Monday, October 14, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Duff Review: 7" Reissues of The Toasters' "Recriminations" and "East Side Beat" EPs!
Black Butcher Classics/Mad Butcher Records2013
7" vinyl singles
Available in the U.S. through Jump Up Records
(Review by Steve Shafer)
Generally, I'm not a huge advocate for the re-issuing of records that have seen multiple releases over the years--unless it's being done to put something back in print, or to offer something new in the package that significantly enhances the release. While The Toasters' Recriminations (issued as a 12" EP on Moon Records in 1985 and 1989, and Britain's Unicorn Records in 1988) and East Side Beat (issued as a 12" EP in Ska Records in 1987) are long out-of-print, used copies can be tracked down fairly easily on the internet--and the tracks themselves are all currently available on the expanded Skaboom CD on Megalith Records (and available through Impact Merchandising). Having said that, I find myself delighted to have the new Mad Butcher 7" vinyl reissues of these EPs (I have all three versions of Recriminations, but I never purchased the East Side Beat EP back in the day--I already had those tracks and it was a somewhat pricey for a college student and hard-to-find import). Part of this is due to my insane obsession with the 7" single format (in hindsight, it's seems odd that these four-track EPs weren't originally issued as 7" singles, but 12" EPs were all the rage in the 80s and the default format for any release that contained more than two tracks). But this repackaging also provides ska fans--32 years after the group's founding--with the opportunity to reassess some of The Toasters' earliest and most essential recordings from two of the best iterations of the band.
The Recriminations EP was the band's brilliant opening salvo (yes, nitpickers, The Toasters' first release actually was "Beat Up" b/w "Brixton Beat," which came out in 1983 on Ice Bear Records--but Recriminations put The Toasters on the map: it was the first release from an American ska band to score national distribution, and, thus, reached and influenced ska fans far beyond Gotham's city limits). I bought it in back in 1985 at Sounds on St. Mark's Place, never actually having heard or seen the band. The only thing I did know was that it was a ska record and since I loved The Specials, The Selecter, English Beat, and Madness, I wanted more ska music!
To be honest, at first listen, I wasn't sure what to make of The Toasters version of ska on Recriminations. It certainly wasn't 2 Tone (which I expected it to be, since that was the only kind of modern ska I had ever heard; and if my memory is correct, I picked up Fishbone's EP debut and The Untouchables' Wild Child soon afterwards)--it was this scrappy, New Wave-influenced version of ska (with some Duane Eddy gee-tar thrown in to great effect!). But once I placed my preconceptions aside, I warmed up to Recriminations quickly (to this day, all of these songs are amongst my favorites). The songwriting is fiercely original; the performances are energetic and tight (and probably came close to capturing what they sounded like live at the time); the production is pretty warm and decent for a DIY effort recorded on the cheap (Recriminations was produced by New Wave's other angry young man, Joe Jackson, a fellow Brit and footie fan whom Bucket had met when he was manager of the comic book/sci-fi shop Forbidden Planet in Greenwich Village); and I loved the vocal interplay between guitarist/songwriter Bucket and bassist Vicky Rose (this version of the band also included Steve Hex on keys, Gary Eye on percussion, and Danny Johnson on drums).
Side A of Recriminations (which could have been called their 'R' EP, since all of the songs start with that letter) contains songs about sour, severely dysfunctional relationships--the prickly and perennially frustrated "No Exit" hell of the title track: "We get ourselves in situations I don't understand/That always leads to confrontations getting out of hand/It always ends in recriminations, "What is it I said?"" and the melancholy "Razor Cut" (with the metaphoric or real life threat of suicide--you decide): "You bend me out of shape like modeling clay/You can twist me almost every way/There's been to much violence, too much pain/I can't make it through another day/But when I ask for more/That's when I find you on the bathroom floor..."
Recrimination's flip side expands the lyrical horizon to include commentary on the demise of a scene (and society) and the fear of nuclear armageddon. Arguably The Toasters' first underground hit, the full-on reggae cut "Run Rudy Run" (which, to these ears, borrows some of its arrangement from The Ruts' "Love in Vain"--the B side to their incredible "Staring at the Rude Boys" single; the earliest version of "Run Rudy Run" was originally written and performed while Bucket was in the UK in the late 70s and in a reggae band called The Klingons) features Joe Jackson on melodica and describes the attempt to have a fun night on the town (hit some clubs, catch some bands), but results in a crappy, disappointing evening instead. But it's also about the senselessness/corruption of how things are:
"Hit the inner city before the main man hits the town
Spent our cash on looking flash and heavy jab jab sound
The clubs have turned their bouncers on the drunken, mindless crowd
You hear nothing from your logic clock
Run, Rudy, run...
Juvenile delinquents given sentences of gold
The push for Radio City, reach our drat and nasty goal
Cups are gettin' empty, the boys are getting old
You hear nothing from your logic clock
Run, Rudy, run...
Silence in the city on the night before the crash
The cops have sold their holdings at the diamond Wigmore bash
The clubs have turned their goon squad on the drunken struggling mass
Nothing from your logic clock..."
It's the "Friday Night, Saturday Morning"/"Do Nothing" lyrical mash-up for a dangerous and crumbling early 80s New York City (it also makes me wonder if it refers, in part, to the episode where Bucket showed up at Roseland to see The Beat in 1981 and found the giant ballroom dancefloor mostly empty--which put him on a mission to spread ska in America).
As quaint and outlandish as it seems now, in the 1980s (with Cold Warrior Ronald Reagan loudly rattling his saber and railing against the Evil Empire of the Soviets), we all believed that there was a very good chance we'd perish in an all-out nuclear war (scroll to the bottom of this post for much more on this topic, including a list of the many of the ska and New Wave-era songs that were inspired by the dread of living with the knowledge that somewhere in the Soviet Union was nuclear missile with your name on it). Bucket took this dread and served up a droll, very British take on the nuclear armageddon in "Radiation Skank" (which seems inspired both by H.G Welles' "War of the Worlds"--the novel takes place in England, you know--and Stanley Kramer's movie "On the Beach"):
"When I wake up in the morning
Get my breakfast at the larder
Take my cup of tea
And go out in the garden
What's those lights up in the northern sky?
It looks like London's burning
But then it could be Bristol
I'm really not that certain
Sorry boys, it's a big mistake
Like to stop the rockets
But it's much to late
When it drops its bombs on England
I'll make sure that I'm not there
I'll be in the Caribbean
Or somewhere like Australia
'Cause I don't want to be a mutant, not I
Arms and legs in funny places
My elbows where my hands are
My ass right where my face is..."
On each of The Toasters' albums in the 1990s and 2000s, the band revisited one of their early hits; Dub 56 features "Razor Cut" and One More Bullet contains "Run Rudy Run." These amped-up interpretations are fine, but they lack the edge, grit, and ballsy vitality of the originals; they're almost too polished. The Recriminations versions of these songs are definitive. (The sleeve artwork featured on the Mad Butcher edition of Recriminations comes from the 1988 Unicorn release, featuring Bob Fingerman's illustration that originally was on the back cover of the 1985 Moon release.)
The 1987 East Side Beat EP features the Skaboom-era band and is one of the piecemeal ways that album was released in the UK. Essentially, Skaboom was split in two, with Unicorn receiving the majority of the Skaboom tracks for its Pool Shark LP (which includes a few tracks that didn't appear in the US until the Moon Ska re-release of the Skaboom CD in 1994: "Matt Davis," "Renee," "Ideal Man," and "Naked City") and Ska Records getting "East Side Beat," "Mr. Trouble," "Manipulator," and "ABCs." The band had expanded considerably since Recriminations--the only holdovers from the 1985 version of The Toasters were Buck, Steve Hex, and Gary Eye. The Unity Two, Sean "Cavo" Dinsmore and Lionel "Nene" Bernard, were also on vocals with Bucket, along with Brian Emerich on bass, Jonathan McCain on drums--and the band now sported a full horn section: Marcel Reginato on alto sax, John Dugan on tenor sax, Greg Grinnell on cornet, and Anne Hellandsjo on trombone. The Toasters' songwriting (now split between Bucket and Sean Dinsmore) and performances had evolved and matured into what is now considered the classic, instantly recognizable Toasters' sound that won over fans worldwide (and would be further explored on the terrific Thrill Me Up). I was fortunate to see both the Skaboom and Thrill Me Up-era Toasters, both of which put on brilliantly energetic and tight live shows and are probably my favorite permutations of the band. (Check out East Side Beat's fantastic film noir-ish cover art by Don Alan, who also designed The Toasters' Black Flag-like logo with the three black bars and musical notes.)"East Side Beat" is Buck's re-write of his "Brixton Beat" (which originally was inspired by the Brixton riots of 1981 that were the result of police oppression of minorities--particularly their use of the "sus" law, and the high unemployment/no future of Thatcher's England) off The Toasters' debut 1983 single, though it relocates the action from the poor, inner city London neighborhood of Brixton to Manhattan's seedy, low-rent, and somewhat dangerous (in the 80s and early 90s, anyway) East Village/Lower East Side/Alphabet City. It's now one of The Toasters' signature tunes, and has been played as an encore during their sets for decades. But even back in the late 80s, this was one of their most popular tracks and was guaranteed to get the crowd jumping in the air, pumping their fists, and shouting along with the "oi!" chorus.
Essentially, "East Side Beat" is the NYC rude boy (in all senses of that word: ska fan, rebel, criminal) night-on-the-town experience. Some are looking to check out the bands in the clubs or pick up women in bars; others are out to commit some crimes; and then there are the unfortunate rudies in the "wrong" skin brought up on bogus charges by racist cops and convicted by a justice system that is hostile to people of color. All are dealing with the risks of transversing the sketchy, violent, and decaying (but also funky and cool) urban landscape (Tomkins Square Park, in the heart of the East Village, was part open-air drug market and part homeless encampment, and you you rarely ventured past Avenue B into the drug den/projects of Alphabet City, even during daylight hours). But it's also where the ska scene was at in 1980s if you were going to catch a band or hang out with your crew in a dive (like Blanche's, The Toasters hangout, on 7th Street and Avenue A, right across the street from Tomkins Square Park).
"In a beat up Ford Cortina on Saturday night
Second Step and Urban Blight
Here come The Boilers, check out The Scene
But that's never Too True, if you know what I mean
The reception is cool, so turn up the heat
Come on boys, do some East Side Beat
Pick up your piece and make your play
I wonder what the old man will say
Caught in the act with a gun in your hand
And a fat old judge doesn't understand
Burning and looting down on the street
Come on boys, do some East Side Beat
Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!
Out in the jungle on a Saturday night
Trip over a junkie and there's two in a fight
Go over to the fellas, just chewin' the fat
Shark skin apes in pork pie hats
Big ugly skinhead across the street
Come on boys, do the East Side Beat
Into this stinker for a rack of pool
There's a girl at the bar who's beginning to drool
One more chaser, I'll move right in
She gets much fresher as I fill up my skin
Keep my whiskey cool, just like me
Come on boys, do the East Side Beat
Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!
So it's up in the morning, to try to get straight
Out on the turf, it's a theatre of hate
In a land you can't even call your own
And the big fat coppers won't leave you alone
Push you around, do the law with their feet
Come on boys, do the East Side Beat
So it's off to jail and up in the dock
Send you off for a short, sharp, shock
Tell racist jokes as they put you away
Never even listen, "What the hell you say?"
Burning police cars down on the street
Come on boys, do some East Side Beat"
Bucket's fantastically comical and paranoid "Mr. Trouble" updates and pays tribute to the rude boy decrying/mythologizing sides of Prince Buster ("Judge Dread," "The Barrister'") and Derrick Morgan ("Tougher Than Tough," "Retrial of Rudies") et al:
"Trouble is his middle name
Kicking Bucket, that's his game
You can't stop him, he's quite insane
Al Capone, Mr. Trouble!
So up he comes, and down you go
Thirty coffins in a row
Get outta town, and don't be slow
Baby Doc, Mr. Trouble!
He's figures big in scary tales
Walks on water, sleeps on nails
Shoots to kill and never fails
Scarface, Mr. Trouble!
He's nine feet tall, and six feet wide
Fists like mallets by his side
You can run, but you can't hide
Hell his name? Mr. Trouble!
Death and murder is his plan
He'll wipe you out
To the last man
You better get out while you can
Baby Face, Mr. Trouble!
He's got a .45, a .38
Brass knuckles, knives, and a razor blade
He likes his job, he doesn't get paid
Jack Ruby, Mr. Trouble!
If you don't like knuckles in your face
Get out of town, no time to waste
You'll disappear without a trace
Take care, Mr. Trouble!
So when you hear the sirens wail
Mr. Trouble he's on your trail
Some cretin let him out on bail!
Judge Dread, Mr. Trouble!"
The slightly misogynistic "Manipulator" (written by Bucket and Dinsmore) may not be the most enlightened song about women who use their wiles and feminine charms on men to get what they want ("All the fellows dig her cause she's funky fresh/Some people call her Doris but her name is Bess/She's always in the bar, you know she drinks for free/Why should she have to pay when there are suckers like me?"); but its catchy melody and bemused self-awareness help to redeem its sins.
"ABCs" is the Unity 2's signature tune (and great live), a great jazzy-reggae anti-drug toast/rap--essentially, a drug alphabet primer for the denizens of Alphabet City (which they later re-worked for their reggae/hip hop solo album What Is it, Yo? for Warner Brothers Records a few years later):
"Inna de A - Is for alcohol
Boom up the B - Is for booze, ya know
I man can C -Is for cocaine
Dope up de D - And dope a running in your veins
Big up de E - That is for E-balls
Flip-flop the F - Your future's written on the walls
Gang bang the G - That is for greed
Doing the H - A very stupid, dangerous deed
And I...
An intravenous injection
Jazz up the J - C'mon homie, just try one
No more KKK - On the corner, you'll find crack
Lionel the L - Stop fessin,' 'cause it's drugs you lack
Mash up the M - M is for you mind
Nuh nuh nuh N! - You need narcotics, just to unwind
Oh, oh, ponna O - You could get an overdose
Give I a P - The price you pay for cuttin' it close
Homeboy...
What's up with S - It's a constant search for drugs
Tease de T - And then you got beat up by thugs
You and U - Is united we stand
Why up de V - I got some valium in my hand
Dup up W - Is for woe is me
What's up with X - I also tried some ecstasy
Mister Lionel fe you ask why - The choice you make is yes or no
Zozo de Z - So, don't be a zero
ABCs..."
If you didn't have a chance to pick up these EPs back in the late 80s--or weren't even born yet!--grab a copy of each while you can. And if you're a Toasters' completist or love collecting ska vinyl, do I really need to encourage you to buy these?
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Preview the New Beat Brigade Album!
 |
| Beat Brigade circa 1987! |
Beat Brigade were a great example--along with The Toasters, Urban Blight, NY Citizens, Second Step, The Boilers, AKings, and City Beat--of the gritty, aggressive, and adventurous NYC ska sound that had developed in the wake of 2 Tone (and helped bring about the rise of the so-called Third Wave of ska in the 1990s)! Yet, these were no Specials/Madness/Beat/Selecter wannabes--though they clearly loved those bands and built upon/expanded the 2 Tone sound to incorporate all sorts of diverse musical elements from funk to punk to New Wave and beyond. Indeed, Beat Brigade's sound can best be characterized as the modern, punky ska of The Specials crossed with the New Wave bite and verbosity of Elvis Costello, and the musical exploration of The Beat, all topped off with the political awareness/attitude of The Clash.
Fortunately for ska fans in the 21st century, Beat Brigade reunited a few years ago (with original members Carmelo Dibartolo, Jack Hoppenstand, Frank Usamanont, Erick Storkman, and Dave Barry, along with Ramsey Jones and Michael Kammers) and have been putting on some amazing shows ever since. Plus, they've finally been able to record many of their excellent, socio-politically aware songs from the 80s, along with some equally fantastic new tracks. You can whet your appetite on previews of several of their new tunes--including my faves "Keep Still Dark," "401 Kill," and "Another Cause," which are linked below--on Beat Brigade's new SoundCloud page!
We'll pass along details regarding Beat Brigade's album release when they become available...
Thursday, October 3, 2013
NYC Fall/Winter Ska Calendar #999
Thursday, October 3, 2013 @ 6:30 pmRocky and The Pressers, The Far East
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston Street
New York, NY
+ + + +
Saturday, October 5, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
The Toasters, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Left Alone
The Stone Pony
913 Ocean Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
$16 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages
+ + + +
Sunday, October 6, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Toasters, Left Alone
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$16 in advance/$18 day of show
+ + + +
Saturday, October 12, 2013 @ 9:30 pm (two sets)
King Django Quintet
Two Boots Brooklyn
514 2nd Street
Brooklyn, NY
Free
+ + + +
Saturday, October 19, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
Electric Avenue returns with The Scofflaws and Rude Boy George!
Characters NYC
243 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York, NY
$8/18+
+ + + +
Friday, October 25, 2013 @ 7:30 pm
Mephiskapheles, Inspecter 7, Ladrones
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$18/All ages
+ + + +
Friday, October 25, 2013 at 8:00 pm
The English Beat and The Bluebeats
The Paramount Theater
370 New York Avenue
Huntington, NY
$33
+ + + +
Sunday, October 27, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
Big D and the Kids Table, Red City Radio, Survay Says, The Pandemics, Short Handed Goal
The Studio at Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY
$13/19+
+ + + +
Saturday, November 16, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
Electric Avenue with Chris Murray, Ladrones, Rude Boy George
Characters NYC
243 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York, NY
$10/18+
+ + + +
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Electric Avenue Holiday Party! Bands to be announced soon!
Characters NYC
243 West 54th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue)
New York, NY
$8/18+
+ + + +
Friday, December 13, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Westbound Train
The Studio at Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY
+ + + +
Saturday, December 14, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
Keith and Tex (backed by Crazy Baldhead), Guest DJ Deadly Dragon Sound System, Dig Deeper Residents Mr. Robinson and DJ Honky
Littlefield
622 Degraw Street
Brooklyn, NY
Tickets: $20-$25
21+
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Brandt Abner, Skinnerbox Keyboardist, Vocalist, Composer RIP
 |
| Skinnerbox gathered for a reunion show in 2010. Brandt Abner is third from the right. |
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't and 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.
+ + + +
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.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
NYC Fall 2013 Ska Calendar #85
Beat Brigade, MK Groove Orchestra, FunkFace, The Huffers, Kenny Warren
Spike Hill
186 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
Free
+ + + +
Friday, September 20, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
The Selecter, The Pinstripes, The Rudie Crew
Gramercy Theater
127 East 23rd Street
Manhattan
$34.50
+ + + +
Friday, September 20, 2013 @ 8:00 pm
Dub Champions Festival: BK Live & Dubwise w/ Top Shotta Band, Screechy Dan, The Far East, Frightnrs, International Dub Ambassadors, plus DJ sets from Ticklah and Prince Polo with Ruff Scott, Kendra Morris, and Jah Bami
The Paper Box
17 Meadow Street
Brooklyn, NY
+ + + +
Friday, September 27, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
Reggae in the Slope w/ Rocksteady Freddie and Kevin Batchlor, The Brooklyn Attractors, Channel One Sound with Crucial Selector and more
Port Royal (under Tea Lounge)
837-839 Union Street (6th and 7th Avenues)
Brooklyn
$10
+ + + +
Saturday, September 28 @ 7:00 pm
The Big 30 w/Across the Aisle and The Pandemics
The Dopeness
332 2nd Street
Jersey City, NJ
$10
BYOB
+ + + +
Saturday, September 28, 2013
King Django Quintet, Tri-State Conspiracy, and Unbearable Slackers
Roxy and Duke's
745 Bound Brook Road
Dunellen, NJ
+ + + +
Saturday, September 28, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Jimmy Cliff
Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY
$35
+ + + +
Saturday, October 5, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
The Toasters, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Left Alone
The Stone Pony
913 Ocean Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
$16 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages
+ + + +
Sunday, October 6, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Toasters, Left Alone
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$16 in advance/$18 day of show
+ + + +
Friday, October 25, 2013 @ 7:30 pm
Mephiskapheles, Inspecter 7, The Ladrones
The Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$18/All ages
+ + + +
Sunday, October 27, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
Big D and the Kids Table, Red City Radio, Survay Says
The Studio at Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY
$13/19+
+ + + +
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The Skatalites
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
+ + + +
Friday, November 15, 2013
The Skatalites
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
+ + + +
Monday, September 16, 2013
Duff Review: Coldspot 8 "A Man's Kingdom" b/w "Skinhead a Go Pop a Collar" Single
Dynamite Records2013
7" vinyl record
Available from Deadly Dragon Sound
(Review by Steve Shafer)
Even with members living many states apart in both New York City and Orlando, FL, the ska/rocksteady/early reggae crew Coldspot 8 still tours on occasion (as they did this past spring and summer), and records and releases excellent new music, such as the two brilliantly catchy songs here (with Jah Point on vocals, Kyle Jones on bass, Agent Jay on guitar, Matt Burdi on drums, Jack Wright on organ, Nabil Ghandour on trumpet, and Tim Schletter on sax and backing vocals). The band first formed in 1996 in Florida and issued It's the Feelgood (Beatville) in 2000 and Get on High (Stubborn) in 2005--these came out during my ska wilderness days, after Moon's awful demise, so I missed out on them the first time round (and am happy to see that they're both are still in print).
With an ice rink organ line that reminds me a bit of The Congos' "La La Bam Bam," "A Man's Kingdom" is a terrific vintage rocksteady cut about the ups and downs of playing poker. The singer believes that he's holding the winning hand--a straight with a king as a high card, only to be beaten by an opponent's straight with an ace or "stone": "A man's kingdom comes crumbling down, down, down/Now all my knights at the table they got to run from me/And all my knights at my table better run from me/Now all it took was a stone to knock me off my throne/And all it took was a stone that make me know I'm alone...I'm a rush it, I'm a gun, I'm a make it three/but you a pull it and a steal, take away from me/Takin' my money and pride, start the spark in me/and make the game catch a fire, burned the game for me/A man's kingdom comes crumbling down, down, down." The words of wisdom here are that you can't win 'em all, in life as in poker.
Featured on the recent "Brooklyn Rocksteady" documentary film soundtrack, "Skinhead a Go Pop a Collar" is a fantastic, quirky cut (love the unusual sax riff!) that's more of an observation than a "sell-out"-type criticism of how people who were once young and deeply involved in subcultures go "straight" or mainstream in order to pursue a career and/or make a lot of money (Jah Point tells me that it's essentially about "moving up in the world, from a blue collar to a white one"): "One time it was a workers' world/Next time you see the rude boy learns/So skinhead a go pop a collar/Come see how things change/Less work, more pay that's what the man say/Twelve hour days, they've gone away/Now from a night nurse, we call a doctor now/And from a man who sit on the bench, him a big judge now/See them as a doctor/See them as a lawyer/But when we stop bawling/Skinhead still come calling..." I can name several former skinheads and rudies who are now doctors and lawyers (but they definitely still love their ska music and its subculture). So it goes.
Word is that there were two other songs recorded in this session--here's hoping they see the light of day (and on vinyl) soon!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Duff Review: Crabs Corporation "The Many Faces of The Crabs Corporation" EP!
Jump Up Records2013
Red or white 10" vinyl EP
(Review by Steve Shafer)
The Crabs Corporation needs no introduction if you've been following the international ska scene and been smart enough to pick up one of their three fine 45s on Record Kicks: the King Hammond-produced "Bring Down the Birds (Flying High Mix)"; "Let It Go" b/w "Reggae Power" with Jennie Matthias and Dave Barker; or their recent "Day After Day" track with Susan Cadogan (they also do a cool reggae cover of The Clash's "Ghetto Defendant" on Golden Singles Records' jaw-dropping amazing The Clash Goes Jamaican compilation, which we'll be reviewing soon).
The latest release from this stellar Argentinian band is the six-track vinyl EP The Many Faces of The Crabs Corporation, which is an fitting title, since they like to mix up their soulful, organ-centric skinhead reggae sound with elements of 60s R'n'B/funk and 80s acid jazz (exemplified here on the vigorous instrumental workouts "The Sort," "Breakdown," and "Do It!"). Ska and reggae fans should go crazy for the standout track "Hush It!," featuring one of my favorite singers, the magnificent Jennie "Bellestar" Matthias. The song's about someone struggling with haters who just won't let a past dispute go: "On my knees/I'm begging please/For someone to listen to this story/You can never make amends/They'll make ya a criminal/until the very end/You hush it/You hush it up/Shut it/You're told to shut your mouth/Why don't you listen to the truth/When you're presented with the groove?/What does it take to make you see?/Why are you disputing me?...You refuse to give in/and the scars you left behind run so deep/Call the doctor/I'm feeling bad/Was it my fault?/Am I the one to blame?" On paper, it looks like this is an angry, bitter song, but it's very upbeat and defiant--a great cut (check out a sample of "Hush It!" in the video below)!
As for the other straight-up early reggae cuts on The Many Faces of..., "The Hard Mod Beat" is actually a peppy Dave and Ansel Collins-type instrumental with various spoken exhortations running on top ("The hard mod beat is reggae!" and "From 1969 to the end of times, is coming from the past, but is going to the future..."); while "Le Secrete" is a repurposed/versioned Jackie Mittoo cut (the fantastically slow-burning "Drum Song") mashed up with a Serge Gainsbourg-ish voiceover. Ignorant American that I am, I wish my French was much better, so I knew what exactly what was being said. But it all sounds deliciously lewd and illicit...
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Duff Review: The Prizefighters "A Musical Knockout in Three Rounds" Series of 7" Singles!
Round 1: "One Thousand Words" b/w "Lost at Sea"Round 2: "No Use Crying" b/w "Night Breeze"
Round 3: "Cold Shoulder" b/w "Sukeban"
Prizefighter Sound System
2013
Series of vinyl 7" singles
(Review by Steve Shafer)
The Prizefighters' "A Musical Knockout in Three Rounds" delivers sweet vintage ska, rocksteady, and early reggae sounds via a series of three 7" vinyl singles--each of which features different and beautifully designed retro label art (plus, the paper sleeves are hand stamped with the image of the boxer from the label on Round 3). Like many recent ska projects in the US, these singles came to fruition through crowd funding (full disclosure--I was one of this projects supporters), which seems to be one of the more viable means for independent bands not to lose their collective shirts in the process of pressing up and selling recorded music. (I also like to think that doing vinyl-only releases helps cut down on illegal file sharing; I know, it's still possible to make a digital file off a vinyl record, but it's kind of a hassle and probably discourages the less determined file sharers from posting pirated music on the internet.)
The ace musicians in The Prizefighters have been championing 1960s-era Jamaican music in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for over six years now (yes, there is a Minnesota ska scene!). Their 2011 self-released debut CD, Follow My Sound, was recorded and produced by the great King Django. Then Chuck Wren of Jump Up Records picked up the CD for national distribution and liked it so much that he pressed up a limited edition vinyl edition of the album with alternate versions, mixes, and even a dub by Anthony of The Drastics (both the CD and LP are available from Jump Up here). The Prizefighters also have been a part of Jump Up Records' "Jamaican Oldies Weekends" in Chicago; their chops scored them the enviable spot of backing Stranger Cole last November, as well as Roy Panton and Yvonne Harrison this past March. In October, they're backing Roy and Yvonne once again at the Montreal Ska Festival (which also includes One Night Band, Big D and the Kids Table, The Slackers, Green Room Rockers, Inspecter 7, Rude City Riot, Mad Bombers Society, Expos, Kman and the 45s, and more).Like most Jamaican pop music from the early 1960s, The Prizefighters' tracks are mostly concerned with matters--conflict, mostly--of the heart (though, whether this was on purpose or not, as the singles progress from ska to early reggae, the band begins to address other topics--mirroring how Jamaican music increasingly addressed oppression, inequity, and other transgressions, as it moved toward roots reggae).
The first single, Round 1, features "One Thousand Words," a sprightly ska track that has the singer coming to the conclusion that it's time for him to stop banging his head against the wall: "So, I tell you the truth/You laugh in my face/How much of my time are you willing to waste?/I tried and I tried to make you mine/I'm not going to waste any more of my time." "Lost at Sea" hauntingly conveys the loneliness and heartache of separating from someone ("Where are you?/I can't find your face in the crowd") and losing your bearings in the process.
Round 2 shifts into rocksteady mode, with the really lovely "No Use for Crying" (and its gorgeous vocal harmonizing) that offers this sound advice: "No use crying for someone/that doesn't cry for you/Man, you've to let her go/You've been trying for so long/She ain't crying for you/Man, you've go to let her go!" The flip side is a fantastic, organ-drenched instrumental version of "No Use..." titled "Night Breeze."
Round 3 enters early/skinhead reggae territory (and the subject matter of the songs starts to venture further afield). "Cold Shoulder" reveals an awareness of conflict and injustice beyond the personal level: "These are troubled times we're living in/but it's not just me and you/We've got to learn to work together now/and some day we'll break on through/But sometimes it gets so hard/It feels that all that I get and all that I do/is just the cold shoulder from you." "Sukeban" has nothing to do with romance--it's just about a bad-ass girl (according to the band, sukeban means "delinquent girl" or "female gang leader" in Japanese). It also happens to be a terrifically frenzied instrumental, where the organ and guitar riffs seem to vie for musical turf and supremacy--and it may just be the best track of the bunch.
We ska fans on the coasts sometimes tend to pay less attention to (or even dismiss!) ska bands from most points in between--and we do this to our own detriment. So, ignore The Prizefighters' first-rate singles at your own musical peril. You've been warned.
(All three of these singles are available for purchase from The Prizefighters here.)
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Duff Review: Tim Timbomb's "30 Pieces of Silver" b/w "Ooh La La" 7" Single!
Hellcat/Pirates Press Records2013
7" vinyl record
Available through Interpunk
(Review by Steve Shafer)
Not that I count myself amongst them, but the cool kids know that Rancid's/The Transplants' Tim Armstrong AKA Tim Timebomb has been releasing a song a day (recorded with a revolving cast of very talented musical friends) since last October. Some are originals, others are choice versions of ska, reggae, punk, rock, and country classics; there are now several hundred in all (YouTube versions of the songs go up on his site each day--each accompanied by original art by Tim on faux 7" record picture sleeves--then the digital tracks are available on iTunes a few weeks afterwards). It's kind of fascinating to see the wide range of musical styles and eras that Tim clearly respects and digs--this whole endeavor is a bit like him rummaging through his collection of 45s with us, and pulling out and playing his favorite tracks that we've just gotta hear.
Of this ever-growing collection, ska and reggae fans will want to check out Tim Timebomb and Friends' covers of The Specials' "Concrete Jungle," The Bodysnatchers' "Let's Do the Rocksteady," Bad Manners' "Lip Up Fatty," The Selecter's "Too Much Pressure," The Beat's "Save It for Later," Jimmy Cliff's and Tim Timebomb's "Children's Bread," and a really great 2 Tone-ish take on The Ethiopians' "From Bad to Worse" (I'd love to see this last song come out on vinyl).
Since I'm into music issued on tangible formats, I'm reviewing Tim Timebomb's newly released "30 Pieces of Silver" single. The terrific A side is a faithful, vintage ska rendition of this Prince Buster classic, though Tim's ragged vocals convey the resigned anger and frustration over an associate's betrayal in a manner that's almost better than the original. According to reggae expert Brian Keyo, Buster's bile is "directed at Lloyd Charmers, whose group, The Charmers, recorded for other producers during Buster's 1963 trip to England." Of course, this song's title refers to the bribe of the aforementioned number of silver coins received by Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus (Judas was one of Jesus' twelve apostles). Judas' kiss identified Jesus to the forces of High Priest Caiaphas, who arrested him and turned him over to the Romans for trial. Pontius Pilate soon had Jesus executed on the cross, since he was seen as a threat to the legitimacy of the Jewish high priests and as a potential revolutionary leader by the Roman occupiers (out of remorse, Judas hanged himself). So, this track is reserved for publicly shaming someone close who really screwed you over badly (though, interestingly enough, for Prince Buster, this was more of a transactional than emotional betrayal: "The shirts you wore, I bought them/The shoes you wore, I bought them/The pants you wore, I bought them/Judas Charmer is your name/So hear them call you Judas...").
Side B is an excellent ska cover of The Faces' 1973 song "Ooh La La", a somewhat misogynist and cynical view of women and love that's also full of regret about the fact that sometimes knowledge is only gained through age and experience (and not necessarily in your head at a time in your life when you need it the most): "The Can Can's such a pretty show/They'll steal your heart away/But backstage, back on earth again/The dressing rooms are grey/They come on strong and it ain't too long/Before they make you feel a man/But love is blind and you soon will find/You're just a boy again/When you want her lips, you get a cheek/Makes you wonder where you are/If you want some more and she's fast asleep/Then she's twinkling with the stars/Poor young grandson, there's nothing I can say/You'll have to learn, just like me/And that's the hardest way/I wish that I knew what I know now/When I was younger..." When Tim sings/speaks the chorus ("I wish that I knew..."), you believe him.
Traditional ska fans shouldn't be put off by Tim Timebomb's punk pedigree (Rancid's take on ska and reggae via The Clash has always been good to great--and do I even need to remind you of Op Ivy?)--these two cuts are the real deal and highly recommended.
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