Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: K-Man and The 45s and Pama International!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

I've been hearing really good things about Montreal's K-Man and The 45s for several years now (mostly in relation to the annual Montreal Ska Festival), so it's great to finally have a chance to review a new record from these ska/rock 'n' rollers (who veer into reggae, punk, even '80s hardcore--see the excellent, fiercely anti-heroin track "Don't Touch It"). Stand with the Youth (CD/digital/LP, Stomp Records, 2019) is K-Man and The 45s' dynamite fourth album (if you include their CD of ska covers of Ramones tunes) and its title track was written and recorded in response to the activism of the student survivors of the horrific Parkland school shooting and their allied peers who are organizing and advocating for sensible gun control laws in the US to help prevent future mass shootings, which continue to occur with alarming (yet increasingly numbing) frequency. K-Man and The 45s firmly side with the kids in this righteous cause: "We got a bullied young boy who wants to shoot it up/Then we watch it on the news how he went and lit it up/And now the youth of the nation ain’t giving it up/Because they’re fighting for their freedom and ain’t never going to stop." "Hooligans" pushes back against the gentrifying real estate developers ("goons with clipboards") who destroy vital and funky neighborhoods/communities for greed; the hard rocking "Paranoid Panic" is about succumbing to the fear created by the never-ending barrage of sensationalized crime stories in the media ("Another drive by on the news tonight/Seems like the neighborhood is one big fight/It’s a revved up panic that’s pushing her through the night"); and "Free to Go" encourages a woman to leave her physically abusive partner. But it's not all grim. The ridiculously catchy--and best cut on the album--"I've Got a Minute" ("...I want to waste it with you") is about working up the nerve to ask her out. "Hero with a Death Ray" is an homage to Cold War-era TV sci-fi characters like Flash Gordon or Captain Kirk ("Flying around going to slingshot in deep space/Hyper drive winning at the space race/Pick up the trophy, kiss the girl/Then he sets off to save the world." And the reggae track "Cooking Out the Pans" is concerned with nothing but the simple pleasures of hanging out on a beach, eating fish, smoking weed, and listening to live music. Anyone itching for a new Toasters record should absolutely grab this--most of the fantastic horn lines and arrangements sound like they could have been written by Bucket himself (and both bands share an admiration for '60s ska influencer Chuck Berry; on this record, K-Man and The 45s deliver a cool ska cover of "Never Can Tell"...).

Temporarily shedding their ska and reggae to fully explore the "altruistic soul" aspect of their sound, Pama International's Stop the War on the Poor (CD/digital/LP, Happy People Records, 2019) is a spectacular concept album of sorts, full of Motown and Stax-like songs by Sean Flowerdew and Lenny Bignell about love in all its forms--romantic love between people; the spiritual/moral love in forgiveness and redemption; and the love expressed through compassion and empathy for your fellow human being. Cara Jane Murphy and Jewels Vass split the vocal duties here (sides A and B, respectively) and both are are nothing short of amazing. Top cuts here include the Birmingham gospel/soul of "Get Up Off Your Knees" ("Lord he dared me/Raised my heart and compared me/To something he had trod in/Spreading disease/To my shame/I played him at his own game/Lord, get me off my knees"); the Detroit soul of the wonderfully named "Sure You Know the Price (But Do You Know the Cost)," which asks if you're willing to go all in--being vulnerable and risking hurt and more--for who you love ("I put myself in your heart/For all the good it did/Failed to understand/All that you kept hid/What's the use in worrying/If you never doubt/You get all that you give out"); the magnificent "Stop the War on the Poor" pleads for our collective focus to turn towards the corruption and criminality of the rich and powerful (who have rigged the system in their favor at the expense of everyone else) that is largely being ignored while the indigent are blamed for society's ills and punished/humiliated for their own supposed moral failings for not being materially successful; a great Temptations-like cover of Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful To Me"; and "I Love You (Wake Up)," which conveys sweetly intense longing and loneliness ("Four o'clock/Still awake/Waiting for/the day to break/Where are you?/Lying in silence/Deafened still/Don't want to spend/Another night/without you"). I'm not an expert on soul, but--damn--I know brilliant music when I hear it and Pama International's Stop the War on the Poor is it! All CDs and LPs come with an additional, free CD to share the musical love with friends, family, or strangers on the street!

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Cassette Store Day 2017 (Postscript): Interview with Marc Beaudette of Flying Vipers

Editor's note: For Cassette Store Day 2017, Jump Up Records issued twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel (of Danny Rebel and the KGB), CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled "Pressure Hop" (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found here). This is the last CSD-related interview we're posting this year...

Thanks to Marc Beaudette of Flying Vipers and Destroy Babylon for taking the time to answer our cassette-related questions!

The Duff Guide to Ska: "The Shadow Tape" is the third release on cassette from Flying Vipers--why did you decide to go with this format? Is dub music somehow better suited for tape than vinyl?

Marc Beaudette: "We started this project with a Tascam 8-track recorder and the intent to do as much as we could using only analog gear. The first two releases were tracked and mixed direct to cassette, so offering them on tape seemed appropriate.

For this new release, our producer Jay Champany used previous sessions, extending vocal versions and slowing down tape speeds to give the dubs a new vibe. If we could afford to put everything on vinyl, we would! Most music I think sounds best on wax, though the tape compression does sound great with certain genres like hip hop and hardcore punk."

DGTS: Are you a tape collector? Do you have a lot of dub and reggae on cassette (if so, which are your faves)?

MB: "My brother and I still have a few dozen tapes from our youth, and we both still collect. There are more punk and rock albums than anything else, but there's a good stack of reggae in the mix. Black Uhuru's Red is one that got played on repeat in my car, plus a handful from the Hearbeat label and ROIR. HR's Charge is another one that I played a lot along with his other SST releases."

DGTS: Did you grow up listening to music on cassettes?

MB: "For sure. Before we could even buy our own music, we'd get cassettes and blank tapes for birthdays and Christmas. We were really into making our own mixtapes; listening to the radio for hours, waiting for our favorite songs to come on and hitting record as fast as we could. Even when CDs were gaining popularity, I still rocked my yellow Walkman and wore out early Green Day and Weezer tapes riding the bus."

DGTS: At the moment, a lot of people see this format as a bit of an oddity. Something collectable perhaps, but not a truly viable way to listen to music, given the relative scarcity of cassette players in people's homes, cars, etc. Should bands and indie labels make a more concerted effort to make more releases available on cassette to drive a resurgence of this format? (They are an inexpensive way to release music in a tangible format...)

MB: "It's certainly an affordable way to get something physical out there, but it will most likely remain a very limited audience. Vinyl and CD are also niche markets, so for me it comes down to personal preference. It's difficult to sell digital albums in 2017, now that most listeners pay monthly to stream or just use YouTube/Bandcamp. If a run of cassettes helps album sales, I'd encourage indie bands and labels to look into it. That said, I also think the type of album plays a role. The new Destroy Babylon record we dropped this summer is very high fidelity, and didn't seem to warrant a cassette release (we opted for vinyl and CDs). The lo-fi dub sessions make total sense for tape."

DGTS: Flying Vipers are playing with Lee "Scratch" Perry soon--do you think he still listens to tapes (I assume you'll pass him some of yours...)?

MB: "I could imagine Scratch traveling the world with a bedazzled Walkman and a few choice cassettes. But then again, maybe he just has an iPhone 8."

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska reviews of Flying Vipers' previous cassette releases, The Copper Tape and The Green Tape.

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Cassette Store Day 2017: Interview with CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra)

Editor's note: For the third straight year in a row, Jump Up Records is participating in Cassette Store Day--which is this coming Saturday, October 14, 2017. Jump Up is issuing twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel, CeANNE (of The Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra--interviewed here), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled "Pressure Hop" (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found here).

Much thanks to CeANNE for agreeing to do this interview so quickly--and for conducting it in English!

The Duff Guide to Ska: Is the title of your "Ukesteady" cassette release a nod to Chris Murray's somewhat similar lo-fi/acoustic "Rocksteady" album?

CeANNE: "Well, absolutely not. I had a rocksteady band here in Hungary called The Mighty Fishers. And I love the genre, I love ukulele. So, it's a mixture of things I love and I wanted to show my admiration for--ukulele and rocksteady. But you made me curious, I will definitely listen to it!

DGTS: What inspired you to record all of these songs only using a ukulele for accompaniment? 

CeANNE: "I have always sung, but never played an instrument properly. I always thought,  'that's not for me, I am an amateur, I can never handle it.' It has turned since I found the ukulele--it made me change my thinking about playing music itself. Because it has so much power, though it's little--and has so many secrets, though it seems very simple. What I mean is that it was the first intrument which made me feel quick success while I played it, which made me feel like playing and playing and practicing on it. And I want to be a better and better ukulele player. Last year, I also bought a guitar, which I never thought I could be good at. I am not, but I don't care, I play it. It's all about self-esteem and consciousness, and being daring. Instuments make you a better singer and songwriter. And I can thank the ukulele for all of this. So, I thought it deserves a whole album. Maybe others will realize as well how great the ukulele is."

DGTS: Did you always plan for this set of songs to be released on cassette--and how did Chuck Wren and Jump Up Records come to release it?

CeANNE: "Not in my dreams! Ha ha! I had an LP with my former band The Mighty Fishers titled Soul Garden, which Jump Up Records in Chicago distributed. Then I started to spread my short ukulele videos on Instagram. Chuck saw them and we linked. He asked me if I felt like making a whole album of acoustic ukulele reggae/rocksteady songs on casette. I was very surprised and happy at the same time."

DGTS: How popular are cassettes in Hungary? Is a lot of music--particularly ska and reggae--released in this format in your country?

CeANNE: "Unfortunately, I have to say no. We are a little country, so subcultures are really "sub" and weak. There are some reggae and ska bands--great ones I would say--but I think cassettes vanished in the early 2000s. But when I announced that my new material will be released only on cassette, my audience was surprised, but in a very good way. It's a curiosity."

DGTS: Why do you like cassettes?

CeANNE: "Because I have some very good memories with them. I am of the young generation who started with cassettes, continued with CDs, then digital releases--and now are turning back to vinyl. I had my copied Spice Girls cassettes, I also had Destiny's Child, and many more, ha ha! I asked for cassettes for every birthday and Christmas. I stole my father's rock cassettes. I also did a cassette with children's songs for my grandmather as a birthday gift. I liked the Walkman times--it's my childhood and now we bring them back. It's more than cool. It's coolsteady ha ha!"

DGTS: If there's a question that I didn't ask here, but that you'd like to answer, please go ahead and include it.

CeANNE: "Everyone! Play the ukulele, 'cause uke'n do it!"

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Cassette Store Day 2017: Interview with Bucket of The Toasters

For the third straight year in a row, Jump Up Records is participating in Cassette Store Day--which is this coming Saturday, October 14, 2017. Jump Up is issuing twelve cassettes (!) from acts like The Toasters, The Slackers, Mephiskapheles, Green Room Rockers, Roger Rivas, Danny Rebel, CeANNE (of Mighty Fishers and Pannonia Ska Orchestra), Flying Vipers, The Drastics, as well as a Jump Up compilation titled Pressure Hop (a detailed list of Jump Up CSD releases can be found at the bottom of this post).

In anticipation of Cassette Store Day 2017, Bucket of The Toasters was kind enough to answer a few cassette-related questions for us from San Antonio, Texas, where he was in the midst of getting a new diesel engine installed in one of his vehicles and keeping a sharp eye on some mechanics who were attempting to scam him by sneaking in some old parts amongst the new...

The Duff Guide to Ska: Back in the 80s and early 90s, cassettes were standard issue for all releases and I remember Moon selling respectable numbers of them--what do think about the resurgence of this format and why do you think it is happening now?

Bucket: "When we debuted the label, the standard release format was 12" vinyl and cassette--starting with the now legendary NY Beat release. The last Moon release to have a cassette format was Dub 56. After that time, distributors wouldn't take them. You may recall that we started that collectors' series of see-through 7" vinyl singles in order to have a different format than just straight CD."

DGTS: Jump Up has released several Toasters releases on cassette--"Dub 56," "2 Tone Army," "Skaboom"--will the rest of the back catalogue be issued on tape eventually (like "NY Fever," "Thrill Me Up," and "One More Bullet")?

Bucket: "That's the plan. I would ideally like to have all releases in all formats. But that's quite an epic task at the moment, given the poor turn around times for vinyl especially. We are increasingly turning our eyes to Eastern Europe in search of vinyl production capacity. For example, we are doing some releases with a Polish label. Expect One More Bullet vinyl from them, a release of Thrill Me Up on digipak, and more.

DGTS: Do Toasters cassettes sell well at the merch table and if so, who's buying them--old timers or the kids?

Bucket: Mostly old timers who drive old trucks! Some kids pick them up. Frankly, they have sold much better than I thought they would. Chuck was pressing me to take them and he has proven to be correct (once again, he he!).

DGTS: Do you still have a working tape deck (or Walkman?!) somewhere?

Bucket: "Actually, I don't. Having moved to Spain and back over the last 12 years, most of my old tech got sold/disposed of as, of course, no US gear works on that voltage grade there. I was thinking of heading over to Goodwill and picking up an old boombox. They have loads there..."

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Jump Up Records 2017 Cassette Store Day Releases:

The Slackers: “Wasted Days” (Limited to 150 copies; includes bonus tracks, never before on cassette.)
The Slackers: “Red Light” (Limited to 150 copies; first time on cassette, includes three rare bonus tracks.)
Mephiskapheles: “God Bless Satan” (Limited to 150 copies; first time on cassette, blood red shell).
The Toasters:  “2 Tone Army” (Limited to 150 copies; on black/white split shell.)
The Toasters “Dub 56” (Limited to 150 copies; back on cassette.)
Various Artists: “Pressure Hop” (Limited to 200 copies.)
Green Room Rockers: “Sweat Steady” (Limited to 100 copies; on clear green shell.)
Roger Rivas: “Last Goodbye"/"Autumn Breeze” (Limited to 100 copies.)
Danny Rebel: “Boombox Sessions Volume 2” (Limited to 100 copies.)
CeANNE: “Ukesteady” (Limited to 100 copies.)
Flying Vipers: “The Shadow Tape” (Limited to 50 copies.)
The Drastics: “MJ A Rocker” (Limited to 75 copies.)

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2016 Cassette Store Day @ Jump Up Records with Releases from The Toasters, King Stitt, Reggae Workers of the World, Danny Rebel, Rude Guest, Indonesian Ska, and an Incredible CSD Event in Chicago!

Saturday, October 8, 2016 is Cassette Store Day (see a list of participating stores here) and Jump Up Records is releasing a slew of really interesting titles to help celebrate the recent resurgence of this format (and I'll be damned if I haven't started collecting cassettes again--just last week I picked up used copies of The Scofflaws debut on Moon, as well as Derrick Morgan's Tougher Than Tough and The Deltones' Oddball Boy, both of which were licensed to ROIR by Unicorn Records; and I've also fed my cassette collecting beast by mail ordering some great new cassettes from Jump Up, such as The Crombies Dance Crazee, The Specialized Dance Crazy comp, The Brooklyn Attractors' The Move, NST and The Soul Sauce's Heaven is Here/Song for Rico, and The Specials Live at the Lyceum).

Here's what Jump Up is releasing on CSD 2016:

The Toasters Skaboom: This is first time this classic and hugely influential American ska album has been re-issued on cassette (with cool, reworked artwork) since Skaloid/Moving Target/Celluloid originally released it in 1987.

King Stitt Cool and Copasetic Selector Set: Recorded live in 2002 at the Legend of Ska concerts in Toronto, Canada, this set features Stitt chatting over foundational ska riddims with Ska Nick The Trojan at the controls.

Reggae Workers of the World Reggae Workers of the World: For your listening pleasure, Jesse Wagner of The Aggrolites, Vic Ruggiero of The Slackers, and Nico Leonard of Moon Invaders and Caroloregians got together and recorded twelve new tunes of old school reggay at Pum Pum Hotel Studios in Belgium.

Danny Rebel Boombox Sessions: Re-released for CSD, this is rough and ready acoustic reggae (for fans of Chris Murray, Bob Marley, and Toots and Maytals) recorded live and direct to an old boombox by Canadian Danny Rebel.

Rude Guest Lost Chicago Ska 1982-1993: This Chi-town band kept 2 Tone ska alive in the USA in the 80s and this release compiles all 16 songs they recorded and issued on a series of limited-edition cassettes back in the day.

Various Artists Soundclash Volume 1: This is a collection of Indonesian ska imported from Jakarta that features three of that scene's top bands--D”Jenks, James Steady, and The Ska Banton--playing traditional jazz ska, skinhead reggae, and modern ska!

All of the aforementioned titles can be found at participating CSD retailers or pre-ordered from Jump Up. 

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Also, if you're in the Chicago area on Saturday, October 8, 2016, be sure to check out this really extraordinary Jump Up Cassette Store Day event at Logan Hardware Records from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm with acoustic performances from Vic Ruggiero and Jesse Wagner, and King Tony, a live cassette DJ set with Chuck Wren, a CHema Skandal poster exhibition and cassette painting(!), plus Ska Brewing tasting and Dark Matter coffee! 

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