Let's Go Bowling's "Music To Bowl By" Revisited

Editor's note: With the recent release of Let's Go Bowling's Music to Bowl By on vinyl--for the first time ever--through Mike Park's Asian Man Records, we thought it would be a good time to revisit this essential American ska album.

Despite issuing some incredible releases in the late '80s--most notably The NY Citizens' On the Move and Ska Face: An All-American Ska Compilation (The Toasters' Skaboom! and Thrill Me Up were actually issued through Celluloid/Skaloid, since Moon was hard-pressed for cash)--by the end of the decade, Moon Records was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. A series of indie distributor failures--Greenworld, Rough Trade, and New World--condemned almost 75% of Moon's pressed product to America's landfills (and then Celluloid/Skaloid went out of business right after the release of Thrill Me Up, without paying The Toasters any royalties on either album--and Skaboom! had sold around 12K copies by that point).

Rob "Bucket" Hingley (The Toasters' founder/guitarist/songwriter and Moon label head) spent much of 1990 rebuilding Moon Records, which was beginning to find its footing and some financial stability again through a newly-struck distribution deal with IRD (later Relativity). The Toasters' This Gun for Hire became the band's first release on Moon and one of its best-sellers up to that time (another release that year was Dance Hall Crashers' debut album with the yellow cover and black Charlie Brown zig-zag stripe on cassette and LP--the vinyl was pressed in the UK as a Moon Release by Revolver and imported to USA for sale). With some money in the bank and the means to reliably deliver product to the record shops, the label was (finally!) well-positioned to move forward and promote ska bands beyond New York City's limits.

Buck also was serving as Moon's A and R person while on repeated tours of the US with The Toasters, which is how he first encountered Let's Go Bowling (LGB) in the flesh in 1990 (along with DHC and Hepcat, who released their debut on Moon in '93). Buck recently recounted for The Duff Guide to Ska, "I had met LGB at the Country Club in Reseda where they blew me away with their tremendous live show--they were among the more instrumentally proficient bands on the scene at that time. But what impressed me the most was their blend of Latino stylings, as exemplified by the stand out track 'Esta Noche,' where everybody sang in Spanish." Buck and LGB hit it off and a simple, one-page licensing deal was soon signed for their debut album to be released on Moon.

Let's Go Bowling already had contributed a track to Moon's 1988 comp Ska Face ("Bitch") from their demo cassette and released their classic debut single "Rude 69" b/w "Dance Some More" on their own Spare Records that same year (here's the Zoot Skazine review of it from issue 14: ""Rude 69' is a pleasantly familiar jaunt through Potato 5 country, a chugging instrumental harking back to the good old days of Sixties ska. The flip side, 'Dance Some More,' is must faster (too fast?) and you'd really need to be on something to keep up with it"). They even played CBGB's in November 1989, with The Steadys, The Toasters, and Potato 5; I found out about the show a few days after it happened--urgh!

By the time Music to Bowl By was ready to be put into production in 1991, IRD had "advised" Moon that they wanted all new releases to be issued on compact disc, as vinyl was falling out of favor with music consumers at the time (Buck states that LGB was "gutted" that an LP wasn't pressed up), so this album became Moon's first release on CD (to be almost immediately followed by fantastic debut albums from The Scofflaws and King Apparatus, also on CD). [Cassettes were still viable in the early '90s; many of the promo copies that I sent out for review at that time were on tape.]

By all measures, Music to Bowl By is Third Wave classic. LGB's sound is a supercharged modern take on traditional ska, with elements of jazz, swing, Latin--even some classical music via Carl Stalling--in its DNA. The songs are all top-notch (especially "Pin Stripe Suit," "Rude 69," "Dance Some More," "L.G.B.," and the phenomenal "Esta Noche") and the performances are all-out stellar. The only flaw is the somewhat anemic original recording; it would have been great if the album had been remixed and remastered for this reissue.

Soon after its release in October of 1991, Music to Bowl By was one of Moon's hottest-selling albums and became enormously influential on the then still nascent national US ska scene (just think of the slew of American ska bands who cropped up in the mid-'90s and could trace their modern trad sound back to Let's Go Bowling...).

Buck gets the final word here on LGB's Music to Bowl By: "I am thrilled to finally see this album on wax and it's a tribute to the longevity of the band and the durability of the tunes that this particular release can still be viable 30 years on."

+ + + +

Asian Man Records Releases Let's Go Bowling's First Two Albums on Vinyl!

Let's Go Bowling's first two albums--Music To Bowl By and Mr. Twist--are being issued on vinyl for the first time ever by Mike Park's Asian Man Records! These two stone-cold classics of the so-called Third Wave of American ska were originally released on Moon Records in 1991 and 1996 respectively, but only on compact disc and cassette, as vinyl was an unpopular (and assumed to be dead) format in the US during the 1990s.

In particular, Music To Bowl By was an extremely important album in Moon Records's history. Despite some incredible releases in the late 80s (such as The NY Citizens' On The Move and the Ska Face and NYC Ska Live comps), the label had barely limped out of that decade after a series of distributor failures and ill-fated licensing deals swallowed up the label's already limited product and capital. These brutal experiences made Moon Records' label head Rob "Bucket" Hingley all the more determined to build as strong an indie label as possible by going back to the basics (starting with a fairly busy mail-order operation out of his basement, fulfilled mostly by Buck when he wasn't on tour with The Toasters; taking orders directly from mom and pop record shops; and creating a one-man in-house promotion/marketing team to get the word out to college radio and zines--yours truly!). Let's Go Bowling's Music To Bowl By and The Scofflaws' self-titled debut album (also issued in 1991) were two vital releases from the then newly revitalized label that demonstrated to the ska world Moon's intention to go big (and be more than just a home to The Toasters and NY Citizens) and its renewed commitment to supporting high quality ska acts in the 1990s--both albums are superb from start to finish.

You can pre-order the Music to Bowl By and Mr. Twist LPs from Asian Man Records here. Both are slated for release the second week of February.

If you're unfamiliar with Let's Go Bowling, make sure to check out two of their best tracks below...





+ + + +

Life's Little Victories: Record Collecting Edition #4

Editor's note: Forgive me, but this post is a little heavy on nostalgia and my own personal history. Read ahead at your own risk...

I have to admit that every once in a while, when I first slide out a newly purchased used record from its sleeve, I secretly hope that the record's previous owner accidentally left some weird and wonderful surprise in it--like clippings of reviews of the album or some band-related memorabilia--in addition to the original lyric sheet (which is always appreciated). In the past year or so, I've bought used LPs that contained someone's typed (on a typewriter!) and annotated lyrics for The Equators' Hot, as well as the free single that came along with the first pressing of XTC's Drums and Wires that was now in my hands.

Last week, I picked up a somewhat tattered, cut-out copy of The Untouchables' Agent Double OO Soul LP. I had bought the CD at Tower Records when the album was originally released in 1988, but never purchased the LP (I was in college, didn't have much extra money, and CDs were the special new format!). When I got around to playing the album the other day, not only did I find the vinyl to be in mint condition, but the sleeve also contained an Agent Double OO Soul comic book (which includes the songs' lyrics) and the very same promo poster that I had ordered back in 1988, which I eventually hung framed on the wall of the Moon Records store on East 10th Street (see it in the photo below). At some point in the mid-2000s, the poster was ruined--along with many other ska posters and t-shirts I had collected over the years--in a massive flood in my parents' basement. Water seeped into many of my Rubbermaid storage bins that I had been keeping there. By the time I realized what had happened a month or two later, everything was damp, rank, and moldy. I was forced to throw out bag after bag of ska history. So, I was thrilled to have another copy come into my hands all these years later.

My favorite musician Laurel Aitken at the Moon store on 10th Street
with The Untouchables poster on the wall in the background.

Coming across this record reminded me that I had written a review of Agent Double OO Soul for my Fordham University, College at Lincoln Center newspaper that was paired with my write-up for Moon Records' Ska Face: An All American Ska Compilation (see a screen grab of both reviews below from the 2/22/89 edition of the CLC Observer; you can also find my review of the NY Citizens' On the Move in the 3/23/89 issue). Even though there weren't that many ska fans at my college, The Untouchables were a familiar name to many, as they opened for UB40 at a concert at Fordham's Bronx campus in the fall of 1985 (unfortunately, I did my freshman fall semester at a college out in Ohio before transferring to Fordham in winter of 1986, so I missed this performance).

While my review of Agent Double 00 Soul might have been a bit overly positive and enthusiastic, it certainly wasn't the bomb that many deemed it to be. Like Fishbone's extraordinary Truth and Soul (which was released around the same time), Agent Double 00 Soul is poorly sequenced, burying all of the ska and reggae tracks on side two, many of which happen to be the strongest songs on the album (see "World Gone Crazy," "Cold City," "Shama Lama," "Cool Boy," "Education," and "Sudden Attack"). But, all in all, on Agent Double 00 Soul, The Untouchables had strayed too far from their brilliant and perfectly calibrated balance of Wild Child ska, soul, and r and b.

The UT's comic book!

When what may have been the last NYC Untouchables' date was announced for late April of 1989 at Joey Ramone's basement Downtown club (at the corner of Bond and Broadway), my friend and fellow ska fan Andy was reluctant to see the show, since he'd heard bad things about the record from some of his other friends. But once we were there, he was all in, as The Untouchables unleashed one of most brilliant and energetic live performances I've ever seen (Black Rock Coaltion funk-metal rockers 24-7 Spyz were also on the bill and were extraordinarily good). Much of the set was comprised of cuts from Wild Child, as well as the better ska/reggae songs off Agent OO Soul, but even some of their shakier tracks from Soul sounded pretty awesome in their live versions.

Walking in the rain back up Broadway toward Union Square after the gig (we were already soaked from dancing to the UTs), Andy and I passed a construction site across the street from The Cat Club (where Moon Records' NYC Ska Live would be recorded about a year later) that had a huge, many-layered section of wheat-pasted gig posters that was starting to separate from the plywood wall in the downpour. The Untouchables' poster for their Downtown gig was on the top layer, so we liberated what must of been a three feet wide by eight feet tall section of them (with countless other posters beneath them) and somehow got it back the apartment I shared with four other Fordham students up at 125th and Broadway (where my tiny bedroom was at eye level with the elevated number 1 subway train). This giant, sagging strip of posters was propped up against one wall in my room for the rest of the semester, but ended up in the garbage when our lease was up that summer. I was moving into my first post-college apartment with a bunch of friends and my girlfriend (now wife) and this large, dirty, and unwieldy bit of music ephemera had to go; we just didn't have the space.

My Untouchables shirt that I bought at their gig at Downtown in Manhattan on 4/29/89.

Duff Gig Review: The Scofflaws and The Bullbuckers at Electric Avenue on 1/19/13!

(Review by Steve Shafer)

When we first announced that The Scofflaws were going to be the headlining act of Electric Avenue's first show of 2013, there was an immediate, enthusiastic online reaction about the re-emergence of this highly regarded 90s-era band (I think the last time they played in Manhattan was at The Studio at Webster Hall with Bad Manners and The Forthrights in June 2011)--and I have to admit that I was just as excited about the prospect of seeing them again as the next rabid ska fan.

Years ago, after hearing and completely digging their "Rudy's Back" track on the Moon Records Ska Face compilation, I caught my first Scofflaws show in May of 1989 at the Pyramid on Avenue A (my college friend and I were the only two non-skinheads in the joint). I had actually shown up to see the NY Citizens--who were absolutely fantastic (I had recently reviewed their debut album On the Move in my college newspaper)--but I stumbled out of the Pyramid a sweaty, newly-minted Scofflaws zealot--and saw them many times throughout the 90s (in places as humble as TGIF's on 13th Street and Fifth Avenue to massive rock venues like The (New) Ritz/Studio 54 for Skalapalooza and the Palladium for the taping of the "USA Up All Night New Year's Eve Ska Party"). I also had the great pleasure of working with the band at Moon Records, helping to promote all of their albums and tours.

My Electric Avenue partner in crime, Marc Wasserman (Bigger Thomas/Marco on the Bass) had suggested booking The Bullbuckers for this EA night, who hail from Delaware and (we believe) are pretty much the only ska band in that state (anyone got the goods to contradict me?). Marc had heard really good things about their live show--and since Electric Avenue is all about featuring acts from out-of-town and forging new bonds to extend/strengthen the ska network--we were more than happy to book them.

About 75 people turned out last Saturday night (1/19/13) at Characters for our Electric Avenue night (a decent crowd for a room that can fit around 120). The Bullbuckers--who have a tight, muscular ska-rock-reggae sound (with Kevin Tarzanin on bass and vocals; Aaron Poole on guitar; and Steve Politowski on drums) and sport one of the best horn sections on the scene (Jim Miller on trumpet; Dave Faga on alto sax; and Steve Sharp on trombone)--instantly won over the crowd with their mix of excellent originals from their debut album When Push Comes to Shove (such as "St. Patty's Day," "Gimme A Little Sign," "That's How Strong," "Otis," and "Falcon") and vintage ska classics (Rafael Hernández Marín's/Sound Dimension's "Rockfort Rock"; and Derrick Morgan's "The Conqueror" and "Tougher Than Tough"). Check out some videos I shot of their stellar performance below.







If you have the opportunity to see The Bullbuckers play (they typically have gigs in Philly, Newark, DE, and Reheboth Beach, DE), definitely do it--you'll have a great time! They're genuinely nice and talented guys who deserve ska fans' support!

About half way through The Bullbuckers' performance, I spied Richard "Sammy" Brooks (singer, songwriter, and saxophonist of The Scofflaws) nattily dressed in a suit and pork pie, surveying the scene for people he knew (he spotted Michelle Ska at once) and sizing up the musical competition. It's been over a decade, I hate to admit, since I'd last seen The Scofflaws, so it was fantastic to see Richard and to catch up a bit before (and after) their set.

As The Scofflaws opened with Don Drummond's "Man in the Street," a line of 90s-era ska faithful--ex-Moon Records employees Adam Liebling, Ray Manuud, and myself, as well as uber ska fans Michelle Ska and Skankin' Rich--closed ranks at the front of the crowd to take in the band up close. Their set was spectacular--a mix of their hits of their four albums ("A Shot in the Dark," "Nude Beach," "Back Door Open," "Paul Getty," "Till the End of Time," "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," "On Hold with Quackie," "Ska-La-Parisian," "Nightmare," and "Grazin' in the Grass," which incorporated a lengthy and hilarious jeremiad against the anti-weed forces that be, and more--all of which were so good to hear again live), as well as a slew of really terrific new songs, including the instrumental "Rude Boy Train" (loved the inclusion of the Super Mario Brothers video game music by the trombonist during his improvisatory riff!), the slightly lewd "Lucy Brown," "Country Man" (about a pot farmer), and covers of "Batman" (from the campy TV show with Adam West, natch) and the theme from "The Godfather."

Towards the end of their performance, ex-Scofflaw Buford O'Sullivan (now of the Easy Stars All-Stars) had shown up to see his old mates and was called up to sing a raucous version of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots are Made for Walkin'" (which The Scofflaws have always done as "These Boots are Made for Stompin'!").

The current incarnation of the band--(Richard Brooks on sax and vocals; Greg Bucking on guitar; Glen Saunders on bass; Jared Dubin on trombone; and John Soldo on drums)--is really top notch. But the focus was, as it should be, on Brooks, who made mad faces, wagged his ass, did exaggerated, crazy 60s dance moves, screamed at us, and dashed madly through the crowd--anything and everything to entertain, engage, and please the audience (which he did and then some). The Scofflaws put on one hell of an enjoyable show--as you'll find in my videos below.





















After their set, Richard told me that The Scofflaws will be releasing a new album sometime this year--Skinhead Beer Party--which is already in the can! From the new tunes we heard here, it should be a scorcher!

+ + + +

Check out great photos by Bryan Kremkau (of Skapunkphotos.com) of both The Scofflaws and The Bullbuckers in action at Electric Avenue!

+ + + +

Shameless plug: the next Electric Avenue ska night is Saturday, February 23, 2013 with The Reggay Lords and The Copasetics (from Rhode Island). If you're in the NYC area, we hope to see you there.

+ + + +