The people behind Skappleton (Appleton, Wisconsin's annual ska festival--founded 20 years ago--which has featured The Skatalites, Catch 22, Big D and the Kids Table, Mustard Plug, The Toasters, Bomb the Music Industry!, The Planet Smashers, Suburban Legends, and Deal’s Gone Bad) and the Midwest Ska Fest (in Chicago) are joining forces this year to present a two-day ska festival in both cities on August 13-14, 2016--and are running a modest Bring Back Skappleton Kickstarter campaign (goal: $1,800--and they're already at 50%) to pay for the Wisconsin venue and help cover production costs.
If you're in the Midwest and love your ska music, there are some great perks available at reasonable pledge levels, such as snagging weekend passes for both festivals now! The Bring Back Skappleton campaign ends on February 15, 2016, so if you're interested, pledge now.
Support live ska music in the heartland!
+ + + +
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
The Duff Guide to Ska's 2015 Year in Review, Part 4!
 |
| Buster and friends dancing in the streets! |
I'm still playing catch up on all the releases that I meant to review in 2015 (and I've been sick for the last week with something like the flu, but not the flu). So, here's the latest batch of my quick takes on great ska albums from 2015...
The Sidewalk Doctors: The Sidewalk Doctors digital album/limited edition CD (self-released through Bandcamp) -- Full disclosure: I feel really dumb for being so slow to catch onto The Sidewalk Doctors, despite all of the good word I've heard about this band from trusted sources (as well as noting guitarist Lenny Bignell's involvement in the Phoenix City Allstars and the recent Rhoda Dakar Sings The Bodysnatchers project). So, let me declare far and wide that London's The Sidewalk Doctors are a phenomenal ska/rocksteady group topped by powerfully soulful/bluesy vocals from Nathan Thomas--and this album is amongst my absolute favorites of 2015! Top tracks include the major ska groove and urgent restlessness/dissatisfaction in "Everybody's Looking" ("...for something better!")--which might just be my best-loved song of 2015--the unreserved and unabashed love and adoration (accompanied by 70s reggae strings and ice rink organ!) expressed in "You'll Be the Only One" ("You're my fairytale/My favorite work of art/You lift me up from the very darkest parts"); the haunting loss and debilitating emotional pain in the rocksteady song "In My Shoes" ("My bed's been empty far, far too long/Yet, the space beside me holds deathly harm/I look my demons dead straight in the eye/And another woman's solace ain't going to make me right/No one's calling me, shaking from the pain/One question still rings out loud/What would you do baby, if you were in my shoes?"); and the sad resignation/desperation of not being to escape the self-medicating that "keeps the demons at my feet" in the twitchy, Skatalites-like "This Life is Killing Me" (and the short, redeeming answer song, "Let It Rule," that follows it with the repeated refrain: "Oh, you've got to let it rule, where you find love!"--which is fleshed out on the record's shining final track, "Where There is Love"). This is an incredibly accomplished, confident, and brilliantly appealing album--and one that is not to be missed!
Various Artists: Pressure Drip limited edition blue cassette (Jump Up Records) -- A recent article on the history of Stomp Records reminded me of just how vital compilations were to the rise of ska in the late 1980s and early 1990s--putting local (NY Beat, Mash It Up, NYC Ska Live), regional (American Skathic, California Skaquake), national (Ska Face, Skarmageddon), even international acts (Skankin' Round the World) on every ska fan's map--all during a time when any news about a ska band and their release was very difficult to come by (often only delivered via word-of-mouth or a skazine). From the '80s on, ska compilations certainly super-fueled my love of ska and turned me on to amazing bands all over the world. To some degree, I suppose the internet has made compilations less essential--information and music files flow so freely now--but the democratization of everything has made it harder and much more time-consuming to sort the wheat from the chaff (and what happened to all of those intrepid zine reviewers from the '90s--so few people actually write about ska music these days!). So, obviously, there's still a place for an edited or (I hesitate to use the word, as it's been hijacked in so many awful hipster-y ways) curated collection of songs for your consideration. In this instance, it's to promote acts that are associated with Jump Up (as opposed to a particular scene) and a ska coffee(!)--but what an incredible batch of bands are featured here, from all over the globe (look through this list of bands on the Pressure Drip comp)! Jump Up chief Chuck Wren is very selective about who he works with and the proof of his high standards is in these 23 impeccable tracks. I happen to be pretty familiar with all of these acts, but Pressure Drip properly introduced me to The Crombies (previously, I've only heard them on a single, doing two covers) and I can't wait to get my mitts on more of their music (the comp achieved its goal)! Lastly, even if you don't have a Walkman, boom box, or tape deck, you should own a copy of this cassette--it's a work of art in itself (illustration and design by the always amazing CHema Skandal) and highly collectable.
+ + + +
Read The Duff Guide to Ska's Year in Review, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3!
+ + + +
+ + + +
Read The Duff Guide to Ska's Year in Review, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3!
+ + + +
Thursday, January 21, 2016
NYC Winter 2016 Ska Calendar #19
Friday, January 22, 2016 @ 10:30 pmUzimon
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
$10/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, January 23rd, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Skarroneros' Sixth Anniversary show w/Gangway, Droogettes, Escasos Recursos
Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
21+
+ + + +
Saturday, January 23, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Inspecter 7, Out of Order, 45 Adaptors, Scum Punch
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY
$15/21+
+ + + +
Sunday, January 24, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
The Toasters, Hub City Stompers, Molly Rhythm, Death in the Arena, Backyard Superheroes, Autocracy East
The Backstage at Championship Bar
931 Chambers Street
Trenton, NJ
All ages
Tix: $13/$15
+ + + +
Saturday, January 30, 2016 @ 3:00 pm
Beat Brigade, Damn Long Hairs, Sketchy, Girth Control
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brookyn, NY
$10/18+
+ + + +
Monday, February 1, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
Brown Rice Family, Super Yamba Band
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$8/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, February 6, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
The London Souls (doing a tribute to Bob Marley in honor of his birthday), Ticklah, Dub is a Weapon (15th anniversary!)
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$20/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, February 13, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Hub City Stompers, Rude Boy George, Duffy's Cut
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY
$12/21+
+ + + +
Sunday, February 21, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Nan Pancha, Los Estramboticos, The Ladrones
Stage 48
605 West 48th Street
New York, NY
$35/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 9:30 pm
Rude Boy George, Rachel & the Black Straps, Mind Over Time
Arlene's Grocery
95 Stanton Street
New York, NY
$10/21+
+ + + +
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Less Than Jake (playing Losing Streak and more), Westbound Train, Mephiskapheles
Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th Street
New York, NY
All ages
Tix: $14.50
+ + + +
Thursday, March 10, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Less Than Jake (playing Hello Rockview and more), Bigwig, Mickey Erg
The Gramercy Theater
127 East 23rd Street
New York, NY
All ages
Tix: $20
+ + + +
Thursday, March 10, 2016 @ 9:30 pm
The Snails
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
$12/21+
+ + + +
Friday, March 11, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Mephiskapheles and Special Guests
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY$20/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, April 2, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
The Slackers (Record Release Party)
The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
$20/21+
+ + + +
Friday, April 15, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
Big D and the Kids Table, Counterpunch, The Doped Up Dollies, The Far East
Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$13 in advance/$15 day of show
16+
+ + + +
Friday, April 29, 2016
Rent Party w/Rude Boy George
The Woodland
60 Woodland Road
Maplewood, NJ
+ + + +
Friday, May 13, 2016
Mustard Plug, Rude Boy George
Bells Eccentric Cafe Back Room
355 East Kalamazoo Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI
+ + + +
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Mustard Plug, Rude Boy George
Founders Brewing Co.
235 Grandville Avenue SW
Grand Rapids, MI
+ + + +
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
The Duff Guide to Post-Punk: In Remembrance of David Bowie
 |
| David Bowie in NYC by Jimmy King. |
Last Friday, during a segment on NPR about the release of David Bowie's 25th album Blackstar (issued on his 69th birthday, January 8, 2016)--which I was looking forward to hearing, as I'd absolutely loved his previous record, The Next Day (2013)--the reviewer noted that Bowie's career spanned over 50 years, just a year or two longer than I've been alive. He's been with me and you for all of our lives--so much so that I thought he would live forever.
Groggily listening to a Marketplace segment last Monday morning on NPR about Bowie's past business dealings, I panicked when I thought that I heard at the end of the piece that Bowie had died. How was this possible? He had just released an album a few days ago, I thought to myself, as if that act could fend off one's mortality. I turned on CBS This Morning for confirmation and it was the lead story. Shocked (and with memories in my head of how I learned of John Lennon's assassination the first thing the next morning), I woke up my son (in my defense, he had to get up for school anyway) and broke the terrible news. His almost sobbed response was, "That's horrible!" And he then pulled the blanket over his head. Like I wanted to do to myself.
I can remember being introduced to his music in third grade in 1975. My best friend's older sister loved Bowie and Ziggy Stardust, Pin Ups, Aladdin Sane, and Diamond Dogs (as well as Lou Reed's Transformer, produced by Bowie) were always leaning up against their family's stereo cabinet in their living room with the green shag carpeting (because of these records, I'd forever associate rock'n'roll and its progeny with theatricality and reinvention). We'd put on Bowie's albums and listen to them while playing Stratego, Battleship, and Sorry or closely examine the LP sleeves for hints as to what each record and David Bowie were all about. Even at nine years of age, Bowie's glam androgynous look didn't phase me one bit--it was a cool, outrageous part of his act and, no doubt, helped shape my tendency to be tolerant and accepting of people's difference.
In high school, Bowie came back into view in the early days of MTV (which I had to catch at my friend Johnny's house in Inwood, in upper Manhattan, since we didn't have MTV yet in Yonkers) with the extraordinary "Ashes to Ashes" video (with that bulldozer on the beach looming over Bowie done up as Pagliacci), his collaboration with Queen on "Under Pressure," and the "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" duet with Bing Crosby shown around Christmastime. And then there was the massive Let's Dance album, which completely dominated radio and MTV during the summer of 1983 with three enormous, inescapable hit singles: "Let's Dance," "Modern Love," and "China Girl." (Like the Pat Benatar girl in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," there was a girl at my school who styled herself after Bowie and always wore the same gaucho hat as he did in this photo.) I played tracks off Let's Dance at the parties we held at friend's houses in Yonkers and Riverdale, and soon picked up the ChangesOneBowie and ChangesTwoBowie compilations on vinyl, which I copied onto cassette to play on my Sony Walkman to keep me going when I'd go for night-time runs up and down Rumsey Road (side two of ChangesOneBowie really helped me keep my up pace as I tried to stay in shape for cross country and track). Right after college, Rykodisc reissued Bowie's back catalogue on CD (with loads of bonus tracks), which I delved into deeply, discovering all sorts of amazing cuts that I never caught/knew about the first time around (like the Velvet Underground-appropriating "Queen Bitch").
Of course, Bowie greatly influenced countless musicians who would go on to make the new wave/post-punk era (my absolute favorite period in the history of music!) so completely fantastic. In the first half of the '80s, Bowie's songs from the '70s--god, there were so many good ones like "Golden Years," "DJ," "Hang On To Yourself," "Rebel Rebel," "Aladdin Sane," "Sound and Vision," "Heroes," and so many more!--fit in almost seamlessly with the new wave soundtrack running through my head, playing on WLIR, and spinning on my turntable. Sub-genres like goth, synthpop, and the New Romantics simply would not have existed without Bowie and his constant musical experimentation in the 1970s. Don't believe me? Check out musicians as varied as Ian McCullough, Paul Weller, Gary Numan, Vince Clark, Nick Rhodes, Jim Kerr, Andy McCluskey, Billy Bragg, Holly Johnson, and more noting their fave Bowie albums and acknowledging his influence on them and their music.
I've spent a great portion of the last two days reading about Bowie (and always learning new things!), listening to songs from throughout his astonishing career, and even seeing some of his music videos for the first time ("Loving the Alien," "Blue Jean," and "Jump They Say"), which were always fantastically inventive and compelling. In a way, it's honoring his work and life, but also processing my memories of how his music was entwined with the momentous and banal moments of our lives--and mourning that there will be no more of it to come.
+ + + +
Watch the incredible video for David Bowie's "Lazarus," which is his last gift to us.
+ + + +
David Bowie's New York Times obituary
David Bowie's Guardian obituary
Read critical, track-by-track commentary on every one of Bowie's songs at Pushing Ahead of the Dame.
Read "Listening to David Bowie" at the New York Times.
Read Trouser Press' entry on David Bowie.
+ + + +
Saturday, January 9, 2016
"Unstoppable: An Oral History of Stomp Records"
Noisey has just posted a terrific piece on a certain indie Canadian ska label that's still going strong and now celebrating their 20th anniversary (!): "Unstoppable: An Oral History of Stomp Records." Matt Collyer of The Planet Smashers (and founder of Stomp) and Chris Murray (King Apparatus), who produced the first Planet Smashers album, provide great insight into the rise (and continued success) of Stomp and the Canadian ska scene. It's a great read!
Thursday, January 7, 2016
The Duff Guide to Ska's 2015 Year in Review, Part 3!
 |
| LPs once came with dance instructions... |
I'm still playing catch up on all the releases that I meant to review in 2015. So, here's the latest batch of my quick takes on great ska albums from 2015...
Chris Murray Combo: Buckle Up CD (Unstrictly Roots) -- While one is more likely to catch Chris Murray doing his fantastic one-man ska band thing (at least beyond Southern California), it's a real treat to hear him backed once again by the tight rhythm section of Ben Farrar on drums and Eddie Lozoya on bass on the Chris Murray Combo's second album, Buckle Up (Unstrictly Roots). It's a carefully crafted album full of upbeat, warm, mostly sunny, and exceedingly catchy--love all of those vocal harmonies!--vintage-sounding ska songs about seeking, being in, or experiencing the pain of being without love (see "Toothbrush," "What Will Come," or "Forget Your Love"), as well as striving to navigate life with one's head high and soul intact ("Ready," "When Your Someday Come"). And even though the brilliant "Ain't No Joke Being Broke" sounds like it could be a Depression-era track from the American Songbook, its lyrics place it firmly in the 21st century: "I'm a King Cobra dreaming PBR, 7 Gs at 20 APR/Yes, indeed, the only thing I need is more mouths to feed/See, I'm down on my knees, 'cos praying's free/Ain't no joke being broke." Anytime you put it on, Buckle Up will lift you up if you're down and give you an excuse to dance with joy--get this album!
Dennis Bovell: Dub 4 Daze LP (Glitterbeat) -- This is a phenomenal new compilation of unreleased dub tracks and alternate mixes of old/classic cuts from the archives of the great Dennis Bovell, one of UK's premier roots reggae, dub, punk, and post-punk producers/songwriters/musicians (who was guitarist and songwriter for Matumbi, one of England's best reggae bands, and worked with Linton Kwesi Johnson, I-Roy, The Slits, Pop Group, Orange Juice, Madness, Viv Albertine, Joss Stone (!) and many others). What particularly sets Bovell apart as a dub creator is his method of deconstructing (and re-assembling) a song that always allows for crucial aspects of the original track's melody to survive and flourish in their new environment. Because of this, with some careful listening, you can discern which tracks are (superb) alternate versions of dubs from the late '70s and early '80s: "Dub Affair" is reconstructed from "The Grunwick Affair," "Zaion Dubb" is a take (duh) on "Zion Dub," "Top Level Dub" is sister to "Higher Ranking," "Physics of Dub" is related to "Scientific," and ""Tuned Dub" is descended from "Harmonizer Dub" (all of these are found on Pressure Sounds' fantastic Decibel: More Cuts from Dennis Bovell 1976-1983 compilation double LP). Of what I think is the unreleased material, "Tumbledown Dub's" almost spaghetti Western sounding piano and bass is a real standout. Depending on where you live, this LP (there's no CD or digital album) may be a bit hard to find--it's on a small German label--but Dub 4 Daze is a must-have for dub fans and worth every penny spent importing it!
Leo and the Lineup: Hit the Streets LP (Jump Up Records) -- I heard it straight from the man--Copenhagen's Leo and the Lineup are Chuck Wren's new favorite band, which is saying a lot, since he probably hears more ska from all corners of the globe than anyone else around in his roles as ska label head, radio and club DJ, and voracious record collector. The band's stellar, tightly-wound, soulful, dirty reggae, 2 Tone concoction--which places them in the same territory as bands like The Caroloregians, Babylove and the Van Dangos, and if your ska memory goes back that far, Napoleon Solo and The Deltones--is completely winning. The album is full of striking, instantly memorable songs like the gorgeous but melancholy "Life Goes By," the shimmering good times now painful gone in "Memories of Summer" ("I was the king, you were my queen/Now I'm the court jester...all that is left is a fool with memories of summer"), the fantastic Jackie Mittoo-ish instrumental "Dirty Pockets," "Baby Please" (which reminds me a bit of The Rolling Stones' "Miss You"), and a sincerely sweet ballad (complete with strings!) about a toddler named "Molly Girl" ("She's a chubby chunk of genuine love...walks right into your heart"). Fans of The Pietasters should be sure to check this one out, but ska fans of every persuasion will find a lot to like on Hit the Streets.
+ + + +
Read The Duff Guide to Ska's Part 1 and Part 2 of this series! More reviews are to come!
+ + + +
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
NYC Winter 2016 Ska Calendar #18
 |
| The one and only Laurel Aitken! |
Brown Rice Family
Blue Note
131 West 3rd Street
New York, NY
$10/21+
+ + + +
Friday, January 22, 2016 @ 10:30 pm
Uzimon
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
$10/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, January 23, 2016 @ 3:00 pm
Beat Brigade, Damn Long Hairs, Sketchy, Girth Control
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brookyn, NY
$10/18+
+ + + +
Saturday, January 23rd, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Skarroneros' Sixth Anniversary show w/Gangway, Droogettes, Escasos Recursos
Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
21+
+ + + +
Saturday, January 23, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Inspecter 7, Out of Order, 45 Adaptors, Scum Punch
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY
$15/21+
+ + + +
Sunday, January 24, 2016 @ 6:00 pm
The Toasters, Hub City Stompers, Molly Rhythm, Death in the Arena, Backyard Superheroes, Autocracy East
The Backstage at Championship Bar
931 Chambers Street
Trenton, NJ
All ages
Tix: $13/$15
+ + + +
Saturday, February 6, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
The London Souls (doing a tribute to Bob Marley in honor of his birthday), Ticklah, Dub is a Weapon (15th anniversary!)
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$20/21+
+ + + +
Saturday, February 13, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Hub City Stompers, Duffy's Cut, and more
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY
$12/21+
+ + + +
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Less Than Jake (playing Losing Streak and more), Westbound Train, Mephiskapheles
Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th Street
New York, NY
All ages
Tix: $14.50
+ + + +
Thursday, March 10, 2016 @ 7:00 pm
Less Than Jake (playing Hello Rockview and more), Bigwig, Mickey Erg
The Gramercy Theater
127 East 23rd Street
New York, NY
All ages
Tix: $20
+ + + +
Thursday, March 10, 2016 @ 9:30 pm
The Snails
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
$12/21+
+ + + +
Friday, March 11, 2015 @ 7:00 pm
Mephiskapheles and Special Guests
The Grand Victory
245 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY
$20/21+
+ + + +
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Support New Crowdfunded Albums from Ruts DC, The Meow Meows, and Crazy Baldhead!
 |
| Ruts DC in effect! |
Since I'm one of those people who loves and collects recorded music, I'm planning to support two new ska/reggae-related crowdfunding projects this year with Ruts DC, The Meow Meows, and Crazy Baldhead (and there will be others, I'm sure!).
Ruts DC, of course, arose out of the ashes of the phenomenal punk-reggae band The Ruts, after lead singer Malcolm Owen overdosed on heroin in 1980. Ruts DC opted to focus mostly on reggae and dub--releasing two albums in the early '80s: Animal Now and Rhythm Collision. (Ska fans should know that The Ruts backed Laurel Aitken on two singles and a tour in 1980.) The band then reformed in 2007 and released the AMAZING Rhythm Collision, Volume 2 (recorded by Mad Professor and mixed by Prince Fatty) in 2013 (check out a taste here). Ruts DC are back in the studio now recording Psychic Attack for release in May of 2016. The Ruts DC's Pledge Music campaign offers the Psychic Attack CD or LP (plus other merch) at all kinds of levels of support.
The Meow Meows (image a brilliant Specials/Bodysnatchers/Deltones hybrid!) will soon be recording their third album, which is slated for release in June 2016. (Read The Duff Guide to Ska reviews of their Somehow We Met album and their Friends on Benefits EP--both of which were produced by Prince Fatty.) The Meow Meows' Pledge Music campaign--with all sorts of crazy exclusives (like a disposable camera filled with pix of the band on the road and in the studio that may possibly include a shot of a band member's buttocks!)--offers options for support for fans of every economic class! (Plus 10% of of any profits made after they reach their goal will be donated to Shelter--the UK's biggest housing and homelessness charity).
Here's a terrific video to help promote the band's Pledge Music campaign that uses a stripped-down version of their anti-Cameron austerity track "Friends on Benefits."
Crazy Baldhead is one of the things that Agent Jay (Agent 99, Stubborn Allstars, Version City Rockers, etc.) does with a rotating cast of top ska musicians when he's not serving as guitarist for The Slackers, selecting tracks on the soundsystem, or backing Jamaican stars like Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole, Patsy Small, and Keith & Tex. His new album, The Stereo Prophecy and Electric Hymns, features guest vocals from Jess Wagner (The Aggrolites), Joey Steel (All Torn Up), Brukky (The Frightnrs), Maddie Ruthless (The Far East), and Todd Fausnacht (The Snails). You can support Crazy Baldhead's The Stereo Prophecy and Electric Hymns through his Big Tunes campaign.
Sample some Crazy Baldhead below, with the track "Come To Me" featuring Maddie Ruthless on vocals...
+ + + +
By the way, if you're a fan of new wave, you might also be interested in crowdsourcing projects for Modern English and Gary Numan.
+ + + +