Radicsfest Coverage From Whatz Up NY!

I've had a few very busy days since Radicsfest, so I haven't had the chance to post videos and pictures that I shot (when I wasn't stage managing the show), as well as some choice videos captured by Radicsfest fans.

Having said that, Shaun Walsh of Whatz Up NY has posted his interviews and footage from the festival, which I'm happy to share below (and features interviews with me, Jah Point, CheckerPhil, Coolie Ranx and footage of the Shunklings, Reggay Lords, and Pilfers in action).

The Duff Guide to Ska's 2015 Year in Review, Part 2!

From the "This Are Two Tone" promotional poster.

(By Steve Shafer)

While I finish up writing short reviews of some of the 2015 ska releases (that I'm aware of) that deserve a mention here, you can check out some of other Duff Guide to Ska reviews and ruminations which you might have missed over the past year:

Adventures in Record Collecting: The Beat's "Psychedelic Rockers"

Richard Balls: "Be Stiff: The Stiff Records Story"

Checkerboard Phil and the 20th Anniversary of Checkerboard Kids

"I Don't Have a Say in the War Games That They Play" (Can't Protect and Won't Survive: 2 Tone's and New Wave's Cold War Dread)

Julien Temple's Madness Film: "The Liberty of Norton Folgate"

Life's Little Victories: Record Collecting #6 (UB40's Present Arms)

Oreskaband at The Gramercy Theater

Public Image Ltd. at The Playstation Theater

Radio Riddler and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Campbell at Webster Hall

Shots in the Dark: Desmond Dekker's Black and Dekker

Tsuyoshi Kawakami of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

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Read Part 1 of this series here. Stay tuned for more reviews of ska releases from 2015...

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The Checkerboard Kids' 20th Anniversary Show Video in All Its Glory!

I haven't had the time to watch it all yet, but here is the video from the Checkerboard Kids' 20th Anniversary show (which I think is actually airing tonight on NYC Time Warner cable)!

Bands/musicians featured in this NYC-area all-star ska celebration of this amazing and wonderfully unique public access cable show include Across the Aisle, Metro Stylee, Mike Drance (The Bluebeats), Coolie Ranx and Vinny Nobile (Pilfers, Bim Skala Bim), Buford O' Sullivan (The Scofflaws, Easy Star All Stars), Roy Radics (The Rudie Crew), Brendog and Jerica Rosenblum (Mephiskapheles/Doomsday), Dubistry, Dave Barry (The Toasters, Beat Brigade), Bob Timm (The Hard Times), Carmelo DiBartolo (Beat Brigade), and more!



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If you missed it, check out the recent Duff Guide to Ska interview with Checkerboard Phil!

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Duff Interview: Checkerboard Phil and the 20th Anniversary of "Checkerboard Kids!"

We are the Checkerboard Kids (left to right): The Masked Mutant,
Checkerboard Phil, and the Lovely Cinnamon.

Editor's note: For those not in the know, the Manhattan public access television show "Checkerboard Kids"--which has faithfully supported and promoted the NYC ska scene for years--recently taped its 20th anniversary show. So, we thought this was a good time to check in with one of our favorite people in the NYC ska scene, Phil Dejean, who is better known to late-night TV viewers and ska fans alike as Checkerboard Phil. 

The Duff Guide to Ska: What prompted you to start Checkerboard Kids twenty years ago? (Were the Masked Mutant and the Lovely Cinnamon with you from the start?) Did you model your show on anything in particular?

Checkerboard Phil: I was into watching a lot of Manhattan public access TV, especially "Beyond Vaudeville." I worked for Sal Piro president of the "Rocky Horror" Fan Club and a group of us would answer sacks of fan mail from around the world and we'd watch all this stuff he'd tape on VHS like "All My Children," "Twin Peaks," "Beyond Vaudville," "Vole Show," and other call-in shows. Sal was a guest on "Beyond Vaudeville," so we got to meet them at these live events and thought, "Hey, I could do that." So, the seed was planted.

Sal would do these hysterical comedy rants and did a segment on "Checkerboard Kids" in a mask as "the Mad Viewer."

If anybody knows me, I can't do anything a little bit. I liked NYC "Rocky Horror," so I had to join the fan club, join the NYC floorshow, work my way up to cast director. A girl from "Rocky" I liked had given me this comic called "Pirate Corp$" by Evan Dorkin [he illustrated a slew of ska album covers in the late 80s and 90s]. And I love comics, so I read it and the characters were these futuristic guys that dug ska music. I liked ska from listening to it on WLIR, etc., but I started listening to it more and it was inevitable that I went over the top with it, going to shows, etc.

Evan was cool and I met him a bunch of times at ska shows and comic events, and I wrote him weird letters and he sent stickers, etc.--and this only put fuel on the fire. He even made me a character in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Comic" for Marvel. I got to be Phil, bass player for Wyld Stallyns.

DGTS: Can you give us a super-abridged history of Checkerboard Kids?

CP: I had friends that did their own shows, like "Olumides Contact High," "Roolz Like Ozzy," "Tweeter TV," "Mad Dog," "Doggies Off," "Old Dog and Zippy," Brane Kandi, and Mad Man Mike (another friend from the 8th Street Playhouse "Rocky Horror" cast). I was his co-host to a show called "Mad World."

I went to Music and Art High School with Mike Hyden, who created the Masked Mutant persona and we wrote this convoluted surrealist show called "Children of the Checkerboard" (way too complicated to actually film). There was also this fantastic episode that Mr. Cameraman from "Smashed Retina" wrote and directed completely on VHS-C, but we parted ways and with him went the footage. Man, I would love to see that episode...

The Lovely Cinnamon (another fellow 8th Street "Rocky Horror" alumni) was always letting us film in her apartment midtown, so it seemed only natural that she be a part of the show. Besides, she brought a woman's touch. Plus, she ended up being a talented writer and director. So, I had the camera, she had the apartment, and the Masked Mutant was well…a mutant.

Our first shows were clips and interviews from various venues around town with comedic commentary and wraparounds filmed in Cinnamon's living room. Record companies would send us videos that we would air [When I was at Moon Records, we sent Phil tons of videos that he showed on "Checkerboard Kids!"]. It was a good time for ska.

DGTS: What were some of your favorite episodes/band performances—and what were some of the funniest moments?

CP: King Chango, who performed at the my apartment after a performance at Desmond's Pub. I kept getting bands like that. The Insteps, Defactos, Metro Stylee, Brave New Girl. I met Coolie there--he was poised to do a new band with Vinny Nobile from Bim Skala Bim and he asked me to draw their cassette cover. That was the Pilfers.

Best ever, we used get mail--people would send mix tapes and letters and this then little girl Paz De La Huerta used to send us drawings of us that she and her friends did. She drew a picture of me shirtless and muscular with six-pack abs jumping over a building, wearing an 80s style name belt buckle and another drawing of Mutie. Once we filmed a small segment with her sister, Rafaela, who was really nice. Paz ended up becoming a really big star. I got a call from Cinnamon from a hair salon saying that she was reading W magazine, while her hair was drying, and there was an article about Paz--and there was a photo of her looking in a mirror and on the mirror was a flyer for our show! Mad props! I ran into her once on the train where she introduced herself and I saw her again in the Village. I wonder if she and Rafaela still remember our show?

Other great memories include an episode with The Slackers, interviews with Fishbone, The Specials, Desmond Dekker, The Skatalites. Almost getting shot by cops filming an episode on the street where Inspector Quimby thwarts a purse snatching. Suddenly, all these undercover cops run out with guns drawn out of nowhere and we got screamed at. Yeah, there's some footage I gotta transfer and upload.

DGTS: Which bands did you want to feature on the show, but--for whatever reason--a taping just wasn’t in the stars?

I wish I could have interviewed Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers. Separately, of course. If I could have anyone on the show it would be Morrissey, because he's Morrissey.

DGTS: Were you ever approached by a producer who wanted to try to air your show on broadcast TV?

Rude Tales #3, featuring Checkerboard Kids; note Phil's quiff!

CP: Yeah, it was a time when all the public access show were getting picked up. Jake went to MTV with "Squirt TV" (1996) and "Beyond Vaudeville" became "Oddville" (MTV, 1997), and I spoke to some producer types. But MTV ended up doing a pilot in 1997 called "Skaturdays" with Carson Daly in sunglasses and a pork pie hat filmed in a hotel room in California. Despite the scene in NYC, things were really totally popping in California--the whole Third Wave became very popular. So, I totally get it. Shortly after that--boom--public attention went from ska to swing music (1998-1999), so all the followers went to that. As for "Checkerboard Kids," we went back to business as usual.

I remember there was a TV producer woman who was into pitching it, but it was all like, "So, what do you do--it's been done before."

Sadly, venues started shutting down--fewer spots for bands to play and live music to be heard. And record. Sweatglands AKA Wetlands, Brownies, Coney Island High, CBGBs--what was that place down from Abracadabra's called?

DGTS: I seem to remember that there was a "Checkerboard Kids" zine/comic book at one point…

CP: Yes, another thing I have to upload. It boasted a cover by Emmy-award winner, Dean Haspiel who is really getting a lot of media attention with his reboot of Red Circle's "The Fox" (with Mark Waid) and currently has a new compilation of his autobiographical comic called "Beef With Tomato."

Yeah, I also did stuff for a cool ska comic book called "Rude Tales" by W. Ralph Walters (http://retroska.tumblr.com/image/27120680246)--also sharing the bill with Ans Purins of Skavoovie and the Epitones, who is making some power moves in the world of cartooning and illustrations.

DGTS: What happened to your trademark quiff?

CP: It's a lot less fluffier than back in the days, but still there. Just more salt and pepper. That's okay--black and white suits me just fine.

DGTS: Which band, song, record initially turned you on to ska music?

CP: In high school, there were some cool kids--Mods and one straight-up rude girl named Christine. She had checkerboard hair and wore braces and boots. I was like, whoa! I was into new wave, but this was some other stuff.

I remember listening in The Bronx to a lot of ska on WLIR that had the "The One Step Beyond" show. I learned that, even though the station was based on Long Island, the antennae was based in The Bronx [Thank god--otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to listen to WLIR in Yonkers!].

I dug a lot of the 2 Tone stuff, especially The Selecter, Specials, and English Beat. I got This Are 2 Tone at Bleeker Bob's on cassette. I used to hand out flyers in front of Tower Records on East 4th Street and Broadway. I worked for a record store on Mercer Street, Infinity Records.

I loved a lot of The Toasters and Moon stuff; also, Skavoovie and the Epitones, Fabulosos Cadillacs, and Q from Slackers/Bandroidz introduced me to Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.

DGTS: What are your top five favorite ska records (singles or albums)?

CP: Here's my Top 10 of All Time:

1) The Selecter: "Time Hard." This totally pegged how I felt as a kid. Things were getting worse, times were so hard. I look back and it was all luxury problems!

2) Bigger Thomas: "Ska In My Pocket." This always makes me want to dance.

3) The Conquistadors AKA Skabba the Hutt: "Sword of Damocles." [Phil is playing The Criminologist on this track!] They had a cease-and-desist on the name. Jerica from The Scofflaws produced it in her apartment, plus added some awesome organ. It was done for a "Rocky Horror"-themed ska compilation. I once worked on a comic book version ska "Rocky Horror" crossover of it that I was working on for "Rude Tales" comics.

4) Stubborn All Stars: "Pick Yourself Up." Not because I'm in the video among many others, but it has East Coast and West Coast together--even Tim Armstrong, Dickie from MMB, everyones on it. It's like Django assembled the Super Friends of Ska!

5) The Valentines: "Blam Blam Fever." This song kicks major butt! I would listen to this over and over again. This still pertinent tune is applicable in Jamaica now and more so in the USA. We definitely have gun fever.

6) Derrick Harriott: "Monkey Ska." Another old school fave!

7) Pilfers: "Next Generation." This song sums up a lot of my feelings. Things are messed up, but I have hope for the future to make better choices and change things!

8) Dubistry/ Brave New Girl: "Eighth Street." My teen years were spent on 8th Street and Dunia and Aram, who also spent time there, know what's up!

9) Fishbone: "Ugly." Love this song! The whole self-titled EP is such a fantastic artistic work. They should really be in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, not in court over stagediving lawsuits. They influenced so many.

10) The Toasters: "Thrill Me Up." Such a romantic, fun positive vibe comes to mind when I hear this. I used to put this song on all my cassette mix tapes!

Even with that, I've still got more faves in the chamber:

• Dave and Ansell Collins: "Double Barrel"
• Inspecter 7: "Regret"
• Mephiskapheles: "Eskamoes"
• Reel Big Fish: "The Set Up (You Need This)" produced by John Avila from Oingo Boingo (who I'm so happy I got to meet at Coney Island High at a Pilfers show!).
• Across the Aisle: "Roots" One of the newest ska tunes I really love. Listen to the words.

My Top 5 Ska Albums:

• The NY Citizens: The Truth About the NY Citizens. I saw one of their final concerts in the late 80s at Cafe Iguana, when it was across from my college, Parsons/New School.
• Hub City Stompers: Blood, Sweat, and Beers. (The wittiest song writer of all of ska.) Funny, smart, with a knowledge of other musical styles.
• King Chango: King Chango. They had just got signed to David Byrne's Lukabop label--it was a wild time!
• The O.C. Supertones: The Supertones Strike Back. I love this album! Say what you will about Christian ska, but this ROCKS!
• Bad Manners: Heavy Petting - every tune on here is a classic!

DGTS: The teaser for the "Checkerboard Kids" 20th Anniversary Show is phenomenal! On Facebook, someone commented that the supergroup singing “A Message to You, Rudy” was like a “We Are the World” of NYC ska bands/musicians. Did you expect such an incredible response from the scene when you started approaching bands to appear on this anniversary show?

A shot from the "Checkerboard Kids" 20th anniversary show taping.

CP: It was great to see everyone chilling and talking. Coolie Ranx had never met Dunia from Agent 99, though they had rolled in similar circles for years, and for them to meet right there! Newer bands like Across the Aisle and Pandemics interacting with members from Metro Stylee, Scofflaws, Beat Brigade, Mephiskapheles, Bluebeats, and Vinny from Bim/Pilfers, Buford O' Sullivan, Radics from Rudie Crew, and even Adam from "Rudies 4 Rush" was there in the mix!

There were also a lot of New York-based ska folk that couldn't make it. Roger and Mark from Bigger Thomas, Django and Scott Klopenstein sent me well wishes. Tazy from Ska Parade was kind enough to Skype with me and we did a nice sit down interview the day before--and I even got to meet his ska kitty! #milothekittycat!

DGTS: And it was great to see you reunited with the Masked Mutant and the Lovely Cinnamon!

CP: That was a lot of fun. On the show, eventually Cinnamon and I got married on the season finale of MTV "Oddville." After 6 or 7 years, we divorced and she left the show. Eventually, after years and a lot of therapy on my part, we were able to become friends again and it was cool to ask her to come onto the show again. As for Mutie, he and I were long-time pals. So, I said, "We're getting the crew back together for one last job." Same for Vince Lombard from Rolling Rhino, my long-time director. He was all "when and where?"

DGTS: When will the show be broadcast on MNN and will people outside of the NYC be able to watch it by some other means?

CP: The 20th anniversary reunion show will air hopefully late October/early November and I should post the full episode on YouTube, on my Checkerphil Channel. Feel free to like and subscribe to that and out Checkerboard Kids Facebook page. Plug-plug!

DGTS: Will you still be taping "Checkerboard Kids" five, ten years from now?

CP: It's not even tape now. I film on XDCam at the studio, transfer it digitally, edit it on my computer with Premiere and upload it directly to the TV station via cyberduck. That is a long way away from when I started filming it on VHS-C tapes and SVHS, and going from VHS to VHS with a special flying erase head, so I wouldn't get rainbow lines when I paused or edited.

DGTS: Will the name of your show have to change to "Checkerboard Middle-Aged People" at some point?

CP: You--me--we are all Checkerboard Kids. It reflects a state of mind, not a physical age.

In the Studio with Checkerboard Phil!

I hope to live to be that older, graying gent skanking it up at a concert like Ska Mom or Skankin' Rich! I wanna be that old codger still dancing with the young ladies at the clubs. The girls find it cute, while I have this Benny Hill smirk. If I should pass away before that, I hope there's a big concert and lots of friends show up. Have fun and share good vibes, like the Ari Up memorial. She always wanted to know where's the party--where's the bashment? And there it was. She had become the impetus of the bashment. That was a beautiful spiritual experience. It's all about that sense of community.

Whether old school, new school--first, second, or third wave (or whatever's next). It matters not from whence we came. It's us all teaming up, being friends, and forming a community--and enjoying and spreading the music we love.

Every year, I'm all, "This is the last year for the show!" But every year, I keep on doing it!

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Massive thanks to Phil for doing this interview--and for his support of the ska scene over the past 20 years!

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Duff Interview: Megg and Jay of Across the Aisle

According to us, "Across the Aisle crank out loads of hooky, tart, and rambunctious ska-punk-pop in the vein of such 90s acts as Dance Hall Crashers and Save Ferris, but with Mighty Mighty Bosstones Devil's Night Out-type muscle and bite" and are one of the really interesting players on the resurgent NYC ska scene. Currently, the band is in the midst of recording its second EP or first full-length--it all depends on how things work out--but Jay Pintar and Megg Howe were kind enough to take the time to reply to some questions from The Duff Guide to Ska...

Duff Guide to Ska: How is the recording of the new album going? Is the ATA sound changing dramatically from what was captured on The Mercy EP? Who is producing it and which studio are you using?

Jay Pintar (trumpet): Recording the new album has been a steady process. We've hit a few hangups...illness with the seasons changing, and it's always a challenge to coordinate six schedules. Still, what we have thus far is sounding really great, and we're crazy pumped for it.

The sound itself, I don't feel, has changed that much since we recorded Mercy. Some of the tunes we're recording we've been playing for a year or more, so they're pretty much second nature to us at this point. However, we've had Aaron, our new guitarist, since August, and it's been great to hear someone else's new take on material. He's definitely a rocker, he takes liberties that the others did not. He also built his own pedal board, so there are will be a lot more guitar effects on the new recording. Also, when we recorded Mercy in early '08, I was the only horn player at the time, so I recorded three-part horns. Jackie, our alto sax player, came along five months later. It's nice to be laying down tracks with her by my side.

This new recording, in light of these delightful economic times, will be self-produced and recorded in our drummer's home studio. JV [John Vergara], our drummer, has education and experience in audio engineering, and between the six of us, we acquired everything we need to rehearse and record without breaking the bank. We dig it.

Megg Howe (vocals): Recording is so much fun! I really enjoy the process, 'cause you can really appreciate everyone's "part" in each song. Sometimes you forget to really listen to what each instrument sounds like, so when it's stripped down by itself sometimes I say, "Oh, wow, yeah, that's what you're playing there?! It's so brilliant!" So we're all in this basement recording together, so it's funny when I start recording vocals and I take off my headphones--at least two members say they had no idea what I was saying before. It's important for everyone to really hear the lyrics--then they can put my understanding of the idea behind the song and they can feel it too.

DGTS: Will the album be self-released or have you been shopping it around to some labels?

JP: We'll definitely do some shopping. It really depends on whether we end up recording a full-length album or another EP.

MH: Yeah, hopefully it'll create a buzz and, you never know, it could be really beneficial to have some backing!

DGTS: How did the Checkerboard Kids show taping go? When will your episode be broadcast?

JP: The taping went really well! A couple of us were a little under the weather, but all things considered, it went really well. We also had a handful of fans and friends who made it out to the studio to support us! We really appreciated that.

Still no word on when it's going to air [update: it will be on 10/27/09 at midnight!], but there are a couple of video clips from it on YouTube. Here's one of the clips.

MH: Taping was a blast and Phil [Esquire] is adorable. But I was so, so sick, I was getting over a cold/sore throat and losing my voice earlier that week. So here and there you can hear my voice cracking, 'cause I was really pushing it. I was upset that I couldn't give it 100%.

DGTS: What does "Across the Aisle" refer to?

JP: Well, we really wanted "Color Me Badd" (that's with two Ds, now) but, it was already taken...

Seriously, though...it's a new take on the political expression. Ordinarily, it refers to the difference between Democrats and Republicans, in that they're so far removed from the other party's interests and ideals that they're almost literally "across the aisle" from one another...yadda yadda... We reinterpret it to mean, quite basically, diverse. When it comes to our backgrounds, ethnicites, orientations, genders, religions, and especially our musical interests and experiences, we're all over the map. So, although we're "across the aisle" from one another, we've come together to make our own music.

It's VERY important to note that when this description is spoken with inflection and told with the use of hand gestures, it doesn't come off the slightest bit pretentious. :-)

DGTS: And how/why did you decide on Kelly green for the band's look/image? (What's it all about?)

JP: I think it was back in summer '07. Megg, our then guitarist Joe, and I were all on the subway. The conversation pretty much broke down like this:

JAY: Megg, what color are your eyes?

MEGG: They're green.

JAY: Mine, too!

JOE: Woah, me too...

ALL Weird.

JAY: We need a band gimmick. Maybe we should all DRESS in green.

MEGG: I like KELLY green.

JAY: Me, too!

JOE: I'm WEARING kelly green!

JAY: Done.

I'm sure I paraphrased. Ultimately, it is, quite simply, a gimmick. Hopefully, we'll be remembered for our music, but if someone should say, "Oh yeah...aren't they that band with the green and stuff..." then we've done some good. And we started with the neckties just this year.

MH: Haha! Yeah, I forgot about that. Nice, Jay! That's totally 'howe' it went down! But seriously, everyone looks good in kelly green!

DGTS: I think I read that you and Megg both have backgrounds in the theater--how does this influence/affect your performing? Do you approach it from the perspective of playing out live or is it more about putting on a dramatic "show"?

JP: You read correctly, sir! Megg and I each have backgrounds in theatre. In fact, that's how we met. In spring of '06, we were in an original rock musical together. Long story short...the show was not the best, though we did get to revive it in concert form at CBGB's, shortly before it closed for good. Megg and I reconnected about a year later, and that's when the band really started to form. In terms of how it affects performing, I'd say we feed of one another's energy alot, and we're very comfortable onstage together. People often think we're a couple!

I don't think it's about putting on a "dramatic show" necessarily, at least not for me. Though it's an awful lot like being in a play, in that everyone has their role, you've rehearsed, and you try to find real moments. We've a few bits of choreography in several of the songs, and we do other other things like call and response and hand claps and whatnot, but they're mostly because we're a bit dorky and think it's fun, not because we want to be dramatic.

MH: Oh man, that musical was a nightmare, but a blessing because I met Jay. We stayed friends and eventually I convinced him to start ATA with me! I honestly can't imagine not having him as my side-kick on vocals, I truly don't feel like I'm the only lead vocalist. We're such a team, I always say we're a two person fronted band! We need him for sure--he's a better singer than me!

DGTS: Which are your favorite ska bands--and which ones have had the most influence on ATA?

JP: Favorites for me...top four: The Specials, The Slackers, The Toasters, and Fishbone.

In terms of influence, I'm sure it's different for everyone in the band. I know Ashray, our bass player, is really into Rancid and Operation Ivy. For Jackie, it's Hall & Oates all the way (can you blame her?). For me, I listen for horn arrangements and vocal harmonies in any and all bands, not even necessarily of the ska variety. Oh, and I love Dance Hall Crashers...so fun.

MH: For me, since high school I got into No Doubt and just had to know who they all were influenced by and what they were listening to. I was so obsessed with their sound and this whole ska scene that I had never heard about. I found out they were friends with Fishbone. Oh, and I got into Spring Heeled Jack, so those three bands since 1995 have really meant a lot to me. I still listen to SHJ's Static World View! It's such a great album. Also it's come full circle, knowing that you worked at Moon Ska Records with them is so crazy to me, I'm just so honored that you're diggin ATA!! Without these three bands there probably wouldn't be an ATA!

DGTS: And who do you like playing with from the NYC ska scene? Is it my imagination, or are there starting to be a ton of ska bands around here again?

JP: NYC ska bands we've played with: The Bluebeats, Royal City Riot, Rudie Crew, Bigger Thomas, The Pilfers, The Toasters...

Yes! There are more popping up everyday. Some are not necessarily ska, but reggae and various sub-genres. Also, since we're not purely a ska band, the fact that we've punk and reggae elements opens us up to line-ups with other bands/artists outside the ska world, as well.

MH: We've also played with The Pilfers and New York Ska Jazz Ensemble. Although they're from Jersey, we've done a few shows with Hub City Stompers (and have upcoming shows with them).

DGTS: What are your thoughts on music file sharing?

JP: I'd be lying if I said I've never done it. In college, especially, everyone and their mother did it. Now that the shoe's on the other foot, I just will not do it. I don't condone it it any way. Bam.

MH: Yes, totally have done it, but I guess I'm on the fence. Now that I'm tryin' to make a living at it, of course I want to make some profit. But I also, at this point in the game, I just want more fans, ya know. I want to spread the ATA sound!! So, if kids hear ATA and want to share it with friends, I say the more the merrier. I want the world to have ATA!

DGTS: Any ATA plans for the coming months that you'd like to share with The Duff Guide to Ska readers?

JP: Two Brooklyn shows in November: Saturday, November 7th @ the new Knitting Factory and Saturday, November 28th @ Trash Bar. Keep checking our sites: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and atamusic.com for all things ATA!

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According to Phil Esquire, the ATA Checkerboard Kids episode will be airing on MNN Time Warner Cable Channel 34 in NYC at midnight on Tuesday, October 27th. This is viewable live around the world, streaming on http://mnn.org.

Thanks to Phil, here's an exclusive clip that won't appear on the episode:



And Phil really liked this one...

Across the Aisle to Appear on Checkerboard Kids TV Show

This week, Across the Aisle are filming a segment for Checkerboard Kids, a long-running, ska-influenced, public access cable variety show, hosted by Phil Esquire and The Masked Mutant. (In NYC, this show may be seen on cable--generally every other Tuesday night at midnight, but visit the Checkerboard Kids site for times and channels--if you are outside of the five boroughs, you can watch it at its broadcast time over the internet at www.mnn.org.) I dropped Phil a line to find out when the ATA show will air and will pass that info along to The Duff Guide to Ska readers when I receive it. (Phil?)

Phil Esquire (and his trademark, gravity-defying poof of hair) has been a mainstay of the NYC ska scene for years--he graciously aired and promoted the ska videos we sent his way in my Moon days--and he continues to showcase many a great ska act on his program. Plus, he has great respect and admiration for Laurel "The Godfather of Ska" Aitken (there is a even a picture of Phil with Laurel taken, I believe, at the in-store I set up at the Moon shop back in '97 or so), which makes him more than okay in my book.

Here is the Checkerboard Kids promo to give you some flava...



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In other ATA news, the band is currently recording new tracks for a new release. The band's next gig is with The New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Hey Stranger, and the Duppies at The Trash Bar in Williamsburg on October 12. See flyer below for details...