Wednesday, December 28, 2016

The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Winter 2016/2017 Ska Calendar #42

Misty in Roots (photo by Syd Shelton)
Thursday, December 29, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

The Skints, Rude Boy George, The Far East

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$15 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages

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Thursday, December 29, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

HR (of Bad Brains), Dubb Agents, SkarroƱeros, Kingsound

The Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
New York, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Friday, December 30, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

The Porkers, The Pandemics, The Rudie Crew, Skarroneros

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Saturday, January 14, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dubistry

Shrine World Music Venue
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard/7th Avenue
New York, NY
No cover!

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Tuesday, January 17, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

LARP Showcase #10: King Django, Control This, The Screwups, Brother Jerome, Carmelo DiBartolo (Beat Brigade)--plus DJ Ryan Midnight

Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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Saturday, January 21, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dj Gorilla Presents: Oi! Punk/Ska Party!!! [Queens Edition] w/Los Perros, Raise the Kicks, The Omega Men, Eskrofula

Pista Bandas Unidas Oficial
96-11 Roosevelt Avenue
Queens, NY
$10/All Ages

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Friday, February 24, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Skatalites

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

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Saturday, March 4, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Save Ferris, Baby Baby

The Gramercy Theatre
127 East 23rd Street
New York, NY
$20/16+

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Friday, March 17, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Pietasters

The Marlin Room @ Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY
$16/16+

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Friday, March 24, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Voodoo Glow Skulls, Hub City Stompers

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$13 in advance/$15 day of show
All Ages

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Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
4 Penn Plaza
New York, NY
Tickets: $35-$95

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Thursday, December 22, 2016

The Duff Guide to Ska: Year in Ska Reviews - 2016 Edition

(All Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Here we are at that time of the year again when we all take stock of the twelve months that have just passed. I tend to look at my failings, instead of the accomplishments (I could have reviewed many more releases, seen more shows, etc.). Having said that, I am proud of and stand by everything I've written here and hope that these words have helped steer you/turn you on to some amazing ska bands and music.

Below, please find links to all of The Duff Guide to Ska reviews of 2016, in case you missed anything, want to reassess a particular release, or re-read a review or two.

I'd also be remiss not to mention all of the ska musicians that we lost in 2016, including Prince Buster, Lord Tanamo, Jimmy Riley, John Bradbury, Clyde Grimes, Jr. of The Untouchables, Al Fletcher of The Selecter/Skaville UK, Roy Radics of The Rudie Crew, Dan "Brukky" Klein of The Frightnrs, and we just learned of Rudy "Valentino" Jones--the tenor saxophonist for The Trojans--who passed away this week (12/21/16). All of you will be sorely missed by many.

Albums

1592: Family of Choice

The Amphetameanies: Last Chance Bordello

The Beat Featuring Ranking Roger: Bounce

The Bionic Rats: T.B.R.

Sammy Buzz: The Buzzman Cometh

Susan Cadogan: Take Me Back 

The Crombies: Dance Crazee

The Downsetters: The Asylum Hotel

The Frightnrs: Nothing More to Say (review TK)

The Frits: The Greatest Frits

Vivien Goldman: Resolutionary (Songs 1979-1982)

Arthur Kay and The Originals: Rare 'n' Tasty reissue

Madness: Can't Touch Us Now

Massive Attack v. Mad Professor: No Protection reissue

N.S.T. and The Soul Sauce: Heaven is Here/Song for Rico EP

J. Navarro and The Traitors: Criminals and Lions

Phoenix City All-stars: Searching for the Young Ska Rebels

Pyrotechnist: Dub Rocketry

Rhoda Dakar: The Lotek Four, Volume I (review TK)

Rico: Man from Wareika/Wareika Dub expanded reissue

Max Romeo: Horror Zone

Joe Scholes: Songbook, Volume II

Sonic Boom Six: The F-Bomb

The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra: Bite the Bullet

The Toasters: Skaboom reissue

The Untouchables: The Duff Guide to The Untouchables

The Uptown Ska Collective: The Uptown EP

Various Artists: Money Maker

Various Artists: Skinhead Reggae 1969

Various Artists: Trembling Earth - A Scottish Ska Compilation


7" and 12" Singles 

The Abruptors: "Buffalo Ska"

Laurel Aitken and The Ruts: "The Peel Sessions"

The Bishops: "The Ol' 49R" b/w "The Black and Tan"

Dennis Bovell: "Heaven" 12" reissue

Dennis Bovell: "Row, Row, Row" b/w "River Dub"

Empire of Two: "Let Us Live"

Lynval Golding and Contra Coup: "Know Your Rights" 12"

Natalie Wouldn't: "Natalie Wouldn't"

The Ruts: "Psychic Attack" b/w "Vox Teardrop (Instrumental)"

Secret Affair: "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" b/w "Crumble Gunn"

The Selecter/The Beat: "Breakdown" b/w "Side To Side" split single

The Ska Flames: "Hoppin' Steppin'" b/w "Someday" and "El Camino" b/w "Hometown Waltz"

Yellowcap: "Around the World"

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Other Reviews and Pieces of Note

Review of The Selecter at The Gramercy Theatre on 10/6/16

The Duff Guide to Ska Remembers David Bowie

The Duff Guide to Ska Remembers Prince

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See what The Duff Guide to Ska reviewed during 2015 here!

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Monday, December 19, 2016

Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Rico "Man From Wareika/Wareika Dub"

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Rico Man From Wareika/Wareika Dub (Double CD, Caroline International/Island Records, 2016): Even though he had lived in the UK since 1961 and had played on numerous records as a very respected and in demand session trombone man for Laurel Aitken, Dandy Livingstone (performing on "Rudy A Message to You"), Joe Mansano, Georgie Fame, and many others (for labels such as Blue Beat, Planetone, Ska Beat, Collins Downbeat), as well as releasing several albums of his own on Pama and Trojan, Rico Rodriguez (check out our bio of him here) wasn't well-known much beyond the Jamaican immigrant community and the devoted subculture of mods and skinheads until Island signed him in 1976. By that time, Chris Blackwell had begun to experience enormous success in marketing reggae to a rock audience--specifically with Bob Marley and the Wailers--and intended to repeat/build upon it with newly signed artists like Toots and Maytals, Burning Spear, and Rico Rodriguez.

Rico recorded Man From Wareika (its title track a tribute to Rico's friend and Alpha School mentor Don Drummond who first brought Rico to the Rastas up on Wareika Hill; this song is a version of Drummond's "Green Island") with top reggae musicians (Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Bobby Ellis, Eddie Thorton, Dick Cuthell, Ansel Collins, Karl Pitterson--who also produced the majority tracks here--and many more) during sessions in England at Island's Hammersmith Studios and Jamaica at Randy's and Joe Gibb's studios. A few months prior to Man From Wareika's release in 1976, Rico toured the UK with Bob Marley and the Wailers, which helped generate advance interest in his album (and in 1977, Rico opened for Marley on the European tour in support of Exodus). Man From Wareika received positive to stellar reviews and sold well-enough that Island released an extremely sought after handmade-looking white label dub version through its Ghetto Rockers imprint and a series of Island 12" singles in 1977 and 1979--"Africa," "Ska Wars," "Dial Africa," "Take 5," and "Children of Sanchez." Having said that, Rico's heavily jazz-influenced instrumental reggae was a bit out of step with the contemporary roots reggae of the mid-70s, which limited Man From Wareika's appeal to some degree (though Jerry Dammers took note, which led to Rico essentially joining The Specials a few years later and achieving even greater popularity and acclaim). But listening to it today, one recognizes that this a phenomenal album--a masterpiece of Jamaican jazz--though nowhere as near well-known and celebrated as it should be.

This definitive 40th anniversary release of Man From Wareika marks the first time that Wareika Dub has been available on compact disc outside of Japan (where it was issued in 2004) and this double CD features 15 bonus tracks--comprised of cuts from many of the Island 12" singles, a few tracks from the Man from Wareika sessions that were first released on Roots to the Bone in 1995, and five terrific unreleased songs (vocal versions of "Africa" and "(Free) Ganja" with Ijahman Levi; a cover of Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder"; and Rico's "Shabeen" and "Night of the Bongo Man," which features Count Ossie). Fans of Rico will need this in their collection--but anyone who loves reggae and Jamaican music should really give it a shot, since it's that crucial.

One hopes that this re-issue will lead to expanded releases of Rico's two albums for 2 Tone: That Man is Forward (1981) and Jama Rico (1982). The later has never been released on CD, which is shocking, as its an extraordinarily good album (it may be Man From Wareika's equal or better) and very hard to find on LP these days.

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Saturday, December 17, 2016

Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Madness "Can't Touch Us Now"

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Madness Can't Touch Us Now (16 track CD/12 track LP, Lucky Seven Records/UMC, 2016): You've got to hand it to Madness--there are precious few bands this far into their (incredibly successful) career who continue to give enough of a damn to resist the temptation of churning out by-the-numbers albums and sitting back to watch the royalty checks come flooding back in the mail. Madness' eleventh album Can't Touch Us Now keeps with the fantastic creativity and high quality control of their two most recent records, The Liberty of Norton Folgate (2009) and Oui, Oui, Si, Si, Ja, Ja, Da, Da (2013), and is packed with the kind of wonderfully crafted upbeat ska, melancholy pop, and uniquely British music hall tracks one always hopes for from the band. All Nutty Boys are present--with the exception of the much missed Cathal Smyth--and, always, all members had a hand in writing this collection of songs (which may explain their ongoing wellspring of great music--they don't rely on one or two songwriters to carry the day).

Ska music purists will find great satisfaction in "Mumbo Jumbo" (a broadside aimed at right wing politicians: "Cobbled together raise your right arm/Stoke a little fear back on Maggie's farm"--which includes a great tip of the hat to Prince Buster's "Madness" at the end, when Lee Thompson sings "propaganda minsters" repeatedly) and the melodramatic spaghetti Western reggay of "Grandslam." As well, there are several really excellent ska-influenced music hall cuts (a Madness specialty)--"Mr. Apples" (which concerns a puritan who sneaks out at night to indulge the very vices he publicly decries), "I Believe" (about a boy who finds the strength to reject formal religion and its bigotries in favor of a moral framework that embraces difference and diversity), "Can't Touch Us Now" (about star-crossed lovers feeling invincible despite their fate), and "Herbert" (literally about trying to avoid a shotgun wedding, but also a musical nod to their friend, the late Ian Dury). For those fans whose tastes extend a little further afield, Can't Touch Us Now features some extraordinary pop songs, including the amazing Beatle-ish "Another Version of Me" (criminally, not included on the LP!), the neo-soul of "You Are My Everything," the lush ballad "Pam the Hawk" (about an actual skilled Soho beggar), and a trio of Motown-via-Madness cuts: "Don't Leave the Past Behind You," "Good Times," and the heartfelt, spoken/sung Amy Winehouse tribute--based on a real-life chance encounter Suggs had with her just days before she died--"Blackbird" ("'Alright, Nutty Boy,' she said/Passing me on Dean Street/She's striding through the puddles/On black stiletto feet/Guitar over one shoulder/Swirling swagger in her stride/And a well appointed pencil skirt/Just maybe 18 inches wide").

While listening to the album, you should try to pick out some of the song references on the Sgt. Pepper's-like album cover (ironically, Madness' album cover for Oui Oui... was designed by Sir Peter Blake, who is best known for creating the cover of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's)--the title cut mentions the Tower of London, "I Believe" name-checks St. Paul's Cathedral, etc. (too bad that the LP/CD insert doesn't include a map of all of the people and places and why they were selected; what's the significance of the Bedford Theatre in Camden Town or the inclusion of the rude boy Islington Twins from Janette Beckman's photos?).

Can't Touch Us Now is another triumph from Madness--one that you shouldn't miss!

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Monday, December 12, 2016

The Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Bionic Rats "T.B.R."

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The Bionic Rats T.B.R. (CD/digital download, self-released, 2016): If Rock Against Racism stages a comeback--and God knows we need them more than ever on both sides of the Atlantic--Dublin's phenomenal The Bionic Rats have two powerful anti-racist anthems ready for the RAR playlist, as well as a slew of other terrific ska, rocksteady, and reggae songs about enduring the slings and arrows of work, love, and life, on their amazingly good fourth album T.B.R. (the acronym reminds me, in my dyslexic way, of the Tom Robinson Band!). The ska-jazzy, but kind of spaghetti Western-ish "One More Nail in the Coffin" lays out The Bionic Rats absolute determination to counter the forces of fear and hate: "Climb up the ladder, get to the top/We'll never stop/One more nail in the coffin, one more nail/'Til all superstitions are dead in the ground/We'll never stop/One more nail in the coffin of ignorance." Even better may be the biting, minor-key lament "Half a Mind," which is similar in vein to Linton Kwesi Johnson's fierce anti-fascist/anti-National Front cut "Fite Dem Back" and is equally on the mark: "Now it wouldn't happen all the time/But you hear them talking about their kind/While they seem intelligent otherwise/I never fail to be surprised/Every time I hear their bile and see the poison in their eyes/They can never justify their lies but they try, oh yes they try/If they had half a mind maybe they could could use it/Take up too much of their time, too confusing." But it's not all about manning the ramparts against the bigots. The shiny and upbeat ska tune "I'm Doing Good" is an ode to the office workers of the world slaving away in their cubicles for someone else's big gain (complete with work-induced grunty vocal effects--shades of, um, "Allentown"!): "I'm doing good today/I'm making someone else some money...I'm doing good today/Hit all my targets this week/I'm doing good today/I worked right through my lunch break/I'm doing good today/I'm such a good employee/I'm doing good today/I'll still be here when it's late/I'm workin' it/I'm livin' it/I'm losing it/Each day at a time." "Say Something" urges bands to use their platform, large or small, to communicate something meaningful (amen to that--I'm all about the lyrics, too). "Until I Forget" is about struggling with drink--and references my favorite Homer Simpson quote ever on the subject. The band won't let you wallow in regret over how you completely blew it in the dubby "Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda"--'cause you know better. And the 11 year-old lurking within me loves the "dilemma" inferred in "Girls With Big Hands." The Bionic Rats' T.B.R. is by far one of my most favorite albums of the year--and fans of bands like No Sports or The Toasters should make a point to check it out!

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Friday, December 9, 2016

New Releases from Destroy Babylon and Flying Vipers

We're very much looking forward to two upcoming new releases that are slated for early 2017--the fifth album from Boston's incredible roots reggae act Destroy Babylon and the second cassette tape from their dub spin-off the Flying Vipers (there's a video teaser for "Dubbin' in the Den" here).

(Read what The Duff Guide to Ska thought of Destroy Babylon's most recent album Long Live the Vortex here and the Flying Vipers' debut The Green Tape here.)

And if you're in the Boston metro area, make sure to check out Destroy Babylon's next show at The Middle East on Saturday, December 17, 2017 with NYC's The Far East and Boston punks Whoopi Sticks! All the details are in the awesome Tom Robinson Band-inspired flyer to the right...

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Thursday, December 8, 2016

New Selecter/Beat Split 7" Vinyl Single!

In recognition/celebration of their string of upcoming appearances together, Pauline Black's and Gaps Hendrickson's version of The Selecter is releasing a split 7" vinyl single with Ranking Roger's version of The Beat. This double A sided 45--out December 16, 2016 and available for order here--features The Selecter's "Breakdown" (about the unjustified police killings of unarmed black men and women from their recent Subculture album) and The Beat's "Side By Side" (from Bounce).

Both bands are performing at the BBC Radio 6 Music Christmas Ska Party at Maida Vale Studios on Tuesday, December 13th along with Mungo’s Hi Fi and David ‘Ram Jam’ Rodigan. The Selecter and Beat are then scheduled to tour the UK together in spring 2017:

Friday 31 March – Glasgow O2 ABC
Saturday 1 April – Manchester Old Granada Studios
Friday 7 April – Nottingham Rock City
Saturday 8 April – Bristol O2 Academy
Friday 28 April – -Birmingham O2 Institute
Saturday 29 April – London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

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Monday, December 5, 2016

Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Uptown Ska Collective "The Uptown EP"

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The Uptown Ska Collective The Uptown EP (six-track 10" vinyl EP/cassette, Foruli Limited Edition Books and Records, 2016): In addition to his recent performances with The Specials in various parts of the globe and creating his now trademark cassette paintings (like the one he did for Lynval Golding's Know Your Rights EP), The Specials' bass player Horace Panter is keeping busy with his other band--The Uptown Ska Collective--which is devoted to (and honors/celebrates) 60s-style ska and rocksteady made by the originators (with nary a trace of 2 Tone in sight!). The core of The Uptown Ska Collective is made up of The Specials' touring band's keyboardist (Nikolaj Torp Larsen) and horn section augmented by a few other musicians, including vocalist Jocelyn Harris of The Pressure Tenants (who backed Laurel Aitken for a spell), and the quality of their playing and musicianship is really top-notch, as would be expected. The Uptown EP kicks off with a great rendition of Don Drummond's "Occupation," followed by a cover of Booker T. and the M.G.s' "Heads or Tails" that would have made Jackie Mittoo mighty proud, and "Bushfire," an original instrumental by TUSC's Jon Read (trumpet, guitar) which could slip into The Skatalites' oeuvre unnoticed. Harris' lovely and winning alto dominates the vocal side of the EP, with its reverent versions of Phyllis Dillon's "Don't Stay Away," Marley's "Simmer Down," and soul singer Clarence Carter's "Slip Away" (his "Back Door Santa" was sampled by Run-D.M.C. for "Christmas in Hollis"). Not much new territory is trod here (it's not really the point), but The Uptown Ska Collective do what they do so well that you'll be more than happy to have this record in heavy rotation on your turnable.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Winter 2016/2017 Ska Calendar #41

1978: Dambala, Tom Robinson, and Misty in Roots (Photo by Syd Shelton)
Monday, December 12, 2016 -- 2 Sets: 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm

Sekta Core, Nana Pancha

Tobacco Road
355 West 41st Street
New York, NY
6:00 pm show: $30/9:30 pm show: $40
21+

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Saturday, December 17, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

The Slackers, The Frightnrs, Full Watts, DJ John Glenn Soundsystem

Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
$20/21+

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Thursday, December 29, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

The Skints, Rude Boy George, The Far East

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$15 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages

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Thursday, December 29, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

HR (of Bad Brains), Dubb Agents, SkarroƱeros, Kingsound

The Bowery Electric
327 Bowery
New York, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Friday, December 30, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

The Porkers, The Pandemics, The Rudie Crew, Skarroneros

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Saturday, January 14, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dubistry

Shrine World Music Venue
2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard/7th Avenue
New York, NY
No cover!

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Friday, February 24, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Skatalites

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

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Friday, March 17, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

The Pietasters

The Marlin Room @ Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street
New York, NY$16/16+

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Friday, March 31, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
4 Penn Plaza
New York, NY
Tickets: $35-$95

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Two New Singles from The Ska Flames!

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The Ska Flames "Hoppin' Steppin'" b/w "Someday" and "El Camino" b/w "Hometown Waltz" (vinyl singles, Sun Shot Records, 2016; available in the USA through Jump Up Records): The Ska Flames first came to the attention of trad/vintage ska fans outside of Japan courtesy of Gaz Mayall, who produced and released their now classic debut LP Ska Fever on his label in 1989 (it was recorded during the Ska Flames' first visit to the UK in 1988, when they performed at the Notting Hill Festival and Gaz's Rockin' Blues). While the band seemed to go dormant after a string of excellent releases in the first half of the 1990s (ending with 1995's Damn Good, which featured the "Godfather of Ska" Laurel Aitken, and Skatalites Roland Alphonso and Lester Sterling), they've been at it again in the 2000s and have just issued a new album Turn-up on their own Sun Shot label. Jump Up's Chuck Wren--a huge fan of the band--managed to obtain hard-to-come-by copies of these two singles off the album to offer to followers in the US (Chuck, can you import the Turn-up LP, too?). "Hoppin' Steppin'" is a bright, swinging Skatalites-styled ska instrumental designed to pack the dance floor, while "Someday" is melancholy rocksteady tune full of longing that sounds like it was taken from the American Pop Standard songbook, circa 1962. The rollicking instrumental "El Camino" is pure Latin ska (think of Jump With Joey's "El Diablo Ska"), but things shift gears for "Hometown Waltz" (sung in Japanese), which is solely for the purpose of slow dances or sobbing into your pint of beer. Get 'em before they're gone!

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Friday, November 4, 2016

Duff Review: Arthur Kay and The Originals "Rare 'N' Tasty" Reissue!

(By Steve Shafer)

Arthur Kay and The Originals Rare 'N' Tasty (LP, Mad Butcher/Black Butcher Classics, 2016 re-issue--available in the US through Jump Up Records): Back in 2008, MOJO Magazine dubbed Arthur Kay (nee Kitchener) as "the unsung hero of ska" and included one of his tracks in their Dawning of a New Era compilation CD, alongside The Specials, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, Rico, Bob Marley, Laurel Aitken, Dandy Livingstone, and others. But his inclusion with such illustrious company surely left many casual ska fans scratching their heads. While he had built a considerable following of die-hard ska fans during 2 Tone and the late 80s/early 90s British/Euro ska revival, Arthur Kay never quite achieved the level of popularity and recognition that was his due, despite being a UK ska pioneer who had been in the right place at the right time with great and undeniably catchy material.

A first-generation South London mod in 1965, Kay had played bass in The Next Collection, which performed a mix of Tamla and Stax soul covers as well as their own songs at venues like the famed Ram Jam Club (where they played a week after Jimi Hendrix's debut there). Like many other mods, Kay also had caught the ska bug via the Prince Buster singles that were seemingly ever-present on the sound systems of all the clubs he frequented that year. In a development that further galvanized Kay's interest in ska, The Next Collection had the great fortune to back the great JA ska trombonist Rico Rodriguez and jazz trumpeter Harry Beckett during their first-ever recording session. But by 1966, Kay had left the band to become a session bass player at Chalk Farm Recording Studios in Camden (owned by The Next Collection's manager Vic Keary and Blue Beat Records/Melodisc owner Emil Shalit), where Kay appeared on many reggae recordings released on Trojan Records.

Just before 2 Tone hit in 1979, when there was no galvanized ska scene in the UK to speak of, Kay released his "Ska Wars" b/w "Warska" single for a local indie Red Admiral Records, which seemed to anticipate the looming ska craze (though Kay's ska sound had little in common with what The Specials, Selecter, and Madness were about to unleash--it was more of a stripped-down, often minor-key affair, devoid of any punk rock influences or hint of its origins in rhythm and blues). With only limited radio play and no major label backing, all 10,000 copies of the single still managed to sell out quickly, yet it never charted. The even stronger follow-up 45 on Red Admiral "Play My Record" (by Arthur Kay and the Originals), about how radio playlists are largely pay-to-play and dominated by the deep-pocketed major labels, was released during the fever pitch of 2 Tone in 1980, but failed to attract any significant national attention (and a potentially momentous tour with The Bodysnatchers had to be turned down due to scheduling conflicts with various members of The Originals). Two other excellent singles--"No One But You" b/w "High Flyer" (by The Originals) and "Watching the Rich Kids" b/w "Doctor Bird" (by Arthur Kay and The Originators)--were recorded during the 2 Tone era, but not issued.

During the UK ska revival of the late 80s (which featured such extraordinary acts as the Potato 5, The Trojans, Laurel Aitken, Loafers, Bad Manners, Judge Dread, The Deltones, Maroon Town, The Hotknives, etc.), Skank Records, as part of their Invisible Ska Years series, collected all of Arthur Kay and The Originals' released and unreleased 2 Tone-era recordings and issued Rare 'N' Tasty in 1988. At the time of its release, all of the 1979/1980 cuts on Rare and Tasty were right in synch with the contemporary UK ska scene, which must have been particularly satisfying to Kay--even if he had been ignored by the music industry and press, the kids had paid attention. Arthur Kay and the Originals clearly had influenced many of the late 80s UK ska acts (all of which were all decidedly non-2 Tone in sound); you could hear it in The Loafers, The Hotknives, The Riffs, and others. Kay's music had helped spawn the next UK ska scene and, in doing so, revitalized his career.

Interest in the band surged after the release of the Skank comp and Arthur Kay's Originals went on to record and release three albums (Sparkes of Inspiration in 1989, The Count of Clerkenwell in 1995, and Live in Berlin in 1996) with yet another iteration of the band (who also sometimes served as Judge Dread's backing band until his death in 1998).

As I was writing this post, I remembered that the reviewers in George Marshall's amazing late 80s Scottish skazine Zoot! had been huge fans of Arthur Kay. So, I dug my treasured copies out of my closet and found the review of Rare 'N' Tasty in Zoot! #9 (all of Zoot's reviews were always spot-on and brilliantly succinct). The rave write-up, which notes the injustice of Arthur Kay's exclusion from the history of UK ska/2 Tone, concludes with this line: "If I was a millionaire, I'd make sure everyone had a copy."

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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Duff Review: Susan Cadogan's "Take Me Back" EP!

(By Steve Shafer)

Susan Cadogan Take Me Back (digital EP and CD, Stonyhill Records, 2016): While she is best known for her Lee "Scratch" Perry-produced 1975 hit "Hurt So Good" (#4 on the UK charts) and her classic self-titled 1976 album of "romantic reggae" for Trojan (which was also produced by Perry and is being re-issued on heavyweight vinyl in late October in celebration of Scratch's 80th birthday this year), reggae singer Susan Cadogan has been fairly active in the 2000s (for example, see her recent single with Ken Boothe on Jump Up) and her voice is still in absolutely gorgeous shape. Having said that, it was still a wonderful surprise to find that she's released an EP's worth of really fantastic new tracks on her Stonyhill Records label--all co-written by Mitch "King Kong" Girio of King Apparatus and Prince Perry fame, who also performed on, recorded, and produced these tracks. (It's very much worth mentioning that Take Me Back was recorded in Jamaica, Canada, and Germany by an all star team including “Lucky” Pete Lambert of The Trojans on drums, Jammal Tarkington and Rodney Teague of Keyser Soze on horns, Ryan Chopik of The Harmonauts on organ, Meher Steinberg of Prince Perry/King Apparatus on keys, and Girio on guitars and bass--they've done Cadogan proud.)

As might be expected, Take Me Back is full of damaged love songs--all exploring the Venn diagram of ecstasy and agony delineated in "Hurt So Good." The EP opens with a sultry and ethereal version of One Night Band's "Crazy" (co-written with Girio and Lorraine Muller of The Kingpins, Fabulous Lolo, etc.), which is a stellar rocksteady track about taking stock of a relationship after it's done and one's head is clear: "I must have been crazy to beg you to stay/Crazy enough to take you in anyway... Standing by the open door/Waiting for you to hurt me once more." Things shift quickly to the irrepressibly optimistic "Take Me Back"--see if you can resist singing along with the backup singers during the chorus--a song full of eager anticipation for the good things that could come if all is forgiven. "I Don't Want to Play Around" sounds like it could be a recently unearthed 2 Tone single (that would have hit it big!). Cadogan's heartbreaking performance on the dark "Leaving" is simply devastating ("The hardest part of leaving you/Is knowing that you'll move on, too/Holding somebody's hand/Instead of mine"). And even though the subject matter is kind of bleak ("The neighbors still talk/My best friends ask/It's the worst it could be/But when you left this home/You also took the best from me"), the EP ends with "The Best of Me," a sprightly and crazy catchy early/skinhead reggae cut.

I am in no way exaggerating when I state that this is one of the best ska/rocksteady releases I've heard this year.

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Friday, October 28, 2016

David Katz Tribute to Prince Buster and More in November Issue of MOJO

The November 2016 issue of MOJO Magazine contains an excellent piece by reggae author/expert David Katz honoring Prince Buster's extraordinary career, his many musical achievements, and his impact on music worldwide. One of the interesting things I learned from the article was how Prince Buster and The Trojans' Gaz Mayall became fast friends and collaborators (they met when Prince Buster appeared with The Skatalites at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival at Crystal Palace FC's Selhurst Park in London in 1984, where Gaz convinced him to start performing regularly again; in fact, a few years later, Buster recorded the "Stack-O-Lee" single with The Trojans for Gaz's label and Gaz put together King of Ska in 1992, quite possibly the best Prince Buster compilation ever released).

Also within these pages are stellar reviews of The Frightnrs' Nothing More to Say ("...it's one of the most thrilling rocksteady albums to have been made since the genre emerged in the late '60s..."), Max Romeo's Horror Zone (which I reviewed for The Duff Guide to Ska in August), and the book "Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Music and Politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone and Red Wedge 1976-1992" (which I'm planning to review once I've finished reading John Savage's lengthy tome "1966: The Year the Decade Exploded").

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: New Secret Affair Single, Dennis Bovell's "Heaven" 12", and the "Skinhead Reggae 1969" Comp!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Dennis Bovell "Heaven" (Four-track 12" vinyl EP, Optimo Music, 2016): The wonderful funky afro-beat title track of this EP comes from Dennis Bovell's 1981 genre-defying Brain Damage LP and concerns our elusive (and probably futile) struggle to live in peace and harmony ("On bombs and guns they spend their funds/Instead of investing in humanity... Tomorrow may one day too late/Now is the time to investigate/Heaven right here on Earth") and is accompanied by its club edit for your maximum dancing pleasure (both will remind anyone who was around in the early 1980s of the fantastic musical experimentation and hybrids of sounds that were a hallmark of the post-punk/New Wave era). The flip side of this EP contains Bovell's truly brilliant 1981 dub collaboration with American singer/songwriter Garland Jeffreys, "Escape Goat Dub"--a word play on "scapegoat"--which contains these toasts dropped in the mix: "I was walking down the road in the blistering heat/A bomb explode on a hot concrete/It can happen in the broad daylight...Separate a black from his rights/The like to separate a black from the white...I was walking down the road one afternoon/Feeling upset, no I'm not immune/What do you think of world like that? Think...think...think"). Epic had arranged for Bovell to produce several tracks for Jeffreys' new album (which would eventually become the Bob Clearmountain-produced Escape Artist), but since Jeffreys was a huge fan of reggae and dub, the duo ended up creating several dub tracks instead of the expected rock and reggae singer/songwriter cuts, much to Epic's displeasure. However, these dubs were released on the Escapades 7" EP that was included as a free single that came with the first pressing of Escape Artist. "Escape Goat Dub" (which is a version of Escapades' "Miami Beach" and featured Linton Kwesi Johnson) was relegated to the B side of Jeffreys' great cover of ? and the Mysterians' "96 Tears"--though the version here comes from a 12" promo that was only released in France.  A sunshine-y bright reggae instrumental called "Smouche," also from Brain Damage, closes out this must-have Bovell set.

Secret Affair "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)" b/w "Crumble Gunn" (7" vinyl single, I-Spy Records, 2016): Many in the US may not be aware of it, but Secret Affair--with original members Ian Page and guitarist David Cairns--have been pretty active in the new millennium (first reuniting in 2002 after their 1982 break-up), touring extensively and recording a surprisingly good new album Soho Dreams in 2012. Their latest release for the mod faithful is an absolutely scorching cover of Frank Wilson's 1965 Motown rarity "Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)." Apparently Berry Gordy so disliked Wilson's vocals--and didn't want his producers to have recording careers--that he destroyed almost every promo copy of the single and nixed its release to the music-buying public. But, in one of those unusual twists of fate, years later Wilson's song became so popular at the famed Northern soul nightclub Wigan Casino whenever their very valuable copy was played that Tamla-Motown finally gave the people what they wanted and released the single in the UK in 1979. "Crumble Gunn" is an inspired organ-heavy instrumental mash-up of Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" with The Quik's 1967 mod fave "Bert's Apple Crumble" that shows off the re-constituted Secret Affairs' formidable chops. Both of these tracks must be something to behold whenever Secret Affair plays them live.

Various Artists Skinhead Reggae 1969 (CD/LP, Kingston Sounds/Jamaican Recordings, 2016): While virtually all of the tracks on Skinhead Reggae 1969 can be found Trojan's impressive double-CD Dancehall '69: 40 Skinhead Reggae Rarities (issued back in 2003), this particular comp is really worth acquiring on vinyl, as you would be hard-pressed to find any used copies of most of these original singles. (I immediately picked up this record when I saw that it included Max Romeo and The Hippy Boys' phenomenal "Clap Clap," which isn't for sale anywhere on Discogs.) In addition to their common musical sub-genre, what connects the songs on Skinhead Reggae 1969 is that all of them were produced or financed by Bunny "Striker" Lee in the late 60s/early 70s and oftentimes these recordings involved many of the same musicians. (It's also worth remembering that Bunny Lee co-wrote and produced Judge Dread's massive skinhead/rude reggae hit "Big Seven"--#8 on the UK charts in 1972.) Skinhead Reggae 1969's highlights include the Bunny Lee Allstars' "Warfare," "Annie Pama" (an instrumental version of The Maytals' "Monkey Man"), and "Revenge of Eastwood" (which versions Prince Buster's incredible "Drunkard Psalm" and is one of many skinhead reggae tracks that falls into the spaghetti Western reggae category--see The Hippy Boys below); King Horror's "Cutting Blade" (King Horror was Laurel Aitken's musical alter ego); Max Romeo's "Melting Pot" (a cover of Blue Mink's song which, as good intentioned as it was, ironically manages to be racist in its promotion of racial integration); The Des All Stars' "Walk with Des"; The Hippy Boys' "Peace Maker" and "Death Rides a Horse"; and Lloyd Charmers' "In The Spirit." Since we're on the topic of skinhead reggae, if you ever come across Dawning of a New Era: The Roots of Skinhead Reggae don't hesitate to buy it--most of these cuts don't appear on any other skinhead reggae comps, Trojan or otherwise.

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Friday, October 21, 2016

Madness Release New Video for "Herbert" from 11th Album "Can't Touch Us Now"!

With the UK release of Madness' 11th album Can't Touch Us Now just a week away (!), comes the second music video in support of the Nutty Boys' "Herbert" (which in the song's context refers to "a foolish or ridiculous man").  Make sure to check out the equally awesome first video from this record--"Mr. Apples"!

We'll have a review up of Can't Touch Us Now as soon as our imported copy arrives in the mail from England!



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The Specials Honor John Bradbury and Rico Rodriguez at Nottingham Rock City Show

Earlier this week, the remaining Specials, who are on a tour of the UK at the moment, paid a moving tribute to their late comrades John Bradbury and Rico Rodriguez at their Nottingham Rock City concert by performing Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" (which Lynval sang at Bradbury's funeral) and "We Have All the Time in the World," which was written by John Barry and Hal David and originally performed by Louis Armstrong for the 1969 James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (and is what George Lazenby's Bond says as he holds his dying wife Tracy, played by Diana Rigg).





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Thursday, October 20, 2016

The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Fall/Winter 2016 Ska Calendar #40

Linton Kwesi Johnson: Forces of Victory!
Saturday, October 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

DJ Gorilla Fest w/Beat Brigade, Raise the Kicks, Ras Majesty and the New Vibration Band, Escasos Recursos, Blaire Alise and The Bombshells, Bodega Satellite, PrinceLionSound, plus DJ Ryan Midnight

Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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Wednesday, October 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Vic Ruggiero and The Snails (Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs cover set), The Othermen

Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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Thursday, October 27, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Talking Dreads (with special appearance by Cindy Wilson of The B-52's), The Soul Junkies, The Pandemics, The Rudie Crew

American Beauty
251 West 30th Street
New York, NY
$10

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Sunday, October 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

5th Annual Devil's Night Danse w/Mephiskapheles, The Pietasters, The Brooklyn Attractors, and Murphy's Law!

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave
Brooklyn, NY
$15/21+

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Monday, October 31, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

The Interrupters, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Joey Steel and the Attitude Adjusters

Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th Street
New York, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show
All ages

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Wednesday, November 2, 2016 @ 6:00 pm (doors)/8:00 pm (show)
and Thursday, November 3, 2016 @ 6:00 pm (doors)/8:00 pm (show)

Toots and the Maytals, Leba, Selectress Iriela

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$28.50-$31.00/21+

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Monday, November 7, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Yellowman

BB Kings Blues Club and Grill
237 West 42nd Street
New York, NY
$22.50 plus fees

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Friday, November 18, 2017 @7:30 pm

Full Watts Band with special guests Caz Gardiner (Checkered Cabs) and selector Grace of Spades!

C'mon Everybody
325 Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$8 in advance/$10 at door
21+

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Friday, November 25, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Rude Boy George, Lucy Adamas, Glass, Ourida

Pianos
158 Ludlow Street
New York, NY
$10

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Saturday, November 26, 2016 @ 9:30 pm (8:00 pm show sold out!)

Save the Cave Benefit Show w/Bigger Thomas

Randy Now's Man Cave
134 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown, NJ
$12 (very limited availability--buy in advance through the link above)

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Saturday, December 17, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

The Slackers, The Frightnrs, Full Watts, DJ John Glenn Soundsystem

Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY
$20/21+

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Thursday, December 29, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

The Skints, Rude Boy George, The Far East

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$15 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages

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Friday, December 30, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

The Porkers, The Pandemics, The Rudie Crew, Skarroneros

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$12 in advance/$15 day of show

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Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Rhoda Dakar Releases Bonus Digital Track As Preview of LoTek Four PledgeMusic Project!

If you're a supporter of Rhoda Dakar's LoTek Four PledgeMusic project (see our write-up about it here), you found an email in your inbox today announcing the release of a free digital track exclusively for pledgers, which will not be included on the band's forthcoming vinyl or CD.

Eager to hear what the LoTek Four have been working on in the studio, I downloaded the track and was really pleased to find a terrific rocksteady version of Dolly Parton's and Kenny Rogers' 1983 country hit (#1 on the pop charts in the USA) "Islands in the Stream," which was written by the Bee Gees! Since the Gibb brothers know their way around writing massively popular hooks, this track easily makes the jump to another musical genre--and Dakar and company (Louis Vause and Paul Tadman from Crunch aka the Nutty Boys/Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra; Lenny Bignell of Pama International and The Sidewalk Doctors; Mark Claydon from The Get Up; and Terry Edwards of The Higsons) deliver a really sweet version of this song.

I can't wait to hear what else Rhoda and her collaborators have in store for us!

(If you're interested, there is still time to support the LoTek Four project and pre-order a 7" vinyl EP or CD.)

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The Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Beat featuring Ranking Roger's "Bounce" and Scottish Ska Comp "Trembling Earth"!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

The Beat featuring Ranking Roger Bounce (CD, DMF Records, 2016): While it's completely understandable why one would want to continue using The Beat name and brand decades after the band broke up (after all, the original Beat was one of the best acts of the 2 Tone/post-punk/New Wave era; Just Can't Stop ItWha'ppen, and Special Beat Service are phenomenal albums; and Dave Wakeling tours the US almost non-stop as The English Beat), it's also an incredibly risky proposition, as the bar is set very, very high. As a Beat album, Bounce doesn't meet expectations (really, how could it?), but if it is considered on its own merits as a new Ranking Roger record, it's a good--sometimes really great--album of pop reggae and ska that is akin to UB40 and Beat-descendant General Public (oddly, one track, "Close the Door," is pretty much a re-write of General Public's "General Public"). Ranking Roger's voice is in fantastic shape, the musicians and production are top-notch, and everything comes together nicely on "Avoid the Obvious," "Walking on the Wrong Side" (which decries governmental surveillance of all its citizenry),  "On My Way," "My Dream" (nice Madness-y ska music hall here), "Fire Burn" (both a call for everyone to act on injustice and to close down Guantanamo Bay), and "Heaven Hiding."

Various Artists Trembling Earth: A Scottish Ska Compilation (Double CD and digital download, F and J Records, 2016): As someone who's produced a number of ska compilations (Skarmageddon 1-3, Ska UnitedThis Are Moon Ska, and others), I'm a big believer in their power to focus great attention on bands and scenes that are not as well-known or heralded as they should be. To be honest, apart from a few bands on Trembling Earth (The Amphetameanies, Bis, Capone and the Bullets--who were Laurel Aitken's backing band for a time--Bombskare, and Esperanza), I know squat about Scottish ska, so this is a very welcome guided listen, courtesy of Gordy Davidson of The Amphetameanies. (The CD booklet is an hilarious alphabet primer penned by Davidson used to introduce each band and features of the scene's landscape--for instance, Z is for "Zoot fanzine, the scene-defining A5 labor of love circulated by ska fan turned journalist George Marshall..."). In addition to fantastic songs from the marquee names, there are terrific contributions from The Cherry Reds, Victorian Trout Conspiracy, Joe Viterbo, Root System, The Newtown Grunts, Sea Bass Kid, The Cut Throat Razors, and Big Hand. For a compilation featuring 16 bands and 33 tracks, the quality control here is exceedingly high, which speaks volumes about the Scottish ska scene. Overall, Trembling Earth is pleasingly and relentlessly upbeat and offbeat, ranging in style from 2 Tone to modern and punky ska, often delivered tongue-firmly-in-cheek. Without a doubt, this is the best ska comp of 2016.

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Thursday, October 13, 2016

Pama International's "Love and Austerity" Vinyl PledgeMusic Campaign!

Pama International recently launched a new PledgeMusic campaign for the vinyl versions of their upcoming Love and Austerity album, which are slated to be sent out in February 2017 (the album also will be released on CD/digital by Cherry Red/Happy People in January 2017). As always with this type of fan crowdfunding, there are signed copies of the album available, as well as a very limited edition boxset (only 100 will be made) of the album's tracks released as a series of eight 7" singles. My pledge made today for the Love and Austerity LP just put them at exactly 50% of their project goal! (The campaign has 79 days left, but act now!)

Sadly, I won't be able to take advantage of a special offer currently extended to Pama pledgers this week--a free ticket to experience Pama International support Misty In Roots on November 26, 2016 at The Garage in London (dub legend Dennis "Blackbeard" Bovell will be mixing Pama live that night)! Now, if only I could score some free airline tix to the UK...

The digital version of the band's first single off the album, their reggae cover of Martha and Vandella's "Heatwave," will be available from iTunes and other digital retailers tomorrow, Friday, October 14 (and you can pre-order a "Heatwave" 7" through the PledgeMusic campaign now).

Here are Pama International's upcoming tour dates:

26.11.16 London: Garage - w/Misty In Roots and Dennis Bovell
09.12.16 London: Garage - w/King Prawn & Don Letts
06.04.17 Glasgow: O2 Academy 2 supporting The Dead 60s
07.04.17 Sheffield :O2 Academy 2 supporting The Dead 60s
08.04.17 Birmingham: Institute 2 supporting The Dead 60s
09.04.17 Brighton: Concorde 2 supporting The Dead 60s
13.04.17 London: Electric Ballroom supporting The Dead 60s (part of The London Intl Ska Festival)
14.04.17 Liverpool: O2 Academy supporting The Dead 60s

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The Duff Guide to Ska NYC Fall/Winter 2016 Ska Calendar #39

Laurel Aitken and Denise Butler (of The Loafers)
Sunday, October 16, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Reggae Workers of the World, Coach 'n' Commando

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$10 in advance/$12 day of show
All ages

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Saturday, October 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

DJ Gorilla Fest w/Beat Brigade, Raise the Kicks, Ras Majesty and the New Vibration Band, Escasos Recursos, Blaire Alise and The Bombshells, Bodega Satellite, PrinceLionSound, plus DJ Ryan Midnight

Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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Wednesday, October 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Vic Ruggiero and The Snails (Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs cover set), The Othermen

Don Pedro
90 Manhattan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$10/21+

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Thursday, October 27, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Talking Dreads (with special appearance by Cindy Wilson of The B-52's), The Soul Junkies, The Pandemics, The Rudie Crew

American Beauty
251 West 30th Street
New York, NY
$10

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Sunday, October 30, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

5th Annual Devil's Night Danse w/Mephiskapheles, The Pietasters, The Brooklyn Attractors, and Murphy's Law!

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave
Brooklyn, NY
$15/21+

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Wednesday, November 2, 2016 @ 6:00 pm (doors)/8:00 pm (show) 
and Thursday, November 3, 2016 @ 6:00 pm (doors)/8:00 pm (show)

Toots and the Maytals, Leba, Selectress Iriela

Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$28.50-$31.00/21+

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Monday, November 7, 2016 @ 9:00 pm

Yellowman

BB Kings Blues Club and Grill
237 West 42nd Street
New York, NY
$22.50 plus fees

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Saturday, November 26, 2016 @ 9:30 pm (8:00 pm show sold out!)

Save the Cave Benefit Show w/Bigger Thomas

Randy Now's Man Cave
134 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown, NJ
$12 (very limited availability--buy in advance through the link above)

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Thursday, December 29, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

The Skints

Knitting Factory Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
$15 in advance/$20 day of show
All ages

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Saturday, October 8, 2016

Duff Review: The Selecter at The Gramercy Theatre, NYC (10/6/16)

(By Steve Shafer)

After being blindsided by their surprisingly great show in NYC three years ago, The Selecter featuring Pauline Black and Arthur "Gaps" Hendrickson drew out a wonderfully large contingent of old school stalwarts (Chris Acosta of The New York Citizens/Moon Records, Marc Wasserman of Bigger Thomas, Andre "The Nubian Nightmare" Worrell from Mephiskapheles, Checker Phil) as well as more recent fixtures of the NYC ska scene to Manhattan's Gramercy Theatre, all of whom were eager to hear the tracks from The Selecter's indispensable 2 Tone album Too Much Pressure that have been seared into our minds and held close in our hearts all of these years. I've seen different iterations of The Selecter three times--in September 1992 at Tramps for the Out on the Streets tour with Neol Davies and Pauline, who were backed by Nick Welsh and Martin Stewart from Bad Manners; then back in 2013; and again this week (I don't have a clear memory of catching The Selecter's set with Gaps and Pauline during the 1993 Skavoovee tour they did with the The Skatalites, Special Beat, and Toasters, though I was at the NYC show at the Hammerstein Ballroom and remember the floor actually bouncing while the crowd danced)--and each time The Selecter has put on a fantastic show, though this may have been the best one yet.

Prior to their set, Pauline, Gaps, and band member Neil Pyzer (who plays sax; recorded and produced their last three albums; and is a former member of post-punk band Spear of Destiny) were behind The Selecter merch table and more than happy to chat, sign anything (like the t-shirt I bought--Gaps even sought out Pauline to have her sign it), or pose for pictures (which were promptly posted on social media--see here and here). There is no better way to connect with fans, spread goodwill (we felt the love!), and promote the tour/band/release. Other ska bands take note: Give the people what they want. Fans just want a little bit of your time and attention--and in return they'll buy your stuff and be forever loyal.

Before The Selecter hit the stage, I caught a good portion of dirty Jersey's Hub City Stompers, who performed a great, energetic set of their punky ska and reggae, the highlight of which was their new song with a four-part vocal harmony opening, "Philly WTF"--which posits the question, what's up with their unusual accent? HCS also played a nice tribute--"Distance Water"--to Roy Radics of The Rudie Crew who passed away earlier this year, which had many in the crowd hoisting their tall boys of beer in the air in tribute.

As this was billed as the "Too Much Pressure Tour," The Selecter performed all of the tracks off that album, but not in tracklist order. I thought the renditions of "Out On the Streets," the underrated "Black and Blue," "Missing Words," "Street Feeling," "My Collie (Not a Dog)," and "Danger" were particularly powerful. "Too Much Pressure" segued into Toots and Maytals' "Pressure Drop" and back. One of the few non-Too Much Pressure album songs was "Breakdown" (an excellent "Ghost Town"-like track about societal disintegration that has led to the police killings of unarmed people of color in the US and UK from The Selecter's most recent album Subculture--read The Duff Guide to Ska review of it here), which ended with two snare drum hits that sounded like gun shots, immediately (and brilliantly) followed by the haunting guitar arpeggio that opens the anti-gun "Celebrate the Bullet." Gaps' moment in the spotlight was his song of regret over what might have been in "It Never Worked Out" (also from Subculture). Another high point was an epic version of The Ethiopians' "Train to Skaville" (from The Selecter's 1980 12" of the same name, with "The Whisper" and band's much preferred second studio version of "Street Feeling" on Side B). Pauline introduced "On My Radio" by noting that this hit single wasn't included on Too Much Pressure in the UK, but by the time the record was released in the US, it had been included (along with "They Make Me Mad"). The energy never flagged during The Selecter's hour and a half show and the vast majority of people on the floor danced the entire time (it would have been hard not to). They didn't rely on fan love and nostalgia to carry the night, but performed as if they had everything in the world to prove--and we appreciated The Selecter all the more for it.

At one point early in the Selecter's set, I looked over to my left and was stunned to find that I was dancing right next to music journalist and post-punk musician Vivien Goldman (for a time, she was Bob Marley's PR person at Island Records and was the author of his first biography; she wrote about punk, reggae, and post-punk for NME, Sounds, and Melody Maker; collaborated with a who's who of post-punk musicians on her own recordings and as a member of The Flying Lizards; and is currently an adjunct professor at NYU). I'm such a huge fan of her music and writing that I couldn't resist briefly introducing myself. I told her how much I love the recent compilation of her work and that I wrote a review of it for this blog (read The Duff Guide to Ska review of Vivien Goldman's Revolutionary (Songs 1979-1982) here). She was perfectly lovely and asked me to email her the link to the post (which I did!). Running into Ms. Goldman capped off an already fantastic night.

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Thanks to Bryan Kremkau of SkaPunkPhotos.com and ReadJunk.com for the use of his beautiful pix. On a related note, apparently 2 Tone photographer Chalkie Davies also was at The Selecter show taking shots!


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