Even though I usually point out NYC area ska/reggae events, there are two very cool Halloween gigs taking place tonight far beyond our battered, but still standing, city borders...
The first takes place in the city of my birth--Boston, MA--with the fantastic Destroy Babylon, who will be performing the soundtrack to The Harder They Come in its entirety, in celebration of that album's/movie's 40th anniversary, at the Middle East Up in Cambridge! Details and tix for the show can be found here. Destroy Babylon will be sure to do these tracks great justice, so make sure to attend this show if you are anywhere near Cambridge, Mass!
+ + + +
If you happen to be near or in Chicago area, you have to see The Drastics, who will be performing tracks (with help from Akasha crew, Deal's Gone Bad, and MC ZULU) off their incredible MJ A Rocker EP, which came out a few years ago (The Duff Guide to Ska write up about it can be found here).
"We took six of the King of Pop's biggest tunes and arranged them inna Jamaican style. Imagine if Coxsone Dodd was behind the mixing board instead of Quincy Jones, and you're half-way there. We'll be adding a couple more tunes to the repertoire for this set, BUT this is also probably, most likely, for-realsy, the only time this will ever be performed live, so, ya know, don't blow it."
Much earlier this year, there had been some talk of bringing this show on the road--but unfortunately this never panned out. I would have loved to have seen it. The idea and the execution of it are brilliant!
If you're interested in a free download of MJ A Rocker, go here--and Jump Up Records still has a few copies of this on vinyl.
+ + + +
Bonus Halloween Treat for New Yorkers: If you're in Brooklyn tonight, head on down to Watch This Sound's "DanceHalloween" at Brooklyn Stable--Grace of Spades, Maddie Ruthless, Jah Point, Sweet V and Bats are spinning reggay way past the witching hour! Details here.
I happened to be watching the local NYC Time Warner news channel NY1 yesterday and caught this story about former Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga visiting VP Records (Seaga helped study and promote Jamaican music, ran the WIRL record label, and was one of the key architects of Jamaica's independence--though I should note that his politics and policies have been conservative-leaning). NY1 isn't hosting the video of the segment--otherwise I would have posted a link to it here. Seaga was in New York signing advance copies of Reggae Golden Jubilee - Origins of Jamaican Music - 50th Anniversary, a four CD box set (featuring hit songs from the first 50 years of Jamaican independence) compiled by Seaga himself; he also contributed track by track liner notes.
Not all, but many of the tracks here will be familiar to most ska/reggae fans, but it still looks like a very decent compilation. (Even more ambitious--and highly recommended--is Trojan Records' stellar Freedom Sounds, which is a five CD set of much rarer material, most of it directly related to the struggle for and celebration of Jamaica's independence from the UK; perhaps I'll review it someday, if I ever have the time to really dig into it!)
In a countdown to the release of Madness' new album (their 10th!), Oui Oui, Si Si, Ja Ja, Da Da (available worldwide on October 29, 2012), and in celebration of the band's incredible history, the website Reggae Steady Ska (run by Joachim Uerschels, singer songwriter for The Braces and Alpha Boys) has been publishing its Madness Album Series--a record by record tribute to the band's back catalogue.
For this series, Joachim has asked various ska DJs, musicians, and bloggers to write up their thoughts and memories related to a particular Madness album. I've written a piece on The Liberty of Norton Folgate (which can be read here), while my friend Marc Wasserman (Bigger Thomas, Marco on the Bass blog) shared his personal connection The Rise and Fall, which you can check out here--I highly recommend it!).
+ + + +
Thanks and respect to Joe for the opportunity to participate in this Madness tribute.
I really had no idea of what to expect for the third Electric Avenue ska/reggae night (our debut featured The Snails and King Django; the second, Doomsday/Meph Tribute by Meph members, Bigger Thomas, and Beat Brigade)--apart from the fact that the two bands featured on the bill, Destroy Babylon and The Frightnrs, would be certain to serve up some incredible performances. The evening started up fortuitously enough. After I had set up the DJ equipment, my friend Joe (who also graciously served as our door person, collecting the cover to be split between the two bands) and I bellied up to the bar for some grub and a pint before the event started. The afternoon bartender, Larry, had finished his shift and was sitting a stool away from us and struck up a conversation about the bands that were playing later. I described each band's style of reggae, which led him to rave about Linton Kwesi Johnson and his Dread Beat an' Blood and Forces of Victory albums, as well as LKJ's tracks, "Sonny's Lettah" (about the pernicious Sus laws at the time) and "Inglan is a Bitch," which is a fave of mine. He then recounted his teen years in Dublin and the punk acts he had seen and loved that introduced him to reggae, like The Clash and The Ruts (he had also caught The Jam, The Buzzcocks, The Undertones, The Specials, and many more). Larry then told us he had picked up a copy of Vive Le Rock recently which included a free CD that contained a track from a ska band he wanted to recommend to me: The Skints (I've heard the name, but not their music)! All of this just goes to show the world is sometimes much smaller than we think, and you never know who is just one barstool away in a pub in midtown Manhattan!
Another surprising aspect of the evening that manifest itself while both acts were loading in their equipment. Both acts are bands of brothers: The Frightnrs have Chuck (organ) and Preet (bass) Patel, while Destroy Babylon has twins John (bass) and Marc (drums) Beaudette. And, maybe it was just me, but both bands seemed all the more tighter because of these familial bonds (you don't have to believe me, the proof's in the videos below).
Around 45 or 50 people had filled the back room of Characters by the time The Frightnrs started their set at 10:00 pm and they wowed the crowd with their sweet, brilliantly authentic rub-a-dub sounds--kicking off with Dawn Penn's rocksteady classic "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)." They played several original cuts off their extraordinary, self-titled EP (one of the best new recordings I've heard this year--The Duff Guide to Ska review can be read here; and you can download the EP for free here, but please pay something, as this music is something you'll treasure), including "Walking," "Evening Time," "And I Wouldn't Tell You This," and "Ties Been Severed." Other highlights of their set included "Champion Bubbler," "Admiration," and "Full Up Riddim Ride." One of the many things that I love about this band is that they have the early dancehall sound down so well that you're never completely positive if you're hearing an original track or a tantalizingly familiar riddim track whose name is just on the tip of your tongue. The Frightnrs put on an excellent, tight live show (as captured in the videos I shot below)--so make a point to seem them, as they are, without a doubt, one of NYC's finest.
The roots-rock-reggae powerhouse that is Destroy Babylon went on around 11:30 pm, and by that time the back room of Characters was a large, raucous, enthusiastic, and well lubricated mass (helped by the fact that many in the audience had come over from Comic Con--one of the DB members was working at a booth there earlier in the day). We were thrilled to be able to feature this Boston band, which we've been wanting to see ever since hearing their stellar, socially/politically conscious album, Long Live the Vortex (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of it here). DB performed a good number of tracks off Vortex, including "DB, Inc.," "Bad Draw," "Mr. Money Bags," "#1 Killer," "Free the King" and "Freeze"--as well as some other original cuts like "Come Over" (sung by the fantastic Kelli Webb) and "Cold Blooded Killer." Plus they snuck in some really choice covers in their set, like The Clash's "Guns of Brixton," an incredible reggae reading of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel," The Misfits' "Hollywood Babylon" (also with Kelli), and a dread version of The English Beat's "Mirror in the Bathroom." Destroy Babylon put on one hell of a good live show (again, watch the videos below and you'll get a good sense of what you're in for when you see them) and many more NYC-area ska and reggae fans really, really need to get to know this band (you'll have that chance sometime in 2013, as we hope to bring them back down from Beantown for another Electric Avenue night over the winter).
2012 DEC 15 SAT: New London, CT - El'n'Gee
2012 DEC 16 SUN: Providence, RI - Firehouse 13
2012 DEC 20 THU: Washington, DC - BlueBeat DC @ Solly's Tavern
2012 DEC 22 SAT: Rehoboth Beach, DE - Dogfish Head Brewing
2012 DEC 27 THU: Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
2012 DEC 30 SUN: Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
2013 JAN 1 TUE: Jacksonville, FL - Burro Bar
2013 JAN 5 SAT: Lake Worth, FL - Propaganda
2013 JAN 7 MON: Pompano Beach, FL - Mickey's Bar
2013 JAN 8 TUE: Miami, FL - Churchill's
2013 JAN 9 WED: Cape Coral, FL - Rack'Em Billiards
2013 JAN 12 SAT: Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic
2013 JAN 14 MON: Pensacola, FL - The Handle Bar
This October, The Skatalites are playing dates in America's heartland (where they do love their ska!) in support of their new album Walk With Me (which was released in the UK earlier this year). Joining them on this tour will be the Van Gordon Martin Band.
Skatalites 2012 Midwest USA Tour
Saturday, 10/13: Flamingo Cantina - Austin, TX
Wednesday, 10/17: Zoo Bar - Lincoln, NE
Thursday, 10/18: Davey's Uptown - Kansas City, MO
Friday, 10/19: Gas Lamp - Des Moines, IA
Saturday, 10/20: Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago IL
Sunday, 10/21: Club Garibaldi's - Milwaukee, WI
Tuesday, 10/23: Off Broadway - St Louis, MO
Thursday, 10/25: Founder's Brewing Co - Grand Rapids, MI
Friday, 10/26: Magic Stick - Detroit, MI
Saturday, 10/27: Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
+ + + +
Walk With Me features 11 tracks of re-recorded classics such as “Song for My Father” and “King Solomon” along with brand new compositions. Guest musicians on the release feature Rich Graiko (Westbound Train/The Void Union) on trumpet, Ansel Meditation and Ranking Joe signing harmony on “Desert Ska,” and Sunny Moon.
The album is dedicated to Lloyd Knibb, Lloyd Brevett, Jerome “Jah Jerry” Haynes and John “Dizzy Johnny” Moore, who have all passed on since our last recording.
The track listing (below) is the same as the UK release with updated artwork.
1. Desert Ska 2. Lalibela 3. Hot Flash 4. The Leader 5. Love is the Way 6. Walk With Me 7. Piece for Peace 8. Song for My Father 9. Little Teresa 10. King Solomon 11. Dub Lalibela
Legendary Jamaican trombonist Rico Rodriguez, MBE, is being awarded the silver Musgrave medal (in recognition of outstanding Jamaicans in the fields of the arts, literature, and science) by the Institute of Jamaica, according to an article in the Jamaica Gleaner written by Herbie Miller (who just happens to be the Director/Curator of the Jamaica Music Museum at The Institute of Jamaica).
Miller's tribute also happens to be one of the best overviews of Rico's magnificent career that I've ever read--you'll definitely come away from this piece with an even greater appreciation for his stellar body of work and better understanding of his place in the Jamaican musical firmament.
Maybe it's the demographic of the people now running the music end of things at National Public Radio (NPR)--they were probably teenagers when 2 Tone, and The English Beat in particular, won over legions of American New Wave kids and stormed the playlists at modern rock and college radio stations in the late 70s and early 80s--that would explain why there have been two ska/reggae related pieces recently broadcast nationwide, one covering The English Beat's career (in conjunction with the re-release of their catalogue on Shout Factory) and the other reviewing Ernest Ranglin's new album.
What is particularly refreshing is that both pieces were written and recorded by music writers who are clearly knowledgeable about ska, reggae, jazz, and 2 Tone (I've read hundreds, if not thousands, of reviews and features related to ska and a lot of people just don't get it right).
Well, to be candid, this isn't really a review, since I helped put this whole show together with Marc Wasserman of the Marco on the Bass blog (and Bigger Thomas). So, consider this more of an enthusiastically biased show report for those who weren't able to make this gig. (By the way, that's Paul Gil of The NY Citizens from back in the day representing on the show flyer--he was at the show, so we thanked him in person for letting us borrow his image for our own purposes.)
First at bat were Doomsday! (The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles), who served up a spectacular, almost folk-ska (check out the electric banjo, rhumba box, and melodica!) tribute to Mephiskapheles/themselves (several were founding members of Meph who recorded the infamous Mephiskapheles demo tape, TheDemo(n)--which they performed in its entirety: "Doomsday," "Dansemenot," "Eskamo," and "Shame and Scandal"). Some highlights of Doomsday's set included the mass, inebriated sing-along to "Saba"; Michael Drance (of The Bluebeats) joining Brendog Tween on vocals for a wonderfully rambunctious rendition of Toots and Maytal's "Sweet and Dandy"; the sweat pouring off Mikal Reich as he slapped his rhumba box into overdrive; Jerica Rosenblum's haunting melodica lines; and the palpable and enthusiastic love and appreciation radiating off the audience for the band.
I first caught Meph live back in '91 or 92' at some second floor venue--its name is lost in the less traveled recesses my brain--on 23rd Street and 11th Avenue in or next to a nasty flophouse/hooker hotel and was sold on the band after experiencing their show amongst a sea of skinheads (Buck had sent me to the gig to scope them out after hearing their demo tape). So, it was absolutely fantastic to hear these tracks again after all this time. Doomsday's performance had to be on the early side for NYC and short due to some other obligations of one of the band members, but we hope to have Doomsday back at some point later this year.
(This was our second Electric Avenue show and we're still working out the last few sound and lighting issues with the venue, so please forgive us if some of the videos below are a little dark and the vocals are too low in the mix.)
Up next were perennial faves Bigger Thomas (with the always brilliant Roy Radics of The Rudie Crew) who completely killed it with their high energy, 2 Tone-influenced brand of modern ska--and had the crowd on their feet for their entire set. If you can separate the fact that I'm a huge fan/friend of the band, take my word that Bigger Thomas are one of the best/most enjoyable ska bands on the NYC--if not national/international--scene. I've never been less than completely impressed by every one of their performances. BT played several cuts of their most recent album, Steal My Sound, including "Crown Victoria" and "Can't Remember My Name," as well as older songs like "I Live at Home" (very under appreciated, but one of their greatest) and "Simple Man." (In related Bigger Thomas news, they're currently recording several new songs for a digital, and possibly vinyl, EP in 2013!) Bigger Thomas are one of the NYC ska scene's biggest assets/treasures. Each time I catch them, I'm reminded why I like ska music so much (catchy tunes to sing along to; the social commentary in the lyrics; propulsive grooves that make you move; and the simple fact that the whole thing is fun as hell!). Whenever they play near you, always make sure to see them!
I entered the NYC ska scene in the late 80s, well after Beat Brigade's rise and fall, but was always aware of their great reputation and importance to the development of this genre in New York and beyond (read some great background on Beat Brigade here and here, courtesy of Marco on the Bass). But due to a host of all too common and lamentable circumstances, the band never released more than two songs on wax ("Armageddon Beat" on the Moon Records NY Beat: Hit and Run compilation LP and "Try and Try Again"--the flip side to The Toasters' "Talk is Cheap" single, also on Moon), which is a real shame, because Beat Brigade have the goods (and then some) and they deliver it in spades (I heard from keyboardist Dave Barry and bassist Frank Usamanont that there are current plans to enter the studio and lay down all of BB's greatest tracks, which is incredible news).
What I really like about Beat Brigade is that their songs and sound are not easily pigeonholed. It's definitely ska, but not stereotypically so. Like so many of the foundational 80s ska bands in New York City, Beat Brigade's music is uniquely their own; they're informed by 2 Tone (particularly The Beat) for sure, and also heavily influenced by the New Wave/post-punk of The Smiths, Elvis Costello, The Jam, and The Clash--but everything is mixed with the secret sauce that is in the songwriting minds of the Beat Brigade. The result is something hard to classify or pin down and that's what makes it particularly great.
My first introduction to ska was through The Specials and The Beat--so when I picked up The Toasters' Recriminations EP and NY Beat: Hit and Run comp at Sounds on St. Mark's Place back in 1985, I fully expected to hear 2 Tone ska. To be honest, I was put off at first; I wanted a continuation of the familiar and beloved Dammers and Wakeling vision of ska, not the challenging, almost foreign newness of what all these NYC bands were doing with ska. Yet, I came around pretty quickly, playing "Radiation Skank" over and over on my record player, shedding my preconceived notions, and coming to fully appreciate the amazing and special NYC ska sound on its own terms. (The next ska purchases that helped expand my ska horizons were Fishbone's debut EP--which I bought at Caldor's of all places--and The Untouchables' Wild Child.)
Beat Brigade's performance at Electric Avenue was nothing short of a revelation; they were stellar. For so many of us that missed out on seeing them in the mid-80s, Beat Brigade's performance this night was like a gift, a chance for the space/time continuum to bend back on itself and let 1985 and 2012 exist at the same moment for an hour or so in a small corner of Earth called Manhattan. At the end of their show, I felt so thrilled and fortunate to have seen them--to have heard amazing new-to-me songs like "Keep Still Dark"--and to know first hand why there was a big buzz about them in the 80s. I must see them again soon (and you can bet that we'll be bringing them back to Electric Avenue in the future).
What They're Saying About My Book "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone"
“An essential read…Stephen's eye for detail is incredible and his love for 2 Tone oozes from each page.” — Kevin Flowerdew, Do the Dog Skazine
“Written with a personal touch and with great passion about the bands and releases while giving a lot of emphasis to the lyrics, Stephen’s book is a great guiding hand to navigating your way to some great new music.” — Peter Walsh, 2-Tone.info
“It's some of the finest Madness analysis I've ever read.” —Donald Trull, Stateside Madness
“Steve's own story would make a great book, but instead he's written The Duff Guide to 2 Tone, a 250+ page collection of 2 Tone-related pieces from his blog. There are reviews of original pieces, but the book's real purpose is to show how the 2 Tone sound and—more importantly its ideals—carry on today...Get this book right away!" — Charles Benoit, Reggae Steady Ska
"...Shafer has definitely not forgotten how socially conscious issues were at the root of Ska even from the beginning. He makes certain to thread the political issues that motivated the development of Ska throughout his narrative; painting a picture that took both the oppressive political environments and the often ecstatic musical content into account. And in that, he nails down for me what the enduring pull of Ska was to its many fans. Was there ever a more upbeat dance music that combined its boundless energy with a push for progressive social values and calling truth to power?" —Post-Punk Monk
"...[The Duff Guide to 2 Tone is a] chatty, informative and knowledgeable work, one that you can either sit down and read or use as a reference source..." —Nik Skeat, Scootering Magazine
"During the reading of the book it is dangerous to have a screen open next to you with Discogs. I have found lots of ‘new music’ via the stories in The Duff Guide to 2 Tone which I must have." -- Peter Vrakking, Blue Beat & Ska
In the mail today, I received the first copy of my new paperback book The Duff Guide to 2 Tone --and am thrilled to announce that it is now...
About Your Duff Guide
Steve Shafer/The Duff Guide to Ska For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label that was too ahead of the curve for its own good (RIP).
I filmed and edited this Toasters video for $2,500, which made its debut on MTV's 120 Minutes. I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot!
Here's an old interview with Adam Monkey from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders. I also did a somewhat more recent interview with Read Junk.
I've been interviewed about ska music and Moon Records for The New York Times, Heather Augustyn's "Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation," Aaron Carnes' "In Defense of Ska," Kenneth Partridge's "Hell of a Hat: The Rise of '90s Ska and Swing," and Marc Wasserman's "Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History" (I also wrote the introductory chapter "1985: The Year American Ska Broke" for Wasserman's book).
And I'm the author of "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone," which can be ordered from Amazon--and is available in the US from Jump Up Records, and in Europe from the 2 Tone Village Shop (Coventry, UK), Champion Sound Records (Hull, UK), Aggroshop (Nijmegen, Netherlands), and Copasetic Mailorder (Hamburg, Germany). Plus, my book was on sale in the museum shop for the "2 Tone: Lives & Legacies" exhibition (May 28 - September 12, 2021), curated by Simon Reynolds, Cory Barrett, Pete Chambers, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike and Daniel Rachel, at the Herbert Art Gallery Museum in Coventry, UK.
I'm now working on my next book, "Calling All the Rude Boys: The Duff Guide to The Toasters, 1981-1992," to be published in 2023.
If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands.
All reviews and interviews posted on The Duff Guide to Ska are copyrighted and are the sole property of Steve Shafer. Please contact me for permission to reproduce anything on this blog.
Search This Blog
See Live Ska Bands in NYC!
Check out the NYC ska shows I co-host and co-DJ with Ryan Midnight!
2 Tone/Chrysalis 2014 Vinyl single in 2 Tone sleeve Exclusive Record Store Day 2014 release (Review by Steve Shafer) After spending a...
Visit The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel!
Check out The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel for footage of ska bands in action in clubs around NYC, as well as unusual and rare ska videos from the 90s! Bands featured include The Toasters, The Bluebeats, The Forthrights, Across the Aisle, The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, The Rudie Crew, Tip the Van, Hey Stranger, Beat Brigade, Bigger Thomas, King Chango, The Scofflaws, UB40, The Hard Times, Jah Love and the Valentinians, The Shifters, Rudies Don't Care, Big Audio Dynamite, Stranger Cole and Patsy with Crazy Baldhead, Queen P of Ocean 11, King Hammond, The Snails, King Django, Doomsday! The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles, Destroy Babylon, The Frightnrs, The Pandemics, Los Skarroneros, The Bullbuckers, The Scofflaws, The Reggay Lords, The Copacetics, Rude Boy George, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Specials, Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding, The Ladrones, Chris Murray, Radio Riddler, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, Barbicide, The Twilights, Bim Skala Bim featuring John Bunkley (Gangster Fun), The Pomps, and more!
Even though I usually point out NYC area ska/reggae events, there are two very cool Halloween gigs taking place tonight far beyond our battered, but still standing, city borders...
Here is how The Drastics are describing their show tonight at Martyr's in Chicago:
