Summer of Ska: Version NYC (Updated July & August!)

Here is the latest batch of updated ska gigs for NYC...make your summer plans accordingly...

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
The Aggrolites and The Have Nots
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Manhattan, NY
$12.00 in advance/$15.00 day of show

Saturday, July 3, 2010
Version City Party
NY Ska Jazz Ensemble, The Scofflaws, Wareika Hill, Mother Fletcher, and Harold's Trousers
Venue: Knitting Factory Brooklyn
Doors at 7:00 pm, show starts at 8:00 pm
$10.00/advance; $12.00/day of show

Sunday, July 4, 2010
Brooklyn Music Festival
The Rudie Crew and NY Ska Jazz Ensemble
Also on the bill: Fabulous, B.O.B., Shaggy, Lady Saw, Barrington Levy, Yellowman, Marcia Griffins, Gregory Isaacs, and many more.
Venue: Aviator Field, Floyd Bennett Park
Brooklyn, NY
$59.00 (kids 12 and under are free)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
The Hard Times, The Forthrights, Vic Ruggiero, and Chris Murray
Venue: Eastern District
43 Bogart Street
Bushwick, NY

Saturday, July 10, 2010 @ 1:00 pm
SkaFest
Across the Aisle, Big D and the Kid's Table, and many more!
Venue: The Space
Hamden, CT
$12.00 in advance; $14.00 day of the show

Saturday, July 10, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Dirty Reggae Party VI
R-Tronika, The Hard Times, The Bandulus, and
The Frighteners, plus Crazy Baldhead Sound-System
Venue: The Lake
258 Johnson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, July 11, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
Jimmy Cliff
Venue: SummerStage, Central Park (Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street)
Manhattan, NY
Free

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
Across the Aisle, The Jukebox Romantics, Hey Stranger, CBJ, 4 Point 0, and The Local Skank
Venue: Public Assembly
Brooklyn, NY
$10.00

Saturday, July 17, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
The Stress
Venue: N4 Bar
160 North 4th Street
Brooklyn, NY

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
River to River Festival
Burning Spear
Venue: Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City
Manhattan, NY
Free

Saturday, July 24th @ 7:00 pm
Benefit for the National Wildlife Federation Oil Spill Relief Fund
Across the Aisle and more!
Venue: Otto's Shrunken Head
Manhattan, NY

Sunday, July 25, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
Kofre
Celebrate Brooklyn
Venue: Prospect Park Bandshell
Brooklyn, NY
Free

Saturday, August 7, 2010
Version City Party
The Bluebeats, Top Shottaz, The Forthrights, Hey Stranger, and The Cool and Deadly
Venue: Knitting Factory Brooklyn
Doors at 7:00 pm and show starts at 8:00 pm
$10.00 in advance/$12.00 day of the show

Sunday, August 8, 2010 @ 5:00 pm
Kofre and Panteon Rococo
Venue: Highline Ballroom
Manhattan, NY
$30 in advance/$35 DOS

Sunday, August 22, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
The Specials
Venue: SummerStage, Central Park (Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street)
Manhattan, NY
Free

Pauline Black Shows Us the Love!

When I wrote my recent piece on The Selecter's Celebrate the Bullet, it wasn't my intention to draw the attention of, or elicit a response from, the band. But I'm kind of thrilled that Pauline Black plugged it on The Specials2.com website bulletin board (read it here).

(Thanks to Marco on the Bass for bringing this to our attention!)

Buford O'Sullivan Interview and New Vinyl Single/Digital EP!

The great Buford O'Sullivan, currently the trombonist for the Easy Stars All-Stars, has been busy moonlighting and just released a new vinyl single (which includes a password that allows you to digitally download the tracks on the single, plus an EP's worth of additional new cuts) on Megalith Records, titled LRTR. (For some background on Mr. O'Sullivan, read this.) The Duff Guide to Ska had the good fortune to catch up with Buford for a quick interview just before he headed off for a summer tour with the Easy Stars All-Stars to Europe and beyond...

The Duff Guide to Ska: What does "L.R.T.R." stand for? And what is the significance of the battleship on the cover artwork?

Buford O'Sullivan: It means "Love Rules The Road," which is the original lyric in the song of the same name, changed over a couple of revisions. I still like the letters. The cover art has images from the different songs that you have to pick out when you listen.

DGTS: Was there a theme or concept behind the songs you wrote for "L.R.T.R."? What was going on in your head and/or life?

BOS: I wanted to write some spooky music with a New York setting. They are songs I was working on over the period of a couple of years--I guess they caught the mood I was in. Ominous, scary. Kind of dark.

DGTS: Why did you and Megalith opt to do a three-track single and a digital EP?

BOS: The three-track single is to offer something unique for sale, and the digital is to include the whole thing. Even if you don't have a turntable, you can buy the single, have something cool to own, hold, put on a shelf, or play it if you can, and the card inside gets you all of the music for your iPod, phone, computer, whatever you've got. I've always preferred the packaging for vinyl anyway, even for a seven inch single, the artwork is bigger than a CD's. CDs are disposable. Jewel cases suck. Even those little booklets you get when you buy a CD box set are useless with two point font and small pictures. You should get something for your money.

DGTS: Are you planning to do some NYC area gigs in support of this new release? (The Easy Stars All-Stars have such a busy touring schedule this summer---Italy, Israel, the UK, Canada, and parts of the US--do you have any free time to devote to your own project?)

BOS: I have tried to get gigs together, but Easy Star is really busy, so I am going to sell LRTR on the road with them. I've been playing some music with Dan Jesselsohn and Ben Rogerson, maybe a live gig will materialize with these guys. I play gigs with Courtney Lee Adams Jr., which is a bit of a different scene than the ska, quite refreshing.

DGTS: It's been a long time since your last proper Buford O'Sullivan release ("The Sexy Eye" in 2000 on 7 Wonders of the World Music)--what took so long for this new batch of tracks to see the light of day?

BOS: Sometimes the flow is a gusher, sometimes it is a trickle. I write a lot of music and a lot of it ends up in the spare parts file. When I began assembling these songs with Victor Rice, these are the ones he liked, and so I just went with his lead. There were others that didn't make the cut. He was the producer, and so I trusted him, rather than follow my ego when it tells me that everything I do is GENIUS! No, sorry to say that the ego is often wrong, the ego leads me astray. It was Victor's job to tell me true, so I just went with his pick. I think the difference between this project and Sexy Eye, is that back then I just made them myself without a producer. The ego won back then.

DGTS: As a songwriter, what are your thoughts about music file-sharing? Should recorded music have a monetary value attached to it (is it even possible to re-establish that kind of economic model)--or is it now essentially a way to promote bands and gigs?

BOS: Tough call. File-sharing is like mix-tapes. It spreads the word. But it also causes chaos, not only with the big companies, but with the smaller ones too. Easy Star has a tough time with it, because even though Dub Side of the Moon is a pretty big success, most of the people who have it got it illegally. The company would be much bigger if there was no file-sharing, and maybe my treatment on that gig would be better if the money was bigger with them--maybe I'd get paid more. Live shows are now a much more important source of income, so that is good for me. As for my solo work, you know, I just want to get the songs out there for people to enjoy. I'm not going to get rich off of LRTR, but I do want people to hear it because I put a lot of effort into it, with a lot of input from other people, the musicians on the project: Eddie Ocampo, Ticklah, Agent Jay Nugent, Paul Gebhardt, and Victor. So rather than have it sit on my shelf, I want it on people's iPods, so... I don't know, maybe it will end up on a Torrent. At least, when you buy it at a show, you get the art, the single, you know, something you can't download.

DGTS: You are also a published author (your screenplay is great!). Have you been writing anything new lately? What do you tend to read when you are traveling with ESAS? What are you reading now?

Right now, I am reading a few different books. I'm reading "Hell's Angels" by Hunter S. Thompson. I'm reading a collection of sci-fi short stories. Not doing so much fiction writing these days. You think music is having a hard time in the digital age, publishing is really having a tough time. We'll see if I get the inspiration.

DGTS: There are a lot of bands on the ska scene right now creating some extraordinary music--which seems like it should augur another "wave" in the genre's popularity--but I'm not seeing big crowds at the shows or hearing about big album sales. Can we ever expect there to be anything coming even remotely close to what happened in the mid-90s or has too much changed in the music industry, pop culture, and how we consume music?

BOS: You know, things come and go. It was a fresh scene in the nineties. Now, the big bands have done it well, and so as a 'next big thing' I dunno, maybe that wave has had it's day of big time fame. Maybe it will take a specific hit by a specific band to bring the sound back to the mainstream. BUT I just saw The Specials with Terry Hall, and it was jam-packed, the band is making millions (I have an inside source that tells me this is so), and they deserve it. I run into Ranking Roger and Pauline Black on the road a lot with Easy Star, and they are still playing shows, so ska is still alive. Bucket still has The Toasters in the van, going all over the place. Jeff Baker still has pretty slamming shows at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. The Bluebeats are still playing all the time. Slackers sell out shows wherever they go. Even The Scofflaws, Richard Brooks and John Souldo, are still at it on Long Island. I guess what we had has never gone completely away (not to disagree with The Bosstones too much).

Thanks for doing the interview, Buford!

Kid British: New Album in Fall, Plus "Winner" on FIFA World Cup Soccer Video Game

For anyone following the terrific Britpop-ska stylings of Kid British, you may have wondered what happened to the second half of their debut album It Was This or Football... (First Half). Probably due to a switch in record labels, plans for the remainder of that album have been scrapped. Instead, they are going full-on with the September or October release of a new album proper titled To Get Nowhere, Follow The Crowd. Of note, this album will only be available as a digital-download from the new Mancunian imprint (not sure if "record label" even applies here) Modern English Music. While I completely understand the economics driving the creation of this label (so few people actually buy CDs anymore), it still bums me out that recorded music has very little value (cultural, financial, emotional--you name it) at this point in time.

[Warning: I'm feeling pretty nostalgic right now--I've been reading the extraordinary "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation" by Jeff Chang. Even though I was only very remotely aware of some of things that were going on in the South Bronx in the late 70s and early 80s, it's still a specific time in New York City that I recognize, remember, and miss. Of note to The Duff Guide to Ska readers, Chang's book includes a wonderfully insightful chapter on the history and politics of Jamaican ska and reggae and its influence on the birth of hip-hop in the Bronx--plus it's just an amazing read and will be of interest to anyone who loves popular music.]

The first single from To Get Nowhere... is their English World Cup footie anthem "Winner" (we posted the official video a while back)--it will be released in the UK on June 28 (you can buy it here). This song is also featured on the new EA Sports "FIFA South Africa World Cup" video game, the licensing of which is certain to help keep the boys in Kid British from having to find part-jobs to keep doing their music!

NYC Gig Reminder: Vic Ruggiero, The Hard Times, and The Heavy Beat Tonite!

Who:
Vic Ruggiero & The Hard Times:
One Night Only Rock -n- Roll Reggae Show
also featuring The Heavy Beat, and Crazy Baldhead Sound System

Where:
Death By Audio
49 South 2nd Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
$8.00 gets you in the door. This is an all ages show!

When:
Doors at 8:00 pm, music starts at 9:00 pm.

Here's the line-up:
The Heavy Beat
The Hard Times
Vic solo
Vic+Hard Times jam (on it)

What:
The Hard Times drummer Bob Timm writes, "We're backing Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars) for a special set full of classics from The Clash, The Stones, Bob Marley, Maytals and more. Plus, Vic is doing his legendary solo R&B and roots material, and we're playing a full set of original Hard Times reggae."

Ska at the Brooklyn Music Festival

If you are in NYC on the 4th of July, you might want to make your way to the bottom end of Flatbush Avenue, just before you hit the Rockaways, for the Brooklyn Music Festival. This massive event features some major dancehall, lover's rock, and reggae artists--plus there is some ska thrown in the mix for good measure with The Rudie Crew and The New York Ska Jazz Ensemble (both which should go down well with fans of the headliners). Details are as follows...


From out there, you just might be able to see the fireworks going off over the East River that night...

Duff Gig Review: The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, and The Rudie Crew at The Knitting Factory Brooklyn (6/5/10)

Since my job has been bringing me nothing but misery lately, it was nice to disappear from the mainstream world into the ska underground for a few hours last Saturday night to catch some really magnificent performances by The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, and The Rudie Crew. (I had wanted to see the other two acts on the bill, Royal City Riot and Hub City Stompers, but a friend was celebrating the opening of her husband's new bar in Midtown, which kept me from seeing RCR, and I had to catch the L train back to Manhattan before it got too late, which caused me to miss HCS--sorry guys). Thanks to Marc Wasserman of Bigger Thomas/Marco on the Bass and Mike D. (who shot the the recent Spring Heeled Jack reunion) for hanging with me.

While I had no preconceptions as to what kind of show to expect, I figured it was at least worth the trek to Brooklyn to see two ska bands from Belgium (how often does that happen?). Even though the crowd was kind of light--they hit the stage pretty early for NYC--The Caroloregians, led by Oliver Reed look-alike Matthew Hardison, played their hook-filled brand of funky skinhead reggae with enough power and verve to make a stadium of fans groove and skank. Their set was comprised of a mix of terrific instrumental originals (a la Dave and Ansel Collins, Harry J Allstars, and The Upsetters, amongst others) and killer 60s R&B covers, including Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" and The Rolling Stone's "(Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (the video below segues into their own "Karlking City Boogaloo")--rhythmically it was unexpectedly, but pleasingly, close to Devo's version!







Next up were The Moon Invaders, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was surprised to see about half of The Caroloregians back on stage (but then it made sense--how else could you afford to have two European ska bands touring here in the USA?). By this point in the evening, the dance floor was much better populated and many of us had now been primed for The Moon Invaders' superbly upbeat rhythm 'n' blues-powered ska. I managed to shoot several videos of The Moon Invaders' performance to post here, but a good part of me just wanted to dance to their exuberantly catchy tunes.









Marc and I spoke with Moon Invaders/Caroloregians singer Matthew Harrison afterwards and found out that he and his fellow vocalist/brother Thomas (Chris Murray's doppelganger) are both originally from New Orleans (which explained the many references to the Crescent City and Cajun/Creole culture in The Moon Invaders' songs--which otherwise would be kind of, well, weird for a Belgian act). We also talked about how they were going to cross the US/Canadian border (two Americans, a boatload of Belgians, and all their gear) for their gigs in Montreal and Toronto without arousing any suspicions. Since they were traveling in a car and van, I suggested the American brothers go in the car without any gear or merch (we're just two simple tourists, officer!), and all Belgians would cross in the van--and they could speak French to seem familiar and allay the customs agents' concerns. Hope they made it! (Check out their remaining tour dates here--and if they are playing near you, move freakin' heaven and earth to see them!)

While I've seen Roy Radics guest performing with Bigger Thomas, I haven't had the chance to see The Rudie Crew in action. Apparently, they've been MIA lately, since they had to find and break in both a new drummer (a big, body-builder type guy who hits the skins like Stewart Copeland) and guitarist. Their excellent set was full of aggressive post-2 Tone ska/dancehall minor-key cuts with unusual (for ska), ever-shifting rhythmic patterns--all with Roy's rapid-fire chatting riding atop the soundwave. What particularly struck me was that their sound was in a a recognizably NYC ska vein, but they've created something fresh and their own. After witnessing (and dancing to) their show, I now know better: I should have been missing them while they were temporarily out of commission, too. And I can't wait to see them again.









Cheers to Version City for putting together this sensational bill--and thanks to Adam at KF Hollywood for the hospitality!

Vintage Trojan Done Right

No matter what you think of the endless re-packaging and re-issuing of the incredibly deep Trojan catalogue, it is pretty cool to see them release these two classic albums, Desmond Dekker & the Aces' debut rocksteady album 007 Shanty Town (1967) and Dave and Ansel Collins' skinhead reggae special Double Barrel (1972), on CD--with the original cover art (sad they don't make 'em like this anymore) and original analog quarter-inch tapes used for their digital mastering. (Would it be too much to ask for a vinyl release of these albums, too?).

The only question is what took them so long to do it?


Desmond Dekker & the Aces: 007 Shanty Town
Track Listing:
"0.0.7 (Shanty Town)" - Desmond Dekker & The Aces
"Unity "- Desmond Dekker
"Wiseman" - Desmond Dekker & The Aces
"Rude Boy Train" - Desmond Dekker & The Aces
"You've Got Your Troubles" - Desmond Dekker
"Rudie Got Soul" - Desmond Dekker & The Aces
"Mother's Young Gal" - Desmond Dekker & The Aces
"Keep A Cool Head" - Desmond Dekker
"Shing A Ling" - Desmond Dekker
"Mother Long Tongue" - Desmond Dekker
"Personal Possession" - Desmond Dekker
"Sweet Music" - Desmond Dekker


Dave and Ansel Collins: Double Barrel
Track Listing:
"Double Barrel" - Dave Barker, Ansel Collins
"Wild Bunch" - Dave and Ansel Collins
"Elfrego Bacca" - Dave Barker, The Techniques All Stars
"Monkey Spanner Version" - Ansel Collins, Dave Collins
"My Best Girl" - Dave Barker
"Secret Weapon" - Ansel Collins
"Karate aka I The Third" - Dave Barker, Ansel Collins
"That Girl (aka Groovy Situation)" - Dave Barker
"Impossible Mission" - Dave and Ansel Collins
"Ten To One" - Dave and Ansel Collins
"I Count The Days (aka Lonely Man)" - Dave Barker, The Techniques All Stars
"Two Four One" - Dave and Ansel Collins

[As Duff Guide to Ska reader Jon has noted in the comments section, Double Barrel was previously released on CD with different artwork by RAS Records (in 1995) and Beatville (in 1998 as The Heavy, Heavy Monster Sound of Dave & Ansel Collins)]

Summer of Ska: Version NYC with The Hard Times

Jake, the guitarist for Gotham's dirty reggae practitioners The Hard Times, was kind enough to send some info about some of their upcoming NYC gigs this summer:

Friday, June 11, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
Reggae Inna Bushwick
The Forthrights
The Hard Times
Silver Dollar

Venue: Eastern District
43 Bogart Street
Bushwick, NY

Friday, June 18, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
One Night Only Rock-n-Roll Reggae Show
Vic Ruggiero
The Hard Times

Venue: Death By Audio
49 South 2nd Street
Brooklyn, NY

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
The Hard Times
The Forthrights
Vic Ruggiero
Chris Murray

Venue: Eastern District
43 Bogart Street
Bushwick, NY

Saturday, July 10, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
Dirty Reggae Party VI
R-Tronika (Latino Electro-Cumbia/Ska)
The Hard Times
The Bandulus (Austin,TX Rocksteady/Reggae)
The Frighteners (NYC Reggae/Rub-A-Dub debut gig!)
Crazy Baldhead Sound-System spinning classic and rare Jamaican vinyl all night!

Venue: The Lake
258 Johnson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Word is that The Hard Times have recorded a bunch of new tunes and are in the process of mixing everything. They're not sure in what form this material will see the light of day--but we're sure looking forward to it.

The Moon Invaders/Caroloregians US/Canada Tour

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to have caught The Moon Invaders and The Caroloregians at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and was absolutely blown away by these two Belgian bands. I will have their gig review plus live videos up on The Duff Guide to Ska very soon--and highly recommend that you catch these bands in action during their short U.S./Canada tour (remaining dates are below). They also have a new split CD out on Jump Up Records titled Hot Blood Cold Weather that I'll write up, too.

If you're a fan of soul-infused ska (The Moon Invaders) and funky skinhead reggae (The Caroloregians) these groups are a must for you!

The Moon Invaders vs. The Caroloregians Tour

June 7: Boston, MA @ the Baseball Tavern
June 8: Montreal, Quebec @ the House of Reggae
June 9: Toronto, Ontario @ the Bovine Sex Club
June 10: Ann Arbor, MI @ the BTB Cantina
June 11: Chicago, IL @ the Beat Kitchen
June 12: Lafayette, IN @ the Brewing Company
June 13: Cincinnati, OH @ Play by Play Cafe
June 15: Syracuse, NY @ the Funk'n'Waffle

Duff Review: King Django Quintet Brooklyn Hangover

Stubborn Records
2010

If it weren't for the inter-song banter, you'd be hard-pressed to discern that the superb new King Django Quintet album, Brooklyn Hangover, was recorded live at Southpaw in 2007--the sound is so full, warm, and well-balanced, and the performances are so dead-on perfect. The Quintet--Justin Rothberg on guitar, Jess DeBellis on keyboards, Ira Heaps on bass guitar and Gregg Mervine on drums--are really terrific. (Apparently, it was recorded the night after a friend's bachelor's party, so Django was suffering from the Irish flu, so to speak, though you'd never suspect it from listening to his singing or ukulele, harmonica, melodica, and trombone playing.) Generally, ska is best heard live, but the experience is often difficult to capture on tape--something is usually lost in the translation--but not here.

In addition to documenting the band's formidable musical prowess, Brooklyn Hangover serves as an excellent (though not comprehensive) retrospective of King Django's pretty amazing body of work (with cuts from his days in Skinnerbox, Stubborn All-Stars, etc.) and at 18 tracks, at least a few of your favorite tunes will be represented here (mine are "Does He Love You," "Tired of Struggling," "Move Like Ya Gone," "Avenue A," "Not Like a Star," "Trying to Be Something," "Nex Finga," and "Jump Dung"). One track that I initially thought was new was actually from the Stubborn All-Stars' Nex Music (1999): the significantly tightened-up "Take Your Chances" (which Jeff wrote in tribute to Prince Buster). I love the optimism of its verses ("Every conflict is a chance to understand") and chorus ("Free will is what it means to be a man"). Glad I had the chance to re-discover this gem of a tune.

As far as live ska recordings go, Brooklyn Hangover may have set a new standard--and the bar is now very high.

Duff Guide to Ska Grade: A

Summer of Ska: Version NYC!

I'm sure there are more dates to be added to this list (bands: drop me a line about any upcoming gigs), but here's a Duff Guide to Ska preview of some of the ska shows taking place this summer in NYC that you might want to catch. Best of all, many of them are free! Nice!

Friday, June 11, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
Royal City Riot, The Forthrights, and Silver Dollar
New venue: Eastern District
43 Bogart Street
Bushwick, NY

Friday, June 11 @ 10:00 pm
Dub is a Weapon
Zebulon
Brooklyn, NY
Free

Saturday, June 12, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Hub City Stompers
Santos Party House
Manhattan, New York
$16 in advance/$20 DOS

Sunday, June 20, 2010 @ 10:00 am
Hub City Stompers
Punk Island Fest
Governor’s Island
Free

Sunday, July 4, 2010
King Django, The Rudie Crew, NY Ska Jazz Ensemble
Brooklyn Music Festival
Also on the bill: Fabulous, B.O.B., Shaggy, Lady Saw, Barrington Levy, Yellowman, Marcia Griffins, Gregory Isaacs, and many more.
Aviator Field, Floyd Bennett Park
Brooklyn, NY
$59.00 (kids 12 and under are free)

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
The Forthrights
New venue: Eastern District
43 Bogart Street
Bushwick, NY

Sunday, July 11, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
Jimmy Cliff
SummerStage
Central Park (Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street)
Manhattan, NY
Free

Saturday, July 17, 2010 @ 9:00 pm
The Stress
N4 Bar
160 North 4th Street
Brooklyn, NY

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Burning Spear
River to River Festival
Rockefeller Park, Battery Park City
Manhattan, NY
Free

Sunday, July 25, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
Kofre
Celebrate Brooklyn
Prospect Park Bandshell
Brooklyn, NY
Free

Sunday, August 8, 2010 @ 5:00 pm
Kofre and Panteon Rococo
Highline Ballroom
Manhattan, NY
$30 in advance/$35 DOS

Sunday, August 22, 2010 @ 3:00 pm
The Specials
SummerStage
Central Park (Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street)
Manhattan, NY
Free

NYC Gig Alert: Sat. Nite Version City Party with Hub City Stompers, The Rudie Crew, The Moon Invaders, The Caroloregians, and Royal City Riot

Just a reminder--this is the place to be this weekend...

New Bigger Thomas Album: Steal My Sound

Our good friends Bigger Thomas have just released a really terrific new album titled Steal My Sound that we highly recommend you check out (I previewed some of the tracks here, when they were going to name it Pure--and promise to write up the whole thing very soon!). Steal My Sound was produced by King Django at his Version City Studios and features guest appearances by Roy Radics of The Rudie Crew and Dave Barry of The Toasters, Beat Brigade, and a million other NYC area ska bands. Oh, and the artwork was done by this graphic designer named John "Teflon" Sims, who happened to create some incredibly iconic artwork for 2 Tone and The Specials back in the day...

To give Steal My Sound a listen, you can stream it from Bigger Thomas' MySpace page. Then head over to Marc Wasserman's blog, Marco on the Bass (if you don't know, he is the bass player for Bigger Thomas and a mega-fan of 2 Tone and 80s-era ska--his blog is always a great read) to purchase a copy of the CD directly from the band via PayPal. The album is also available from CD Baby and as a digital download from Amazon or iTunes. However, if you buy the CD from Bigger Thomas, they will also include a copy of their Resisting Success CD for free!

For those ska fans out there looking for free, no-strings-attached legal downloads, Bigger Thomas is giving away one of the best cuts from Steal Our Sound: "I Can't Remember My Name." (After hearing this song--you'll never forget them!)