Duff Review: The Bakesys "More Bakesys"

Do the Dog Music
2017
CD EP

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The battered emergency call box on this EP's cover (999 in the UK = 911 in the USA) and reference to The Specials' mournful, end-of-days, furious-at-Thatcher album in its title (and font) should quickly clue the more perceptive ska fan to what they're in for thematically with The Bakesys' More Bakesys--protest music for the age of austerity, Brexit, and Theresa May. And what fantastic music it is!

Drawing musical inspiration from the stripped-down, minor key, and keyboard-focused ska of The Specials' Ghost Town EP, as well as the output of The Specials' musical descendants The Dead 60s, The Bakesys' have created a powerful set of songs that provide sharp social commentary on life during economic wartime. "Anything and Everything," "If You Ain't Got It (You'll Never Get It)," and "No Time Counting Sheep" address communities being devastated through mass unemployment and government cutbacks to public services ("Nothing left standing in this forgotten town/The shops are closed/They've all gone away/Nothing to spend around here anyway"), extreme economic inequality ("The river's too deep/The mount is too high/The valley's too wide/So don't even try"--we're way past "Enjoy Yourself" these days), and the soul-crushing grind of what work there is to be had--that never lets you get ahead ("I get up before I go to sleep/Bills to pay and appointments to keep"). Other aspects of life aren't much better. The deceptively bright "Your 10FT Smile" is about lying lovers and politicians, while "When the Zombies Come" urges the listener to forego the pork rinds and get into shape so they'll be physically able to evade the undead hordes when they come (and slyly quotes The Toasters' "Run, Rudy, Run" in the chorus!). The British landscape may be grim at the moment, but the Bakesys' music never is.

More of this, please.

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For more on The Bakesys, see The Duff Guide to Ska review of their recent compilation, Studio Selections 1991-1995.

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Duff Review: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra "Paradise Has No Border"

Nacional Records
CD/digital
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

In what may be the most overtly political statement in this famously apolitical band's long history, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra has titled their 22nd album Paradise Has No Borders (which is their second to be released domestically in the USA). By promoting a theme of global, human unity through music in this ugly age of nativism, nationalism, Brexit, and Trump--and creating an album specifically pitched to Spanish language fans in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and other points in Central and South America (a shrewd move, as the Latin rock fan base is huge and tends to love their ska)--Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra have firmly allied themselves with multiculturalism, the angels, and the right side of history. (And perhaps the title of the album is also meant as a bit of a pun, since 'paradise' is in the name of the band--TSPO literally are not bound by any borders! They tour everywhere!)

Notably, Paradise Has No Borders contains several songs sung in Spanish (another is in English and the rest in Japanese), collaborations with Latin ska acts Los Autenticos Decadentes from Argentina and Inspector from Mexico, and cuts incorporating elements from several genres of Latin and Afro-Cuban music. Of course, since TSPO are one of the most talented bands in ska (or popular music, for that matter), they handle it all with great skill and aplomb. As with most TSPO albums, there is something for every ska fan to like here--practically all imaginable permutations/hyphenations of ska are represented, along with healthy injections of sunshiny '60s AM pop, Henry Mancini/Nelson Riddle-like instrumentals/arrangements, and bits and pieces from any other musical genres that strike their fancy. Highlights of Paradise include the rambunctious instrumental "Skankin' Rollin,'" the joy-filled, sing-along "Routine Melodies Reprise" (see the video below), "Believer" (dig the groovy Latin ska jazz!), the driving, almost 2 Tone-ish "Samurai Dreamers," and "Girl on Saxophone X" (an incredible ska-surf-"Peter Gunn" styled cut).

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra's Paradise Has No Borders is another top notch album from an unstoppable band.

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Want more on Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra?

Read The Duff Guide to Ska's review of TSPO's Ska Me Forever album (2015) and our live gig review (with videos!) of a TSPO show here in NYC from 2013.

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Lastly, check out this video for "Routine Melodies Reprise" that the band shot on the streets of Austin, Texas during their recent (March 2017) appearance at SXSW.



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The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Fall/Winter 2017 Ska Calendar #55

Saturday, October 28, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Rude Boy George, Tatanka, Lovely Budz

Sounds of Brazil
204 Varick Street
New York, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Saturday, October 28, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

6th Annual Devil's Night Danse w/Mephiskapheles, Hub City Stompers, 45 Adapters

Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
New York, NY
$20/21+

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Saturday, November 11, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

The English Beat, The Pomps

Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th Street
New York, NY
Tix: $30-$50

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Saturday, December 9, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Pandemics, Mad Conductor, Freya Wilcox, MJT, Love is a Fist

The Gateway
1272 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
$10

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Friday, December 22, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Slackers (playing the "Red Light" album in its entirety)

The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Tix: $20 in advance/$25 day of show/$32 two-day pass
21+

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Saturday, December 23, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Slackers (playing the "Peculiar" album in its entirety)

The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Tix: $20 in advance/$25 day of show/$32 two-day pass
21+

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2018 Supernova International Ska Festival Line-Up Announced

If you've been under a rock (or sick, like I've been), you'll want to know that the 2018 Supernova International Ska Festival line-up has been announced (with a few more headliner slots TBA). Here's who's booked so far: The Pietasters, The Suicide Machines, MU330, Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra, Rhoda Dakar (Sings The Bodysnatchers), Dr. Ring-Ding, Roddy Radiation & The Skabilly Rebels, The Scotch Bonnets, Adam Flymo Birch & the Versions, Chris Murray, Spring Heeled Jack (USA), Eastern Standard Time, DJ Chuck Wren, Duncan Shifter, Danny Rebel, Duppies, The Steady 45s, Hub City Stompers, Matamoska, The Crombies, Soul Radics, Sgt. Scagnetti and Matt Wixson's Flying Circus. The festival will take place on May 26, 2018 and May 27, 2018 in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

More details are to come, but specially-priced early bird tickets are available now. And, if you're into it, camping is available for the weekend.

Looks like I'm gonna have to try to make this one!

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Cassette Store Day 2017 (Postscript): Interview with Marc Beaudette of Flying Vipers

Editor's note: For Cassette Store Day 2017, Jump Up Records issued twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel (of Danny Rebel and the KGB), CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled "Pressure Hop" (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found here). This is the last CSD-related interview we're posting this year...

Thanks to Marc Beaudette of Flying Vipers and Destroy Babylon for taking the time to answer our cassette-related questions!

The Duff Guide to Ska: "The Shadow Tape" is the third release on cassette from Flying Vipers--why did you decide to go with this format? Is dub music somehow better suited for tape than vinyl?

Marc Beaudette: "We started this project with a Tascam 8-track recorder and the intent to do as much as we could using only analog gear. The first two releases were tracked and mixed direct to cassette, so offering them on tape seemed appropriate.

For this new release, our producer Jay Champany used previous sessions, extending vocal versions and slowing down tape speeds to give the dubs a new vibe. If we could afford to put everything on vinyl, we would! Most music I think sounds best on wax, though the tape compression does sound great with certain genres like hip hop and hardcore punk."

DGTS: Are you a tape collector? Do you have a lot of dub and reggae on cassette (if so, which are your faves)?

MB: "My brother and I still have a few dozen tapes from our youth, and we both still collect. There are more punk and rock albums than anything else, but there's a good stack of reggae in the mix. Black Uhuru's Red is one that got played on repeat in my car, plus a handful from the Hearbeat label and ROIR. HR's Charge is another one that I played a lot along with his other SST releases."

DGTS: Did you grow up listening to music on cassettes?

MB: "For sure. Before we could even buy our own music, we'd get cassettes and blank tapes for birthdays and Christmas. We were really into making our own mixtapes; listening to the radio for hours, waiting for our favorite songs to come on and hitting record as fast as we could. Even when CDs were gaining popularity, I still rocked my yellow Walkman and wore out early Green Day and Weezer tapes riding the bus."

DGTS: At the moment, a lot of people see this format as a bit of an oddity. Something collectable perhaps, but not a truly viable way to listen to music, given the relative scarcity of cassette players in people's homes, cars, etc. Should bands and indie labels make a more concerted effort to make more releases available on cassette to drive a resurgence of this format? (They are an inexpensive way to release music in a tangible format...)

MB: "It's certainly an affordable way to get something physical out there, but it will most likely remain a very limited audience. Vinyl and CD are also niche markets, so for me it comes down to personal preference. It's difficult to sell digital albums in 2017, now that most listeners pay monthly to stream or just use YouTube/Bandcamp. If a run of cassettes helps album sales, I'd encourage indie bands and labels to look into it. That said, I also think the type of album plays a role. The new Destroy Babylon record we dropped this summer is very high fidelity, and didn't seem to warrant a cassette release (we opted for vinyl and CDs). The lo-fi dub sessions make total sense for tape."

DGTS: Flying Vipers are playing with Lee "Scratch" Perry soon--do you think he still listens to tapes (I assume you'll pass him some of yours...)?

MB: "I could imagine Scratch traveling the world with a bedazzled Walkman and a few choice cassettes. But then again, maybe he just has an iPhone 8."

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska reviews of Flying Vipers' previous cassette releases, The Copper Tape and The Green Tape.

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Cassette Store Day 2017: Interview with Danny Rebel (of Danny Rebel and the KGB)

Editor's note: For the third straight year in a row, Jump Up Records is participating in Cassette Store Day--which is today, Saturday, October 14, 2017. Jump Up is issuing twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel (of Danny Rebel and the KGB), CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled "Pressure Hop" (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found here).

Thanks to Danny Rebel for taking the time to do this interview so quickly!

The Duff Guide to Ska: This is your second cassette-only release of acoustic ska and reggae songs that were recorded on your boombox. What inspired you to do this and what has been the reaction from your fans?

Danny Rebel: "Listening to old acoustic Bob Marley and Dennis Brown recordings. As far as recording it on a boombox, most artists of today concentrate too much on the sound and not so much on the music itself. I wanted to show everyone that you can make music without going through the machine, like Autotune and this and that. I think doing it through the box makes it sound more gritty, interesting, and punk rock. Fuck the rules! A good example is Daniel Johnston's Hi How Are You, that album was recorded on a cassette player and the sound quality is not so great, but the song writing is fucking amazing. I also want to big up the great Chris Murray for 'nuff inspiration!"

DGTS: Did you grow up listening to your favorite music on cassettes or are you a more recent convert to this format?

DR: "When I was younger, my dad hooked up our TV to his boombox to have a better sound. And everytime a music video would come up, I'd hit the play and record button. That's how I made my mixtapes back then, along with songs I heard on the radio. I used to bike around town with my huge yellow sports Walkman, you know which one I'm talking about."

DGTS: Are tapes (becoming more) popular in the Montreal music scene?

DR: "I'm actually seeing more and more local bands coming up with tapes. They're coming back!"

DGTS: Do you collect tapes from your favorite musicians--and, if so, which ones are some of your most treasured?

DR: "I consider myself a music nerd. So, yes I do have a tape collection. From hip-hop to reggae to jazz to punk! I'd have to say Yellowman's One in a Million, Half Pint's In Fine Style, and Rancid's classic Let's Go.

DGTS: If you could have any boombox ever made, is there a particular model you'd want?

DR: "I already have the Clairtone 7980 along with 13 other boomboxes at home, so I think I'm good, ha ha." 

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Cassette Store Day 2017: Interview with CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra)

Editor's note: For the third straight year in a row, Jump Up Records is participating in Cassette Store Day--which is this coming Saturday, October 14, 2017. Jump Up is issuing twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel, CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra--interviewed here), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled "Pressure Hop" (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found here).

Much thanks to CeANNE for agreeing to do this interview so quickly--and for conducting it in English!

The Duff Guide to Ska: Is the title of your "Ukesteady" cassette release a nod to Chris Murray's somewhat similar lo-fi/acoustic "Rocksteady" album?

CeANNE: "Well, absolutely not. I had a rocksteady band here in Hungary called The Mighty Fishers. And I love the genre, I love ukulele. So, it's a mixture of things I love and I wanted to show my admiration for--ukulele and rocksteady. But you made me curious, I will definitely listen to it!

DGTS: What inspired you to record all of these songs only using a ukulele for accompaniment? 

CeANNE: "I have always sung, but never played an instrument properly. I always thought,  'that's not for me, I am an amateur, I can never handle it.' It has turned since I found the ukulele--it made me change my thinking about playing music itself. Because it has so much power, though it's little--and has so many secrets, though it seems very simple. What I mean is that it was the first intrument which made me feel quick success while I played it, which made me feel like playing and playing and practicing on it. And I want to be a better and better ukulele player. Last year, I also bought a guitar, which I never thought I could be good at. I am not, but I don't care, I play it. It's all about self-esteem and consciousness, and being daring. Instuments make you a better singer and songwriter. And I can thank the ukulele for all of this. So, I thought it deserves a whole album. Maybe others will realize as well how great the ukulele is."

DGTS: Did you always plan for this set of songs to be released on cassette--and how did Chuck Wren and Jump Up Records come to release it?

CeANNE: "Not in my dreams! Ha ha! I had an LP with my former band The Mighty Fishers titled Soul Garden, which Jump Up Records in Chicago distributed. Then I started to spread my short ukulele videos on Instagram. Chuck saw them and we linked. He asked me if I felt like making a whole album of acoustic ukulele reggae/rocksteady songs on casette. I was very surprised and happy at the same time."

DGTS: How popular are cassettes in Hungary? Is a lot of music--particularly ska and reggae--released in this format in your country?

CeANNE: "Unfortunately, I have to say no. We are a little country, so subcultures are really "sub" and weak. There are some reggae and ska bands--great ones I would say--but I think cassettes vanished in the early 2000s. But when I announced that my new material will be released only on cassette, my audience was surprised, but in a very good way. It's a curiosity."

DGTS: Why do you like cassettes?

CeANNE: "Because I have some very good memories with them. I am of the young generation who started with cassettes, continued with CDs, then digital releases--and now are turning back to vinyl. I had my copied Spice Girls cassettes, I also had Destiny's Child, and many more, ha ha! I asked for cassettes for every birthday and Christmas. I stole my father's rock cassettes. I also did a cassette with children's songs for my grandmather as a birthday gift. I liked the Walkman times--it's my childhood and now we bring them back. It's more than cool. It's coolsteady ha ha!"

DGTS: If there's a question that I didn't ask here, but that you'd like to answer, please go ahead and include it.

CeANNE: "Everyone! Play the ukulele, 'cause uke'n do it!"

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The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Fall/Winter 2017 Ska Calendar #54

Thursday, October 12, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

The Steady 45s, The California Honeydrops

The Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancy Street
New York, NY
$15-$20
18+

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Saturday, October 14, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

DJ Gorilla Fest 2 with Beat Brigade, The Padrones, Raise the Kicks, The Upfux, Rebushchaos, Scarboro

Sabor Norteno
102-06 43rd Avenue
Corona, NY
(7 train to 103rd Street, Corona Plaza)
$10/all ages

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Friday, October 24, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

The Frightnrs present "More To Say Versions" Release Party w/Carlton Livingston, Jonny GoFigure and selections by Maddie Ruthless, Rata, and E's E

Our Wicked Lady
153 Morgan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

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Wednesday, October 25, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Lee "Scratch" Perry and Subatomic Sound System, Francois K

Output
74 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$20/$25
21+

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Saturday, October 28, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Rude Boy George, Tatanka, Lovely Budz

Sounds of Brazil
204 Varick Street
New York, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Saturday, October 28, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

6th Annual Devil's Night Danse w/Mephiskapheles, Hub City Stompers, 45 Adapters

Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
New York, NY
$20/21+

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Saturday, November 11, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

The English Beat

Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th Street
New York, NY
Tix: $30-$50

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Saturday, December 9, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Pandemics, Mad Conductor, Freya Wilcox, MJT, Love is a Fist

The Gateway
1272 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY
$10

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Friday, December 22, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Slackers (playing the "Red Light" album in its entirety)

The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Tix: $20 in advance/$25 day of show/$32 two-day pass
21+

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Saturday, December 23, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Slackers (playing the "Peculiar" album in its entirety)

The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
Tix: $20 in advance/$25 day of show/$32 two-day pass
21+

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Cassette Store Day 2017: Interview with Bucket of The Toasters

For the third straight year in a row, Jump Up Records is participating in Cassette Store Day--which is this coming Saturday, October 14, 2017. Jump Up is issuing twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel, CeANNE (of Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled Pressure Hop (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found at the bottom of this post).

In anticipation of Cassette Store Day 2017, Bucket of The Toasters was kind enough to answer a few cassette-related questions for us from San Antonio, Texas, where he was in the midst of getting a new diesel engine installed in one of his vehicles and keeping a sharp eye on some mechanics who were attempting to scam him by sneaking in some old parts amongst the new...

The Duff Guide to Ska: Back in the 80s and early 90s, cassettes were standard issue for all releases and I remember Moon selling respectable numbers of them--what do think about the resurgence of this format and why do you think it is happening now?

Bucket: "When we debuted the label, the standard release format was 12" vinyl and cassette--starting with the now legendary NY Beat release. The last Moon release to have a cassette format was Dub 56. After that time, distributors wouldn't take them. You may recall that we started that collectors' series of see-through 7" vinyl singles in order to have a different format than just straight CD."

DGTS: Jump Up has released several Toasters releases on cassette--"Dub 56," "2 Tone Army," "Skaboom"--will the rest of the back catalogue be issued on tape eventually (like "NY Fever," "Thrill Me Up," and "One More Bullet")?

Bucket: "That's the plan. I would ideally like to have all releases in all formats. But that's quite an epic task at the moment, given the poor turn around times for vinyl especially. We are increasingly turning our eyes to Eastern Europe in search of vinyl production capacity. For example, we are doing some releases with a Polish label. Expect One More Bullet vinyl from them, a release of Thrill Me Up on digipak, and more.

DGTS: Do Toasters cassettes sell well at the merch table and if so, who's buying them--old timers or the kids?

Bucket: Mostly old timers who drive old trucks! Some kids pick them up. Frankly, they have sold much better than I thought they would. Chuck was pressing me to take them and he has proven to be correct (once again, he he!).

DGTS: Do you still have a working tape deck (or Walkman?!) somewhere?

Bucket: "Actually, I don't. Having moved to Spain and back over the last 12 years, most of my old tech got sold/disposed of as, of course, no US gear works on that voltage grade there. I was thinking of heading over to Goodwill and picking up an old boombox. They have loads there..."

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Jump Up Records 2017 Cassette Store Day Releases:

The Slackers: “Wasted Days” (Limited to 150 copies; includes bonus tracks, never before on cassette.)
The Slackers: “Red Light” (Limited to 150 copies; first time on cassette, includes three rare bonus tracks.)
Mephiskapheles: “God Bless Satan” (Limited to 150 copies; first time on cassette, blood red shell).
The Toasters:  “2 Tone Army” (Limited to 150 copies; on black/white split shell.)
The Toasters “Dub 56” (Limited to 150 copies; back on cassette.)
Various Artists: “Pressure Hop” (Limited to 200 copies.)
Green Room Rockers: “Sweat Steady” (Limited to 100 copies; on clear green shell.)
Roger Rivas: “Last Goodbye"/"Autumn Breeze” (Limited to 100 copies.)
Danny Rebel: “Boombox Sessions Volume 2” (Limited to 100 copies.)
CeANNE: “Ukesteady” (Limited to 100 copies.)
Flying Vipers: “The Shadow Tape” (Limited to 50 copies.)
The Drastics: “MJ A Rocker” (Limited to 75 copies.)

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Skavoovie and the Epitones To Release 20th Anniversary Edition of "Ripe"!

Word has it that beloved '90s ska ensemble Skavoovie and the Epitones will be re-issuing their fantastic second album Ripe with unreleased bonus material. This album featured stellar tracks like "Blood Red Sky," "Japanese Robot," (Jimmy Liggins') "Drunk," (Duke Ellington's) "Bli-Bip," "Latvian Lullaby," "Riverboat," and many more. The album was originally issued on CD by Moon Ska and Moon Ska Europe in 1997; and in a slightly expanded form by its sister label Moon Ska Japan as Super Ripe (which included several tracks from their 1995 debut, Fat Footin'). A vinyl LP was issued a year later on Germany's Grover/V.O.R.

The image to the right appeared on Skavoovie and the Epitones' Facebook page yesterday--which highlights the fact that this will be a 20th anniversary edition of the album. It's hard to believe that it's been that long since this first came out...

If/when more details become available, we'll pass them along.