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!
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. + + + +
Editor's Note: As the end of the calendar year sneaks up on me--as it always does, since the fall is always so damn busy!--I always scramble around to put together my "best of" lists of the ska singles, albums, reissues, books, etc. that I really enjoyed over the past year and want to highlight for all the ska fans out there. But I also thought it might be interesting to feature some other opinions, so I approached a diverse group of ska musicians, bloggers, DJs, and label heads to find out what their favorite ska things were in 2012. And thus the "2012: The Year in Ska" series was born! Thanks to everyone who is taking the time to participate--I really appreciate it!
2012: The Year in Ska - Kevin Flowerdew/Do the Dog Music and Skazine
Top 5 Favorite Ska Releases
1) Buster Shuffle - Do Nothing (Superb piano-driven 2 Tone ska/pop from London Town - think Madness, Chas and Dave, and Blur all chucked into a blender.)
3) The Skints - Part and Parcel (Fab second album from the UK's finest reggae talent.)
4) Captain Black No Stars - Slapstick and Tragedy (The long-awaited debut full length by Norfolk's dirty reggae kings - awesome organ driven rhythms underpinning fiercely anti-establishment lyrics.)
5) Jaya The Cat - The New International Sound Of Hedonism (Barnstorming party of anthemic punky reggae and ska.)
Top 5 Favorite Live Ska Shows
(All at the incredible London International Ska Festival in Islington back in May!)
1) Buster Shuffle 2) Chris Murray 3) The Skints 4) Rebelation 5) Capone and The Bullets
My main regret is that I haven't picked up more ska zines in 2012. There seem to be fewer and fewer printed zines every year. I suppose the internet has lots of webzines and blogs to check out, but I've always been old school in this respect. I prefer to have an actual zine/magazine in my hands.
Top 5 Ska Wishes for 2013
My top wish is undoubtedly to hear the brand new albums by my two favourite bands at the moment: Cartoon Violence from Wales and Razika from Norway! If you haven't heard either of these yet, then check them out pronto, you won't be disappointed!
On Jimmy the Squirrel's great debut album Whatever the Weather, this Nottingham, UK act unleashes their distinctive brand of earnest and introspective guitars 'n' keyboard-based 2 Tone ska, which often views the world through a dark, pessimistic lens. It makes one wonder if the album title should be interpreted to mean that, despite the circumstances, they are determined or depressed no matter what. The strongest argument for the depressed viewpoint (in spite of the fact that musically it's the most upbeat, catchy, and danceable song on the record) comes in the form of the should-be-a-hit "Sort it Out." Even though the song's chorus urges the singer (Liam O'Kane) to get it together and "sort your life out," he obviously feels trapped in the situation: "I know it's true/but I don't know/if I have the strength to see it through."
The Jimmy the Squirrel worldview has people caught in systems of living and circumstances not of their making, as in "Boom and Bust," a furious assault on the greed and machinations of the men running Wall Street: "Boom and bust/the money's all gone/world-wide recession/the system's gone wrong/but please don't panic/'cause we're all in the same boat/and the people who put us here are keeping us afloat/but I don't know if I trust them--do you?" But the singer knows that the free-market-will-solve-all-society's-ills true believers lack the empathy (or decency) to give a damn about anyone else (indeed, if we're not well-off, we must have some sort of moral failing, since we can't pull ourselves up by the bootstraps): "Another family out on the street/Pay the mortgage or give the kids something to eat/And how do you make those choices? (I don’t know)/When the crunch comes I know which way I’d go." This is followed by the sparse and sarcastically mournful "Bankrupt Man," described as "Maggie Thatcher's biggest fan." He zealously subscribed to (and benefited from) her right-wing polices, but now he's the one unemployed in the cold, still dressing in a suit and tie to drink away the work-less afternoon hours in the pub. It's a schadenfreude-tinged "Ghost Town" for the business-suit class.
It may come as no surprise that romantic relationships are considered to be minefields, where misplaced trust in others (the bitter and almost over-the-top "Wings and Roundabouts") and mistaken perceptions or expectations ("A Little Less": "And when you finally left/Oh what sweet relief/No more false hopes or naive belief/That you loved me I knew it wasn't so") can end up ripping you in half. But peace can be found in the almost Morrissey-level melodrama of love and death in "How I Go": "If I die before I wake at least I know that I can take/The happiness of you lying in my arms keeping you safe from all evils and harms/If this is how I go I can die happy knowing that you know/I loved you ’til my end, I loved you ’til my end."
Our very troubled times are obviously reflected in Jimmy the Squirrel's lyrics, but if Rome's got to burn down around us, at least we've got some wickedly good music to dance to...
Duff Guide to Ska Grade: A-
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Here's Jimmy the Squirrel performing "Boom and Bust" live in July 2010:
There are some terrific things in our lives that have just always been there--so much so that we just take them for granted. Do the Dog Skazine is one of the ska essentials that fans and bands should recognize and appreciate now and then for its very significant role in spreading the gospel of ska and helping to keep the scene informed and connected (there used to be hundreds of skazines back in the 90s--where'd they all go?!). Kevin Flowerdew (The Bakesys, Do the Dog Music) has been publishing the invaluable Do the Dog Skazine since 1989 (the zine was originally called Rude, but was re-branded in 1996 when Kevin launched his great ska label--and a portion of the publication is devoted to bands on Do the Dog Music). It never fails to provide an amazing overview of happenings on the global ska scene.
The latest issue contains news about Jimmy The Squirrel, Robb Blake, Liam O'Kane, Smoke Like A Fish, Splitters, Drewvis, Resolution 242, Captain Black No Stars, Cartoon Violence, Tin Roots, Dirty Revolution, The Skints, Pama International, Babyhead, The Sidewalk Doctors, Copasetics, Scubaroots, Cabstars, Aggressors BC, Sonic Boom Six, The Evidents, Faintest Idea, The Kirkz, The Breadchasers, Sam Wilson, Erin Bardewell Collective, Scrumptious Biscuit, The Usual Players, Spicy Roots, Sally Brown, 65 Mines Street, B Soul Allstars, The Offenders, Mobster, The Oldians, Open Season, Victor Rice, The Pum Pum Allstars, Reel Big Fish, The Beatdown, The Hangers, King Django, The Bullets, Moon Invaders, Caroloregians, The Israelites, Bim Skala Bim, The Slackers, Black Square, Dan Potthast, Dan P & The Bricks, and the Mad Caddies!
There is no electronic version of Do the Dog--it's print only. Here's how to subscribe:
For a four issue subscription to the zine send a cheque for £5.00 (made payable to Do The Dog Music) along with your name & postal address to: Do The Dog Music, 65 Blackdown Way, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG19 3FY.
You can also pay online by Paypal. Just send £5.00 via Paypal to dothedogmusic@yahoo.co.uk and include your name, postal address and "Zine Subscription" in the notes section.
It's also nice to see that Kevin and I share the same taste in ska music--it seems that he particularly likes the new releases from The Beatdown, The Bullets, and the King Django Quintet, which The Duff Guide to Ska gave rave reviews...
Editor's note: We could give you a bit of background on Sean Flowerdew (pictured at far right) of Pama International, but it might end up ruining the joy of reading his answers to our long list of questions. So, here's all you need to know going in: Sean is the keyboardist and songwriter for this hugely successful UK ska/reggae/soul band--and he's been a mover and shaker on the British scene since he was a teen (!) in the late '80s...
The Duff Guide to Ska: You’re actively promoting Pama International’s new record (its sixth) in the US with Musical Occupation and Lawless Street arranging listening parties and interviews—and the band recently supported The Specials on their sold-out 30th Anniversary tour of the UK. Would it be wrong to infer from all this that Pama International might be opening for The Specials on their April mini-tour of New York City, Los Angeles, the Coachella Festival, and Toronto? (If not, are there any plans to come over on your own at some point in the future?)
Sean Flowerdew: Yes, Gabe Pressure and Jason Lawless are doing a fantastic job spreading the word of our new album Pama Outernational, which will be available properly on 20 April '10 in North America. They're getting us to more people then we've ever reached in the US before, so I'm delighted with the way things are looking.
Sorry to say, we won't be supporting The Specials on their US dates. Not sure who they've got opening for them, but it won't be us. We had a fantastic time on their 30th Anniversary tour, though. We ended up doing over 20 shows with them. Plans are afoot for Pama Intl live in USA. We're looking at coming over and playing the West Coast in Spring 2011 in our own right. Early days on that, but it's looking more possible then ever. Especially with all the promotion building for Outernational.
DGTS:How was Pama International received by the die-hard Specials fans in the UK (who may not have been following the ska scene since the days of 2 Tone)?
SF: It was very cool to see how much The Specials reunion meant to people. To provoke that much feeling is pretty incredible. The diehard fans were there to see their idols. And rightly so, but people warmed to us nicely, and it certainly helped promote Outernational here. We're not a straight up ska or 2 Tone band, we mix styles up, so it's not necessarily what the diehard Specials fans want to hear, but the tour for us was a great success. We won over a lot of people and made a lot more friends.
You're right in saying some of The Specials crowd haven't been following ska since 2 Tone, other then maybe going to see Madness. The ska scene would be much healthier had they, but to be honest there's few ska-influenced bands around that are as good as The Specials. They set a very high standard over here and a lot of bands don't live up to that... some do, but maybe not enough to get all the old Specials and Madness fans along to shows. I don't hear songs being written today on the ska scene that are as good a songs as The Specials wrote. I include Pama Intl in that, but we try with each album to make better records and write better songs. We're getting there. I'm very inspired by the current line-up in the band. Live we're taking it into new areas and never sounded better.
DGTS:Since you know all everyone involved, do you think there is any possibility of reconciliation between Jerry Dammers and the rest of The Specials? Has it all been about a clash of personalities, a struggle over control/leadership of the band, or the nature of the reunion (playing the hits as they were versus writing new material and re-imagining the back catalogue)?
SF: It's not my place to comment on their internal personal business. From an outside point of view though, as a fan and someone who loved the band from childhood...watching their tour and live show Jerry Dammers wasn't missed. Playing the hits live was certainly loved by many many people. And got superb reviews. If they were to enter into the studio though, that might be a different matter...but whether or not Jerry Dammers would bring anything 'special' to any recording anymore I don't know. I haven't heard anything in 25+ years that I rated by him. The Sun Ra thing he's doing now is no more then a glorified covers band. I would love to think The Specials could make another classic album. Why 're-imagine' your classic songs when you could make new classics?
DGTS:You’ve been involved with ska since the 80s with your first (and hugely popular) band The Loafers. [It should be noted here that Pama Intl vocalist Finny was also in The Loafers!-ed.] What are some of the most striking changes (for better or worse) in the UK scene over the years? What do you miss the most?
SF: Even with The Specials and Madness gigging I'd say the ska scene in the UK was bigger back in the late 80s then it is now. The crowds that both bands pull doesn't really filter through to the hardcore ska scene. Ska shows here attract anything from no one to 500 people tops. Back in the late 80s there was a real scene, some great bands and new bands springing up all round the UK... The Forest Hillbillies, Potato 5, the original Hotknives, Maroon Town and Capone & The Bullets were pick of the bunch for me. It was a great time to be in a band. 1989 really was the last time the UK ska scene was a national force. All major press and a lot of TV were covering it. Also, there was a real originality to what the bands were doing. It wasn't all 2 Tone, or ska punk, or traditional ska. It was a real mix of styles, people writing great songs and putting on great live shows. There was a real movement. Bands were being inventive.
I guess that's what I miss the most from the late 80's. Bands don't seem to be as inventive...they just stick to one path, be it skinhead reggae, ska punk, trad ska. It'd be great to see bands mixing the styles up more over here, and working on better songs. There don't seem to be many great songwriters on the scene. I'm painting a bit of a bleak picture over here aren't I? There are some new, younger bands coming through that actually have something to say...like King Blues and bands that have released on my brother's Do The Dog label...Jimmy The Squirrel, Dirty Revolution and Resolution 242. So that's great to hear that a younger generation are singing about things that matter and trying to make a difference. More power to them.
DGTS:How did the anti-gun/knife “Highrise Project” come about?
Michie One and I wrote a song called "Highrise" for the Pama Intl Love Filled Dub Band album, which tackled the issue of knife and gun crime in the UK. I think it's the best piece of work Pama Intl have released. It started getting quite a lot of attention and airplay, so I thought we could try and do some good with it. Using that song as a basis I got other people involved to do versions, like Billy Bragg and Dennis Alcapone. Pretty much everyone involved had been affected by knife and gun crime. Lynval was a victim of a well-documented knife attack. Between the time I asked Dennis Alcapone to get involved and the time of recording him (2 weeks) his stepson was shot dead in a club in London. It's horrific and out of control. I thought for ages about how I could do something. I figured the best thing I could do was to raise awareness for charities that are working with kids daily and doing a lot of good: Kids Company in London and Basement Studios in Bristol. Hopefully we've done that a bit and will continue to do so.
DGTS:Pama International has worked with a number of labels, including Trojan, Asian Man, and Do the Dog—what led you to establish Rockers Revolt?
SF: Pretty much from the start I've had my own labels. I set up Staccato Records to release The Loafers back when I was 17. Then Jamdown Records in the 90's, which released the first three Pama Intl albums and one EP. The Asian Man and Do The Dog deals were either licensing or joint release deals. The album we did for Trojan Records was again a license thing. I look forward to getting the rights back on that one, as they've never accounted to us.
I guess I've always been a bit impatient, and always believed in doing things for myself. Why wait around for someone to do a lesser job? No label is going to believe in my music as much as I do, so I just get on with it. Rockers Revolt is just the latest incarnation/vehicle for me to get my music into the shops and people's homes. A bonus is to release other bands I like. I love what Do The Dog and Asian Man do...same DIY spirit...just get on with business attitude. That's why they've lasted longer than most.
DGTS:What do you think of music file sharing? What do you think will be the new model for selling music might be?
SF: As a format, I don't like digital, but I'm from the days of vinyl and collecting. Today's generation never had that, and downloads/iPods are so much easier. To walk around with 1,000s of songs in your pocket is a great thing. To lose 1,000s of songs when your hard drive goes down is terrifying to me. I like something tangible...vinyl is that. It's far superior sound quality to MP3 and CD.
As for file sharing...I'm undecided. It does bug me that people just take the music for free, but if that leads them onto a gig, or to buy a shirt or album, then I'm not fussed. I view the internet as the biggest radio station ever.
I've a few ideas what the new model for selling music might involve, but until the major labels and manufacturers decide to issue a new form of player/format (like they did with CD and MP3s) we're stuck with MP3s and file sharing. I think in today's market, as a label you've just got to be versatile and give people what they want, be it vinyl, cd or MP3.
DGTS:You and your brother Kevin (The Bakesys and the Do the Dog zine/label) have both been vital players in the UK ska scene for decades—is there something in the Flowerdew genes? What’s the nature of your relationship? Are you guys competitive?
SF: Nothing in our genes I know of! And no, we're not competitive in the slightest. We've got different tastes in ska. Kev's built up a really good label in Do The Dog...and helped to launch a lot of bands. He's released a lot more than I have now. We try to help each other as much as possible, as you'd expect.
SF: Yes, I consider myself very fortunate. Not necessarily ska stars, but the list of people I'd like to collaborate with is endless...Marcia Griffiths, Burning Spear, Toots Hibbert, Millie Small, King Jammy (in his Prince Jammy dub days), Mavis Staples, Tina Turner (l'm listening to a lot of Ike & Tina Turner at the moment...I love their versions of "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Proud Mary"), Papa San (my favourite dancehall artist), Steve Cropper, Donald Duck Dunn, Booker T, Pee Wee Ellis, Keith Hudson, Cedric IM Brooks, Ken Boothe, Huey from Fun Lovin Criminals, some 'new' singers here... Anna Stott (from East Park Reggae Collective) and Jewels, both great female singers that I hope to be working with.
DGTS:Do you follow the US ska scene closely? Apart from the American bands you work with through Rockers Revolt (Pietasters, etc.), are you a fan of any other US ska bands?
SF: I loved Bim Skala Bim, especially their debut album. The Untouchables were the first US ska band I heard. Loved their Wild Child album. The Toasters'Pool Shark album that came out in the UK (I think it was their debut and called something different in the US?), although the production sounds really dated now, it had some great songs on it. That's all 80s stuff though, which is the last time I 'followed' what was going on in America. The Aggrolites live are awesome. I like the little I've heard of what J Bonner is doing with his Jani Disc imprint and just heard some good music on Ryhgin Records. I liked the Hors G'lore album Warsaw did. That must of been done sometime in the 90s? Very inventive. Unless something lands on my door mat or a friend recommends it, I don't really get the time to check bands out. I have a huge pile of albums I've bought and not listened to. It's hard to find the time, what with trying to create new music and raising a family.
DGTS: Which UK bands should American ska fans be aware of?
SF:Rebelation have some nice vibes going on. Their recent Berlin Sessions EP on Do The Dog had they're best song to date 'You Will Know'. Also on Do The Dog (this is turning into an ad for my bro's label!), Jimmy The Squirrel...loving their song "How I Go" that's included on their forthcoming album. Not sure when that one's out. I'm going to release a band called Babyhead, who are a hip hop/ska/rock kind of thing. Well worth checking out. Pama Intl's guitarist Lenny Bignell has a great rocksteady project going called The Sidewalk Doctors. He also plays for Acid Jazz soul band Lord Large who are great. The album I put out by Ed Rome is fantastic...King Tubby meets Ian Dury. Very unique and should be a lot bigger then it is.
DGTS:What’s on tap for both Pama International and Rockers Revolt in the coming months (plug away!)?
SF: The next single we're releasing on Rockers Revolt is a version affair...Pama Intl's "I Still Love You More (Bongolian mix)" b/w "Equality & Dub For All (Wrongtom mix)." That's out any day now.
We've got a bunch of albums we're releasing on Rockers Revolt this year: Pama Intl vs. Mad Professor'sOuternational in Dub (due October time); Babyhead's Heavy Weather (due out in September '10); Pama Intl vs Wrongtom's Love Filled Dub Band in Dub; and we're going to start a series of cover albums that I'm very excited about. We've also got a series of 7"s planned. Nice collectors pieces...limited edition/hand numbered/heavyweight vinyl. I'd like to make two new albums this year, one with Anna Stott and the other with Jewels. Oh and I've just reissued the first two Pama Intl albums in the UK, with a bunch of bonus tracks on each. People can check the label site out at www.rockersrevolt.com.
Hopefully this will all filter through to USA soon enough. We've now got a website dedicated to all our happenings in North America: www.pamaintl.com. Outernational (CD and vinyl) is available there, and there's news of all the listening parties happening through April for the album in San Francisco, San Diego, Washington DC, Austin, LA, Philly, NYC, Chicago and New Orleans. Lots on the go!
On the Pama Intl live front, we're gigging all year in the UK, continuing to promote Outernational. We've got our debut show in Paris on 18 June and our first show in Belgium in May, so we're starting to look abroad a bit.
Outside of all that, I'm doing some keyboards for some new tracks by Sir Horace. Dub instrumentals written by Horace and also some keyboards on The Sidewalk Doctors.
The Duff Guide to Ska is most grateful to Sean for taking the time to answer our questions!
Compared to the UK ska bands on some of the scorchingly political Do the Dog CDs that have been finding their way into my mailbox lately, a lot of American ska acts come off as shallow, 24-hour party people oblivious to the suffering and injustice around them--happy to make the obligatory shout out for "unity" here and there, but not really advocating or agitating for social and/or political change. (Obviously, I'm using a very broad brush here to make my point; there are definitely lots of exceptions to this gross generalization, and there is nothing wrong with simply making music for people to dance and enjoy themselves.)
While I certainly don't believe that all ska musicians should be forced to take on the anti-racist/social justice mantle that The Specials and 2 Tone espoused, it seems that not enough US ska bands have continued with this long and proud tradition (dig through the deep catalogue of songs by Jamaican musicians from the ska, rocksteady, and roots reggae eras and you'll be reminded how they were very outspoken about decrying injustice--chant down Babylon, indeed).
For Pete's sake, here in the US we're still engaged in two almost decade-long wars (one launched on fear, lies, and propaganda); the torture of prisoners and the suspension of habeus corpus have become widely accepted governmental practices (despite their complete illegality); our country is experiencing massive unemployment and the shredding of the social safety net (nearly six million Americans, including two million children, have no income other than food stamps!); our society suffers from extreme economic inequality (but the masses won't revolt against the rich because their lifestyle is the American dream that just might be possible if you shut up and work hard enough and make all the right investments in real estate or stocks--yeah right; that worked out real well, didn't it--or score your own freakish reality TV show); corporations (which may soon have the same rights as individuals) and their lobbyists oftentimes write our nation's legislation (see the giveaways to the health insurers and pharmaceuticals in the current "health reform" bill--which really should be about providing universal health insurance for all Americans, not lining the pockets of CEOs). Should I go on? There's no shortage of topics to raise the alarm about here as we endure the ugly, messy decline of the American Empire. Things are bad all over.
Resolution 242--named after the U.N. Resolution created after the 1967 Arab-Israeli Six Day War that essentially calls for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza, and for the Arab nations surrounding Israel to recognize her sovereignty/right to exist and live in peace--have recorded a short album jammed full of urgently compelling ska, reggae, and acoustic punk rock (kind of like when The Clash did Dylan on "Groovy Times"). Lyrically, Resolution 242, demand that the listener not only recognize the injustice that so many of our fellow human beings endure due to their race, religion, class, or nationality, but fiercely insist that you do something to counter these wrongs.
The lead track, "Bullets in the Ground," opens with a quote from the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti (who essentially thought that positive societal change was only possible through a "revolution" in each person's psyche, not through external organized social or political movements): "We were saying how very important it is to bring about in the human mind a radical revolution." Essentially, this is Resolution 242's call to action, their manifesto--individuals need to "Rise up! Rise up! Take your head from your hands/The streets will be a better place when we start making demands." Resolution 242 doesn't necessarily claim to have the answers--but they want you to use your own power and abilities and ideas to effect change in any way you can.
On "IMF," Resolution 242 call for the dismantling (well, actually torching--"If only concrete burnt like straw") of the institutions and policies of our current economic system that fuel and reap profits from wars; encourage greed and the exploitation of others; and permit widespread poverty. "British Nasty Politics" rails against the xenophobic, racist, anti-immigrant British National Party ("We're in the presence of people who want to divide/they're wrapping flags around their eyes to cover apartheid/With truth and trouble lying hand in hand/There's never been a better time to make a stand"). "Gaza Dub" calls for the Israelis to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza. "Pigs" slams corporate and media self-interest and avarice, while they distract us from the real issues with bread and circuses. "The Solution?" despairs over the maddening senselessness of armed conflict as a means of resolving anything ("Send in the jackals, then send in the troops/This is economic warfare, gotta poison the roots/I'll kick up the dust in this empire's ash/In the streets of the city they couldn't smash!/'Cuz I'm so sick of watching other people die/Makes me wanna drift off in the devil's lullaby...")
Perhaps the most stunning and desperately heartbreaking song on this album is "Poet's Town" (which might refer to John G. Neihardt's poem of the same name, which is about how small, rural communities dismiss, shun, and smother creative individuals): "Man, I sold it to myself/This town's got rot in its foundations/So, I'll beat the shackles that hold me down/and I'll raise my fist at every frown/For every deadbeat there's a gravestone!/We're all going down in this fuckin' poet's town/'Cuz no one out there told me about us!"
You might be led to think that this album is a major downer--Resolution 242's view of the world can be kind of bleak--but they channel all of their anger and frustration into some extraordinary songs full of life, hope, and stubborn defiance with great sing-along choruses that give you something to think about, if not act upon...
The latest issue of the Do The Dog Skazine arrived in the mail yesterday (with the great Rasta4Eyes on the cover--read a review of their split CD with Captain Black No Stars here). As always, Kevin Flowerdew's long-running, subscription-only, printed (!) zine is jammed with essential information on the UK and international ska scenes (including bands on his excellent Do the Dog Music label) that you will not find anywhere else. Kevin has been printing this zine for something like two decades now--god, am I that old to know this?--and it is a must read for any self-respecting ska fan (subscribe now!).
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In a related note, The Duff Guide to Ska will soon be reviewing new Do the Dog Music releases from Resolution 242, Rebelation, and a live Bakesys album mercifully rescued from the vaults. In short, they are all very good! Stay tuned...
While the concept of the split EP isn't executed as elegantly as it once was in the pre-digital age (i.e.: a slab of vinyl that features one band on side 'A', then you flip over the record to hear tracks from the other one), it's still a nifty way to release material from new, untested ska bands (and massive props go to Kevin Flowerdew and Do the Dog Music for so strongly supporting the exploding UK ska scene). On Captain Black No Stars versus Rasta4eyes' "Boss Sounds of the Boom & Bust," which features four cuts from each, both bands are more than deserving of this showcase (and of your hard-won cash), though Captain Black No Stars edges out Rasta4eyes in this reggae/ska sound clash (and there's the downside of the split EP: one of the bands may outshine the other). Having said that, I eagerly look forward to hearing new material in the future from both acts...
With a singer that sounds like Mick Jones, Captain Black No Stars' style of punky dirty reggae reminds one a bit of The Clash's excellent forays into Jamaican music on London Calling and Sandinista. The great "Rivers of Blood," which versions Toots and the Maytal's "54-46 (Was My Number)," isn't as apocalyptic as its title suggests--it's about the boneheaded lawlessness in the singer's neighborhood (and government's inability to do anything about it) keeping him housebound--literally locked in like a prisoner, get it? "The Lighter Song" laments the fact that people aren't really free to do what they want in public, including smoke, drink, and enjoy a joint. "As Zac Says" is a cool, mid-tempo skank that seems to be warning everyone to be skeptical and aware of the hidden agendas behind the carefully controlled images and messages that pour out of our televisions and movie screens daily (can someone please post this band's lyrics on the net--I can't make all of their words out and think they have loads of relevant things to say). "Dub MPLA (Revolution Party)" is stellar cover of Tapper Zukie's classic track.
Rasta4eyes also turn in a good to great set of horn-filled, post-2 Tone ska with songs about seeking enlightenment ("Oscar & Arthur"); dealing with the never-ending cycles of crappy jobs and unemployment (the cutting "Good Old Rock N Roll"); the singer's over-the-top obsession with, and difficulties in, tracking down, buying, smoking, and--in an ideal world--growing pot ("The Herb"). The stand-out track is "Never Will I Pay" with its catchy keyboard and horn hooks, though the song is joyously defiant about not paying a dealer for pot or the government for taxes owed (even if it cuts into his dole payments). While the music on this track is top-notch, it may not be in your best interest to take its message to heart.
Both Captain Black No Stars and Rasta4eyes are proof positive that exciting things are happening on the UK ska scene--though based on the dark tenor of all of these songs, I can't say the same for the state of Her Majesty's nation.
Captain Black No Stars' Duff Guide to Ska grade: B+ Rasta4eyes' Duff Guide to Ska grade: B/B+
Just wanted to let you all know that I'm going to be out of town, away from all computers, for a few days, so don't expect new Duff Guide to Ska content for a few days. However, in the near future, I'll be writing up reviews of new The Porkers' CD, several Do the Dog releases, and posting info about some amazing Laurel Aitken reissues.
Wales-based Dirty Revolution offers up a good hybrid of rough and ready, guitar-based punky-reggae/ska similar to Citizen Fish, though this band sports alternating male and female vocalists (always welcome in ska--why aren't there more female-fronted ska bands?!--Reb Sutton has a terrific, powerful voice, reminding one of Rhoda Dakar). On this five-song CD EP (all tracks can be sampled on their MySpace page), Dirty Revolution also share many of the same concerns as Citizen Fish with their socially-conscious lyrics promoting peace, understanding, unity, and freedom (no complaints here).
"Dirty Revolution" is the band's fired-up manifesto: everything that is messed up in the world can only be solved by all of us getting our hands dirty, so to speak (Everybody knows the times are changing/Everybody sees the mess we're making/Everybody's in the fight we're facing/If it's set on fire only we can save us"). "I Love Reggae" recounts the tale of being tripped up by subcultural signifiers--trying to pick up a skinhead she assumes is anti-racist...("I said I love reggae/I said I love ska/He said he loved Screwdriver...You can call me naive/call me stupid/I can't believe people still listen to nazi music...Him and me wear the same clothes?"). Either way, an ironic lesson in judging a book by its cover, eh?
"Failure to Communicate" features a great melodica line, while noting how far too many people talk at each other and, as a result, solve nothing ("Now everybody's talking and I think that what is missing/Is ability to listen to what is being said/Instead of blankly nodding your head/Ignoring what you hear 'cos you're waiting for your chance to speak"). "50p" is a funny, kind of sweet deflating of idiotic superstar posturing (a la 50 Cent and Britney), while the hard, angry reggae skank of "Police" (melodica here, too!) bemoans the fact that the coppers never seem to be around while things are going to hell, but "as soon as you deviate from the norm/then they'll come/then they'll swarm."
Dirty Revolution is certainly an up-and-coming band to keep tabs on--can't wait to see what they're going to bring to the barricades next time...
What They're Saying About My Book "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone"
“An essential read…Stephen's eye for detail is incredible and his love for 2 Tone oozes from each page.” — Kevin Flowerdew, Do the Dog Skazine
“Written with a personal touch and with great passion about the bands and releases while giving a lot of emphasis to the lyrics, Stephen’s book is a great guiding hand to navigating your way to some great new music.” — Peter Walsh, 2-Tone.info
“It's some of the finest Madness analysis I've ever read.” —Donald Trull, Stateside Madness
“Steve's own story would make a great book, but instead he's written The Duff Guide to 2 Tone, a 250+ page collection of 2 Tone-related pieces from his blog. There are reviews of original pieces, but the book's real purpose is to show how the 2 Tone sound and—more importantly its ideals—carry on today...Get this book right away!" — Charles Benoit, Reggae Steady Ska
"...Shafer has definitely not forgotten how socially conscious issues were at the root of Ska even from the beginning. He makes certain to thread the political issues that motivated the development of Ska throughout his narrative; painting a picture that took both the oppressive political environments and the often ecstatic musical content into account. And in that, he nails down for me what the enduring pull of Ska was to its many fans. Was there ever a more upbeat dance music that combined its boundless energy with a push for progressive social values and calling truth to power?" —Post-Punk Monk
"...[The Duff Guide to 2 Tone is a] chatty, informative and knowledgeable work, one that you can either sit down and read or use as a reference source..." —Nik Skeat, Scootering Magazine
"During the reading of the book it is dangerous to have a screen open next to you with Discogs. I have found lots of ‘new music’ via the stories in The Duff Guide to 2 Tone which I must have." -- Peter Vrakking, Blue Beat & Ska
In the mail today, I received the first copy of my new paperback book The Duff Guide to 2 Tone --and am thrilled to announce that it is now...
About Your Duff Guide
Steve Shafer/The Duff Guide to Ska For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label that was too ahead of the curve for its own good (RIP).
I filmed and edited this Toasters video for $2,500, which made its debut on MTV's 120 Minutes. I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot!
Here's an old interview with Adam Monkey from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders. I also did a somewhat more recent interview with Read Junk.
I've been interviewed about ska music and Moon Records for The New York Times, Heather Augustyn's "Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation," Aaron Carnes' "In Defense of Ska," Kenneth Partridge's "Hell of a Hat: The Rise of '90s Ska and Swing," and Marc Wasserman's "Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History" (I also wrote the introductory chapter "1985: The Year American Ska Broke" for Wasserman's book).
And I'm the author of "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone," which can be ordered from Amazon--and is available in the US from Jump Up Records, and in Europe from the 2 Tone Village Shop (Coventry, UK), Champion Sound Records (Hull, UK), Aggroshop (Nijmegen, Netherlands), and Copasetic Mailorder (Hamburg, Germany). Plus, my book was on sale in the museum shop for the "2 Tone: Lives & Legacies" exhibition (May 28 - September 12, 2021), curated by Simon Reynolds, Cory Barrett, Pete Chambers, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike and Daniel Rachel, at the Herbert Art Gallery Museum in Coventry, UK.
I'm now working on my next book, "Calling All the Rude Boys: The Duff Guide to The Toasters, 1981-1992," to be published in 2023.
If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands.
All reviews and interviews posted on The Duff Guide to Ska are copyrighted and are the sole property of Steve Shafer. Please contact me for permission to reproduce anything on this blog.
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Check out The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel for footage of ska bands in action in clubs around NYC, as well as unusual and rare ska videos from the 90s! Bands featured include The Toasters, The Bluebeats, The Forthrights, Across the Aisle, The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, The Rudie Crew, Tip the Van, Hey Stranger, Beat Brigade, Bigger Thomas, King Chango, The Scofflaws, UB40, The Hard Times, Jah Love and the Valentinians, The Shifters, Rudies Don't Care, Big Audio Dynamite, Stranger Cole and Patsy with Crazy Baldhead, Queen P of Ocean 11, King Hammond, The Snails, King Django, Doomsday! The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles, Destroy Babylon, The Frightnrs, The Pandemics, Los Skarroneros, The Bullbuckers, The Scofflaws, The Reggay Lords, The Copacetics, Rude Boy George, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Specials, Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding, The Ladrones, Chris Murray, Radio Riddler, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, Barbicide, The Twilights, Bim Skala Bim featuring John Bunkley (Gangster Fun), The Pomps, and more!
