The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 2!

From The Duff Guide to Ska patch collection (click on image to enlarge).

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

The Applecores The Applecores EP (Five-track digital EP, self released, 2017): This female-fronted reggae-rock-pop NYC outfit (think Sublime crossed with No Doubt) delivers some fine originals on their debut--the break-up cut "Holding Hands" is particularly affecting--plus they do a great cover of Drake's "One Dance."

The Bakesys "Golden Brown Slices of Toast" (free digital single, Do the Dog Music, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Bakesys More Bakesys (CD EP, Do the Dog Music, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Bakesys Studio Selections 1991-1995 (CD, Do the Dog Music, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Beat Brigade Tomorrow's News (Three-track digital EP, Buddahbug Records, 2017): OG NYC ska kings (and contemporaries of The Toasters) Beat Brigade keep the aggressive and gritty '80s Big Apple ska sound alive on this really fantastic new EP. The protagonist in the dangerous, film-noir-ish ska-jazz cut "You Charming Thing" ("Every day is Christmas/Every night is New Year's eve...you tease me until I come undone") knows he's on the road to perdition, but can't resist her. "Bomb Squad" is from the (cynical) POV of someone on that detail ("You're gonna have to hose my bloody guts away!") and appropriates the great riff from Devo's "It's Not Right." The roots reggae rebel track "Battle Cry" ("This is not a warning/This is not a test/Armageddon's coming...") has one seriously good groove in its call for solidarity in the face of injustice ("No matter where you're from/No matter where you stand/Together we are strong/Together we are one"). Much more of this please.

Ken Boothe, Dillinger, Leroy Smart, Delroy Wilson White Man in Hammersmith Palais EP (limited edition RSD 7" vinyl four-track EP with mini-poster, Greensleeves Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Brooklyn Attractors Xmas in Babylon, Volume II (red or green vinyl PS single, Jump Up Records, 2017): This single by this NYC area supergroup features top-notch rocksteady arrangements of two Christmas classics (a spirited cover of "Up on the Rooftop" and a melancholy version of "Jolly Old St. Nick" retitled "Ras Nick"). Pure class, this one. Play it to impress the relatives when they visit.

Johnny Clarke "Highest Region" b/w Flying Vipers "Highest Version" (green 7" vinyl single, Jump Up Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Dub Natty Sessions and Dennis Bovell featuring Matic Horns and Mad Professor DNS and Friends (CD/digital download, available through Bovell's Old School Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Flying Vipers The Copper Tape (cassette/digital, Music A. D. D.,  2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Hopeton Lewis "There She Goes" b/w Vin Gordon and The Supersonics"Reggay Trombone" (heavyweight 7" vinyl single, Trojan Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Lee "Scratch" Perry and the Full Experiences Disco Devil (red 12" vinyl, Trojan/Get On Down, 2017 Black Friday Record Store re-issue; originally released in 1977 on the Upsetter label): For whatever odd reason (legal matters with Marley's estate?), this re-issue jettisons the awesome Bob Marley and Wong Chu "Keep On Moving" b side for the 7" mix of "Disco Devil" (which is, of course, a version of Max Romeo's phenomenal "Chase the Devil" from War Ina Babylon). Nonetheless, this is still a gift for Perry fans--original copies of Disco Devil go for $350 and more, while the 2003 Trojan reissue fetches around $50 and up. (If you're in the NYC area, as of this posting, Rock and Soul still has copies in stock.)

Lee "Scratch" Perry and Subatomic Sound System Super Ape Returns to Conquer (CD/LP/digital, Subatomic Sound, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Mungo's Hi Fi featuring Johnny Clarke "Rain Keeps Falling" b/w "Spring Shower Dub" (7" vinyl single, Scotch Bonnet Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The New Limits "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" (digital single, self-released, 2017): Considering the hellish year we've been through in the USA and the ongoing BS about the ginned-up, so-called "War on Christmas," it helps to shore up your faith in humanity to know that The New Limits chose a holiday classic to cover specifically for its message of love, companionship, and inclusiveness (since no specific holiday/religion is referred to in the lyrics, anyone from any religion--even atheists--can relate to it). Stax artist William Bell's wonderful "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" is given a terrific rocksteady treatment by The New Limits here. Maybe this version can find its way to wax some day? 

The Skatalites Foundation Ska (CD/2xLP, Studio One, 2017 reissue; originally released in 1997 on Heartbeat Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Toasters Skaboom! (blue heavyweight vinyl/cassette, Jump Up Records/Megalith Records, 2016 reissue; originally released in 1987 in the USA on Moving Target/Celluloid and in a slightly altered form in the UK on Unicorn as Pool Shark): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 1!

Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 3!

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The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 1!

From The Duff Guide to Ska badge collection (click on image to enlarge)!

(All reviews by Steve Shafer)

Basement 5 In Dub (Five-track vinyl EP, PIAS Recordings, 2017 reissue; originally released on Island Records, 1980): Dub meets end-of-days post-punk in this really fantastic mash-up of styles (produced by Martin Hannett, who collaborated with the Buzzcocks, Joy Division/New Order, Psychedelic Furs and others). The source material is Basement 5's sole punky reggae album, 1965-1980, which is very much worth tracking down (it was also reissued this year on CD with these dub tracks), but it doesn't work quite as perfectly as this. (For those are interested in band ancestry, Basement 5 bassist Leo Williams went on to co-found Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones and Don Letts.)

Rhoda Dakar The Lotek Four, Volume 1 (7" vinyl EP/CD EP, Pledge Music, 2016): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Jackie Mittoo Striker Showcase (2xCD, 17 North Parade/VP Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

King Kong 4 "You Lie Awake" (digital single, Winterbeard Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

King Kong 4 "More Than Just a Plate Full"(digital single, Winterbeard Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

King Kong 4 There's Not Much That You or I Can Do About It (Five-track digital EP, Winterbeard Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Let's Go Bowling Music To Bowl By (LP, Asian Man Records, 2017 reissue; originally released on CD, Moon Records, 1991): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

Massive Attack v. Mad Professor No Protection (heavyweight vinyl LP, Virgin Records, 2016 reissue; originally released in 1995 on Wild Bunch Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

Monty Neysmith and The Bishops "Fung Shu" b/w "Skin Flint" (7" red or blue vinyl single, Jump Up Records/Mad Butcher, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Monty Neysmith and The Bishops Monty Neysmith Meets The Bishops (CD/LP, Jump Up Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Offs First Record (LP, CD Presents, 1984): Read The Duff Guide to Ska "Shots in the Dark" appreciation here.

Rude Guest Lost Chicago Ska 1982-1993 (CD/LP/cassette, Jump Up Records, 2016/2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Selecter Daylight (CD/LP, DMF Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Selecter/The Beat "Breakdown" b/w "Side To Side" (7" PS vinyl single, DMF Records, 2016): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Sentiments Hi-Fi (digital album/CD, Simmerdown Productions/Bandcamp, 2016): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Ska Flames Turn-Up (vinyl LP, Sun Shot, 2016): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Various Artists: Recutting the Crap, Volume 1 (LP/digital, Crooked Beat Records, 2017 Record Store Day release): I first heard The Clash's Cut the Crap back in 1985 after devouring Big Audio Dynamite's This is Big Audio Dynamite (both were released within months of each other) and was profoundly disappointed to find that while Jones and company had taken the Sandinista and Combat Rock musical gumbo (punk, hip-hop, dance rock, reggae/dub) to the next evolutionary level, Strummer had made u-turn back toward 1977 punk (at manager Bernie Rhodes' urging), but had been t-boned by Rhodes' god-awful musical direction/production (replete with session musicians, synthesizers, programmed drums, and football terrace-like shouted choruses) and several profound life experiences Joe was dealing with at the time that distracted him from the task at hand (the deaths of both of his parents and the birth of his first child). History has not been kind to Cut the Crap (generally it's not considered canonical by fans and band members alike), but in many cases the acts on Recutting the Crap have revealed in their versions that there were some seriously decent-to-great songs buried under Rhodes' dreck--Strummer's tunes were solid at the core. The Scotch Bonnets' terrific, stripped-down reggae take on the anti-nuclear war cut "Are You Red...Y" alone is worth the cost of this LP.  Other notable tracks include The Violets' ska-ified "Cool Under Heat," Dom Casual's ska-jazz-punkabilly "Sex Mad Roar," Basnji's "Dirty Punk" is loads more faithful to the Clash's '77 sound than the original (Too Much Joy's version of the cringe-y "We Are The Clash" is a valiant effort in this category, too), and Winterdrinks' "Play to Win" sounds like a deep cut from Sandinista. There are even a few covers of demos for Cut the Crap (which was originally titled Out of Control before Rhodes unilaterally renamed it)--I particularly liked Sussed Out with Sol Roots' raucous cover of "Backwoods Drive." A second volume of Recutting the Crap is slated for 2018, which presumably will include the last good and legit Clash single, "This Is England." (If you're in the NYC area, Rock and Soul has a good number of this limited edition LP in stock.)

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Part 2 of our Year in Ska Reviews is up next...

(And Part 3 is up on the blog, too.)

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Detroit Riddim Crew Release "Detroit Holiday Riddim" to Benefit Suck It Suicide

A group of Detroit musicians (including Eric Abbey of 1592, The Dirty Notion, and J. Navarro and the Traitors) calling themselves the Detroit Riddim Crew has released a terrific rocksteady cover of The Emotions' 1973 soul single "What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas" in support of Suck It Suicide, a Detroit-area non-profit whose mission is to prevent suicide through education, advocacy, and support; with a special interest in suicide survivors support and fundraising for families suffering from the loss of a loved one from suicide.

It's a melancholy tune and topic ("'Tis the season to be jolly/But how can I be when I have nobody/The yuletide carol doesn't make it better/Knowing that we won't be together"), but beautiful nonetheless.

To check out the tune and donate to this cause, check out the Detroit Riddim Crew's Bandcamp page.

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The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Fall/Winter 2017/2018 Ska Calendar #57

From The Toasters' "Christmas Ska" album; art by Bob Fingerman.

Friday, December 8, 2017

High School Football Heroes, The Ladrones

The Safari Room at El Cortez
17 Ingraham Street
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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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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Saturday, December 16, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Women of Ska, Reggae, and Soul w/Dubistry and Caz Gardiner

Silvana
300 West 116th Street
New York, NY

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Friday, December 22, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Slackers (playing the "Red Light" album in its entirety) w/Sammy Kay, Crazy and the Brains, DJ Bugaloo Pete

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) w/The World/Inferno Friendship Society, The Fad, DJ Lady Gemini

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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Friday, December 29, 2017 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

DJ Ryan Midnight: Spinning 100% Ska at Otto's Shrunken Head

Otto's Shrunken Head
538 East 14th Street (between Aves A and B)
New York, NY
No cover/21+

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Friday, January 5, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Boomshot!, Top Shotta, The Fuss

El Cortez
17 Ingraham Street
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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Wednesday, January 10, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

The Original Wailers, Tribal Seeds, The Expanders

Gramercy Theatre
127 East 23rd Street
New York, NY
$20

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Saturday, January 27, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

The Pietasters and more TBA

Brooklyn Bazaar
150 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$17 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages

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Friday, February 23, 2018 @ 8:00 pm

The Skatalites, The Alchemystics

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$15/21+

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Friday, March 23, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Hollie Cook

Elsewhere (Hall)
599 Johnson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$20 in advance/$22 day of show/16+

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Friday, April 20, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

The Annual 4:20 Reggae Fiesta on the River w/Dub is a Weapon, Crazy Baldhead Dub Apparatus, plus Specials Guests TBA

Rocks Off Concert Cruise - Aboard the Harbor Lights
Boards 23rd Street and the FDR
Manhattan, NY
$29 in advance/$35 day of show
21+

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Duff Review: The Georgetown Orbits "Keep Your Chin Up" b/w "Picture on the Wall" Single

Simmerdown Productions
7" vinyl picture sleeve single/digital download
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

If the slings and arrows of life have worn you down, one quick (safe and legal) way to lift your spirits may be to take a listen to the Georgetown Orbits' wonderful "Keep Your Chin Up," an infectiously upbeat soulful trad ska track (think Stubborn All-stars) bursting with encouragement and optimism ("Tell me whose burden is the heaviest/Tell me whose life is the easiest/Yes, I know this life seems like a test/And you will pass it/If you give it your best!"). This is paired with a phenomenal cover of Freddy McKay's rocksteady classic "Picture on the Wall" which deftly conveys the heartbreak of the original that also still clings to hope for love ("People said I'm a fool to say goodbye to you/But believe me, your picture's still hanging on the wall/Does it have to be there, still hanging/Hanging on the wall?"). This is one hot single that you don't want to miss.

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Duff Review: King Kong 4 "More Than Just a Plate Full" Single

Winterbeard Records
Two-track digital download
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Given the unbelievably disastrous times we live in (at least here in America), it's hard for me not to think that the kids-learn-bigotry-at-home lyrics of King Kong 4's fantastic "Profile Of A New Elite" are anything but a blunt commentary on the current American president's pernicious and brazenly open cultivation of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, Islamophobes, and their despicable ilk ("Well, boys it's not unlike your father to be hateful/So, eat up because it's not polite to be ungrateful/Deep under every home there's buried a secret/Daddy's digging them out, should they think to keep it/Every member of every family is guilty/Oh, guilty/It's a guilt that is not allowed..."). Then again, it could just be about the awesome power parents have to raise either good and decent human beings or menaces to society.

"Speaking for the Skeptics" is a charming--if melancholy--song told through a paranormal lens about unrequited love with a telephone psychic ("The medium is love/The message is extrasensory/Because you won't even look at me /Clairvoyance has its charm, you said/So does telekinesis, my dear/Use it to let me know you're here/I have had enough/J.B Rhine, or Mirabelli/Well, they might have seen the time/or the love that I'm sending you/But then you won't read my mind/What's the word that I'm searching for/When it's you I want to find/Trying to make that connection/But you're always on the line"). It reminds me of a sticker on a lamppost I see every day on the way to work: "The only magic I still believe in is love."

These are incredible songs (think late 70s Elvis Costello/Joe Jackson meets The Specials) by a stellar band that many more ska fans should make a point to know (and will then love!).

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Want more King Kong 4? Read The Duff Guide to Ska reviews of their There's Not Much That You or I Can Do About It and You Like Awake EPs.

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Duff Review: Susan Cadogan: "Don't Know Why" Single

Three-track digital single/Stonyhill Records
7" single (the flip side is "I Don't Want to Play Around")/Parking Lot Sounds (Japan)
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Masterfully produced by Mitch "King Kong" Girio and backed by the superb King Kong 4, Susan Cadogan's "Don't Know Why" is a phenomenal re-recording of her 1982 Lovers Rock single (written by her brother Paul Cadogan and released in Jamaica during an early 1980s resurgence in her career when she scored a series of hit singles, including "Tracks of My Tears," "Piece of My Heart," "Love Me" and two duets with Ruddy Thomas, "(You Know How to Make Me) Feel So Good," and "Only Heaven Can Wait"). This track and its two versions (my favorite is the "Don't Know Why Not Mix") are heartbreakingly beautiful ("I touch your body with my mind/A sad affair with a sweet memory")--Cadogan's voice is as resplendent and expressive as ever. According to Girio, despite having collaborated on several (excellent) releases now, the Toronto-based producer and JA-residing Cadogan have never met, but what incredible music they make!

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For more on Susan Cadogan, read The Duff Guide to Ska review of her Take Me Back EP (also produced by Girio and featuring King Kong 4).

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Red Stripes "In the Ska East"

Mod Sound Records
CD
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Made up of British, Canadian, and Aussie ex-pats residing in Hong Kong, The Red Stripes' sound is similar to many bands in the late 80s and early 90s who were heavily influenced by 2 Tone, but shed that scene's rougher edges in favor of the traditional jazzy/big band ska of The Skatalites and their contemporaries (think The Scofflaws, The Busters, Potato 5). Produced by Sean "Cavo" Dinsmore (of the Skaboom and Thrill Me Up era Toasters, who also contributes some vocal effects on one track) and featuring Neville and Christine Staple on "Hong Kong Special," In the Ska East offers a mix of fine instrumentals ("Hong Kong Dub," "Theme from 'Rocky,'" and "Rude Rude Rude") and catchy originals with male and female vocals (and lovely harmonizing) by Fred Croft and Sarah Watson ("Julia Posh," "Let Me Tell Ya," and "OK La"). Based on this album, The Red Stripes seem like they'd be a fantastic night out.

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(Speaking of connections to The Toasters, The Red Stripes' drummer's name is Matt Davis--can't possibly be that one, right?)

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Record Store Day Black Friday 2017 Ska and Reggae Releases

There aren't many RSD Black Friday releases to temp the ska and reggae fan, but what is on offer is pretty enticing!

First up is the Disco Devil red vinyl 12" from Lee "Scratch" Perry and the Full Experience, featuring both the 12" and 7" mixes of the track (versions of Max Romeo's "Chase the Devil"--one of my absolute favorite songs of all time).

The other--and probably harder to track down--release is the double LP (plus bonus 7") Studio One compilation From the Vaults (Obscure Singles Compilation), which is being billed as a collection of 18 "lost" tracks from the late 1960s to the early 1980s by artists like Alton Ellis, Johnny Osbourne, the Gaylads, Roy Tomlinson, the Soulites, the Officials, Glen and Dave, and more.

Happy hunting (for the vinyl above) and Thanksgiving!

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Duff Review: The Selecter "Daylight"

DMF Records
CD/LP
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Ever since this iteration of The Selecter with Pauline Black, Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson, and (secret weapon) Neil Pyzer began releasing new music, starting with Made in Britain in 2011, each subsequent record has topped the last. Their most recent release, 2015's excellent Subculture (read our ridiculously in-depth review of it), has been surpassed by The Selecter's latest entry Daylight, which may be this band's best record yet.

As one would expect from a 2 Tone act, there are uncompromisingly political songs addressing social, economic, and racial injustice that stimulate one's mind, conscience, and body. The wildly catchy "Frontline" is critical of our smartphone/social media addicted society, where we have significantly more access to (dis)information and each other than ever before in the history of humanity, but actually seem to be increasingly disconnected, numb, and apathetic as a result ("My mind is full/my heart is empty...I need to believe/In something more/Than I wanna stay free"). "Frontline's" reference to the extrajudicial/racial police killing of Eric Garner makes it also a call for real-world, in-person protesting and organizing for justice and change--not Facebook posts that float without impact in the ether of cyberspace. "Taking Back Control" is a potent, fists-in-the-air call to action to counter the rise of ethno-nationalism and right-wing extremism in the UK in the wake of Brexit, while the "arc of history bends towards justice"-themed "Pass the Power" posits that it's long past time that it be given over to "the righteous side." There is great and uncommon empathy expressed in "Paved with Cold" (where the capitalist dream is a nightmare for many), which is sung from the point of view of a lonely homeless person simply trying to survive the winter in a cruel and heartless land ("Spikes where I want to sit...No money is my only crime"). Gaps takes the mic to sing about impending mortality on the Latin ska track "Remember Me" (half its lyrics are in Spanish) and to decry the futility and waste of never-ending war in "Mayhem" (which sounds like it has some Jackie Mittoo/Sound Dimension "Full Up" DNA embedded in there).

But not all is grim in The Selecter's world, Daylight also contains some phenomenally upbeat tunes. "Daylight" is a 1960s AM pop radio ska/soul gem (with Jools Holland on piano!) about the bliss of being in alive and in love. There's an incredibly sprightly and laid-back reggae groove in "Big Badoof," as Pauline and Gaps urge you to keep your chin up, no matter what comes your way. And perhaps the most extraordinary song on the album is "Things Fall Apart," a joyous, Highlife-tinged ska track about black self-empowerment and interdependence--in addition to being an unequivocal demand for equal rights ("I am the master/The master of my fate/I am the captain of my soul/I can make the centre hold...I'll be/Right here behind you/In whatever you do/I won't desert you...If you take/You'd better give me something back!"). "Things Fall Apart" is a reference to Nigerian author Chinua Achebe's novel of the same name about the pernicious effects of British colonialism from an African perspective--and the track's lyrics also relate to books by James Baldwin ("Go Tell It On The Mountain" and "I Am Not Your Negro," an unfinished book about Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.) and Alex Haley ("Roots"), all of which explore African-American identity, history, and experience in an horrifically racist nation.

Buoyed by an absolutely winning set of songs, this version of The Selecter has never sounded more relaxed and self-assured--Daylight is a triumph!

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The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Fall/Winter 2017/2018 Ska Calendar #56

The one and only Gaz Mayall of The Trojans!

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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Saturday, December 16, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Women of Ska, Reggae, and Soul w/Dubistry and Caz Gardiner

Silvana
300 West 116th Street
New York, NY

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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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Wednesday, January 10, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

The Original Wailers, Tribal Seeds, The Expanders

Gramercy Theatre
127 East 23rd Street
New York, NY
$20

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Friday, March 23, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Hollie Cook

Elsewhere (Hall)
599 Johnson Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$20 in advance/$22 day of show/16+

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The Ninth Annual Montreal Ska Festival: November 23-26, 2017!

The Ninth Annual Montreal Ska Festival (organized by the Montreal Ska Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Québécois and Canadian ska music and culture) is fast approaching! If you're a fan of the amazing Canadian ska scene (as well as a few American interlopers!), this is the place to be.

Of note, this year's edition of the festival features the return of two very much missed bands, The Kingpins and 2 Stone 2 Skank.

Details on each night's line-up are below and through the links.

Vive le ska!

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Thursday, November 23, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Kman and the 45s, The Peelers, The Resojets, Les Séparatwists

Cafe Campus - Montreal
57 Prince-Arthur E.
Montreal, Quebec
$15/18+

Friday, November 24, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

2 Stone 2 Skank, Danny Rebel and The KGB, Les Happycuriens, Sammy Kay

Cafe Campus - Montreal
57 Prince-Arthur E.
Montreal, Quebec
$15/18+

Saturday, November 25, 2017

The Kingpins, The Beatdown, Vic Ruggiero and Chris Murray, Skatton Club

Cafe Campus - Montreal
57 Prince-Arthur E.
Montreal, Quebec
$22/18+

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And there are afterparties each night.

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For some more background on the Montreal Ska Festival, read an interview we did with the organizers, Valerie Desnoyers and Lorraine Muller, back in 2011.

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Duff Review: The Stiff Joints "First Proper Album"

Self-released
CD/digital download
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

On the surface, the new(ish) First Proper Album from The Stiff Joints is simply incredibly good fun, as the cover image suggests. The band plays amped-up, hook-filled, sing-along-to-the-chorus modern/2 Tone-inspired ska that may remind one of Madness, The Busters, or The Toasters (they must be a blast to see live). However, despite the good-time musical zaniness, the lyrics (full of word-play) reveal that life in The Stiff Joints' version of the world is kind of off-kilter and crappy--and some of the catchiest and most compelling tunes on the album are the darkest. "Mona Lisa"--the sublime, idealized example of Renaissance beauty--is about coming to the realization that it just might be in your own best interest to let your dream girl go. The blistering "Pop A Knocker" (punch a boob?) relates the story of a marriage gone real sour real fast ("Everybody's bringing presents to my wedding because/They are told they have to/As if all these nice pretty things that all my buddies will bring/Will help me love you...Complications have arised/Cannot look you in the eyes/You're a cheating, rotten liar/Breaking us and full of fire/Broken lives and broken dreams/Things are never what they seem...Stick our love right up your bum!"). The positively swinging "Bubble Bubble" is an ode to less painful living through chemistry ("Gotta little something in the palm of my hand/To keep the big bad wolf from coming around (and blowing me down)...Give me a kiss from the sweet angel bliss...I talked to Frankie, he said relax..."), while "Bruno" is about someone completely devoted to drink and drugs and sex in the pursuit of an effortless life (chorus: "I'll do anything/Just as long as I can sit down"). It's a wild ride with The Stiff Joints on First Proper Album (where will you find yourself waking up in the morning?), but completely worth it.

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The Bakesys Release Free "Golden Brown Slices of Toast" Single!

Do The Dog Music
2017

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Following hot on the heels of their excellent new More Bakesys EP (which we've just reviewed), The Bakesys have released a great free digital single, "Golden Brown Slices of Toast" b/w "The Modern Office." Using found bits of audio from 1950s and '60s TV shows and commercials (apparently an obsession of their bass player Stef White) layered over two jaunty ska keyboard instrumentals, they've created sly commentaries on imagined but never really realized "Jetsons"- like idealized futures when "thinking" domestic machines would free housewives from housework ("Golden Brown Slices of Toast") and automated workplaces ("The Modern Office") would allow middle-management men to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal effort ("Very nice. No distractions. Just me and the work."). Good stuff here!

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Rhoda Dakar Launches Crowdfunding Project for "The LoTek Four, Volume II" EP!

Rhoda Dakar (The Bodysnatchers, The Special AKA, Madness collaborator) is preparing to record the second volume in her LoTek Four crowdfunded series of EPs. (Read The Duff Guide to Ska review of The LoTek Four, Volume 1--we liked it a lot!)

If you're interested in supporting this project and receiving a vinyl single or CD in return (you can even opt to have them signed by Ms. Dakar!), you have about a month to make your pledge (the expected delivery of the CDs is February 2018 and the 45s will find their way to fans' mailboxes in March of next year). Since I'm a bit of a music obsessive, I'm going for both CD and vinyl...

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Rhoda is currently touring the UK this November and December--do make sure to catch her if she's playing near you (which means that I need to get myself down to the 2018 Supernova International Ska Festival in Virginia next May)!

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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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