If you follow this blog with some frequency, you know that I'm a big proponent of the Kickstarter model as a way forward for many non-mainstream bands who want to be in a position to be able to produce--and actually be paid for--recorded music housed in a physical format in this dark age of worldwide file-sharing/pirating of digital music. And it's a fantastic way for fans to directly support the bands they love and be able to acquire music that is highly-collectible, as these projects are typically limited-edition pressings of vinyl or CDs. Several highly-successful ska-related Kickstarter projects that I've had the pleasure of being involved with include those for Moondust Records/Reggae 69 Club; The Sentiments; and most recently, The Shifters.The latest ska Kickstarter project I'm backing is The Big Ska Gamble: a Seven-Inch Vinyl Record Subscription Club, which was put together by Brian J. Polk of the "23min of Ska" podcast (many of these bands have appeared on his show), and features a mix of traditional ska/rocksteady, reggae, and ska-punk acts from across the USA.
While you can learn all the details of this project on The Big Ska Gamble Kickstarter page, it essentially boils down to this: for a $36 pledge (if the project is fully funded), the subscription club will send you two 7" records starting this July from the following acts:
The Action League - ska/punk from San Luis Obispo, CA
Do It With Malice - ska/metal/hardcore punk from Buffalo, NY
The Georgetown Orbits - ska, reggae and dub from Seattle, WA
Lockstep - reggae punk from Indianapolis, IN
The Shifters - rocksteady from Washington D.C.
Stop the Presses - ska/surf/punk from Miami, FL
The project will only be funded if at least $5,000 is pledged by Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 2:59AM EDT.
I was compelled to make my pledge because of my fan-boy devotion to The Shifters (though I'm definitely eager to discover what some of these other bands come up with), but it seems like with all of the various permutations of ska represented in this project that there is definitely something for every ska fan to love here...
Everyone should check out all the bands, online. There are so many interesting things going on. I was certainly surprised (in a good way) by all of them.
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely certain what the other bands are doing, but there will definitely be one track on The Shifters offering that will not be available anywhere else.
Definitely need to check out this Kickstarter project.
ReplyDeleteThe Georgetown Orbits have a really unique sound, and were a blast to see live when they opened for The Toasters.
I posted a video review of their CD Super Sonic a few weeks back, for anyone who's interested.
http://youtu.be/T82lVKyCuHw