It's a shame that we haven't seen much recorded output from Maroon Town since their magnificent Freedom Call album in 2018 (read my review of it here). But it seems like a new and growing collaboration with producer/musician Neil Anderson of Original Gravity Records may be changing all that. This past October, the band issued a killer remix by Anderson of "Bullit" from their Urban Myths LP (read my review of it here) retitled "Bullit (Proof Mix)." Their latest release is a wonderfully bright and joyful rocksteady instrumental tribute to South African jazz trumpeter and long-time anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela titled "Maskela Skank" (Digital, self-released, 2021) that has light touches of Highlife and echoes of Desmond Dekker and the Aces' "Pretty Africa." Here's hoping there's more of where that came from--it's superb--and that some of these cuts receive a physical release (maybe Anderson could issue some of this on Original Gravity?). Also, if you've never heard their deadly cool cover of Prince Buster's "City Riot" produced by The Specials' John Bradbury and released back in 1987 (I still have my 45!), do yourself a favor and check it out on the Maroon Town Bandcamp page. (Fun ska factoid: The Scofflaws covered Masekela's "Grazin' in the Grass" on their Ska in Hi-Fi album back in 1995.)
While he's been busy working in other genres as of late, Joey Altruda hasn't been doing much in the ska realm since his extraordinary run with Jump with Joey (with partner in crime Willie McNeil) back in the 1990s (for you nitpickers out there, he did perform on Western Standard Time's Big Band Tribute to The Skatalites back in 2012). If you don't already have them, the albums Ska-Ba, Generations United(my fave!), and Strictly for You, Volume 2 are essential trad ska-jazz-Latin listening (and are painfully overdue to be issued on vinyl). So, it's fantastic to find the new single from Altruda firmly in ska territory, even if it's a bit of a detour through Brazil! "A Babá Ska" b/w "A Babá Dub" (Digital, Avocaudio, 2021; 7" vinyl single TK--though you have to sign up on the waiting list to get a copy) are versions of Brazilian Tropicália musician/singer Tom Zé's 1972 song, which translates from the original Portuguese as either "The Nanny" or "The Babysitter." The original was released during Brazil's long military dictatorship (1964-1985) and utilizes a children's nursery rhyme form and cartoon film references ("Rockefeller accused Snow White/The dwarfs split/Three yes and three no/But one died of fright/And asked, 'who is, who is'?") to mock/criticize the powers that be ("Who is making nightmares at the head [end or turn] of the century?/Who is putting lice on the head of the century?"). Altruda, who has collaborated with other Brazilian musicians like Seu Jorge, was able to persuade Zé to cut new vocal and guitar tracks for his ska version (interestingly, Zé was unfamiliar with the genre) and the results are pretty spectacular. These tracks feature Roger Rivas (Aggrolites) on organ and piano, Oliver Charles (Ocean 11) on drums, Artie Webb (Tito Puente) on flute, Marlone Sette (Jorge Benjor), and Altruda on bass and production. Everything was expertly mixed by Victor Rice down at his studio in São Paulo. According to Altruda, 100% of the sales of the digital single go to Tom Zé, and this is the first of several more hoped-for collaborations with Brazilian musicians. All I can say is please keep 'em coming!
There are a crazy number of really promising ska and reggae records dropping in the near future (The Skints, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Phoenix City All-stars, Bionic Rats, and The Selecter), making my list of albums to review longer and longer (particularly since I have a backlog of releases to review from the Reggay Lords, Hub City Stompers, The Bishops, The Copacetics, The New Limits, and others)!
My "burden" grows heavier with the new double-LP (at 45 RPMs!) from LA ska/reggae supergroup The Lions, who are releasing Soul Riot tomorrow on Stones Throw (check out samples of the album here).
Ska fans will be interested to know that members of The Lions include Deston Berry and Alex Désert of Hepcat, Malik Moore of The Bullets and Ocean 11, and Black Shakespeare (cousin of Robbie Shakespeare of Sly and Robbie).
Can't wait to review this--and all the other releases from bands listed above--in the near future.
Here's my (hopefully) eagerly-awaited, messy and woefully incomplete Best of Ska/Reggae 7" Singles of 2011 list! I'm sure I've missed some excellent releases this past year due to my limited disposable income, highly-subjective personal tastes, lapses in judgement, or outright cluelessness. But this considerable list contains both new and reissued recordings, all of which are absolutely worth your hard-earned cash--and guaranteed to bring you joy and satisfaction over repeated listens.
Entries that include a hotlink will connect you to The Duff Guide to Ska review of that particular release; otherwise, I've tried to provide a few sentences to give you an idea of why I like that single so much.
Seems like a lot of quality ska 7" vinyl was released in 2011. Sure hope that this trend continues into 2012...
- The Ethiopians:"I'm Shocking" b/w "Sign the Cheque" (Trojan Records/Smash) - In a case of unfortunate timing, this single was issued not long after Leonard Dillon's death (it had been in the works long before his passing), but these two rare rocksteady gems (recorded after their debut Engine 54) are wonderful reminders of his extraordinary gifts.
- King Hammond: "Mr. DJ" and "Bongo Ska Fever" b/w "The Loop" and "Dub Movement 1" (N.1. Records) - An incredible EP of booty-shaking ska and skinhead reggae, which also doubles as a mini-sampler of KH's three recent stellar albums (The King and I, Jacuzzi, and Showbiz). The King is at the top of his game!
- Carl Moore "My Forefathers Died in the Sand" b/w The Sunshot All Stars "Strange Mood" (Pressure Sounds/Sunshot) - A plaintive track about African repatriation over the classic John Holt "Strange Things" riddim. Profound and powerful.
- Ocean 11: "Miss Understanding" b/w "Spring in Rome" (Moondust Records) - From one of the top--yet somehow elusive (they never played out much beyond SoCal)--traditional ska bands of the 1990s comes the first vinyl appearance of "Miss Understanding," which was originally released on the Girls Go Ska comp from Simmerdown, as well as an unreleased duet with Malik Moore of Los Bullets. I was lucky enough to pick up this single when Queen P played Brooklyn with The Shifters earlier this fall... (Many more terrific releases are soon coming from Moondust--but it looks like they'll be on next year's list!)
- The Pioneers "Easy Come, Easy Go" b/w Derrick Morgan & Desmond Dekker "Mercy Mercy" (Trojan Records/Dr. Bird)
- Prince Fatty and Mutant Hi-Fi: "Transistor Cowboy" b/w "Son of a Thousand Fathers" (Mr. Bongo) - From the fantastic Return of the Gringo album filled with spaghetti-Western inspired reggae--part homage to all the "Dollar" sides from Lee "Scratch" Perry and the Upsetters ("Return of Django"), Lloyd Charmers and The Hippy Boys, Derrick Harriot and The Crystalites, Harry J, Clancy Eccles, Joe Gibbs et all, as well as a brilliant contribution to this somewhat obscure musical sub-genre.
And the brilliant single that never was (Mad Decent was supposed to release a 7" of this over the summer, but for whatever reason it never came to pass): The Beastie Boys featuring Santigold:"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win."
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Soon come: The Duff Guide to Ska "Best Ska/Reggae Albums of 2011"!
Back in the mid-1990s, Ocean 11 were one of those bands that had this crazy, under-the-radar buzz about them. If you didn't live in Southern California with direct access to that almost mythic ska scene (which seemed to exist apart from every other ska scene in the US in terms of its sheer size and the number of incredible bands it generated), Ocean 11 seemed particularly mysterious and elusive. Someone in a band or a college radio station would rave about them to you over the phone or you'd glean some bit of news about their activity from a fanzine (these were pre-internet times, so everything was word-of-mouth, second-hand).
Eventually, the Moon Records store (when it was a teeny shop on East 2nd Street between Avenues A and B) obtained a few copies of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (released in 1995) and I was able to get my mitts on a copy (this is now one rare CD--used copies of it are going for close to $70 on Amazon and GEMM). It's a mix of well-known and obscure ska and rocksteady covers (The Tartans, The Caledonians), as well as some terrific originals. I just dug it out to give it a listen and found that The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly still stands up as one of the best traditional ska records of the 1990s.
The band never made it out to the East Coast (and I never caught them there), but we were lucky enough to feature them on two Moon Records releases: California Ska-quake, Volume 2: The Aftershock (compiled by Luis Correa of Steady Beat, who did a damn fine job--his label also distributed The Good, The Bad, The Ugly) and the Bang soundtrack. For those wanting to track down more of their discography, Ocean 11 cuts also can be found on Ska Island (Island Records), Girls Go Ska (Simmerdown Productions), Skauthentic (Steady Beat Recordings), Step on It (The Ska Parade), Keep the Pressure On (Kingpin Records), Ska Sucks (Liberation Records), and Ska Stars of the 90s (Gaz's Rockin Records).
[Ocean 11 fans should take note that Moondust Records just released a new single from the band that contains "Miss Understanding" (which appeared on the aforementioned Girls Go Ska comp) b/w "Spring in Rome" (a previously unreleased track that also features Malik Moore of The Bullets). I was lucky enough to pick up a copy at this gig along with a live Ocean 11 CD!]
So, I was pretty psyched to hear that King Duncan of The Shifters was using his birthday as an excuse to fulfill a ska fan-boy fantasy by flying out Queen P--Ocean 11's singer, who has recently been gigging with The Delirians--for some shows backed by The Shifters in Washington, DC, Baltimore, and New York City. (Read King Duncan's tribute to Ocean 11 here.)
Their New York gig took place at The Shop Brooklyn in Williamsburg, which is motorcycle shop by day and bar/BBQ joint by night. Bands play in the large garage in the back of the building next to a sea of choppers, which makes for a cool and unconventional venue. However, the one downside to this somewhat DIY set-up was the sub-par PA system that was in use (apologies for the sometimes poor sound quality in the videos below--but I think enough of the musicians' amazing performances come through that they're worth posting and watching). The next show there features H.R. of the Bad Brains (on November 26)...let's hope the venue figures out their sound issues before then.
DJs Han Solo (Dave Hahn of Dub is a Weapon) and Grace of Spades prepped the crowd with some choice selections of vintage ska and early reggae and then The Shifters were up. Hitting the concrete floor in matching Hawaiian shirts, the band tore through their set of excellent swinging, soulful ska original tunes (plus their signature cover of "Rockfort Rock") with such obvious glee (look at them do their synchronized moves in "Dance with You"!). It's been a long time since I've seen a band have such a blast playing out--and the audience couldn't help but being won over by their terrifically tight performance. If these guys play your town, make sure to see them.
Queen P's phenomenal set was mostly comprised of material off The Good, The Bad, The Ugly (not unexpected, of course) and included The Clarendonians' "Rules of Life," The Tartan's "Solid as a Rock," Cornel Campbell's "Let's Start Again," Ocean 11's "I am Queen"--and the highlights for me were Marcia Griffiths' "I Shall Sing," and Phyllis Dillon's "Picture on the Wall" and "I Can't Forget About You Baby." Queen P's voice has such an amazing purity, warmth, clarity, and directness to it (sadly, sometimes hard to hear through the terrible PA system that night) and she exudes such a cool confidence and ease as she sings. She's a wonderfully gifted performer to watch in action. I hope she'll make the trip out East again to play with The Shifters soon--and if you're anywhere near where they play, you make make sure to catch 'em!
[The Frighteners also played later this night--I didn't catch enough of their set, which sounded fantastic--but will review one of their live gigs soon...]
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(Again, sorry about the quality of the sound--the PA at the venue wasn't great--so it is what it is...but there is still lots here to like and enjoy!)
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UPDATE: Here's a link to some videos (with much better audio) of Queen P and The Shifters performing in Washington, DC and Baltimore on this same tour--see them here.
The Shop Brooklyn 290 Metropolitan Avenue (between Roebling & Driggs) Brooklyn, NY Free!
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Editor's Note: Here's some cool (personal) background on this Queen P/Shifters mini-tour from The Shifters' t-bonist King Duncan that also serves as a tribute to the legendary 1990s California trad ska band Ocean 11...
"17 years ago, I was turning 17."
by King Duncan
That was the thought that ran through my head this morning when I woke up at 5 AM. I don’t have a lot of time these days to ponder life, mortality, love found and lost… Y’know, the real meaningful shit portrayed by people my age in romantic comedies. Yeah. That’s not me. I’m kind of busy. I’m a “working professional” who moved to DC from San Diego to further my career, like many imports to this area. To torture myself further, I’ve also joined a few bands along the way and helped start a monthly Ska and Reggae venue because, obviously, I was getting way too much sleep. My life is hectic. So somewhere between a morning shower and walking into work, I get a few seconds to think, reflect, and focus.
Lately, that quality morning-think time has been dedicated to concentrating on this upcoming weekend (and inevitably about my upcoming birthday on Sunday). In case anyone reading this doesn’t know, The Shifters, my semi-upstart, semi-Rocksteady band, are embarking on a mini-tour up the East Coast with Persephone, AKA Queen P, from Ocean 11. Persephone was kind enough to agree to come out here for my birthday and perform one show at my club, BlueBeat DC. The idea eventually evolved and we ended up agreeing to extend the good times through Veterans Day, with stops in Baltimore and New York City.
Amongst friends, band-mates and fans (we have those?), some have asked me just what is the big deal about Ocean 11 and Queen P? Indeed, even this website linked to an article attempting to answer that very question. In an effort to lend clarity to this mystery bestowed on my East Coast brethren, I volunteered to write a piece promoting the shows and shedding some light on why we So Cal folk of a certain age have such a fondness for Ocean 11.
One problem: every time I try writing this article, I end up editing it down to nothing because, to be completely honest, fellow Duff readers, I can’t begin to write about this subject without getting ridiculously autobiographical. To be frank, the story gets kind of fucking weird. In fact, if anyone ever ends up reading this, I guarantee what you are reading on your screen has been edited no less than 20 times and most likely will still come off fairly strange. Continue at your own risk.
“The Highest of Heavens”
That’s my favorite line from "The Best of Love," a song found on the Step On It compilation released around 1994 or 1995. I was 17 when I bought that CD. That was 17 years ago. Back then I was poor, white trash. I had few friends. I was not well-liked. I did things by myself. I hated my school and the preppy, asshole fucks found therein. One of my few sanctuaries was music. I loved playing music, listening to music, and seeing music performed live. I loved going to shows (usually alone) and had developed a liking of Ska, in particular. (I also developed a short-lived fanaticism with Gwen Stefani, but that’s another story for another time.) If I have any fond memories of my high school years, it’s the escape and sense of relief I felt in the world of music. That’s where I belonged.
However, at 17, I also had the attention span of a gnat. The modern bands I listened to since age 15 or 16 (No Doubt, Sublime, Skankin’ Pickle, to name some) who fascinated me previously could not keep my attention any longer. 2 Tone filled that gap, momentarily. But honestly, how much 2 Tone can anyone really listen to? Coincidentally, many modern acts of the time were transitioning to a poppy, New Wave kind of feel and shedding their Ska roots. I still bought many CDs, many compilations, even a few tapes, only to be bored with them a few weeks later. Ska, or rather The Ska I Knew, was not cutting it anymore.
Somewhere in the mess, I bought a CD comp put out by some radio show called The Ska Parade, a program I had never heard previously. The CD had a shit ton of local bands I had never really heard of previously, either. The disc came with a booklet that was entirely too long to read and didn’t make a lot of sense the few times I glanced at it. Most of the bands were woefully forgettable. Given all that, the CD did contain, however, two tracks from a band called Ocean 11. Two songs of pure, unadulterated, traditional Ska of which I honestly had never heard before.
This Ocean 11 outfit, whomever they were, sounded old yet new; modern yet classic. Crisp female vocals harmonically delivered over carefully plucked basslines. Guitars strummed with clean distortion on the upbeat. Drumsticks dancing on a hi-hat while a middle speed tempo swings and sways. It was New-Old-Stock perfection: a culmination of sound that can only compare to seeing a great black and white movie in a new theater or driving a classic car on a modern highway. Every time I listened to these two songs, I’d end up going back and listening to them again. Over and over and over.
Inspiration naturally turned into obsession. I caught a fever. I immediately sought more from these Ocean 11 people, eventually stumbling upon their only full length CD, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. A disc that did not fail to deliver on what the previous radio show compilation tracks promised… In fact, the album is so good, I don’t have enough time or space to gush over it. Just know this: it is the greatest Rocksteady/Ska/Reggae album ever recorded by a modern band. And the sound Ocean 11 laid down led to a natural fondness of the other amazing traditional bands of the time I was until then unaware of (Hepcat, Mobtown, etc.), while opening my ear up to what the legends did in Jamaica so many years before. And many, many years later, these are the same kinds of sounds I try to emulate in my own bands.
Fast forward to the now.
I’m turning 34 this week. I’m an adult. I have an adult life. I have adult problems and I find adult resolutions. I have adult ups and adult downs. My teenaged Ska fixation has morphed into a deep appreciation for music, in general, and oddly enough, a good number of those folks who were in those bands I was so hooked on 10 or 12 or 15 years ago are now my friends. I even conned a few of them into giving me their phone numbers! SUCKERS!!! And in this time that is now, as I reconcile the shows booked with my band and Persephone, I put on Ocean 11 during my morning-think time so I can study. I analyze what they did, how they did it, and I try to imagine how The Shifters are going to attempt to do that. We’ve been at this for weeks now. I hope we get it right.
But below all that, somewhere in the back of my consciousness, bleeding like water through a Kleenex is a white trash, Ska-addicted teenager who is waiting in line to get in the club. I’ve been waiting to get in this club for 17 years. Man, 17 years. Seems like half a lifetime ago…
I can tell you right now that there are a lot of jealous ska fans (myself included) beyond reasonable driving distance of Southern California and/or the Bay Area. Why, you ask? Because we're missing out on a brilliant ska/rocksteady/early reggae tour! Jason Lawless (Lawless Street blog, Reggae 69 Fan Club, Jamrec Entertainment) has put together a superb tour package--Echoes of Kingston--that features Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights, and Maddie Ruthless--and includes Let's Go Bowling's 25th anniversary show! If you are anywhere near the gigs listed below, make it a point to get off yer duff and see these amazing bands in action. Support live ska and reggae music (and buy their releases and merch while you're there)!
Featured Echoes of Kingston Artists:
Persephone Laird AKA Queen P needs no introduction to most fans of ska and reggae from Los Angeles. Having begin with the masters of the sound Ocean 11 and never looking back, Queen P personifies the likes of her musical godmothers including Marcia Griffiths and Phyllis Dillon. She will be singing hits from the Treasure Isle song book, backed by The Delirians on select dates of the tour.
The Delirians are the newest young cubs to burst out of the East Los Angeles music scene. Raised on the toughest streets of Los Angeles the band have found protection in the form of music from JA to UK. They strive to thrive in a musical landscape forgotten by time. Ready to roar like lions these cats lay down the wicked sounds inspired by the likes of The Skatalites, The Hippy Boys and The Pioneers all rolled into one.
The Forthrights are a four-piece group from Brooklyn, NY. Featuring former members of The Pinstripes and The Fad, they take a fresh take on the sound of traditional rocksteady and ska. In a few short years they have solidified their place in the New York reggae scene and have collaborated with Vic Ruggerio (The Slackers), Chris Murray, Mr. T-Bone and King Django.
Maddie Ruthless is a 22 year-old musician/DJ from New Orleans Louisiana making art that provides clear connections between New Orleans and Caribbean culture, specifically Jamaica. She will be performing her hitsound of tunes backed by The Forthrights on the tour.
Echos of Kingston Tour
Friday, May 13, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights & Maddie Ruthless, The Revivers Mission Tobacco Lounge - 3630 University Ave., Riverside, CA 21 and over - 9pm - $5 Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=210793645607121
Saturday, May 14, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights & Maddie Ruthless, The Impalers, The Revivers The Airliner - 2419 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 18 and over - 8pm - $10 Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118601681554026
Monday, May 16, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights & Maddie Ruthless Plus Guests The Slide Bar - Fullerton - 122 East Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, CA 21 and over - 9pm - No Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118601681554026
Tuesday, May 17, 2011 The Forthrights, Maddie Ruthless Irie Tuesday @ Jake's Burgers & Billiards - 38 West Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 21 and over - 9pm - No Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199023723468932
Thursday, May 19, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights & Maddie Ruthless, DJ On Target (LBSS), King Steady Beat (INTENSIFIED!) Rhythm Lounge - 245 Pine Avenue, Downtown Long Beach, CA 21 and over - 8pm - $5 Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117294158352388
Friday, May 20, 2011 LGB 25th Anniversary Show with Let's Go Bowling, Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights & Maddie Ruthless Fulton 55 - 875 Divisadero , Fresno, CA 21 and over - 8pm Doors - $10 Pre-Sale / $12 Day Of Show http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=217293584962776
Sunday, May 22, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, The Forthrights & Maddie Ruthless Sweet Spot Pub - 619 4th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 21 and over - 9pm - $5 Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205960419416532
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians Irie Tuesday @ Jake's Burgers & Billiards - 38 West Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 21 and over - 9pm - No Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199023723468932
Wednesday, May 25, 2011 Queen P (of Ocean 11), The Delirians, Family Promotion Sound Rockers Wednesday @ Anarchy Library - 13250 Woodruff Ave., Downey, CA 21 and over - 9pm - No Cover http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118160401598696
First of all, his whole new Reggae 69 Fan Club is simply brilliant (check out some of the details here). Essentially, a whole bunch of us ska and skinhead reggae fans made pledges in various amounts to the Reggae 69 Fan Club through Kickstarter and Jason is using these funds to print up the series of six exclusive, limited-edition vinyl singles (featuring Ocean 11 w/Queen P & Malik of The Bullets, Queen P & The Apologies, the Irie Beats, The Bullets, Roger Rivas, The Revivers, and The Impalers, amongst others), plus pins, stickers, patches, posters, and more. The cool thing is, if you don't have a lot of disposable income in these down-and-out times, you can still participate and have Jason send you a nice care package from the club; should you have a little more change weighing down your pocket, your Reggae 69 box can be considerably heavier...
For someone like myself whose love of vinyl 45s has been re-kindled in the last year or so (there have been a slew of really good ska singles recently, including a bunch from the Ska is Dead 7" series), Reggae 69 is a freakin' dream come true!
Now comes word from Jason that Reggae 69 Fan Club and its new imprint Moondust Records have just struck a deal to re-issue four Laurel Aitken skinhead reggae-era tracks on two double-A sided singles: "Reggae 69" b/w "Big Fight In Hell Stadium" and "Apollo 12 (Skinhead Invasion)" b/w "Moon Rock"! (Listen to these cuts via the videos posted below.) As a huge Laurel Aitken fan, I'm particularly thrilled by this development. I've had the honor and pleasure of knowing and working with Laurel (during my stint at Moon Ska Records) and he really was the best--an incredibly gifted songwriter, musician, and performer, and a true gentleman.
So, you may be asking yourself, why is The Duff Guide to Ska pushing this club if the pledge period is over? Well, even though the project is fully funded, you can still join the Reggae 69 Fan Club to enjoy the fruits of Jason Lawless' labor (he'll just print up more copies of everything)!
Since the first effort at establishing the Reggae 69 Fan Club didn't quite reach its goal, Jason Lawless has reworked things a bit (the goal is now $3,000 in pledges instead of $5,000) and re-launched this extremely cool project. As you can see from the widget in our sidebar, things are going well and I am very hopeful that this version will make it into orbit!
The video below will give you a good overview of the Reggae 69 Fan Club, but essentially it is a early reggae-skinhead reggae-dirty-reggae 7" vinyl record club: if you subscribe at the $45 level, you will receive six exclusive vintage reggae style vinyl singles featuring Ocean 11 w/Queen P & Malik (of The Bullets and The Lions), Queen P & The Apologies, the Irie Beats, The Bullets, Roger Rivas, The Revivers, and The Impalers (plus some other fan club goodies, like a sticker, patch, pin, digital downloads, a poster, and much more). Of course, pledging at higher levels entitles you to even more swag (and if you're strapped for cash, you can still have a piece of the action at lower levels, too).
If you've paid any attention to the blog feed in the sidebar, you've noticed that Jason Lawless (of Lawless Street) is spearheading an effort to launch a record club called the Reggae 69 Fan Club. Their mission is this:
Our MAIN GOAL is simple: Release a limited edition collection of (6) 7" vinyl records to celebrate the music of Jamaica and UK sub-culture youth.
One of Reggae 69 Fan Club's first releases will be a double A side from the Irie Beats band of "lost" tracks produced by Brian "Boom Boom" Dixon of The Aggrolites! The flip side will be a vocal cut featuring Malik "The Freq" Moore, singer for The Lions and The Bullets!
To make all of this happen, reggae and ska fans need to pledge a total of $5,000 through Kickstarter. They are well on their way--but the deadline to get in on this deal is Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 11:00 pm (East Coast time). So you need to act RIGHT NOW!
For more info and/or to join the Reggae 69 Fan Club, click here!
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PS: One of the interesting things with Kickstarter is that you can see who has pledged to become a member of the Reggae 69 Fan Club (...like Victor Rice!).
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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See Live Ska Bands in NYC!
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!
