Wes's Ska and Punk Page

Wes's OFFICIAL Homepage (A Reel Waste of Time)

Wes's Ska and Punk Music Site

What is ska?

For the average person, ska music is probably a total mystery. I myself had never even heard the word ska until a few years ago. So it comes to no surprise to me that the average person has never heard of ska. Ska music is like a hybrid of rock, reggae and swing music. All ska bands have horn sections which usually contain saxofones, trumpets and trombones as well as the usual guitar, bass and drums. Almost all ska songs have lyrics, but some CD's experiment with instrumentals. These songs are usually heard non-stop on stations like MTV and ESPN but are never recognized. Ska music is known for being happy and upbeat as well as fast paced. Most ska bands are considered to be goofy and not serious, but the truth is that they are just as serious as any any other musician. Ska got started in the early 1960's by a reggae band called the Skatalites, and later by bands such as the Toasters, the Specials and Madness. Although most ska bands are rooted in North America, ska has turned up in Japan and Australia, and has an extensive history in England. Today, popular bands like No Doubt and Smash Mouth have had enormous success by using ska riffs and sounds without actually being considered an actual ska band. Even though it's been around for about 20 years now, ska is relatively new to the music world. Ska musicians of today are usually in their twenties or teens, and there are hundreds of high school ska bands formed today. Ska music is the wave of the future, the third wave!

Punk and Ska Band Home Pages

Blink 182

An entertaining punk band with catchy tunes. Great guitar and two vocalists keep you comin back for more.

Albums- Enema of the State-'99 Cheshire Cat- '98 Dude Ranch- '97

Tom Delonge-vocal/guitar Mark Hoppus-vocal/bass Travis Barker-drums

Most Popular Song-

What's My Age Again

My Favorite Song-

All The Small Things

Greenday

The best punk band of all time. Every song on their albums is great. They made punk music what it is today.

Albums- Nimrod- '97 Insomniac- '95 Dookie- '94 Kerplunk- '92 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours- '91

Billie Joe Armstrong- Guitar/Vocals Mike Dirnt- Bass Tre Cool- Drums

Most Popular Song-

Basket Case

My Favorite Song-

Scattered

Offspring

A great punk/rock band. Their newer albums have a different sound, but they are still making great music.

Albums- Americana- '98 Ixnay on the Hombre- '97 Smash- '94 Ignition- '93

Dexter Holland- Vocals Kevin Wasserman- guitar Greg Kriesel- Bass Ron Welty- Drums

Most Popular Song-

My Favorite Song-

She's Got Issues

Pretty Fly

Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Former hardcore band, now the most recognized ska band in pop-music today.

Albums- Live From the Middle East- '98 Let's Face It- '97 Ska-Core, the Devil & More- '94 Question the Answers- '93 Don't Know How to Party- '93

Dicky Barret- Vocals Nate Albert- Guitar Joe Gittleman- Bass Joe Sirois- Drums Kevin Lenear-Sax Dennis Brockenborough- Trombone

Most Popular Song-

Impression That I Get

My Favorite Song-

Let's Face It

Buck-o-Nine

This peppy ska band is full of sunshine in every song. Happy like ska music should be.

Albums- Libido- '99 Twenty Eight Teeth- '97 Barfly- '95

Scott Kennerly- Bass Jon Pebsworth- Vocals Jonas Kleiner- Guitar Steve Baurer- Drums Tony Currey- Trumpet Don Albert- Trombone Craig Yarnold- Sax

Most Popular Song-

Tell it Like it Was

My Favorite Song-

Sunlight

Reel Big Fish

My favorite ska band. Great vocals, imaginative lyrics and wild shows make them very popular with their fans.

Albums- Everything Sucks- '00 Why Do They Rock So Hard?- '98 Keep Your Receipt- '97 Turn the Radio Off- '96

Aaron Barrett- Vocals/Guitar Tavis Werts- Trumpet Scott Klopfenstein- Trumpet/Vocals Dan Regan- Trombone Matt Wong- Bass Carlos de la Garza- Drums

My Favorite Song-

Sell Out

Down In Flames

Most Popular Song-

Less Than Jake

Fast paced, high energy punk/ska band. This music will keep you dancing and moving until your legs fall off.

Albums- Hello Rockview- '98 Losing Streak- '96 Greased- '96 Loser Kings & Things That We Don't Understand- '95 Pezcore- '95

Chris- Guitar/Vocals Roger- Bass/Vocals Buddy- Trombone Pete- Trombone Vinnie- Drums Derron- Sax

Most Popular Song-

Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts

My Favorite Song-

History of a Boring Town

Goldfinger

A really catchy punk band with the best lead vocals of any band I know. Why aren't these guys famous?

Albums- Stomping Grounds- '00 Darrin's Coconut Ass- '99 Hang-ups- '97 Goldfinger- '96

Charlie Paulson- Guitar John Feldmann- Guitar/Vocals Darrin Pfeiffer-Drums Simon Williams- Bass

Most Popular Song-

Here In Your Bedroom

My Favorite Song-

Superman

Save Ferris

A good ska band with a powerful female singer. Varied guitar and horn sounds keep you interested from song to song.

Albums- Modified- '99 It Means Everything- -'97

Monique Powell- Vocals Brian Mashburn- Guitar/Keyboards/Vocals Bill Uechi- Bass Evan Kilbourne- Drums Eric Zamora- Sax Jose Castellanos- Trumpet T-Bone Willy- Trombone

Most Popular Song-

C'mon Eileen

My Favorite Song-

The World is New

Aquabats

Devo has been reincarnated in this zany ska band. Songs about magic chicken and skateboards will have you laughing as you rock out to their varied melodies.

Albums- Aquabats vs. the Floating Eye of Death- '99 The Fury of the Aquabats- '97

The M.C. Bat Commander- Vocals Crash McLarson- Bass Catboy- Trumpet The Robot- Woodwinds The Mysterious Kyu- Guitar Prince Adam- Trumpet Chainsaw Karate- Guitar Doctor Rock- Drums

Super Rad

The Story of Nothing

Most Popular Song-

My Favorite Song-

Pietasters

A "true" ska band. The pietasters have the slow paced old fashioned ska sound with great vocals and guitar that many of today's fans may be missing.

Albums- Awesome Mix Tape 6- '99 Willis- '97 Strapped Live- '96 OoLooLoo- '95

Steve Jackson-Vocals Tom Goodin-Guitar Todd Eckhardt-Bass Bob Steward-Drums Toby Hansen- Trumpet Jeremy Roberts- Trombone Alan Makranczy- Sax

Most Popular Song-

Yesterday's Over

My Favorite Song-

Some Old Song

Hippos

The best new ska band out there. Songs you can relate to, crazy keyboard sounds, and cool vocals keep you from turning their cd's off for hours at a time.

Albums- Heads Are Gonna Roll- '99 Forget the World- '98

Ariel Rechtshaid- Vocals/Guitar Louis Castle- Trumpet Rich Zahniser- Trombone, Keyboards Danny Rukasin- Trombone James Bairian-Bass Kyle Briggs- Drums

My Favorite Song-

Most Popular Song-

Far Behind

Thinking

Edna's Goldfish

A great new ska band. Their creative movement inside of third-wave ska has gotten their music dubbed "the fourth wave". The longer you listen to them, the better they get.

Albums- Elements of Transition- '99 Before You Knew Better- '98

Kris Baldwin- Bass Brian Diaz- Vocals David A. Galea- Trumpet Gary Henderson- Trumpet Vinnie McAuliffe- Guitar Ian McKenzie- Trombone Mike Warner- Drums

Most Popular Song- Veronica Sawyer My Favorite Song- Instant Message

Toasters

One of the greatest ska bands of all time. With a British twist, these guys make some great slow ska and are still making cd's today.

Albums- Live in London-' 98 D.L.T.B.G.Y.D.- '97 Ska Killers- '96 Hard Band For Dead- '96 This Gun's For Hire- '95 Dub 56- '94 New York Fever- '92 Thrill Me Up- '92 Thrill Me Up- '88 Skaboom- '87

Matt Malles- Bass Johnathan McCain- Drums Rob Hingley- Guitar Fred Reiten- Sax The Sledge- Trumpet Rick Faulkner- Trombone Jack Ruby, Jr- Vocals Dave Waldo- Keyboards

Most Popular Song- Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down My Favorite Song- I'm Running Right Through The World

Suicide Machines

A former ska band that is now making some really good mainstream music. Look for their next album to put them over the top.

Suicide Machines- '00 Battle Hymns- '98 Destruction By Definition-

Jason Navorro-Vocals Dan Lukacinsky-Guitar Royce Nunley- Bass Ryan Vendeberghe- Drums

My Favorite Song-

Too Many Words

Most Popular Song-

Sometimes I Don't Mind

Mustard Plug

An awesome ska band with the "stereotypical" ska guitar. Cool vocals reminescent of the Toasters, Suicide Machines and Buck-o-Nine and songs that are fun to sing along make these guys a success.

Pray For Mojo- '99 Evildoers Beware- '97 Big Daddy Multitude- '94

Jim Hofer- Trombone Brandon Jenison- Trumpet Colin Clive- Guitar, Vocals Dave Kirchgessner- Vocals Brad Rozier- Drums Craig DeYoung- Bass

Most Popular Song-

The Freshman

My Favorite Song-

Yesterday

MxPx

One of the most proficient punk bands of the 90's, mxpx puts out music constantly and continues to remain a fan's band while doing it. Simple songs mixed with catchy beats and smooth low-key vocals are an addicting combination that spells success with a capital BOOYA!

Ever Passing Moment- '00 At the Show- '99 Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo- '98 Let it Happen- '98 Life in General- '96 Teenage Politics- '95 Pokinatcha- '95
On the Cover- '95

Mike Herrera- Bass Tom Wisniewski- Guitar Yuri Ruley- Drums

Most Popular Song-

My Favorite Song-

Oh Donna

Blue Moon

ABOUT-Useful website for beginners

CDNOW-Find and buy any CD out there

SKAHOO-Best Ska Search Engine on the net

MP3-Find Great Unknowns and Listen

Buymusic-A good site to buy music (Duh)

Throttlebox-Download Unknowns Videos

Musicvideos-Find almost any video

Skabands-New Ska Directory

Punkbands-Fantastic Punk Site

Moonska-Find tons of Ska links

Rudenet-Serving Ska for a long time

Skaworld-Forget your sorrows and dance

2Tone-Ska Unity!,Big Bandlist

Skaville-Cool Ska Search Engine

Fishbowl Records-Punk/Ska record label

Mike Garbinski's Web Page

Look At Me!!!

This page is dedicated to my family, friends, Schindler's Sasquatch, the good people of Marley, Turd Ferguson (funny name), Funky Stylely, Dave Stacey's HOT sister, that thing Joe Harper found up his nose, all the people who have drowned in lake silly, the guy who invented marshmallows, the color blue, El Magnifico, The Rock, Mike Kreisher's hairpiece, the McRib sandwich, Hambone, The Blue Meanie, and the countless creatures that have been unmercifully slaughtered in Mr. Fisher's AP biology class.