Another Ska Crowd Funding Project to Back: The Prizefighters' "A Musical Knockout in 3 Rounds!"

If you've been reading this blog with any frequency, you already know I'm a big advocate/supporter of crowd funding as the model that ska bands should utilize in this age of rampant, illegal file sharing for pressing up vinyl and/or CDs and delivering it to those fans who still want and value tangible recorded music.

So, here's a new crowd funding project from The Prizefighters that is very worthy of your hard-earned cash. I've already made my pledge, so I'll be receiving all three Prizefighters 45s (more singles to play at Electric Avenue!), their new CHema Skandal-designed t-shirt, stickers, and a badge!

(The text below is from their Indegogo page.)

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The Prizefighters
A Musical Knockout in 3 Rounds

There were no computers, no air-conditioning, just the hot hum of the reel-to-reel churning through the 95 degree heat. Just like how the tape rolled through the sticky air of Jamaica in 1964, The Prizefighters found themselves transported to that golden era, cooped up in a Minneapolis recording studio in the Summer of 2012. The goal was to record a trio of 45s, each platter serving as a continuation of the “rusty-dusty” sounds called ska, rocksteady, and reggae.

Using 100% analog equipment, The Prizefighters tracked six new tracks, the ska scorchers “Lost at Sea” and “One Thousand Words,” rocksteady laments “No Use Crying” and “Night Breeze,” and early reggae standouts “Cold Shoulder” and haunting instrumental “Sukeban” (hear samples of each song in the video below). You can literally hear the heat and thick air pouring through your headphones as each track spins away. The Prizefighters utilized vintage Jamaican recording techniques to achieve a sound so authentic there would be no question that these new tunes belong in the oft-overlooked canon of Jamaican music history.



Who are The Prizefighters?

The Prizefighters have been at the top of the Twin Cities ska scene for the past six years, playing all across the Midwest bringing the sounds of young Jamaica to the masses. They self released their debut album Follow My Sound in 2010 and saw Jump Up! Records pick it up and help release the special edition vinyl LP in 2011. Recently, The Prizefighters have had the honor of working with Jamaican legends Stranger Cole, Charlie Organairre, Roy Panton, and Yvonne Harrison, serving as the primary backing band for Chicago's Jamaican Oldies Weekends. A Musical Knockout in 3 Rounds! will be the first 45rpm releases from The Prizefighters.

What You Get

This record series highlights brand-new recordings from The Prizefighters, released on the format most appropriately suited for vintage Jamaican music: 45rpm vinyl. In addition to the vintage production style and soul put into every tune, each of the three records features unique label art designed with a 60s Jamaican aesthetic, released on the band’s own Prizefighter Sound System label. This is the real deal, folks, and The Prizefighters have pulled out all the stops to deliver an authentic listening experience to fans of vintage Jamaican muzik the whole world over. You had better act fast if you want a piece of these platters, though. Each release will be limited to 500 copies, and once they're gone, they're gone for good!

Not only is this a chance to get your hands on all records in the series before they're officially released, you'll have the opportunity to score some really choice swag. This is the first time we've ever set up a true mail-order store, so if we've never come to your town here's your first chance to pick up our merch.

We're launching new t-shirts designed by the multi-talented CHema Skandal! (check out his work HERE), new stickers, test pressings of each record, and a truly one-of-a-kind high quality DVD of our performance with Roy and Yvonne from Chicago's Jamaican Oldies Weekend. For you high rollers, check out the perks we're offering, such as The Prizefighters VIP card, granting you free admission to all Prizefighters shows for an entire year! Check out all of the reqard packages to find one that puts you in a dancing mood.

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