Friday, October 30, 2015

Duff Review: Radio Riddler and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue at NYC's Webster Hall on 10/28/15

Also known as the old Ritz, the first venue UB40 ever played in NYC.
(By Steve Shafer)

Based on my experience seeing the other version of UB40 at BB King's a few years ago (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of that show here), my expectation was that the crowd for the UB40 featuring Ali, Astro, and Mickey gig at Webster Hall earlier this week would have been filled mostly with forty-something, former-WLIR listeners like myself (that legendary, Long Island-based new wave station gave UB40 an extraordinary amount of support and airplay during the first half of the 1980s, creating a huge and loyal fan-base for them in NYC and its suburbs). And I certainly didn't think the show would be sold out. But when my good friend Adam Monkey and I made our way up to the Grand Ballroom (capacity 1,500), we found ourselves in a sea of people of all ages--shiny twenty year-olds to more weathered fans in their 40s and 50s, who--back in the day--had seen the intact UB40 performing every summer at the outdoor Miller High Life Concerts on Pier 84 on the Hudson River. There were also a fair number of British expats--I ran into a bunch of them at the bar and talked to a few next to me in the audience (at one point, I smelled something burning and was looking all around me for the source; the older Brit in back of me told me that I should expect a lot of smoking at a UB40 concert--I smiled and replied that I was used to that, but thought I had smelled someone's hair on fire).

I was eager to see openers Radio Ridder, who were said to be performing their reggae version of Prince's Purple Rain. Their take on that iconic album, Purple Reggae, is pretty phenomenal (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of Purple Reggae here) and fans apparently have been loving it on this tour--RR Frank Benbini noted from the stage that they'd already sold out of CDs halfway through the tour, as he threw the last few promo copies out to the fans (he also commented that Prince had been pretty pissed-off when he found out about their project and had received many pointed phone calls from his lawyer). Radio Riddler played six songs off the album--"Let's Go Crazy," "Take Me With You," "I Would Die 4 U," "Purple Rain" (videos of these are below), "Darling Nikki," and "When Doves Cry." All were really good to great (their extended rendition of "When Doves Cry" was the highlight of their set--I wished I had videotaped it for you!) and they were enthusiastically received by the audience. I have to admit to being a little disappointed that Radio Riddler didn't surprise us with any special guest singers (their album features appearances by Suggs from Madness, Sinead O'Connor, and others, including Ali Campbell on "Purple Rain"--I'm not sure why he didn't grace the stage for at least part of this song; the place would have exploded) and they used backing, pre-recorded tracks throughout (there was no drummer or bass player). I realize that economic factors are in play for opening acts, but a full band would have given Radio Riddler's set even more power, drive, and urgency. Having said all that, I really enjoyed their set and whole-heartedly recommend catching them if they come your way.









I'll admit to losing UB40's thread after Rat in Mi Kitchen (which is one of my favorite UB40 albums), when they released all of those Labor of Love compilations during the 1990s. They recaptured my attention years later with their excellent Who You Fighting For? (2005) and Twentyfourseven (2008) albums (where they re-engaged with the world and wrote/recorded several sharply political songs). So, it was a bit of a shock when these groups of young women near me (and throughout the venue) started screaming the second Ali Campbell stepped up to the mic. And then they continued to sing along loudly and happily to song after song. That's when it dawned on me that this version of UB40 was going to be focused on delivering their pop cover hits (indeed, a great deal of their set was drawn from 1989's massive-seller, Labor of Love II--and the album they're promoting on this tour is a Greatest Hits Live compilation), instead of their stellar original, and oftentimes sharply political, tracks. But pop songs or not, the Ali/Astro/Mickey iteration of UB40 (expertly backed by a full band and horn section, including a back-up singer who looked like Dr. Ring Ding and a sax player who reminded me of The Beat's Saxa!) packed a considerable punch and put on one hell of a fun show for the grooving, sweaty masses. Their set included fan (and commercial radio) favorites (Al Green's) "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)," (The Chi-Lites') "Homely Girl," (The Paragon's) "Wear You to the Ball," (John Holt's version of Shep and the Limelite's) "Stick by Me," (Lord Creator's) "Kingston Town," (Smokey Robinson's) "The Way You Do The Things You Do," (Charles and Eddie's) "Would I Lie To You?," (Eric Donaldson's) "Cherry Oh Baby," and (Boy Friday's) "Version Girl."

They also played several great songs off Ali's 2014 album Silhouettewhich he recorded with Astro and Mickey: (a fantastic arrangement of Lionel Ritchie's tribute to Marvin Gaye sung by Diana Ross) "Missing You," (Dennis Brown's super version of The Rays') "Silhouette" (which I though was "cigarette"!), and Astro's "Cyber Bully Boys," which apparently is about the guys in the other UB40. The only time they reached deep into their back-catalogue was for brilliant renditions of two outstanding originals: "Rat in Mi Kitchen" (which I haven't see them do live since, gulp, 1985!) and the ferocious anti-Thatcher indictment, "One in Ten" (videos are below; sorry about the poor sound--it wasn't great in the venue).

An hour-and-a-half into their set, we had to jet--it was a work night and I don't exactly bounce back from a night of drinking beer like I used to--but the band and fans were still going strong (and UB40 hadn't played "Red Red Wine" yet). I really enjoyed their show, but wished that they had dialed back the number of (admittedly popular) covers in favor of more of their original material. Yet, they had given the people what they wanted. It was an evening for reveling in familiar and treasured reggae pop songs--and everyone had a blast. And I have to remind the contrarian in me that there's nothing wrong with that.







Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Duff Preview: UB40 (Ali Campbell, Astro, Mickey Virtue) and Radio Riddler at NYC's Webster Hall, Wednesday, October 28, 2015

One of the two current versions of UB40 is playing Webster Hall in New York City Wednesday night, backed by Radio Riddler, who will be performing their own set (rumored to consist of their wonderful reggae versions of Prince's Purple Rain; check out my review of Radio Riddler's Purple Reggae album here). I had the amazing fortune to see the Ali Campbell-less UB40 at BB Kings in 2010 (read my review of that performance here), so I'm eager to see/hear what this incarnation is like!

Since a deluxe reissue of Present Arms is scheduled for a release in February 2016, I hope they'll play a few cuts from it; I prefer my UB40 songs with a political edge to them (read my appreciation of Present Arms here).

It'll probably be an older crowd (those who were teens in the first half of the 1980s), jonesing on some of that sweet nostalgia to (temporarily) erase some of the accumulated years. But all fans of ska and reggae should come! It should be a fun night with some great tunes! (Tix can be had here.)


NYC Ska Halloween Weekend Ska Gigs!

While I'm going to resist the urge to bastardize the English language by combining ska with the proper name of a holiday (secular or not), I'm happy to point out that there are many great ska gigs in NYC that you can attend this Halloween weekend--featuring some of the best bands our scene has to offer! (Why not make it to all of them--details on all of the shows are at the bottom of this post!)

I can't imagine a more appropriate ska band than Mephiskapheles to see when celebrating Devil's Night; they'll be at the Mercury Lounge this Friday night along with Hub City Stompers, 45 Adaptors, and, ahem, Hymen Holocaust.

On Saturday, once you're decked out in your brilliant costume for Halloween, if you have an affinity for ska and new wave, get yourself down to Toshi's in Manhattan to see Rude Boy George. Or if your tastes run more purist (or after catching one of Rude Boy George's sets), check out the Witch Dance at The Kimberlye Project in Brooklyn featuring The Frightnrs, The Far East, and selectors Grace of Spades, and Jah Point/Mush One featuring Screechy Dan.

Then, on Sunday (All Souls Day), after you've had a chance to recover, head to Brooklyn Bowl to catch Brown Rice Family and the Brooklyn Attractors.

NYC Ska Halloween Weekend Ska Gigs!

Friday, October 30, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Devil's Night with Mephiskapheles, Hub City Stompers, 45 Adaptors, Hymen Holocaust

Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
$20 in advance/$25 day of show
21+

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Halloween Party w/Rude Boy George

Toshi's Living Room and Penthouse
1141 Broadway (at 26th Street)
New York, NY
No cover!

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 @ 9:00 pm

Tea Factory Sounds and Love So Nice present the 7th Annual Witch Dance!

The Far East and The Frightnrs, with selections by Grace of Spades, Jah Point (Shockwave Sound, Rudies Don't Care) and Mush One (Al Paragus HQ) featuring Screechy Dan!

The Kimberlye Project
1332 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Ital Food
Doors at 9:00 pm
$10

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Sunday, November 1, 2015 @ 6:00 pm

Brown Rice Family (9:30 pm), Brooklyn Attractors (8:00 pm)

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$7.00

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Update (10/29/15): I've just learned that the Rude Boy George show at Toshi's on Halloween was cancelled--and I'm bummed by that bit of news. Having said that, make sure to catch them at FTC's Stage One in Fairfield, CT on 11/4/15 with The Skatalites and/or on 11/13/15 at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn with Mustard Plug and Survey Says!


Friday, October 23, 2015

Duff Review: The Selecter "Access All Areas"

Edsel Records
CD+DVD
2015

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The Selecter's Access All Areas documents the band's August 13, 1980 fantastic performance at Nottingham's Theatre Royale (with The Swinging Cats as openers, though they do not appear on the DVD or CD), which had been videotaped for ITV's "Rockstage" TV series. Of particular note, it was a transitional time for the band, even though they had just returned from a largely successful, if not exhausting, tour of the USA and Canada that April, which included a week of sold-out shows at the Whiskey A Go Go in LA, a gig at NYC's Hurrah's attended by a dancing Mick Jagger, and radio support from Rodney Bingenheimer at at KROQ and college radio stations across the land. However, according to Pauline Black's autobiography "Black by Design," they also experienced a shocking amount of racism in the South--such as being refused service at truck stop diners and threatened with great bodily harm when they stopped for a picture in front of the "Dallas" TV show's Southfork Ranch--and their songs were hardly played on commercial radio, which in 1980 was still largely divided between black and white audiences and black and white radio stations--"musical apartheid," she called it.

The Selecter had just departed 2 Tone Records in July (essentially, over disagreements concerning the future direction of the label that they co-managed with The Specials, and how out of control the whole 2 Tone craze had become--the massive amount of bootleg 2 Tone and cluelessly misspelled "Selector" merchandise was a particularly sore point)--and, also that July, had recorded their first single for their own intentionally unnamed Chrysalis imprint: "The Whisper" b/w The Ethiopians' "Train to Skaville" (sadly "The Whisper" was the last time the band hit the UK charts--at #36 in August of 1980). Sporting only the band's logo and a large question mark, the "Train to Skaville" 12" included a version of "Street Feeling" produced by Roger Lomas, recorded during the session that had yielded the "On My Radio" and "Too Much Pressure" singles; "Street Feeling" had ended up being re-recorded for The Selecter's debut album with another producer, but Neol Davies, according to this CD's liner notes, was never satisfied with that version and was pleased to see its release here. And plans were in place to enter the studio again in late August with Roger Lomas to begin recording what would be their incredible second album, Celebrate the Bullet.

A still from the "Access All Areas" DVD.
But as various members of The Selecter were putting their final touches on their new songs for Celebrate (Davies wrote five of the tracks, Black composed three, Compton Amanor penned two, and Gaps Hendrickson one), they were scheduled to perform live at Nottingham's Theatre Royale for "Rockstage" before what appears to be an electrified and sold-out crowd. While the audio recording of this performance could have been more robust (and it's a shame that it's not better, since The Selecter are so good here), the film of their show--shot using multiple cameras all over the stage--is an essential document of the 2 Tone-era (the only other opportunity I've had to witness the original version of The Selecter live is via their disjointed Dance Craze clips). Clearly, The Selecter were in peak condition at this point in their career (which makes what was soon to transpire all the more tragic). Their intense, sweat-drenched, high-energy performance--the whole band is dancing throughout the entire set--is an awesome thing to behold, even 35 years on. This is one hell of a concert film (and it must have been amazing to have seen it live; at points, the camera pans across the audience on the floor and then up to the theater's three balconies--everyone in the crowd is dancing like mad)!

The poster for The Selecter's Theatre Royale gig.
Their set list draws upon the familiar and terrific material from Too Much Pressure and "The Whisper" single, but there are some thrilling, standout renditions here, including "Street Feeling," "Black and Blue," "On My Radio," "They Make Me Mad," and Gaps' brilliant showcase, "Too Much Pressure" (which captures their staged, but seemingly real fighting that I've only read about until now--it's kind of shocking to see him grab keyboardist Desmond Brown by the neck and shake him!). For their last song--their revved up version of "Train to Skaville"--Pauline invites some of the crowd up to dance on stage with the band and about 15 kids (and I mean kids--one looks about 10 years-old; the rest barely teenagers; and since The Selecter were primarily a black band, there are a good number of black kids dancing on stage and in the audience) take her up on the offer. It's amazing to see how sharply dressed they are, too--either in tonic suits or Harrington jackets and Fred Perry shirts (the mod-ish 10 year-old kid is in a fishtail parka)! American ska fans at all the shows I've been to since the 80s have never looked this good; we're perfect slobs compared to the youth of 2 Tone!

Barely a week and a half after the "Rockstage" taping, both Desmond Brown (keys) and Charley Anderson (bass) were out of The Selecter (Desmond had quit, Charley was asked to leave--both had insisted that The Selecter head deeper into reggae territory--and they then formed the short-lived, but compelling, The People). So, The Selecter's Access All Areas is a fairly significant release in terms of the history of the band, as it is the last live recording of the original Selecter line-up and, as far as I can tell, has never been previously issued!

The Selecter's episode of "Rockstage" was broadcast in 1981, after the release of Celebrate the Bullet (and its unwarranted crash and burn) and, as we know, didn't help revive the band's fortunes, though it certainly should have. In the annals of 2 Tone, The Specials have always overshadowed The Selecter, though The Selecter's Access All Areas is further proof of how brilliant they were and how unfair history can be...

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Monday, October 19, 2015

The Frightnrs' New Video for "Sharon"

The Frightnrs--one of my NYC favorite bands, hailing from the fine borough of Queens--have been releasing some incredibly good music and making some very smart business moves recently. They've been working with Diplo's Mad Decent label, as well as the celebrated Daptone Records, and have generated a good deal of attention from press and fans not normally attuned to what's going on in the kinda, very underground NYC ska and reggae scene--all while delivering their own brilliant brand of rub-a-dub and rocksteady. (They haven't changed, the world has come to them...)

The Frightnrs have just released a wry and really well-done video in support of their Mad Decent/The Full Hundred single "Sharon" (read The Duff Guide to Ska review here) and their digital Inna Lovers Quarrel EP (which I owe the band a review of--d'oh!). Take a look at it below...



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If you're in the NYC area this Halloween, you can catch The Frightnrs (plus The Far East and selectors Grace of Spades, and Jah Point and Mush One featuring Screechy Dan) at the Witch Dance (The Kimberlye Project, 1332 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn; doors at 9:00 pm, $10 gets you in).

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Sunday, October 18, 2015

Duff Interview: Checkerboard Phil and the 20th Anniversary of "Checkerboard Kids!"

We are the Checkerboard Kids (left to right): The Masked Mutant,
Checkerboard Phil, and the Lovely Cinnamon.
Editor's note: For those not in the know, the Manhattan public access television show "Checkerboard Kids"--which has faithfully supported and promoted the NYC ska scene for years--recently taped its 20th anniversary show. So, we thought this was a good time to check in with one of our favorite people in the NYC ska scene, Phil Dejean, who is better known to late-night TV viewers and ska fans alike as Checkerboard Phil. 

The Duff Guide to Ska: What prompted you to start Checkerboard Kids twenty years ago? (Were the Masked Mutant and the Lovely Cinnamon with you from the start?) Did you model your show on anything in particular?

Checkerboard Phil: I was into watching a lot of Manhattan public access TV, especially "Beyond Vaudeville." I worked for Sal Piro president of the "Rocky Horror" Fan Club and a group of us would answer sacks of fan mail from around the world and we'd watch all this stuff he'd tape on VHS like "All My Children," "Twin Peaks," "Beyond Vaudville," "Vole Show," and other call-in shows. Sal was a guest on "Beyond Vaudeville," so we got to meet them at these live events and thought, "Hey, I could do that." So, the seed was planted.

Sal would do these hysterical comedy rants and did a segment on "Checkerboard Kids" in a mask as "the Mad Viewer."

If anybody knows me, I can't do anything a little bit. I liked NYC "Rocky Horror," so I had to join the fan club, join the NYC floorshow, work my way up to cast director. A girl from "Rocky" I liked had given me this comic called "Pirate Corp$" by Evan Dorkin [he illustrated a slew of ska album covers in the late 80s and 90s]. And I love comics, so I read it and the characters were these futuristic guys that dug ska music. I liked ska from listening to it on WLIR, etc., but I started listening to it more and it was inevitable that I went over the top with it, going to shows, etc.

Evan was cool and I met him a bunch of times at ska shows and comic events, and I wrote him weird letters and he sent stickers, etc.--and this only put fuel on the fire. He even made me a character in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Comic" for Marvel. I got to be Phil, bass player for Wyld Stallyns.

DGTS: Can you give us a super-abridged history of Checkerboard Kids?

CP: I had friends that did their own shows, like "Olumides Contact High," "Roolz Like Ozzy," "Tweeter TV," "Mad Dog," "Doggies Off," "Old Dog and Zippy," Brane Kandi, and Mad Man Mike (another friend from the 8th Street Playhouse "Rocky Horror" cast). I was his co-host to a show called "Mad World."

I went to Music and Art High School with Mike Hyden, who created the Masked Mutant persona and we wrote this convoluted surrealist show called "Children of the Checkerboard" (way too complicated to actually film). There was also this fantastic episode that Mr. Cameraman from "Smashed Retina" wrote and directed completely on VHS-C, but we parted ways and with him went the footage. Man, I would love to see that episode...

The Lovely Cinnamon (another fellow 8th Street "Rocky Horror" alumni) was always letting us film in her apartment midtown, so it seemed only natural that she be a part of the show. Besides, she brought a woman's touch. Plus, she ended up being a talented writer and director. So, I had the camera, she had the apartment, and the Masked Mutant was well…a mutant.

Our first shows were clips and interviews from various venues around town with comedic commentary and wraparounds filmed in Cinnamon's living room. Record companies would send us videos that we would air [When I was at Moon Records, we sent Phil tons of videos that he showed on "Checkerboard Kids!"]. It was a good time for ska.

DGTS: What were some of your favorite episodes/band performances—and what were some of the funniest moments?

CP: King Chango, who performed at the my apartment after a performance at Desmond's Pub. I kept getting bands like that. The Insteps, Defactos, Metro Stylee, Brave New Girl. I met Coolie there--he was poised to do a new band with Vinny Nobile from Bim Skala Bim and he asked me to draw their cassette cover. That was the Pilfers.

Best ever, we used get mail--people would send mix tapes and letters and this then little girl Paz De La Huerta used to send us drawings of us that she and her friends did. She drew a picture of me shirtless and muscular with six-pack abs jumping over a building, wearing an 80s style name belt buckle and another drawing of Mutie. Once we filmed a small segment with her sister, Rafaela, who was really nice. Paz ended up becoming a really big star. I got a call from Cinnamon from a hair salon saying that she was reading W magazine, while her hair was drying, and there was an article about Paz--and there was a photo of her looking in a mirror and on the mirror was a flyer for our show! Mad props! I ran into her once on the train where she introduced herself and I saw her again in the Village. I wonder if she and Rafaela still remember our show?

Other great memories include an episode with The Slackers, interviews with Fishbone, The Specials, Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites. Almost getting shot by cops filming an episode on the street where Inspector Quimby thwarts a purse snatching. Suddenly, all these undercover cops run out with guns drawn out of nowhere and we got screamed at. Yeah, there's some footage I gotta transfer and upload.

DGTS: Which bands did you want to feature on the show, but--for whatever reason--a taping just wasn’t in the stars?

I wish I could have interviewed Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Separately, of course. If I could have anyone on the show it would be Morrissey, because he's Morrissey.

DGTS: Were you ever approached by a producer who wanted to try to air your show on broadcast TV?

Rude Tales #3, featuring Checkerboard Kids; note Phil's quiff!
CP: Yeah, it was a time when all the public access show were getting picked up. Jake went to MTV with "Squirt TV" (1996) and "Beyond Vaudeville" became "Oddville" (MTV, 1997), and I spoke to some producer types. But MTV ended up doing a pilot in 1997 called "Skaturdays" with Carson Daly in sunglasses and a pork pie hat filmed in a hotel room in California. Despite the scene in NYC, things were really totally popping in California--the whole Third Wave became very popular. So, I totally get it. Shortly after that--boom--public attention went from ska to swing music (1998-1999), so all the followers went to that. As for "Checkerboard Kids," we went back to business as usual.

I remember there was a TV producer woman who was into pitching it, but it was all like, "So, what do you do--it's been done before."

Sadly, venues started shutting down--fewer spots for bands to play and live music to be heard. And record. Sweatglands AKA Wetlands, Brownies, Coney Island High, CBGBs--what was that place down from Abracadabra's called?

DGTS: I seem to remember that there was a "Checkerboard Kids" zine/comic book at one point…

CP: Yes, another thing I have to upload. It boasted a cover by Emmy-award winner, Dean Haspiel who is really getting a lot of media attention with his reboot of Red Circle's "The Fox" (with Mark Waid) and currently has a new compilation of his autobiographical comic called "Beef With Tomato."

Yeah, I also did stuff for a cool ska comic book called "Rude Tales" by W. Ralph Walters (http://retroska.tumblr.com/image/27120680246)--also sharing the bill with Ans Purins of Skavoovie and the Epitones, who is making some power moves in the world of cartooning and illustrations.

DGTS: What happened to your trademark quiff?

CP: It's a lot less fluffier than back in the days, but still there. Just more salt and pepper. That's okay--black and white suits me just fine.

DGTS: Which band, song, record initially turned you on to ska music?

CP: In high school, there were some cool kids--Mods and one straight-up rude girl named Christine. She had checkerboard hair and wore braces and boots. I was like, whoa! I was into new wave, but this was some other stuff.

I remember listening in The Bronx to a lot of ska on WLIR that had the "The One Step Beyond" show. I learned that, even though the station was based on Long Island, the antennae was based in The Bronx [Thank god--otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to listen to WLIR in Yonkers!].

I dug a lot of the 2 Tone stuff, especially The Selecter, Specials, and English Beat. I got This Are 2 Tone at Bleeker Bob's on cassette. I used to hand out flyers in front of Tower Records on East 4th Street and Broadway. I worked for a record store on Mercer Street, Infinity Records.

I loved a lot of The Toasters and Moon stuff; also, Skavoovie and the Epitones, Fabulosos Cadillacs, and Q from Slackers/Bandroidz introduced me to Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.

DGTS: What are your top five favorite ska records (singles or albums)?

CP: Here's my Top 10 of All Time:

1) The Selecter: "Time Hard." This totally pegged how I felt as a kid. Things were getting worse, times were so hard. I look back and it was all luxury problems!

2) Bigger Thomas: "Ska In My Pocket." This always makes me want to dance.

3) The Conquistadors AKA Skabba the Hutt: "Sword of Damocles." [Phil is playing The Criminologist on this track!] They had a cease-and-desist on the name. Jerica from The Scofflaws produced it in her apartment, plus added some awesome organ. It was done for a "Rocky Horror"-themed ska compilation. I once worked on a comic book version ska "Rocky Horror" crossover of it that I was working on for "Rude Tales" comics.

4) Stubborn All Stars: "Pick Yourself Up." Not because I'm in the video among many others, but it has East Coast and West Coast together--even Tim Armstrong, Dickie from MMB, everyones on it. It's like Django assembled the Super Friends of Ska!

5) The Valentines: "Blam Blam Fever." This song kicks major butt! I would listen to this over and over again. This still pertinent tune is applicable in Jamaica now and more so in the USA. We definitely have gun fever.

6) Derrick Harriott: "Monkey Ska." Another old school fave!

7) Pilfers: "Next Generation." This song sums up a lot of my feelings. Things are messed up, but I have hope for the future to make better choices and change things!

8) Dubistry/ Brave New Girl: "Eighth Street." My teen years were spent on 8th Street and Dunia and Aram, who also spent time there, know what's up!

9) Fishbone: "Ugly." Love this song! The whole self-titled EP is such a fantastic artistic work. They should really be in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, not in court over stagediving lawsuits. They influenced so many.

10) The Toasters: "Thrill Me Up." Such a romantic, fun positive vibe comes to mind when I hear this. I used to put this song on all my cassette mix tapes!

Even with that, I've still got more faves in the chamber:


My Top 5 Ska Albums:

  • The NY Citizens: The Truth About the NY CitizensI saw one of their final concerts in the late 80s at Cafe Iguana, when it was across from my college, Parsons/New School.
  • Hub City Stompers: Blood, Sweat, and Beers. (The wittiest song writer of all of ska.) Funny, smart, with a knowledge of other musical styles.
  • King Chango: King Chango. They had just got signed to David Byrne's Lukabop label--it was a wild time!
  • The O.C. Supertones: The Supertones Strike BackI love this album! Say what you will about Christian ska, but this ROCKS!
  • Bad Manners: Heavy Petting - every tune on here is a classic!

DGTS: The teaser for the "Checkerboard Kids" 20th Anniversary Show is phenomenal! On Facebook, someone commented that the supergroup singing “A Message to You, Rudy” was like a “We Are the World” of NYC ska bands/musicians. Did you expect such an incredible response from the scene when you started approaching bands to appear on this anniversary show?


A shot from the "Checkerboard Kids" 20th anniversary show taping.

CP: It was great to see everyone chilling and talking. Coolie Ranx had never met Dunia from Agent 99, though they had rolled in similar circles for years, and for them to meet right there! Newer bands like Across the Aisle and Pandemics interacting with members from Metro Stylee, Scofflaws, Beat Brigade, Mephiskapheles, Bluebeats, and Vinny from Bim/Pilfers, Buford O' Sullivan, Radics from Rudie Crew, and even Adam from "Rudies 4 Rush" was there in the mix!

There were also a lot of New York-based ska folk that couldn't make it. Roger and Mark from Bigger Thomas, Django and Scott Klopenstein sent me well wishes. Tazy from Ska Parade was kind enough to Skype with me and we did a nice sit down interview the day before--and I even got to meet his ska kitty! #milothekittycat!

DGTS: And it was great to see you reunited with the Masked Mutant and the Lovely Cinnamon!

CP: That was a lot of fun. On the show, eventually Cinnamon and I got married on the season finale of MTV "Oddville." After 6 or 7 years, we divorced and she left the show. Eventually, after years and a lot of therapy on my part, we were able to become friends again and it was cool to ask her to come onto the show again. As for Mutie, he and I were long-time pals. So, I said, "We're getting the crew back together for one last job." Same for Vince Lombard from Rolling Rhino, my long-time director. He was all "when and where?"

DGTS: When will the show be broadcast on MNN and will people outside of the NYC be able to watch it by some other means?

CP: The 20th anniversary reunion show will air hopefully late October/early November and I should post the full episode on YouTube, on my Checkerphil Channel. Feel free to like and subscribe to that and out Checkerboard Kids Facebook page. Plug-plug!

DGTS: Will you still be taping "Checkerboard Kids" five, ten years from now?

CP: It's not even tape now. I film on XDCam at the studio, transfer it digitally, edit it on my computer with Premiere and upload it directly to the TV station via cyberduck. That is a long way away from when I started filming it on VHS-C tapes and SVHS, and going from VHS to VHS with a special flying erase head, so I wouldn't get rainbow lines when I paused or edited.

DGTS: Will the name of your show have to change to "Checkerboard Middle-Aged People" at some point?

CP: You--me--we are all Checkerboard Kids. It reflects a state of mind, not a physical age.

In the Studio with Checkerboard Phil!
I hope to live to be that older, graying gent skanking it up at a concert like Ska Mom or Skankin' Rich! I wanna be that old codger still dancing with the young ladies at the clubs. The girls find it cute, while I have this Benny Hill smirk. If I should pass away before that, I hope there's a big concert and lots of friends show up. Have fun and share good vibes, like the Ari Up memorial. She always wanted to know where's the party--where's the bashment? And there it was. She had become the impetus of the bashment. That was a beautiful spiritual experience. It's all about that sense of community.

Whether old school, new school--first, second, or third wave (or whatever's next). It matters not from whence we came. It's us all teaming up, being friends, and forming a community--and enjoying and spreading the music we love.

Every year, I'm all, "This is the last year for the show!" But every year, I keep on doing it!

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Massive thanks to Phil for doing this interview--and for his support of the ska scene over the past 20 years!

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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

NYC Fall 2015 Ska Calendar #14!

A rare 3D cover of this classic album! 
Friday, October 9, 2015 @ 11:00 pm

New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Deejay Spinach

The Delancey (downstairs)
168 Delancey Street
New York, NY
$10

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Saturday, October 10, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Inspecter 7, Consumata Sonidera, The Crypt Keeper 5, World War IX, DJ I Don't Like You

The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY
$15/21+

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Friday, October 23, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Skarroneros, Whole Sum, PrinceLionSound, plus selections by host DJ Gorilla!

Hallo Berlin
626 10th Avenue (44th and 45th Streets)
New York, NY
No cover!

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Saturday, October 24, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Rude Boy George

Toshi's Living Room and Penthouse
1141 Broadway (at 26th Street)
New York, NY
No cover!

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Wednesday, October 28, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, and Radio Riddler (backing UB40 and doing their own Purple Reggae set!)

Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
Manhattan, NY
$35/18+

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Friday, October 30, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Devil's Night with Mephiskapheles, Hub City Stompers, 45 Adaptors, Hymen Holocaust

Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
$20 in advance/$25 day of show
21+

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Halloween Party w/Rude Boy George

Toshi's Living Room and Penthouse
1141 Broadway (at 26th Street)
New York, NY
No cover!

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 @ 9:00 pm

Tea Factory Sounds and Love So Nice present the 7th Annual Witch Dance!

The Far East and The Frightnrs, with selections by Grace of Spades, Jah Point (Shockwave Sound, Rudies Don't Care) and Mush One (Al Paragus HQ) featuring Screechy Dan!

The Kimberlye Project
1332 Atlantic Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Ital Food
Doors at 9:00 pm
$10

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Saturday, October 31, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Mephiskapheles

The Stanhope House
45 Main Street
Stanhope, NJ
$13/All Ages

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Wednesday, November 4, 2015 @ 7:45 pm

The Skatalites, Rude Boy George

Stage One
Fairfield Theatre Company
70 Sanford Street
Fairfield, CT
Tix: $28

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Friday, November, 13, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Mustard Plug, Survay Says, Rude Boy George

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$13 in advance/$15 day of show

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Wednesday, December 18, 2015

HR (of Bad Brains), Dubb Agents, Banddroidz, Skarroneros

Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
NYC

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Thursday, November 19, 2015 @ 6:00 pm

Five Iron Frenzy, The Toasters, Survay Says

The Stanhope House
45 Main Street
Stanhope, NJ
$20/All Ages

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Friday, November 20, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Five Iron Frenzy, The Toasters, Survay Says

Santos Party House
96 Lafayette Street
New York, NY
$20 in advance/$25 day of show
16+

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Saturday, December 19, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

The Slackers and The Pietasters

Irving Plaza
17 Irving Place
New York, NY
$32.50

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Thursday, October 1, 2015

Duff Review: Heavensbee "Soul Mates"


Trilby Records
2015
Digital download (through Amazon)

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Named after a character from "The Hunger Games" (Plutarch Heavensbee, who is one of the leaders of the rebellion in District 13 against the Capitol), the new, intriguing, self-described "dub-pop" trio Heavensbee is comprised of members with deep roots in the NYC ska scene: Roger Apollon, Jr., Marc Wasserman, and Meg Howe. All three are currently in the ska-does-New Wave act Rude Boy George (full disclosure: I was a member of RBG for a spell), while Apollon and Wasserman are also founding/ongoing members of the terrific 2 Tone-influenced Bigger Thomas and Howe has her own excellent ska-pop-punk band, Across the Aisle.

As the brilliant and cheeky cover artwork might suggest, Heavensbee's Soul Mates is largely concerned with the seemingly enormous challenges of successfully navigating romantic relationships (without being emotionally devoured--love is a battlefield, indeed!)--with the ultimate goal of finding, and holding onto, one's perfect mate. Having said that, it's not an album full of happy love songs, but it certainly contains some very beautiful original music about the experience of looking for love.

Heavensbee's dub-pop sound is very much grounded in ska and reggae, but they also mix in small bits of rock and hip hop, and everything is coated in an appealing UB40-ish pop sheen (the songs were written by Wasserman, while the lyrics were composed by Apollon and Howe). Of note, most of the tracks contain compelling lyrical exchanges between the two singers--illustrating the push and pull/point-of-view of the two people engaged, locked, or trapped in the relationship (oftentimes going south).

One of my favorite tracks on Soul Mates is "Life Boat," an amazing, stripped-down pop song (vocals, keys, and clarinet) about a relationship "lost at sea," with unexpected pauses between their sung exchanges, like the singers only appear when the crests of the waves lift them up into sight/hearing range (and, in a similar vein, their lyrics are like these disjointed snippets/observations about their perilous situation that you only sometimes catch). The chorus includes this plea for rescue: "Lower, lower the lifeboat/fire, fire the flare." The pretty ballad/duet "Lay of the Land" covers similar topical territory (losing one's way in a relationship): "Frustration and the pain replaced the pleasure/the journey hasn't gone the way we'd planned."

Not everything on the album is sour. The fantastic Toots and Maytals'-like "Mr. Know Everything" has the female singer gently--but firmly--countering the male singer's swagger:

"(Roger:) I looked at my phone
and got the new reminder
Today's the day
You thought I would forget

I'll take you out
and treat you a little kinder
It's so easy
I don't sweat

You'll be so happy
When you see
I know it all
Just trust in me

(Meg:) Hey, hey, hey
I'll love you forever and always
But you don't know everything
My love, my darling

Did you know, they call me Mr. Know Everything?

You're thinking that I don't know what I'm doing
I make it look so easy and so cool
The moves I've got keep all the ladies queuing
Let me tell you
I'm no fool
You're so lucky you're with me
I know it all
Just trust in me"

It may be an imperfect relationship, but they're comfortable enough with being themselves--and understanding each other--and they've made it work (so far!).

Another fave is "You Put Me On," which has this driving, wonderfully menacing, New Wave-y ska sound. And, like another certain song from the 80s, compares vinyl records to relationships:

"(Roger:) You gaze around my party
and you caught my eye
I love the sound you make
And I don't know why

When I put you on
You make me move my feet
I want to keep you playing
Keep you on repeat

So many records, so little time...

(Meg:) You put me on
You spin me round
You turn me up
And turn me down
Roller coaster 'till the break of dawn
And then I'm gone

More love, pump up the sound
With each spin, I'm losing ground
Hold me gently, I'm not a toy
I need some love from my sound boy"

In this song, for the male singer, music/women are like dirt (in the Desmond Dekker sense of the word: everywhere, plentiful), but she wants to be his exclusive number 1.

As much as I love vintage, 2 Tone, and 3rd Wave ska (as well as roots reggae), I'm attracted to acts that like to take risks and experiment with nudging the genre's boundaries into fresh sounds and compelling places--something that Heavensbee is doing quite nicely. At the moment, this act is solely a studio creation; but my fervent hope the songs on Soul Mates are given life on stage. I very much want to see where they might go!