama,"
a traddish ska song with a rockin' guitar solo. This is followed by another
great ska song, "In the End" with a nice trombone line by Wayne Meyers,
the Stinger's only horn player. Then comes the title track. Like the later reggae
"the Story," it's a great, slowed down track. Both the reggae and
ska tracks are solid from begining to end, there's not a single weak song on
here. This Good Thing is marked by great songwriting and vocal harmonies, as
well as superb production by Vic Rice throughout. He kept the feel very live
and authentic, as opposed to over-produced trad ska that sounds souless, which
plagues many great albums in my opinion. The disc ends with two instrumentals,
a cover of "Wonderful World" with great trombone playing and finally
a typically good Vic Rice dub. Recommended without qualification to reggae/ska
fans.
Toasters-Enemy of the System
The first release from these legends on Asian Man doesn't disappoint or
amaze. It's got some good songs, some bad songs, and two or three great songs.
The album isn't as polished sounding as some Toasters material and some tracks
don't have an organ part. This can be good or bad depending on your point of
view. Like the last Toasters release, this album has some fast ska and some
not-so-fast ska. In general, the slower material is a lot better. Fast skapunk
like "If you Love Me" tends to be generic and cliched sounding. On
the other hand, slower songs like "Pendulum" and "Pirate Radio"
have great chord progressions and harmonizing with the horn parts, plus great
lyrics to boot. Buford O Sullivan of the Scofflaws plays trombone on this record
and his solo tune "Can I get Another" had been reworked into a Toasters
tune. His vocals and the strange guitar line really make it work as a catchy
but unique-sounding skapunk track. Other random thoughts on this album: there's
a couple cool horn solos and Jack Ruby Jr.'s toasting has really improved. Overall,
I like it.
Two and a Half White Guys-s/t
This nice disc starts off with "El Baile del Sluggo Loco," a trumpet-showcasing
instrumental that plays like a traditional Spanish tune for a while before the
offbeats kick in. This and "Gone Are the Days," a fast-paced rock/blues
influenced song provide nice twists on the ska. The rest of the album is less
original, but quite enjoyable. Many styles are covered, from dub interludes
to the slow reggae of "What profiteth a Man," which reminds musically
of "Fulfillment" by Laurel Aitken. (This is a good thing!) Then there's
a song with Chris Murray that not surprisingly sounds like a Chris Murray song.
(Also a good thing!) Rounding out the album are a handful of uptempo ska songs.
There's even one song, "The Thing," that brings to mind Gangster Fun.
While this stuff has all been done before, I enjoyed every song on here. Recommended.
Various-Forward March
Look no further than this new compilation for the proof that ska's not dead.
In the wake of the collapse of the national ska scene, the hordes of similar-sounding
skapunk bands have disappeared. Now the dedicated and talented bands that are
left might get the attention they deserve. This CD showcases 18 relatively unknown
bands. There's ska from Spain, Germany, the US, and especially California. Kingston
10 start off the CD with the spectacular "Concordance." Beautiful
female vocals, great harmonizing, a great bassline and killer lyrics to boot
make this one of the best songs I've ever heard. Next the Steady Ups come through
with "Dub Disaster." Great guitar lines and a quicker tempo than most
dub makes this track a winner. Also of note is Full Spectrum's "Arivah,"
a mind-blowing instrumental with an Arab influence and great wind solo. The
musicianship is top-notch on this song, and throughout the CD for that matter.
Austin's own the Stingers play "China Dread" with nice soulful lyrics
and a great distinctive rhythm guitar. General Rudie from Canada represent with
"Rainy Days," a 2-toney song with perfect mellow vocals, it reminds
me of the Hotknives or Liberator. The Empire All-Stars' "Alone Again"
has one of the smoothest horn solos I've ever heard. The B-3's blues-ska anthem
"Devil Blues Boogie" is ass-shakingly good. These are just a few of
the choice songs, the whole CD is full of distinct and well-performed (to say
the least) songs. Although there are one or two throwaways like every comp,
overall this is absolutely essential. You can pick it up at Stingers shows,
or email bosssoundrecords@yahoo.com.
Various-Joint Ventures in Ska
OK, the title comes from the fact that many tracks are collaborations between
multiple bands and musicians from other bands. Also, the songs all deal with
the herb. So bonus points for the funny title. The topics within this topic
range from the serious ("Legalization, illegal "Search & Seizure")
to funny as hell, ("Don't Buy the Swag Bag", a love song to a certain
girl "Mary Jane"). The various styles of ska are represented. The
Selector represents the 2Tone era, Buck-0-9 represents skapunk, Skinnerbox represents
the trad style, the Mudsharks bust out with the ska-funk, and everything in
between is on this disc too. Even if ya don't toke, this is worth having; I
consider it one of the strongest compilations available in terms of song quality.
Various-Leisure Riddims for the Working Class
I believe this comp is the first release of SpitShine Records, and it's a damn
good start. After a tight minor key organ driven intro, the Allstonians get
things going with "Mikey Dee." I throughly enjoyed this track. The
slow reggae and prominent organ struck me as uncharacteristic of the Allstonians.
Westbound Train's "I've Got This Feeling" is next. Like a lot of their
material, it's a slow love song with soulful vocals. This track also has nice
and soulful female vocals. It's not particularly impressive in terms of songwriting
or musicianship (not that it's bad) but I like it anyway-the vocals (which are
rather good), organ solo, and slow offbeats create a very pleasant sound. Green
Island's cover of the classic "Dancin Mood" sounds tight and doesn't
deviate much from the original. The Soulstepper's contribution, "Reggae
Fiend" struck me as more generic skinhead reggae. Not bad, but aficionados
of that subgenre might see more in it than I did. Deal's Gone Bad represent
with "Can't Stop It," and upbeat ska song. "Angels," by
the Israelites really caught me off guard. The music is nice enough, slow and
organ driven. But the lyrics were absolutely shocking-it sounds as though someone
put a Sunday School song written by a 5 year old to reggae. ("I see your
glory as it fills the sky as you spread your wings and begin to fly...when angels
fly-so so high, so so high-I see your glory")
Ugh. I actually like spiritual songs with a universal message, or songs about
religion through personal anecdotes, but this I really didn't like. Fortunately,
the Pietaster's cover of Bob Marley's "Mellow Mood" quickly made me
forget about the Israelites and their angels. The vocals and vocal harmonies
were better than I'd expect from the Pietasters, and make me look forward to
hearing their new album. But the next song on this comp was my clear favorite.
"Nuthin' Better," a brand new song by Pressure Cooker not on either
of their albums starts off with a very strange, happy, and old-school sounding
piano part before kicking into ska with nice lyrics, vocals, and horn lines.
I always enjoy innovative songwriting, and this song is definitely not standard
ska. Color Blind's "Supersoul" sounded like more generic, organ driven
skinhead reggae to me at first, but different parts and transitions kept it
interesting. Vic Rice produced the next track, so I had high expectations. I
wasn't let down, Take 5's organ, horn solos, and occasional raspy vocals created
a pretty cool song. The last track on the comp, "Crazy Dave," by Rikki
Rocksteady special has more raspy vocals. I thought it was all right, but nothing
special. Overall, most any ska fan will probably love several of these tracks
and like most of the others. Cool stuff.
Various-Primosonic Rhythms, Vol. 1
Hot damn, get this CD! Alongside Forward March, this compilation drives home
how strong regional ska scenes have become. Now that the third wave has come
and gone, a lot of crap was filtered out of the scene, allowing the most dedicated
and skilled bands a shot at some recognition. This CD features several California
bands playing amazing trad ska, reggae, and dub. The So Cal Shocks of Mighty's
"Revenge of the Poon Poon" is the only track out of 19 (!) that I
don't love, but this band makes up for that track with the killer grooving reggae
of "Walk and Roll." The Kingston 10 have two choice cuts, one an instrumental
reminiscent of the Skatalites, one featuring awesome dual female vocals. The
Rhythm Doctors, the Allentons, the Irie Beats, and the Empire All Stars all
contribute amazing tracks. This CD is so good that it makes me want to move
to California. Check it out.
Various-Searchin for the Young Soul Rebels Volume 2
This comp from Germany has some fine ska and reggae from all over the world.
Rudy Willy's Sound starts off the CD with some political lyrics spoken over
simplistic guitar-driven reggae. The singer's voice is perfect for the music;
his voice is really distinct. After this great track, the Empire Allstars deliver
yet another amazing instrumental. I have yet to hear a song by these guys that
fails to impress me. Their track on this CD is organ driven with a melodica
sound playing the melody throughout. The Debonaires come next with "Broken
Heart," a somewhat sad reggae song that has a constrasting soulful, happy,
oldies-like refrain. The nice songwriting combines with great vocals make this
another good track. The Irie Beats deliver next with "True Action,"
another good instrumental track. The fifth track highlights the beautiful female
vocals of the Mood. Unfortunately, the skinhead reggae in the background is
extremely simplistic, but the vocals make this song an enjoyable listen anyway.
The Dreamlets do a cover of "My Boy Lollipop" in a language I don't
understand, it sounds good though! Tracks seven through nine dissapointed me
a little, they're all extremely generic skinhead reggae. The CD picks up again
with "if you loose me," a well-written skinhead reggae track by Viking's
Remedy and "Concordance," a great reggae song with dual female vocals,
by the Kingson 10. The aggronaut's cover of "in the midnight hour"
substantially changes the music to emphasize the reggae beat, making it my favorite
version of this oft-covered classic. Jazzbo's jody grind sounds the most like
authentic Jamaican ska, but I find it a little boring. The CD closes with a
secret song attacking Django and Ring-Ding. The song is ok, but I think it was
a little ill-advised as Django and Ring-Ding's stuff strikes me as much better.
Damn good comp overall.
Westbound Train-Searching for a Melody
This is the first album released for a long-ass time by Stubborn Records. King
Django coproduced it, so I guess he really
liked these guys. After listening to this, it's easy to understand why. Searching
for a Melody is predominately slow and soulful ska and reggae. Most of the
songs are love songs, some happy, some sad. The songwriting and musicianship
isn't outstanding, but the soul style vocals caught my attention. Don't get
me wrong, there are several very nice solos from most every instrument and the
songs are interesting. It's just that for the most part it's quite simplistic.
However, I could care less because this album sounds great anyway-the songs
simply have a great atmosphere to them, for the most part an extremely laid
back, mellow sound. There's only one song that deviates from that feel-"Reflections,"
a strange, dark dubby song with chatting by Django and Predator (of Inspecter
7 I assume). Interestingly, it too is somewhat simplistic from a musicianship
and songwriting perspective, but manages to create a great atmosphere. It's
just that it's a totally different atmosphere from the rest of the album, which
makes me think that these guys are brilliant songwriters in some very subtle
way, or they're naturally good at that stuff. Either way, I like this CD.