After almost a decade at doing promotions/production at Moon Records and a few years giving my all to my short-lived digital ska/reggae label 7 Wonders of the World Music (which did manage to sell some digital downloads in 1999 and 2000--all pre-iTunes--but not nearly enough to keep the label afloat), I entered my ska wilderness years, losing almost all touch with the ska scene. So, it should come as no surprise that I had no idea that the Version City Rockers (members of Stubborn All-Stars, The Slackers, The Scofflaws, Skavoovie and the Epitones, Inspecter 7, and The Skatalites' saxophonist Cedric Brooks) had released Darker Roots, a melancholy, 9/11-influenced roots reggae album with Jamaican singers like Sugar Minott, Sister Nancy, Ranking Joe, Little John, Glen Brown, Yabby You, and Congo Ashanti Roy. I only discovered this by doing a bit of research on Sister Nancy on the internet in order to do a proper write up of this single (she, of course, is best known for her 1982 dancehall smash, "Bam Bam," which utilized the incredible "Stalag" riddim).
King Django revisits the razor sharp Sister Nancy Darker Roots track "Jah Have the Handle" (built on the fierce Version City Rockers' "Gangsta Drop" riddim) with a brand new mix/master for this 7" single. The title of this song is obviously a nod to the amazing Heptones track "I've Got the Handle" that I'm a bit ashamed of liking so much--because of its terrible misogyny--originally from 1968's On Top and redone beautifully on 1976's Night Food. It's lyrics are all about the man's power in his relationship with his woman and of his ongoing threat of violence to keep her in line: "I've got the handle, baby/You've got the blade/So, you don't try to fight me, girl/'Cause you'll need first aid/You're under my observation/And don't forget it/You're under my jurisdiction/And don't you bet it, girl, 'cause..."
But in "Jah Have the Handle," Sister Nancy transforms this menacing and abusive power dynamic from that of one between a man and a woman to the relationship between Jah/God and humanity (we've all got our hands on the blade end of the knife). Here, Jah/Yahweh is more of the active, vengeful, Old Testament God who regularly smites the wicked and lays waste to their lands (as opposed to the all forgiving God of love, represented by the teachings and example of his son Jesus). So, the message of this single reaffirms that God is in control of the universe (which should be of some comfort to those who believe in these seemingly apocalyptic, post-9/11 times) and he/she will punish those evildoers who harm the righteous. Yet, what's really interesting is that Sister Nancy incorporates the great anti-war gospel song "Down By the Riverside" (with all of its Civil Rights Movement/Stop the War in Vietnam resonance) into this track (original lyrics: "I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield/Down by the riverside...I ain't gonna study war no more...I'm gonna walk with that Prince of Peace/Down by the riverside"), imbuing it with an anti-violence plea in an era where ideological and religious wars are carried out not by soldiers on battlefields, but by inflicting great suffering on civilians in villages and cities, all of whom are simply trying to go about the daily business of their lives. Sadly, this remains a perennial powerful and relevant track.
Offering a completely different take on the Version City Rockers' "Gansta Drop" riddim, Kapaichie's wonderfully ultra-smooth "De Girls Dem" (love me sound) is both tribute to his lady, as well as a sometimes outrageously boastful (and slightly slack) testament to his musical prowess and ability to attract other ladies, as a result. (According to Stubborn, Kapaichie is a Greenwich Farm "clash deejay" who became friends with King Django through their mutual association with Bertram Brown's Freedom Sounds label.) It's a fun, danceable flipside to yet another top-notch release from King Django and Co.
Skinnerbox gathered for a reunion show in 2010.
Brandt Abner is third from the right.
Last week, the NYC ska scene was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Brandt Abner, Skinnerbox's keyboardist, vocalist, and one of its composers, who passed away on September 13, 2013 at age 43.
Abner was a founding member of Skinnerbox, writing and performing on their debut 1989 cassette Instrumental Conditioning (much of which can be found on the Special Wild 1989-1994 compilation CD) through all of their albums--1993's Tales from the Red, 1997's What You Can Do, What You Can'tand 1998's Demonstration. Abner also worked with Jeff Baker/King Django for the Version City compilation and the Roots and Culture album, and played keys on some of the tracks for The Toasters' This Gun for Hire(see Abner's discography here).
At The Selecter show last night at The Gramercy Theater in NYC, The Rudie Crew (trumpeter Dan Dulin and saxophonist El Husey are former members of Skinnerbox and close friends of Abner) dedicated their song "Life" to Abner during their set.
The Duff Guide to Ska joins the entire NYC ska community in offering our sincere condolences to Brandt Abner's family and friends.
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The video below features Brandt Abner singing "Promise" (which he wrote) with Skinnerbox at the Subborn Records 20th Anniversary Party at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn in May 2012.
2012 DEC 15 SAT: New London, CT - El'n'Gee
2012 DEC 16 SUN: Providence, RI - Firehouse 13
2012 DEC 20 THU: Washington, DC - BlueBeat DC @ Solly's Tavern
2012 DEC 22 SAT: Rehoboth Beach, DE - Dogfish Head Brewing
2012 DEC 27 THU: Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
2012 DEC 30 SUN: Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
2013 JAN 1 TUE: Jacksonville, FL - Burro Bar
2013 JAN 5 SAT: Lake Worth, FL - Propaganda
2013 JAN 7 MON: Pompano Beach, FL - Mickey's Bar
2013 JAN 8 TUE: Miami, FL - Churchill's
2013 JAN 9 WED: Cape Coral, FL - Rack'Em Billiards
2013 JAN 12 SAT: Gainesville, FL - The Atlantic
2013 JAN 14 MON: Pensacola, FL - The Handle Bar
This winter, some of the best musicians on the US ska scene are banding together under King Django'sVersion City Party Tour and bringing the ska to the people. King Django, The Snails, and Matt MacLeod (of The Heavy Beat) will hit I-95 bound for the Sunshine State (with stops along the way). The VCP press release lays it all out:
By popular demand, New York’s long-standing Reggae, Rocksteady and Ska party (active in various forms since 1997) is taking it on the road for the first time. The “Version City” tour is a compact six-piece revue in three acts featuring diverse and fresh blends of Jamaican roots music--reggae, rocksteady, and ska--peppered with American rhythm & blues and soul. The show will open with a set from Matt MacLeod, soulful vocalist and keyboardist of The Heavy Beat, with backing from The Snails. Matt will then switch to bass for The Snails’ own set, fronted by the dynamic singer/guitarist Todd Fausnacht. For the finale, King Django will take the helm and lead the troop through a wide selection of material from his long and diverse career.
Thursday, December 20: BlueBeat DC, Washington, DC
Sunday, December 30: New Brooklyn Tavern, West Columbia, SC
Saturday, January 5: Propaganda, Lake Worth, FL
Sunday, January 6: Captain Hiram's Resort, Sebastian, FL
Monday, January 7: Five Points Lounge: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Wednesday, January 9: Rackem Billiards, Cape Coral, FL
Saturday, January 12: The Atlantic, Gainesville, FL
Monday, January 14: The Handlebar, Pensicola, FL
We meant to help hype this a bit earlier in their tour, but if you're in the Southwest of the USA, make sure to check out New Jersey's finest, the Hub City Stompers! Here are the dates: Wednesday, 5/23: Launch Pad, Albuquerque, NM Thursday, 5/24: M's Lips Lounge, El Paso, TX Friday, 5/25: Korova, San Antonio, TX Saturday, 5/26: Mango's, Houston, TX Sunday, 5/27: La Grange, Dallas, TX
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You can also check out the Version City Podcast episodes 14 and 15 that feature HCS' leader, Travis Nelson.
During the heady days of the 3rd wave of ska, if you liked vintage-jazzy-big band-y ska, then you lovedSkavoovie and the Epitones, because few did it as well as they did. I think I probably first encountered this Boston-based band when I was putting together the original Skarmageddon compilation for Moon Records back in 1994 (they were all still in high school and making this magnificent music!). And I've been a rabid fan ever since.
When rumors started to surface last year that Skavoovie was reforming, I was, obviously, incredibly happy about this development. Around the same time, I happened to be in touch with Dr. Dan Neely, Skavoovie's guitarist, who had been involved with recording The Jolly Boys' new album, so I asked him about what was up with the reunion and he directed me to make all inquiries of singer Ans Purins, who was gracious enough to answer the questions posed below.
Re-connecting with Ans also coincided with the publishing of the second issue of his extraordinary comic "Zombre" (about the adventures of a laid-back, nature-loving, slightly klutzy zombie!), which was published through a grant award from the Xeric Foundation! When not fronting Skavoovie, Ans is a gifted freelance illustrator (see a short bio here)--and he was making all sorts of cool comics, logos, and album covers throughout the 90s. (This fantastic print of his in green hangs on the wall above the desk where I do all my writing).
So read on to find out what the band has in store for their new album and live gigs; why they've dropped "and the Epitones"; and who or what is "Puckers"--plus check out two live tunes recorded when the band played at the 1998 Warped Tour!
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The Duff Guide to Ska:I’m psyched that you’re back, but why reunite Skavoovie now? What led to you get the band back together?
Ansis Purins: We are all friends and have remained in touch through the years. Everyone in the band is doing music in some way. We’ve always talked about playing together again... We have studio space and we have label and festival offers coming in. Plus, I keep getting emails from fans! I think we’re all touched and humbled that people still want to hear our brand of ska. It’s kind of a personal project for me as well. I want to hear how we sound now after 10 years. I’m an expressive, creative type so it’s like scratching an itch for me. I still love ska and have a baaad case of the reggaemanitis. So this project seems really natural.
DGTS:Who is in the current line-up?
AP: It’s going to be all Skavoovie members 100% from past and present. No filler.
DGTS:What are your plans for recording and live shows (will there be any NYC gigs)? Is the album going to be self-released?
AP: We have a couple offers from labels, but there has been no serious discussion about playing shows. If we did, it would most likely be a couple of shows in New York and Boston.
DGTS: What does the new material sound like—and what are its influences? Who wrote the tunes?
AP: We are going for a roots ska sound. I know that sounds cliche... On our Growler record, we experimented with stuff outside of Ripe’s sound with doing ska-Devo and pushing the arrangement and composition beyond the constraints of what is considered ska. We want to emulate the tricks the old ska musicians employed that we never did, but with the typical brand of weird Skavoovie style ska. I wrote two tracks. I know Rob [Jost] and Benny [Jaffe] were working on something called “The Main Event.” Eric [Jalbert] and Jesse [Farber] have been working with Garageband and sending everyone their tunes. Its a slow, long process as the whole band is split up by countries and states. I just the hope the fans are patient with us.
DGTS:The music industry has experienced some radical changes since you were last part of it. How has this affected your plans to market, promote, and sell your new record? What are your thoughts about music file sharing?
AP: Skavoovie was active when the Internet and file sharing was in its infancy. I’m hoping to release a fancy version of the album with some cool schwag to help promote a purchase instead of stealing it from a pirate website. I personally don’t really like file sharing. I recently saw a website that had posted every issue of Asterix and Tintin, among others. Knowing how long it takes to draw a comic book like that, it was kind of upsetting to see... It’s the same thing for a band in many ways. Great exposure, but is it impossible now to make money without touring and selling merch?
DGTS: I’ve read that Skavoovie is planning to make some old live material and rare tracks available on the band’s website. Are these going to be sold or be there for fans to stream?
AP: We’ll be posting free downloads of old material on skavoovie.us, including a few songs from our 1998 Warped Tour performance in Northampton, MA.
DGTS:I was listening to “Ripe” recently—over a decade later, it’s still fresh and vital. Which is your favorite Skavoovie and the Epitones album? What song best represents the group’s sound and attitude?
AP: Thanks Steve, I consider you to be a true ska ambassador, so that means a lot to me. My favorite Skavoovie tune is probably “Japanese Robot” (written by Eugene Cho, our keyboard player), or maybe “Desert Gold” (which Rob Jost wrote based on a Zane Grey novel, something he has done before). Both of those capture Skavoovie perfectly in my opinion. Skavoovie is filled with visual artists and we all loved watching old cartoons and anime on the bus. I think “Japanese Robot” was an homage to Force Five, a Japanese show we watched growing up in the Boston area. Here’s a You Tube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrmTNkeDUvg. I can’t find the composer’s name, but the ending to this song sounds just like “Japanese Robot” to me. Eugene recently told me he wanted to re-record it with an orchestra someday.
DGTS: For the re-launch of the band, why did you decide to drop “the Epitones”? (Where did they go?)
AP: It’s not official yet, but we felt it was easier because hardly anyone called us by our full name. Also, I was always being asked by confused people if I was ‘Skavoovie.’ Telling them I was Ansis didn’t help very much. Some band members actually suggested changing the name of the band entirely. Making 10+ people agree on one thing is always one of the hardest things about being in a giant band.
DGTS:You’re also a professional graphic designer, who has done a fair amount of work for Stubborn Records and Moon. Are you doing any ska design work right now?
AP: I’m mostly an illustrator and comic book artist, but I do graphic design as well. I designed the Travis Pickle character for Brooklyn-based Wheelhouse Pickles. I also recently did some toy designs for Magic Cabin and I did the illustrations for Piebald’s latest DVD, "Nobody’s Robots." As for ska stuff, I’m finishing up the layout and cover illustration for Victor Rice’s new album. Dr. Dan Neely, ska ethno-musicologist and Skavoovie guitarist, did the liner notes. It’s an album of Version City rarities. I’m working on the logo for SuperSka, a new ska band here in Boston, MA which is comprised of members of Bim Skala Bim, The Allstonians (whose logo I also did), Beat Soup, and the Agitators. I just finished the logo for my friend Kristen’s Forbes’ awesome new reggae band, The Scotch Bonnets, I also recently did some bottle and t-shirt designs for Ska Brewery from Durango, Colorado.
(Note: this is not the the final album design.)
DGTS:You were just awarded a grant to print one of your comic books. How did this come about?
AP: I received a grant from the Xeric Foundation, which is a resource for comics artists who self publish. It was founded by Peter Laird of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame and it donates money to comic book nerds like me. The grant went toward funding my new Zombre book. I applied about 3-4 times over the last 10 years and was psyched when they gave me the grant last year. It was a lot of work. Zombre #2 was the result of intensive labor over about a year and was completed with the help of many Skavoovie members and other friends. The book is available from my site at: www.ansis.tv
DGTS: Have you been actively following the ska scene over the past decade? If so, which bands are you a fan of?
AP: I haven’t been following it very much, I’m embarrassed to say. I still listen to ska, but my tastes have really gone towards dub, heavy metal, and jazz. I’ve spent most of my time hunting down Roots Radics rarities and the work of Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath, and Raymond Scott. I love The Aggrolites, and really enjoyed The Caroloregians and The Moon Invaders when they came to Boston last year. I don’t really hang in the scene much as I’m usually happiest drawing in my studio or collecting comics and Godzilla toys. Nerd practice.
(Click on image to enlarge.)
DGTS:Lastly, for anyone unfamiliar with the band, what is the one factoid they should know about Skavoovie?
AP: We loved buying dirty, ripped, ugly stuffed animals from thrift stores and treating them like absolutely sacred tour bus mascots/members/deities. This is Puckers, one of our many mascots.
There was also a macrame yarn cat. Jon threw the cat out the window in Nebraska somewhere. I never forgave him for that.
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"...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
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In the mail today, I received the first copy of my new paperback book The Duff Guide to 2 Tone --and am thrilled to announce that it is now...
About Your Duff Guide
Steve Shafer/The Duff Guide to Ska For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label that was too ahead of the curve for its own good (RIP).
I filmed and edited this Toasters video for $2,500, which made its debut on MTV's 120 Minutes. I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot!
Here's an old interview with Adam Monkey from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders. I also did a somewhat more recent interview with Read Junk.
I've been interviewed about ska music and Moon Records for The New York Times, Heather Augustyn's "Ska: The Rhythm of Liberation," Aaron Carnes' "In Defense of Ska," Kenneth Partridge's "Hell of a Hat: The Rise of '90s Ska and Swing," and Marc Wasserman's "Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History" (I also wrote the introductory chapter "1985: The Year American Ska Broke" for Wasserman's book).
And I'm the author of "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone," which can be ordered from Amazon--and is available in the US from Jump Up Records, and in Europe from the 2 Tone Village Shop (Coventry, UK), Champion Sound Records (Hull, UK), Aggroshop (Nijmegen, Netherlands), and Copasetic Mailorder (Hamburg, Germany). Plus, my book was on sale in the museum shop for the "2 Tone: Lives & Legacies" exhibition (May 28 - September 12, 2021), curated by Simon Reynolds, Cory Barrett, Pete Chambers, Jennifer Otter Bickerdike and Daniel Rachel, at the Herbert Art Gallery Museum in Coventry, UK.
I'm now working on my next book, "Calling All the Rude Boys: The Duff Guide to The Toasters, 1981-1992," to be published in 2023.
If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands.
All reviews and interviews posted on The Duff Guide to Ska are copyrighted and are the sole property of Steve Shafer. Please contact me for permission to reproduce anything on this blog.
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Check out The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel for footage of ska bands in action in clubs around NYC, as well as unusual and rare ska videos from the 90s! Bands featured include The Toasters, The Bluebeats, The Forthrights, Across the Aisle, The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, The Rudie Crew, Tip the Van, Hey Stranger, Beat Brigade, Bigger Thomas, King Chango, The Scofflaws, UB40, The Hard Times, Jah Love and the Valentinians, The Shifters, Rudies Don't Care, Big Audio Dynamite, Stranger Cole and Patsy with Crazy Baldhead, Queen P of Ocean 11, King Hammond, The Snails, King Django, Doomsday! The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles, Destroy Babylon, The Frightnrs, The Pandemics, Los Skarroneros, The Bullbuckers, The Scofflaws, The Reggay Lords, The Copacetics, Rude Boy George, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Specials, Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding, The Ladrones, Chris Murray, Radio Riddler, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, Barbicide, The Twilights, Bim Skala Bim featuring John Bunkley (Gangster Fun), The Pomps, and more!
Version City Records/Stubborn Records
