If you were still paying attention to ska in the early 2000s (after the '90s scene crashed and burned), you were probably aware of Michelle Chin's terrific DCska.com website, which was a reliable online source of news and reviews after the majority of ska zines faded away (here's an archived page from 2001). Depending on whether you were in the greater metro DC area (the DMV--DC, Maryland, and Virginia), you also might know that Chin and her boyfriend Dan Hess, singer for The Rachet Boys, promoted ska shows in the late '90s and early '00s through Rude in DC Productions--and more recently via BlueBeat DC. (For a phenomenal history of the DC ska scene in the '90s/'00s, see the article "Skank and File: An Oral History of D.C. Ska," published by the Washington City Paper in 2013.)
Joining a stellar collection of peers--The Pietasters, Checkered Cabs, Eastern Standard Time, and The Skunks--The Rachet Boys became one of the more dominant ska bands on the late '90s/early '00s DMV ska and punk scene. For several years, they also fueled a number of massively popular shows (booked by Chin and Hess) at an indoor soccerplex in Gaithersburg, MD called The Corner Kick. Just as the DMV scene began winding down around 2006, Hess was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, and tragically passed away in 2007 at age 30.
A digital collection of The Rachet Boys' live recordings was released in 2019 by BOB Records. For fans preferring vinyl, DCxPC Live recently reissued this set as The Rachet Boys Live from 1997-2001 LP, with all money from sales (though not shipping) donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Hess' memory. As one might expect, some of these recordings are more rough than ready, but they capture the undeniably winning live power of the band, Hess' charisma and humor (though not the donuts he used to toss to the crowd), and a whole lot of stage banter and crowd noise. The Ratchet Boys' sound falls in The Scofflaws/Skavoovie & The Epitones' modern (and slightly twisted) trad ska category (though they occasionally veer into punky ska). While this set contains two covers (Madness/Prince Buster's evergreen "One Step Beyond" and Symarip's "Skinhead Moonstomp), it spotlights The Rachet Boys' trove of excellent originals like "Montoya," "Farragut North" (a DC Metro station), "Shipwrecked," "Gator Bait," and "Brave New World" (paging Aldous Huxley!), as well as sillier but crowd-pleasing fare like "Blue Balls" (hey, the band originally was named The Skanker Sores).
This album is likely a must-buy for anyone who was part of the DMV ska scene and a fan of Dan Hess and The Rachet Boys (you can vicariously re-live those glory days!). But it'll also be of interest to '90s ska fans in general, who will be transported back in time on hearing these peculiar Third Wave ska sounds again.
Derrick Morgan backed by Eastern Standard Time
(photo: James Walker Studios)
Editor's note: Tim Receveur, along with his wife April, are the organizers of the Supernova International Ska Festival, which will be taking place on May 26-27 at the 1781 Brewing Companyin Spotsylvania, VA (see the entire bill below). We very much appreciate him taking the time so close to the event to answer our questions about the festival. Please note that Duff Guide to Ska readers can save $10 on a weekend pass to Supernova with the promo code "Duff."
The Duff Guide to Ska:How did last year's festival turn out? What were some of your personal highlights?
Tim Receveur: "The 2017 Supernova festival accomplished most of the goals that my wife April and I set out to accomplish. We wanted to put ska back on a larger stage and hopefully inspire people to think about it's past and future in a brighter light. On one end, we honored the legendary Derrick Morgan by hosting his 60th anniversary performance with Eastern Standard Time (who absolutely gave a performance of a lifetime), while at the same time mixing the weekend with a ton of young, up-and-coming ska bands who were barely alive when ska was big in the '90s. I didn't see much of the festival to be honest, but I did see The Aggrolites and The Pietasters backing Greg Lee of Hepcat on Night 1 and The Skints and The Pietasters on Night 2, which were all highlights for me. Adam Flymo Birch, who played trumpet for The Specials and The Toasters, also showed up for the weekend not knowing what to expect and he ended up playing on everyone's sets."
DGTS:Without getting too much into the nitty gritty, how are you financing this? Did you break even or turn a profit last year? (Will this always be more a labor of love or would you like seeing it develop into a bigger business venture?)
Greg Lee of Hepcat backed by The Pietasters (photo: James Walker Studios)
TR: "This has always been a labor of love and no one in their right mind would spend this amount of time on a festival if they didn't have a deep affinity for the community and the bands. Last year, we financed the festival through ticket sales, a percentage of the beer money, and a GoFundMe campaign, but it lost money unfortunately. This year, we're trying to do a better job of keeping our costs down and hoping that last year's success will lead to more tickets sales in 2018 (2018supernova.eventbrite.com)."
DGTS: What about putting on the Virginia Ska Festival a few years ago made you want to make the jump to a larger and more ambitious international ska fest?
TR: "Supernova was actually the third try at a name after a stupidly named Brew Fest in 2014 and the Virginia Ska Festival in 2015. The first year was just one day and five bands including The Pietasters, Chris Murray, and The Snails (now The Dull Blue Lights) and we expanded it to two days with the Virginia Ska Fest. The first band we signed in 2017 was The Skints from the UK, so it felt like we needed to think a little bigger about the festival name. NOVA is just shorthand for Northern Virginia, so the name is bigger while recognizing our roots in Virginia."
DGTS:What is your criteria for selecting acts each year?
The Aggrolites (photo: James Walker Studios)
TR: "We have a few that we try to target and lock down early each year. For 2018, I wanted The Suicide Machines, MU330, Western Standard Time and Hepcat, and we were able to lock down three of the four. We couldn't land Hepcat in the end, but Greg Lee is coming in and singing a set with WST this year. For the other bands, it's been a family effort and my son Brody has helped pick the bands, especially the newer bands. For criteria, we spent all summer listening to the tracks that bands sent, we want to have a geographic mix of bands and have some variety to the ska. We've also been coordinating closely with Chuck Wren from Jump Up Records and Matt Flood from Asbestos Records, who have both helped getting the bands and the word out."
DGTS:What's it like juggling your considerable responsibilities at the PeaceTech Lab with organizing a major music festival?
TR: "It's been extremely tough over the last few months. My work for PeaceTech Lab has had me on the road in four continents since December and I recently spent the better part of early 2018 in Niger, mostly without internet, which makes it hard to get the word out for the festival. The upside is that I run into ska fans in unexpected corners of the world."
The Skints (photo: James Walker Studios)
DGTS:What do you think of the ska/punk/reggae "Back to the Beach" festival out in California (and why do think ska festivals out there attract big music industry promoters, while there's not much interest back East)?
TR: The Back to the Beach festival looks like a dream come true and most of my all-time favorite bands are there. When I first saw the bill, I definitely thought it was fake. California is definitely the epicenter of the bands and the promoters, so it makes sense that it would be bigger out there. For selfish reasons, I'm just glad this wasn't announced in New York or Florida or we would be sunk with it so close to Supernova. We obviously don't do ourselves any favors by hosting this in Virginia and we've had offers to move this to New York or Boston, so we'll see how this year goes and explore that in the future."
DGTS:It seems like most of the major scenes from across the US are represented by bands on this year's festival bill--but it's still challenging upping the quotient of international acts, right (what with travel expenses, visas, etc.)? Do you see including a higher number of international acts in the future?
TR: "The downside to international acts is exactly what you mentioned. You can find affordable flights, but the visa issue is the hardest thing for independent performers. We tried to bring in Rhoda Dakar this year unsuccessfully because the visa process is absolutely daunting and even with a lawyer it takes months. A British citizen can come to the U.S. with no problem, but if they want to sing and get paid they need an O visa which is the same thing that Bono and Sting need to tour. We do have international acts coming with Doreen Schaffer from The Skatalites coming in to sing with Western Standard Time, Roddy Radiation from The Specials will be there backed by The Scotch Bonnets from Baltimore, and Dr Ring Ding will be coming in from Germany."
DGTS:Is there anything about this year's festival that you want to pass along to The Duff Guide to Ska readers?
TR: "We will be reuniting The Stubborn All-Stars with an absolutely killer line-up for this year's fest with King Django, Vic Ruggiero, Eddie Ocampo, Agent Jay Nugent, Sheldon Gregg aka Bassista Giamaicano, David Hillyard, and Rich Graiko. This will also be the first time on the East Coast for both Western Standard Time and the Chris Murray Combo.
Help us keep ska alive by buying your tickets and coming down to the festival! It will be held at a beautiful brewery called the 1781 Brewing Company and you can see some photos here (http://april.smugmug.com/1781). Get your tickets at http://2018supernova.eventbrite.com/ and save $10 on a weekend pass with the promo code "Duff." Our website can be found at http://www.supernovaska.com. Thanks!"
The Pietasters recently completed a quick tour of the NYC tri-state area the last weekend of January-- and prior to their January 27th show at the Brooklyn Bazaar in Greenpoint, I sat down with Steve Jackson, lead singer and co-founder of the legendary DC-based band to get his thoughts on any planned recording, the state of the DC ska scene, and the next big concert dates for the band.
The Pietasters last album, All Day, was released back in 2007 and fans have been clamoring for another outing. When asked about plans to get back into the studio, Jackson noted that they revolve around "Jeremy [Roberts, trombone] who is building a studio in his basement. We've got a ton of material and it's just a matter of editing and finishing recording, and we'll probably start fresh with recording rhythm tracks. So, there's something in the pipeline!"
Jackson went on to jokingly note on how they may release the album: "With [the state of] music these days, I think we might do it all on cassette, not even a digital release," and that someone else will have to digitize and upload it.
When asked what is driving some of their current songwriting, Jackson replied, "probably getting old is something that everyone is the band is experiencing. You get seven, eight, nine people in a band there's going to be a lot of things. The songs are just about having fun, and talking about when we had fun, and weird stories. One of the albums that [several band members] liked recently was the most recent Blur album [The Magic Whip]."
The Pietasters are currently the longest, consistently performing ska band in the DC area with Eastern Standard Time coming in at a close second. When asked about the current local scene and any upcoming bands of note, Jackson enthusiastically commented, "there's The Forwards, in Baltimore, and they just played with Lee "Scratch" Perry. So, Baltimore has this really cool, more of a reggae scene it seems, though it’s hard to keep any scene going."
Jackson also noted the The Fuss, another DC-based band. He explained, "they're really important to the DC scene because they run Bluebeat DC, a monthly show of local and touring bands [at Wonderland Ballroom]. When we started playing there was a monthly show at Hennessey's where we would play or The Skunks or The Checkered Cabs, so it’s cool that all the folks at Bluebeat are keeping that DIY thing alive.”
In May, the Pietasters will be returning to the Supernova International Ska Festival. Jackson chimed in, "that's always a fun party, and Tim and his wife April work so hard on that and you can see a lot of upcoming bands and old farts like us." [At the time of writing, it was just announced that the Stubborn All-Stars will reunite to play the show as well.]
The Pietasters have for the past several years done a booze cruise off Manhattan, playing close to three hours on a boat floating down the Hudson and East Rivers. When asked whether the tradition would continue, Jackson noted that they were definitely planning it, and were working on a date in mid-August.
The Pietasters went on to perform a killer headline show at the Brooklyn Bazaar--with support from High School Football Heroes, the Dull Blue Lights (formally The Snails), and Ensamble Calavera. They performed songs mostly from Ooolooloo, Willis, and All Day--Jackson front and center with his signature sing-alongs with the crowd, including favorites "Maggie Mae" and "Out All Night." See you next time on the dance floor, and drink, drink, drink, drink!
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Ryan Midnight is a New York City area DJ, who can be found spinning ska tunes at various bars and supporting bands in the area. He can be heard on his weekly-ish podcast "100% Ska." Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/djryanmidnight/.
As many of you are already aware, there is a big, two-day ska fest coming up over the Memorial Day weekend--the Supernova International Ska Festival in Fredericksburg, VA (which is about an hour or so south of Washington, DC). There are many top acts that don't make to the East Coast with much frequency (if at all), like Derrick Morgan, The Aggrolites (with Greg Lee of Hepcat), Sonic Boom Six, The Skints, Monty Neysmith--and there are tons of amazing acts always worth seeing, including The Toasters, The Piestasters, Pilfers, Askultura, Chris Murray, Hub City Stompers, J. Navarro and the Traitors, Eastern Standard Time, The Scotch Bonnets, The Ladrones, The Bishops, The Snails, Sammy Kay, and more! Check out who's playing which day of the festival on the graphic below. All other details are on the festival website, which includes a handy festival FAQ page. There's also a (now sold-out) Friday night pre-festival party with Jump Up Records at the Spencer Devon Brewery, where they'll be screening the Legends of Ska movie (with filmmaker Brad Klein present), a CHema Skandal poster show, a Jump Up Records pop up shop, and DJ sets by Chuck Wren, Sonido Triton, and Darren Reggae!
2015 was a challenging year at work and with family matters. Nothing terrible, mind you--I was just very busy, with lots of demands on my time that kept me from writing about so many more ska releases and shows. So, my caveat is that my year-end review is by no means comprehensive. I missed out on a lot of great releases this year, but what I did manage to write about is very much worth your attention. And should you have some money left over from all of the holiday gift-giving or gift cards you received that are burning a hole in your pocket, please consider supporting these bands/releases by purchasing their music! This is Part 1 of The Duff Guide to Ska's 2015 Year in Review...
Dubistry: Fuel for the Fire digital album (self-released through Bandcamp) -- Dubistry are one of those terrific, hard-to-pigeonhole bands that are an awesome mash-up of many musical styles--in this case, a sophisticated blend of ska/reggae, jazz, 70s rock and R and B, and more. Early 90s ska fans will take notice that lead singer Dunia Best was in Agent 99 with Agent Jay (as well as an early version of The Slackers) and will want to begin their exploration of Dubistry with one of the more straight-up reggae/dub tracks on the album, the almost apocalyptic, call to rise up and take action of "Tomorrow" ("You have to be fuel for the fire/Before you get burned/Because you never know/Which way the road will turn..."). Then check out the sweet, lovers rock of "Give It To Me One More Time"; a great roots reggae cover of Joni Mitchell's "Blue"; and the wonderful, stripped down (acoustic guitar and percussion), campfire ska of "Roll Away." The more musically omnivorous will love the excellent Steely Dan meets Stevie Wonder-ish earworm that is "Butterfly" and the gorgeously lush and romantic "All Through the Night" (that manages to be a great "Quiet Storm"-like soft-rock/soulful reggae hybrid). Don't miss out on this release--it's so good and essential!
The Lions: Soul Riot CD/2xLP (Stones Throw) -- This is the one release that I never got around to reviewing this year because I was afraid of not being able to do it justice. I am in awe of this record. Like Fishbone's Truth and Soul or Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, The Lions' absolutely phenomenal Soul Riot is full of songs of defiance, despair, anger, and pure joy (where love and lust are concerned) that reflect the black American experience--as the nation's horrific legacy of slavery continues to play out in so many devastating ways (in particular, see "When It Rains," "At a Loss," and "Going Nowhere"). And like Fishbone's aforementioned marketer-confounding album, Soul Riot incorporates bits of many other musical genres into its heady roots reggae mix, including R and B, funk, De La Soul-like hip hop, and dancehall. With vocal duties shared by Deston Berry, Alex Desert (both of Hepcat), Malik Moore (The Bullets, Ocean 11), Black Shakespeare (cousin of Robbie), and even Angelo Moore of Fishbone (on the awesome "Rhythm Rock") and a band full of LA ska and reggae all-star musicians, the songs of social consciousness and protest have rarely sounded this good and compelling. (Did I mention their deadly cool cover of The Clash's "Magnificent Seven" recorded for the essential The Clash Goes Jamaican comp?) As far as I'm concerned, this is the album of the year.
The Specials:More Specials 2xCD reissue (Chrysalis) -- While I cringe at how many times The Specials' catalogue has been reissued in various packages (why can't Rico's That Man is Forward and Jama Rico receive this kind of attention?!), I picked up this deluxe version at the recommendation of a friend, who told me that the newly remastered More Specials (so often neglected/maligned in the past) had never sounded so good. One listen to the extraordinary, nuclear dread-filled opening to "Man at C and A"--the only song Jerry Dammers and Terry Hall ever wrote together--or the brightly masked despair of being stuck in a life with no future in Lynval Golding's brilliant "Do Nothing" and you'll be convinced.
Self-released
2015
Vinyl 7" single
Available through Jump Up Records
(Review by Steve Shafer)
Eastern Standard Time's terrific new single "The Dragon" b/w "Miles and Miles" was released to co-incide with their recently completed 2015 summer European tour (Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, and more; it's criminal that they're bigger over there than they are in the USA)--as well as the band's 20th (!) anniversary.
The A side is a crisp, top-shelf, ska-jazz original instrumental (love the vibraphone!) complete with subtle 50s/60s sci-fi/flying saucer effects mixed in--perhaps they're referring to this space dragon? (Note the abstract, 1950s picture sleeve cover art that wouldn't be out of place on the cover of an Isaac Asimov or Ray Bradbury collection of short stories or an Eisenhower-era issue of Analog.) "Miles and Miles" is I-Peace Unikue's sweet and soulful entreaty to a special someone to spend their life's journey together:
"Let's take a stroll tonight
Leaving inhibitions and cares behind
You and I
I wanna take the long way with your hand in mine
Baby, I'm in love with you
Every day I want you more and more
Let's discuss what I propose to do
I want to make your dreams come true
Cause every time I see your smile
Forgive me if I stare for awhile
But that's because we'll be together until the end of time
Baby take a walk with me
We could walk for miles and miles and miles and miles..."
Eastern Standard Time write great vintage ska songs that are performed with impeccable musicianship--it doesn't get much better than this!
This bill of ska bands is strictly A-list, top-shelf, dynamite, primo, first-class, five-star, out-of-sight stellar--and all for the bargain price of $7! If you're not familiar with any one of the acts, check out their video below. Then, plan to get yourself onto the J train and to Goodbye Blue Monday on Saturday night!
Editor's note: With the third annual Montreal Ska Festival coming up this weekend (October 14-16, 2011), we thought it was a good time to catch up with one of the festival's co-founders, Valerie Desnoyers (the other co-founder is Catherine Marchand), as well as festival volunteer/performer/booster, Lorraine Muller (of The Fabulous Lolo, Lo and the Magnetics, and The Kingpins)...
The Duff Guide to Ska:How did the Montreal Ska Festival first come into existence--and why was it established as a non-profit, all-volunteer organization? (I know the Canadian government is very good about supporting the arts; does the festival receive any government grants?) Have you been involved with it from the beginning, and what's your current role in the organization?
Valerie Desnoyers: The Montreal Ska Festival started from a few fans who wanted to bring back the excitement and popularity that ska music once knew in Montreal. In the late 90s, Montreal was known as the ska capital of at least Canada, if not North America, and thanks to The Kingpins' and Planet Smashers' creation Stomp Records, we were world-reknown in terms of ska. That reputation and popularity soon waned, but the the talent remained. We thought it was a shame that Victoria, BC was able to have its own ska festival while Montreal did nothing. The Victoria Ska Festival is a well-known event that has now been running for 12 years! We were inspired by what they were doing and decided to stop waiting for it to happen and just make it happen ourselves.
We sat down with Lorraine to run the idea by her and ask her for her input, and to learn from her experience and she pushed us into making it happen. She believed in us and supported us every step of the way, being our spokesperson, media coordinator, advisor--AND generously offering her musical support on every edition by playing with her fabulous band of all-stars ska musicians, The Fabulous Lolo. Therefore the project started in August 2008 and it was really important to us to make it non-profit so we could use all the money directly towards the festival and bands, without having everyone taking a cut before the artists get theirs. We feel the musicians are undervalued and that they deserve way more recognition (and money) for their hard work.
People don't realize how hard it is to write, rehearse, book yourself, promote yourself, and deal with the paperwork on top of focusing on your music. We wanted to be a means of support and a offer a platform for the local bands so they could concentrate more on making music and developing contacts by playing with international acts.
We are not receiving any grants, it is really hard for us because we insist on keeping the ticket prices as low as possible (less than $20 with taxes and service charges) to democratize the music and have people come and check it out even if they don't know the bands playing, but just because it's affordable. We have tried to apply for a bunch of grants, it's quite complicated and very time-consuming since you also need to produce a pile of paperwork for every application. We are DIY and have tried to get help with this but it continues to be a huge challenge. I was part of the originators of the Montreal Ska Society, I'm president and my role includes a broad variety of tasks, from artistic director to ordering the merch, dealing with the taxes and driving the backline.
I have great volunteers helping me out, I could certainly not do it by myself. This year, more musicians have become volunteers and it's nice to see the scene being supported and taken over by the actual people that are on stage. Having them help out behind the scenes is refreshing and motivating for me.
DGTS:For this year's festival, how were the bands selected?
VD: We almost made it happen with The Skatalites for the 2010 edition, but they extended their stay in a South American festival, so the dates didn't coincide. Since they were interested and they are really a jewel for our crowd, we treated ourselves by making it happen this year!
Lorraine Muller: I am not at all involved in programming, but what I'd like to add is that the true goal of the festival is to support and maintain a healthy ska scene in the city, so we/they really emphasize the local talent by selecting the cream of the crop for the festival. We avoid repeats from one year to the next, so this keeps the door open for new artists and provides them a concrete goal towards which they can work. After that, the headlining acts are picked based on Val and Cath's desire to share their discoveries with the city, as well as give people access to legendary bands that don't get to perform here very often.
DGTS:Based your experience with previous Montreal Ska Festivals, how many fans are you expecting in total this year?
VD: We are expecting about 2,000 guests altogether spread over all our events in the 2011 edition. We think The Skatalites are truly something special for the Montreal fans and we expect a lot of people to come this year that might not have been to the previous years.
DGTS:As ska fans, which bands are you looking forward to seeing the most at the fest? (And what are some of your favorite memories from the previous two festivals?)
VD: Of course, The Skatalites are something really special and rare, but personally I'm really looking forward to see Mr. T-Bone (Italy) and Eastern Standard Time (Washington, DC). Mr. T-Bone will be playing on Canadian soil for the first time ever and EST, who haven't played here in over a decade, will not only be performing a set of their own but also serve as Mr. T-Bone's backing band. Void Union are a collective from Boston that we went to see last January to decide if they were MSF material and we were blown away! They are definitely a must-see in the 2011 edition. They are a 'coup-de-coeur' for me because a few members from Westbound Train are part of the project. WBT were one of the highlights of the 2009 edition of the MSF.
Of course we are also psyched to see our local bands make their way in the line-up and play the big stage that is Club Soda.
LM: The thing that excites me most about the festival is less the individual bands, and more the community that gravitates towards it. While I enjoy the performance of most of the bands, I really get my kicks out of seeing others enjoy the bands and discover something new! I've always said that to ME, and this is a very personal feeling, ska can be like a big hug. It reminds me of how I felt when i first discovered it, like someone was giving me a big hug and saying "welcome!"
I'm very excited about The Skatalites coming to the festival, it makes me realize how far it has come in such a short time! And the fact that The Toasters routed their tour around our festival goes to show that it is truly becoming a world-class international event! My favourite memories almost always involve me performing, or talking to people after they've seen me perform. Each year, the festival continues to provide more memorable moments for each of us who attend. It's always fun to catch up with bands I haven't seen for a long time (like Mustard Plug, who I hadn't seen in several years), to discover new bands I'd never seen nor heard (Westbound Train comes to mind), or to watch our local bands thrive (in the way I've enjoyed watching Danny Rebel & the KGB grow since the first edition). This year, I will be catching up with The Skatalites, with whom I've played several times in Europe, and EST who I was very close with back in the day.
DGTS:What is the Montreal ska scene like? Ska is pretty much relegated to the underground in the US--is it fairly popular in Canada right now and does it tend to attract people from other music scenes?
LM: Ska as a genre does not have a very "popular" standing at the moment. We've also slipped back into the underground, but that's a great occasion to refresh and regroup and continue to inspire each other. I don't know if ska will ever really explode into popularity and become its own entity the way hip-hop has, or metal. I think people don't really know what it is, and that it has SUCH a varied offering that it doesn't actually fit into one category anyway. Ska-punk fits into the category of punk, ska-pop fits into pop, and so on. There are a few bands that can play major festivals and make a living at the music, but to say "few" is even being generous. We're lucky enough to have a healthy underground, and a steady stream of newcomers to the music, and to have a good pool of talent and fans that can allow this music to thrive in our community.
DGTS: Which ska bands in Montreal should we make sure to check out?
VD: Definitely Danny Rebel & the KGB who were part of the MSF in 2009 and are playing again this year. They are just about to record their second album and this time, they are working with the legendary producer Victor Rice! They are unbelievable performers and write the catchiest songs ever. Make sure you check them out, they will be coming to the US soon! The Fundamentals, The Hangers, The Beatdown, and R.D.C. are all great talented bands from Montreal.
LM: I agree that DRKGB are a must-see and the ones to watch. The Fundamentals have also raised the bar on every level, whether it's songwriting or performing. We're very fortunate to have a good variety of ska in the city--something for everyone!
DGTS:Can you share with us the origins of your own band, The Fabulous Lolo? Its traditional ska/rocksteady sound is a big shift in direction from the post-2 Tone ska of The Kingpins and Lo and the Magnetics--why did you want to explore this aspect of the genre?
LM: If you listen to the evolution of The Kingpins, you will see that what we did was explore a different facet of ska on each album. Each project was approached in a completely different way. We started off very 2 Tone like, then took a step back in time to explore our love of the 60s garage-twist-movie soundtrack sound, and followed that up with a wonderful testament to our take on traditional "old-school" Jamaican ska and rocksteady. The last Kingpins album, and the Magnetics album were both a study of more modern sounds, incorporating a lot more technology, so these were not influential in the birth of The Fabulous LoLo.
This exploration of different eras of ska (starting in 1996-1997) was spearheaded by our then keyboard player Ian "Hot Tub" Hodkinson, and when he left the band, Jesse Radz (trumpet) kept us on the path towards traditional sounds. We willingly and eagerly discovered so many wonderful songs and artists from that time and this gave rise to the Stomp All-Stars in 1997 or 1998 when, over a few beers, Bobby Beaton (Kingpins, guitar) proposed to Matt Collyer (Planet Smashers, guitar) that it would be a great idea to do some sort of all-star band and play some of those great old tunes together instead of always performing our own tunes as separate bands.
The pinnacle of that band came in 2000 when we played at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on one of the outdoor stages. We had programmed the entire ska series (led by John Jordan as our link between the festival organizers and our band suggestions, which were all selected). In late 2005, the Magnetics were not very busy (and in fact, were about to go on hiatus in May 2006). I had no other regular band to speak of and I really wanted to do something. I decided to contact the Jazz Festival organizers myself after having performed several times with The Kingpins and propose the idea of getting an all-star band together but concentrating on rocksteady music. They loved the idea and in Spring 2006 they confirmed they would love to invite us to participate at that summer's festival! (The name came from my long-time collaborator Mitch Gírio who said that would be a great stage name.) I was thrilled and immediately sought out the best musicians I could think of for this music! I really approached that first gig as a "meeting of worlds." The idea was to get people from different (in some cases allegedly "opposing") universes together, united in one common goal--black/white, younger/older, old-school/new-school.
I got a friend who had played at Studio One in the 60s (Errol Walters) and I got Lynn Taitt who was "the man" at Duke Reid's Treasure Isle, the other prominent studio in Jamaica at the time. I got a Planet Smasher alongside a Kingpin, and I used my very own wonderful musicians from The Kingpins/Magnetics as the core. The full name we gave that first concert was "The Fabulous LoLo sings Rocksteady".
DGTS:Before he passed, the band collaborated with the great rocksteady guitarist Lynn Taitt--what transpired and what was it like to work with him?
LM: When The Kingpins were recording Let's Go To Work in 1997, we thought it would be wonderful to have one of the "old-timers" on the album to really bring home the trad flavour we were going for. We knew that many Jamaicans from that era had moved up to Canada, mostly Toronto. Our bassist Jordan Swift learned that guitarist Lynn Taitt was actually living not too far from Montreal and we called upon him. I knew nothing of him at the time. I'd never heard his name and didn't know who he was. I was just excited we were having someone who was "there" joining us on the album.
He showed up at the studio with his wife and listened to the tunes we wanted to do with him. He was shy and didn't say too much, but once he started opening up, he told us that in fact, he had produced and played on the very first recorded version of the song "Last Train to Expo '67" (which we were asking him to play on!!) Well, that blew our minds. He also played on our original tune "Johnny Rocksteady" by adding some of his signature bubbling guitar.
We kept in touch, as he seemed to genuinely get a kick out of playing with us, and it was like watching him rediscover an old love. He'd been doing arranging of different music until then and hadn't been playing much rocksteady, to be sure! He came out and played with the Stomp All Stars in early 1998, and he called me into his studio to do some back vocals and horn section parts on his projects. He had a clear picture of what he wanted and though communication was sometimes hard (expressions and terminologies not always the same), I really enjoyed my moments with him. It was such an honour to have him play with us in 2006. This was his last live performance before he passed away last year. I got to see him a few times in the last year and was very proud for him when he was honoured at the "Legends of Rocksteady" concert at the Jazz Festival in 2009.
DGTS:Do you have any plans to bring The Fabulous Lolo down to the US (NYC perhaps?) this year to promote your new album?
LM: I would absolutely LOVE to get the band on the road, but you must be painfully aware of how difficult it is to break even with such an expensive undertaking (getting a 10-piece band into a large enough vehicle, feeding them and compensating them). If anyone has any ideas of a mini-tour that is feasible, I am more than open to the idea.
DGTS:If you could only save five of your ska/reggae records or CDs from a fire in your home, which ones would they be?
LM: I'm glad I live in the age of portable music and this isn't really a question I need worry about! But if it were a consideration, for NOSTALGIC reasons (not because I listen to them regularly), I would save my vinyl editions of This Are 2 Tone and Dance Craze. These albums were the first ska albums I bought! I would then make sure I had my Fabulous LoLo CD because it was a very proud moment to finally get this 10-piece band down on a proper recording! And I would be crazy to leave behind an absolute collector's item, The Kingpins' On the Run EP from 1995. That is irreplaceable. Last but not least, an album I actually do listen to on occasion Danny Rebel & the KGB's Soul Shaker. I wouldn't feel bad about the rest of my collection, but these ones I would miss! Actually, now you have me thinking about other items that are precious and irreplaceable!
Casbah Taj Mahal 1000 Boardwalk @ Virginia Avenue Atlantic City, NJ $20/$10 with CK Expo badge
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Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Eastern Standard Time, Mr. T-Bone, Bigger Thomas, The Rudie Crew DC's Eastern Standard Time comes to Brooklyn together with Italian trombone sensation, Mr. T-Bone to meet up with Bigger Thomas and the Rudie Crew for a great night of dancing tunes! Don't miss it!
Goodbye Blue Monday 1087 Broadway Brooklyn, New York J train to Kosciuszko $6.00/All Ages
Washington, DC's Eastern Standard Time is teaming up with Italy's Mr. T-Bone for a short tour of parts of the Midwest this October--as well as a night over the border in Canada at the Montreal Ska Festival and another in my home base of NYC! You like traditional/jazzy ska? Then you need to get yourself to one of these shows, since EST and Mr. T-Bone are two of the finest acts you can hope to see (plus, along the way, they will be sharing the stage with special guests like The Skatalites, Murder City Players, 1592, Bigger Thomas, and The Rudie Crew)!
This October, if you are anywhere within striking distance of Montreal, you must get yourself to the third annual Montreal Ska Festival, presented by the Montreal Ska Society, a non-profit, 100% volunteer-run organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of Quebecois and Canadian ska music and culture.
Editor's note: Despite what our fans and boosters may say about us, The Duff Guide to Ska is not omniscient (we're quite imperfect and fallible, trust us!). We're ashamed to admit that didn't get our sweaty hands on every ska 7", 10", 12", LP, CD, and digital track released in 2010 (though we wish we had!). So, despite our shortcomings, below please find our thoroughly unscientific, highly biased, and most incomplete "Best Ska Singles of 2010" list:
- Babyhead: "Jungle Law" b/w "Jungle Lore" (two track vinyl single; Rockers Revolt Records). Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.
- Club Moonstomp, featuring Roy Ellis, Eastern Standard Time, Mr. T Bone, and Green Room Rockers (four track color vinyl single, Jump Up Records).
- The Crabs Corporation Meets King Hammond: "Bring Down the Birds" (one track vinyl single; Record Kicks). Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.
- King Hammond: "Riot in London Town" (four track vinyl single; N.1. Records). Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.
- The Hard Times: "Two Bucks for Bob" (three track digital EP; Whatevski Records). Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.
- Buford O'Sullivan: L.R.T.R. (three track vinyl single and eight track digital EP; Megalith Records). Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.
- Tin Roots: Set Sail (four track digital EP; self-released). Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.
The word from Chuck Wren at Jump Up Records is that he has the new live CD from the awesome ska-soul Belgian act The Moon Invaders, Live at the AB Club (Grover)--and that The Moon Invaders' skinhead reggae alter ego, The Caroloregians, have a new CD/LP, Funkify Your Reggae, coming down the pipeline soon! I have a feeling that both of these albums are going to be vital additions to The Duff Guide to Ska collection. If you were fortunate enough to catch both of these bands on tour of the USA this past summer (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of this show--and watch video footage of both bands in action--here), you know these bands are incredibly good (their absolutely sensational split CD, Hot Blood, Cold Weather is essential!).
+ + + + Speaking of Euro ska-soul acts, I just picked up and listened to the new Babylove & the van Dangos LP, The Money & The Time (Jump Up) on my cheap-but-good Vestax Handy Trax record player (I've actually used it in a Fat Albert/MacGyver DJ set-up and it worked really well). We'll review The Money & The Time soon, but can tell you now that it's stellar.
Even though I was hundreds of miles away when Club Moonstomp happened, I feel like I was kind of there after playing the Jump Up commemorative colored vinyl single, featuring new and rare material from Roy Ellis (Symarip), Eastern Standard Time, Mr. T-Bone, and Green Room Rockers. Not sure how many of these Chuck has left after offering them at the gig, but they're worth tracking down.
Lastly, I mail-ordered The Trojan Skinhead Reggae Collection from Ernie B's Reggae (a double-CD set for $8.99, so I figured how could I go wrong?). It turns out that is it an abridged version (40 out of 50 tracks) of the four-CD Trojan Skinhead Reggae Box Set--which I don't have--and has many cuts from 1968-1972 that were new to me, like Lloyd Charmers' "Dollars and Bonds" and Derrick Morgan's "Copy Cat." Good stuff.
As part of Chicago's upcoming Riot Fest 2010, Chuck Wren and Jump Up Records are presenting "Club Moonstomp," which will feature the legendary Roy Ellis (from one of the greatest skinhead reggae groups ever, Symarip), as well as Eastern Standard Time, Mr. T-Bone (from Italy), and the Green Room Rockers--plus Chuck is spinning wax from his mega-deep collection. This is all going down on Sunday, October 10, beginning at 8:00 pm (18+) at Subterranean (2011 North Avenue, Chicago).
The Toasters, Crombies, and Skapone are also appearing at Riot Fest on Friday, October 8th at Subterranean!
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Take note that Jump Up has just served up three new releases:
The Green Room Rockers self-titled, sophomore album full of Motown soul and Kingston reggae is out on CD now (and LP in a few weeks).
Mr T-Bones' Instrumental Sessions Volume 1 was mixed by Victor Rice and features guest appearances by members of The Slackers (NYC), The Bullets (Los Angeles), The Caroloregians/Moon Invaders (Belgium), The Ratazanas (Portugal), The Soul Captives (San Francisco), The Forthrights (NYC), and The Heatmakers (France), plus Larry McDonald on percussion (RS7 & Dub is a Weapon); David Hillyard on tenor/baritone sax (Slackers & RS7), Kincaid Smith on trumpet (Hepcat), King Django chatting, Roger Rivas on organ (Aggrolites), Buford O'Sullivan on trombone (Easy Star All Stars), Tommy Tornado on tenor sax (Rude Rich), Rich Graiko on trumpet (Westbound Train & Void Union), Paolo Parpaglione on tenor/alto sax (Mr.T-Bone Allstars & Bluebeaters), and Cecio Grano on tenor sax/flute (Young Lions). If you buy the LP of this release, you also receive it on CD.
Lastly, Babylove & the van Dangos' new Money & The Time LP showcases the band's stunning mix of traditional ska, which is full of energy and soul! It's on yellow vinyl and limited to an edition of 500 copies.
Editor's note: Despite being lesser-known in the US (a real shame, actually), Mark Foggo has been B-I-G on the Euro ska scene since the late 80s--revered for his manic (and sometimes maniacal) but always brilliant ska songs; larger-than-life loony persona; and incredible hi-energy live shows. As he prepares to tour this summer and fall in support of his excellent new album MAD (his billionth recording, which will be released on April 17--Record Store Day!--and soon to be reviewed on The Duff Guide to Ska), Mark Foggo was kind enough to take a few moments to answer our inquiries...
DGTS: I’ve been aware of your music since the late 80s (specifically, your track on the “Ska for Ska’s Sake” comp released on Skank Records in 1989), when I was discovering the many incredible British, German, and French ska bands active at that time through the Skank, Pork Pie, and Unicorn labels. Which were some of your favorite bands from that era, and how does the late 80s UK/Euro ska scene compare to today?
Mark Foggo: There were many great ska bands around in the 80s and many great festivals, mainly in the UK and Germany. The ska people used to turn out in huge numbers and we had a real lot of fun meeting and partying with them all. One of my favourite bands of the 80s were The Hotknives. The band was outstanding at that time and featured the main man, Gary Marshall. Sadly, these days the scene is not so big, but fortunately there are a few dedicated ska promoters who keep things moving. We notice there are more and more young kids coming to our shows these days, not particularly ska-looking kids, but maybe more skater. They love ska and we come across them all over Europe, so I reckon the future's bright.
DGTS:Did you grow up listening to ska? What record or experience made you a fan?
MF: I grew up listening to rhythm and blues. My favourite singer was Eric Burdon of The Animals. He had the best screaming soul voice I'd ever heard, and after I'd been to see him (in about 1964 ), I made up my mind what my future was going to be. I progressed from rhythm and blues to punk, and then in about 1979 I discovered ska. There were Specials, Beat, and Bad Manners around then and I loved it all. First, I played punk and ska, and a couple of years later I stopped with the punk in my gigs.
DGTS:What inspired you to form Mark Foggo and the Skasters?
MF: I moved to Holland in 1979, just at the time I got interested in ska. I spent a bit of time playing with different bands, but didn't like the music much, so then I decided to start my own. I brought two guys I'd been playing with in London over to Holland, and the rest I stole out of other bands. We began with the name "Mark Foggo and the Secret Meeting," and later when we released Ska Pig we changed it to "Mark Foggo's Skasters."
DGTS:You're from Liverpool originally--but your label is based in Belgium (and I assume you live there, too). I think I've always thought you were from the Netherlands. Is Foggo a British name or am I just being kind of ignorant in an ugly-American kind of way?
MF: Foggo is a Scottish name, but I'm English, born in Liverpool. Many people think I'm Dutch, but that's because I lived there for many years. I now live in Antwerp in Belgium, which in fact is only 100 miles down the road from Amsterdam in Holland. I'm also only 150 miles from the UK and 100 miles from Germany, so it's a good central place to be.
DGTS:Your songs are oftentimes about everyday experience written from a slightly off-kilter point-of-view (“Bumpy Airlines” and “Cybergirl” come to mind). You've cultivated this madman of ska persona--this, along with the diversity of musical styles that are incorporated in your ska sound, makes me think of Ian Dury. Are you the Ian Dury of ska (is this something you've aspired to)?
MF: There are a variety of musical styles in my songs and that is simply because I've experienced them at some time or other in my life. I was at school in Liverpool during the Beatlemania period (not having been a Beatle fan myself, of course). At much the same time, the Rollin' Stones were out and about, then, like I mentioned, The Animals, The Clash, The Jam, and many many more. All these bands must have had an influence on me in one way or another. And then Tamla Motown, and then the punk thing...and so on. I liked Ian Dury and his songs very much, but I wouldn't regard myself as being Dury-like. I have an active imagination and a cruel sense of humour, that's where the lyrics come from.
DGTS: What is the most unusual experience (good or bad) that you've had performing on stage?
MF: My favourite trick is to disappear from the stage and that's happened quite painfully a number of times. One night in Dublin, Ireland, I didn't notice a gap between the stage and the PA speakers, I fell down between them and nobody had any idea where I'd gone. I've done a lot of damage to my legs from similar falls (alcohol has a part to play), but I guess it's just an occupational hazard.
DGTS:I see from your schedule that you are playing many music festivals in Europe this summer. Which country generally gives you the best reception/reaction? Have you ever done/wanted to do shows in the US?
MF: Germany probably holds the most ska festivals and that's the country we play the most, but there are fantastic festivals all over Europe. Really, I like playing everywhere and I'd love the opportunity to play in the US. We've never found a promoter in the US to put something together for us, so if you're out there ...[Ed.-yes, please get in touch and bring Mark Foggo over!]
DGTS: Which Mark Foggo album is your favorite and why?
MF: My favourite album is always the last one, because the songs are the newest, but if I had to pick one I guess it would be Haircut. I made this album in a different way, working closely together with my good friend and, at that time, keyboard player Dominique Dubois. The songs were all fairly experimental at the time, but I really enjoyed making it.
DGTS:You've begun promoting your excellent new album MAD--so far, how has it been received by the fans?
MF: I'm writing this before the CD MAD is released, so we haven't had too much feedback on the CD as yet. The record company thinks it's great, so that's good and from the people who have heard it, mainly friends, the reaction, as you'd expect, is 100% positive. They wouldn't dare say otherwise.
DGTS:Radical developments in technology over the past decade have drastically altered how recorded music is marketed, distributed, and sold. Is your/your label's strategy to sell this record based on more traditional models or something new? Is the best way to promote a record still to get up on stage and play your songs before an audience?
MF: This CD is released by V2 Records and their strategy is to cover every aspect of it. It's released in the traditional CD format and distributed to shops, it's also made available to download on all the well-known sites, and hopefully we'll make it in vinyl at a later date. There is a single from the CD released and that's distributed to radio digitally, no actual single is pressed as yet. I definitely believe in doing the gigs and presenting the CD to people that way, that's what I live for.
DGTS:How do you feel about music file-sharing?
MF: No comment, it's up to you...
DGTS: Do you have time to follow/are you a fan of other current ska bands?
MF: I'm not a fan of any particular bands. I like many ska bands and play together with many of them, it's always great to hear what other ska people are doing.
DGTS:What is your impression of US ska bands? Do you ever have the opportunity to play with any of them when they tour in Europe?
MF: We did some gigs with Eastern Standard Time not long ago, really enjoyed that band and very nice ska guys. I did a guest spot with Buck and The Toasters the other night, that was fun. Great bunch of ska people, tight sound, always busy spreading the word of ska. I'm busy doing a couple of songs for a new CD with my friend Rob Hoskins and his Nashville ska band AKA Rudie at the moment. There'll be a single ("Shooters") released soon and it's an interesting combination of ska styles. Look out for that one.
DGTS: If you had to choose one album to introduce ska to someone who had no exposure to the music, which one would it be?
MF: I think I'd give them the best of Desmond Dekker, a superb example of great ska rhythms and top vocals. Catchy stuff, gets in your head and never comes out again. Shame he's gone.
DGTS:What's next for Mark Foggo?
MF: This summer, we'll be busy with gigs and festivals all around Europe, then we want to release a live DVD, then play in Japan again, and follow that up with a couple of tours in the US. That'll do for us this year!
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 NYC ska shows I co-host and co-DJ with Ryan Midnight!
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!
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