Ska

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

yes I'm making a ska post... I've seen so far several people who like it (also after being told there were many on the board) So post crap about ska if you want. Oh yeah and if you have an extreme hatred towards ska I'd prefer you not say anything.

FIVE IRON FRENZY, Yes, i know they broke up november 22 of the year 2003 and that was a GREAT concert. but They're actually my most favorite ska band. I also like such bands as streetlight manifesto, The toasters, some reel big fish, some less than jake (although I question whether to call them a ska band), and many others (tons of more underground stuff i found on MP3.com before it began to be remade).

favorite song Riot Gear.

[AerodynamicHair]

Yeah, there have been a lot of music posts, but the thing is I like to talk about myself, and that includes my interests, so I'm going to post stuff that most people know about me anyway.

I like ska. Look at my avatar. I got interested in it when my parents bought me a mighty mighty bosstones cd for christmas with the stereo they got me. Truth is, they didn't really know what kind of music I liked, so they got a cd of each genre they could think of, and lucky me, it was just about the end of the third wave ska revival.

I didn't really know what the bosstones were until a friend explained to me the terms "ska" and "ska-core," and I've been a huge fan of the BossToneS for a very long time (They're on "Hiatus" right now, so sad...).

After the induction by the BossToneS, I started to listen to other third wave stuff like Five Iron Frenzy and Less than Jake. That, and the greatness that was internet radio, led to my discovery of the first and second waves of ska, which brought me The Toasters, The Specials, Laural Aitken, The Skatalites, Kemuri, Two and a Half White Guys, The Agents, DanceHall Crashers, Mustard Plug, The Pilfers, The Mad Caddies, Skankin' Pickle, and many others.

Of course, now a days it sucks being a ska fan. Despite the huge ska revival of 1997, no one remembers it. Ska had its own section in record stores, its place on Mtv, and still no one remembers. Its like a twilight zone episode, I swear.

Well, thats enough of my lengthy post about nothing. I don't know if that many ska aficianados are really on the site, though I know many out here have at least listened to ska, and like a few ska bands. Oh well, I guess we'll see how this post turns out.

[Forever Zero]

Excuse my music ignorance, but what is Ska?

[Psycho Mantis]

I need to save a document describing what Ska is. I end up having to explain it to 2 out of 3 people I meet. (Im just not in the mood to explain it again right now, so I'll let someone else do it)

Anyway, I'm a major ska fan as well. Since I live in the OC, I get to see a lot of great ska bands play. For me, its the best part of living here.

I actually have a ska band of my own, heh.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

Ska is a form of music originally formed in the late 50's early 60's in Jamaica, Of which it was a branch off of reggae. Known for it's bright fast sound SKA will traditionally have the guitars playing on the upbeat and usually a Horn sectoin (trombone, trumpet, sax, etc.) There have actually been many types of Ska from the two-tone up to the third wave. Though popularized in the 90's with the third wave movement (led by such bands as reel big fish from OC, psycho mantis you are a very fortunate person) The ska of today seems to have a real modern rock influence such as punk-ska (Less than Jake). Yet nowadays Ska is to exotic for the mass media, though I don't mind a whole lot it does suck that no one knows what the music your listening to... I've left out some but that should give you a good idea. You may want to go to some of these bands websites that have been listed so far and listen to get a good idea about it. asian man records (http://www.asianmanrecords.com) has tons of ska bands though not all of them are still signed on to asianman another that has several canadian bands is Stomp Ska canada (http://www.unionlabelgroup.com/Stomp/index.htm) well... I guess I did allright...

oh yeah and allthough some of five irons early stuff was third wave I feel there newer cd's are more of an individual sound...

[Psycho Mantis]

The worst part of explaining ska is when they go: "Oh! Like No Doubt!"

I just shake my head and say "No, no, no..."

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

Yeah there earlier stuff was close to ska but they are in no way ska... and they are what you call MAJOR SELL OUTS.

[AerodynamicHair]

Actually, I'm pretty sure ska has nothing to do with reggae.

Ska was developed in the fifties in jamaica as their version of dancehall and blues. The legend is that the jamaicans heard the blues and dancehall music coming down from new orleans, except the signal was so bad, that they what they heard was just choppy. So, they copied the music, including the chopping sound, which created ska. So, thats why I say ska doesn't really have much to do with reggae, its really the child of blues and dancehall music.

Oh, the chop. Its hard to explain, but I can describe how its played on the guitar, a style called "ska-tar." You play on the upstroke, and mute the downstroke. The result is a sound that pops up right in the middle of beats, which is the essence of ska.

Later, during the two tone era (second wave), ska was infused with new age punk in 80s england. Then, the revival (third wave) in the 1997, which infused ska with metal, rock, and just about anything else.

Homework: First wave, listen to Laural Aitkin. For second wave, The Toasters or The Specials. For third wave, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish (any album except for cheer up), and Less than Jake.

Well, thats the end of this post that no one asked for.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

its a pretty big discussion as to who spawned who (ska or reggae).

yeah, i loves the ska. My brother was into ska and punk for a while, and i got introduced to RBF and Goldfinger through his record collection back when i was like 14. I was pretty much hooked ever since then, and I was lucky enough to hook up with a group of kids who actualy knew what ska was, and liked it alot. for whatever reason, Ann Arbor was a really good Michigan town for ska: lots of local bands, lots of punks and rudies roaming around, and two dedicated ska programs on the radio (which are still on to this day i believe).

I mostly like 3rd wave stuff because its got a little rock & roll bite to it, but i very much 1st and 2nd wave stuff as well. I've been slowly working on getting my roommate more exposed to ska, now if i could just get him to practice his skanking.

I'm fortunate that Chicago is a good town for ska, lots of east and west coast bands are crossing through, and lots of midwest ska bands call Chicago home. in fact, whenever Johnny Socko comes through on tour, they always play at a bar just a few blocks away from my appartment. just a few months ago i caught the Toasters, and a moth before that i saw the Kingpins and Mustard Plug.

I think my favorite ska bands are Johnny Socko (kind of obvious i would assume), The Slackers, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, The Planet Smashers, Big D and the Kids Table, The Specials, and the Mad Caddies.

also, Union Lable is another good record lable (actualy, in this case its a lable amalgamation). http://www.unionlabelgroup.com/

[Psycho Mantis]

I think my favorite ska bands are Johnny Socko (kind of obvious i would assume), The Slackers, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, The Planet Smashers, Big D and the Kids Table, The Specials, and the Mad Caddies.



Yeah, I got to see the Planet Smashers and Big D around January/Feb. They stopped by here, and wow, they're both really great live.

[Sakae]

I guess I'm more of a lightweight ska fan, but I have to say that one of my favorite albums is Reel Big Fish's Turn the Radio Off. To me, it's pretty close to the perfect ska album. As of right now, I'm doing more research on some older ska bands, trying to see what else I would like. But yeah, ska rocks.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

Yeah, I got to see the Planet Smashers and Big D around January/Feb. They stopped by here, and wow, they're both really great live.

the ska is dead and you're next tour? they're coming through chicago in april, im totaly going to see them.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

To say that reggae has little to do with ska is actually might i say a bit off but under further investigation I noticed I had misinterpretted what i had previously read and repeated. I allways new that Ska had a jazz influence from the time period it came from and through this and other styles It was born. but Reggae does have alot to deal with ska considering bands such as the Skatalites (first wave) also have a reggae sound to them. of which anybody here fan of the skatalites? There pretty good. But the what i was saying about the guitar on the upbeat is also what you were saying. anyways... I wish the Ska is dead tour would tour further south... and to the west a bit... :(... oh well eventually a ska band will tour through here... at least they used to tour through CO at least when i lived there... I'm sorry I'm rambling on.

[AerodynamicHair]

Well, sure, The Skatalite have a bit of a reggae touch to them, but its more of a dancehall sound. Plus, if you listen to some Laurel Aitken, you can hear even more dancehall enfluence, and not really any reggae. Of course, I don't know much about it either, but in many songs you can hear references to the history of ska, like in a few Toasters songs, and I think they support the ska before reggae theory.

Its still up for debate, but I still say ska met reggae musically later in life, during the 80s when reggae was big in england, and ska was just hitting off. The Specials were really kind of a punk/new wave/ska/reggae type of band, with few of the characteristics of any of the genres.

Still, I just mentioned that stuff because of many of the false ideas that people have about ska, such as "its punk rock with a horn section," or "Its punk and reggae mixed." Its all in the chop. Of course, I may be wrong about the dancehall roots of ska, but the argument is still up for debate as Johnny Socko said, and I'm not going to be a jerk about it.

On another note, one thing that interested me about ska is what it's comprised of. We all know what rock, and rap should sound like, because they all follow certain rules for melody and rythm and sound. The thing about ska is, its more of a playing technique than a genre, and thats why it can be mixed pretty well with just about any other genre and still work. I think of ska as the spice of the music world, a "Tony Cachere's" (Louisiana's answer to "Old Bay." Cajun Spice, tastes good on everything. Sorry for the explenation, just don't know if the product is national or not.) if you will. For rock, you have to play a certain type of melody and certain kinds of notes that match together, for ska all you have to do is have that chop, that beautiful little chop.

Of course, maybe I'm just not getting the whole music thing, and am just sounding like an idiot, but thats what I think.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

I agree with you ska does have more technique than most genre's, Here's my big beef What the hell is up with the people saying that all ska sounds the same. That's hardly true you take, for example, the toasters and streetlight manifesto. Now how close do they sound alike. barely at all. (see at least we've been able to hold a discussion about ska so far)

[Lockeownzj00]

My experience was similar to Johnny Socko's.

First of all, to say that ska didn't come out of reggae is to say that jazz didn't come from blues.

Anyway, I highly highly suggest you look into foreign ska bands. There are some very good ones, even ones that sing in English. I also highly suggest that you don't scroll past this post, since pretty much everyone who I recommend these to likes them.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - TSPO is what one would call "skazz." They are very ska-oriented, but they have so much jazz and rock-steady influence that it makes itself a new genre, similar to the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble. After a while, you think, well, this is ska. But then you listen to real ska and notice what a difference it is. I have over 200 TSPO songs and they are one of my favorite bands with everything from slow to fast songs.

The Busters - Although every one of their songs (except a few that are in languages that aren't their native language) is in English, this band is actually of German descent and relatively hard to find in some areas. If you go on Soulseek, though, you will find many albums. Their songs are very good.

Ska-P - A spanish political band that I love dearly. The problem with them is that they're right half the time and wrong half the time. Maybe more like 75-25. But still, most of their songs are objective and truthful, while others are fanatical (i.e. ignoring the dictators in south america and claiming that the usa is to blame for every problem in latin america). Still, they have a very good style.

Go!Go!7188 - This is not so much a ska band as a "wtf this is everything" band. Their songs change style mid-song. Very enjoyable. If you like them, I suggest The Pillows as well, which I LOVE.

Dr. Calypso - Another very good spanish ska band.

Los Negativos - Maybe I just love the 60s but you have fucking got to listen to these kickass organ-crazy harpsichord-crazy rock-crazy spanish band. Sorry. You gotta.

Italian Ska Invasion 2 - This is a compilation album; you can find it on Soulseek. It has a bunch of awesome songs from the Italian ska scene.

NOW for the bands in my playlist, regardless of their country of origin:

*note. i hate sticking to one style. While ska is my main interest, ever since meeting a good friend of mine, drew, and his friends, i like to diversify. it's ok to like old music and it's ok to meld it. Bands like Jet are exactly what I'm talking about, or even Led Zeppelin. I believe in a huge melting pot of music with old and new. I have some good rock in my playlist as well.

The Aquabats (they own you in funny!)
The Busters
Catch 22 (loved em since their first, keasbey nights!)
Dr. Calypso
Frank Sinatra (hail to the king baby)
Go!Go!7188
Jet (60s revival, bitch)
Less Than Jake (hello rockview OWNZ, ok?!)
Mad Caddies (yum. Betty is my favorite track of theirs)
Mustard Plug (we want the mustard! we want the mustard! [plug!])
Operation Ivy (one of the few punk bands I love. UNITY!)
Reel Big Fish (fuck you. they rocked and they have always rocked. reel big fish is classic. ooh, they're sell outs! go listen to emo.)
Ska-P
Statuto (owned by italy!)
The Forces of Evil (I highly suggest these wonderful folks. They are a compilation of people from other ska bands, and Aaron [RBF] is the lead singer. Someone from the specials is there, too!)
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
The Pillows (OWNED by awesome rock riffs)
The Specials (owned by classic)
The Toasters (owned by skill)

And just because I love long posts, I made a fun little list of all my favorite songs from each band.

The Aquabats - Pool Party [energetic, fun]
The Busters - Do ya Thang [energetic, jumpy]
Catch 22 - 9mm and a Three Piece Suit [love the fast-talking]
Dr. Calypso - Kaspa [fun]
Frank Sinatra - New York, New York/Fly Me To The Moon [classics]
Go!Go!7188 - Jet Ningin vs. Hentai Pants Club [weird beat]
Jet - Rollover DJ [60s!]
Less Than Jake - Al's War [just love it]
Los Negativos - Quien aplasto la mariposa?
Mad Caddies - Betty [love the clashing of voices a la reel big fish]
Mustard Plug - Yesterday [one of their best songs
Operation Ivy - Bomb Shell [hard to choose, but gotta love that--chyeh [i]chyeh, chyeh, she's a bomb shell!]
Reel Big Fish - Sell Out [reaaallly tough choice. I would've also picked Victory Over Peter Bones or Down in Flames]
Ska-P - Sexo y Religion [he speaks the truth!]
Statuto - 6/8/1945: Bombe su Hiroshima [he speaks the truth, again!]
The Forces of Evil - Independent [really shows how good the combo band is]
The Pillows - Advice [awesome riff]
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Utsukushiku Moeru Mori (Beautiful Burning Forest) [um, wow. super-hard decision. i'd also say call from rio or the big man standing, or the look of love, or the galaxy and maze. or...too many good ones!!]


Thank you for [probably not] enduring my long, fanatical post.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

Italian Ska Invasion 2 - This is a compilation album; you can find it on Soulseek. It has a bunch of awesome songs from the Italian ska scene.


hmm, italian ska...thats a culture i have not delved into yet. ill be sure to check that out.

one of my favorite aspects to the ska scene...other than the rude girls*...are the compilations. the "State of the Union 2" was one of the best (musical) purchases i made last year. almost 30 tracks, maybe only 2 or 3 songs that i didnt care for, and it cost me all of $8.

-edit-
*for those of you not in the know, a rude girl/boy or rudie, is generaly used to describe someone who's a fan of ska (not someone with the absence of manners). specificaly, it refers to the 2nd wave ska fan, who tended to dress in suits with 'porkpie' hats.

-edit 2-
sure, what the hell. ill add my favorite songs too

Reel Big Fish - Everything Sucks
Goldfinger - King for a Day
Less Than Jake - All My Best Freinds are Metalheads (you notice that LTJ's song titles are the longest on earth?)
Johnny Socko - Devil's Advocate
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Moeyo Dragon
The Slackers - So This is the Night (quite possibly the saddest song ever)
The Specials - Ghost Town
The Planet Smashers - Blind
Big D and the Kids Table - The Difference
Mad Caddies - All American Badass (how crazy is it to almost kill someone moshing to ska/polka?)

[AerodynamicHair]

If you want a big recent ska compilation, you should check out Still Standing, a four disc 80 song set of cds that costs 15 bucks. Look on Megalith Records for it. www.megalithrecords.com . It even has a song or two from the Forces of Evil, and a ton of other ska bands.

Oh, and about ska and reggae, We're just going to have to agree to disagree there. Oh, hell, screw it. True, recent ska has a lot of reggae roots to it, but the original first wave stuff is completely devoid of reggae. Its jamaican, sure, but it ain't reggae. The two just don't sound anything alike.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

Sure sounds good to me!!! but yah I've been meaning to get that complimation It looks good.

[Yurtle_The_Turtle]

umm, ska is a thing my brothers have.... for a looong time. sigh... ok, im officially weird :bmage: "I agree"

[Psycho Mantis]

I love Forces of Evil. I saw them at their first show and've been going ever since.

Angry Anthem just perfectly expresses how I feel about the world...

Do any of you guys have any hot rude girls around where you live? Theres not many around here. Theres a few scenesters, but eh....you know how THEY are.

[Deathosaurus Wrecks]

theres a few. most of the rude girls i see at shows are unfortunately underaged (visably so). i met one girl who was hella into ska (and nano-technology), but she was hopelessly devoted to her boyfreind.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

HAH!!! rude girls... unfortunatly they are no more than a dream for me... I wish I had a couple of them around where I live but I don't. There were some back when I lived in Colorado, but the school I go to now is very uncultured (as in how much people know and except other things) and the chances of any rude girls my age is inconceivable. But if there were... heheh... oh the happy I would be.

[Lockeownzj00]

I dated a rude girl for 2 years. I broke up with her eventually. She's still cool, though.

Pretty much the only one besides like one or two others in my area.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

the Bosstones are on Hiatus, in case any of you didn't know that. So there current web site is down and they are off doing side projects for a while, They should be back together during the summer.

[AerodynamicHair]

Yeah, I by chance visited their site on one of the last days it was up to hear the news. Truth is, if their side projects go pretty well... that means....

NOOOOOOO!!!!

As much as I like to think about it as a "Hiatus," there is a pretty good chance that the BossToneS are over. So sad to say.

Of course, I very much hope they will get together, since I've never been able to go to one of their shows, and its one of the things I have on the list of things to do before I die, but when you read into it, the BossToneS may not have that long to go.

NOOOOOOOO!!!

[EchoFlame]

ive gone to one bostones show, it also features one of my favorite bands flogging molly. it was definitly a good show. I like ska, but i dont usually buy cds that often so i dont have much of a collection. what i do have is mostly random stuff off of compilations i buy at the warped tour.

[Manos The Hands of Fate]

Yeah, in the past years the warped tour had some pretty good line ups, and the cd's were pretty good. but alas this year the tour features very few ska bands... *sigh* but that's allright because the warped tour wasn't known for it's ska, I just wish i could go to the surf and skate festival those look very promising.