Duff Review: Flying Vipers "Green & Copper: The First Two Tapes"

Vinyl LP (green or copper vinyl)
Jump Up Records/Music ADD Records
2022

Editor’s note: Since the Flying Vipers’ first two cassette-only releases were just issued on colored vinyl for the first time by Jump Up Records and Music ADD Records, it seems like a good idea to revisit my reviews of each of these tapes! 

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

[The Green Tape; review originally published September 21, 2015] 

Brothers John and Marc Beaudette (the former on bass, guitar, and melodica; the later on drums and percussion) from Boston's mighty roots reggae outfit Destroy Babylon have teamed up with keyboardist Zack Brines from Pressure Cooker for a new dub project titled Flying Vipers--which is inspired by the incredible analog dub reggae of the 1970s and early 1980s produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry, Keith Hudson, King Tubby, Dennis Bovell, Scientist, and many others.

In seeking to capture that spirit, sound, and vision for their own original tracks, Flying Vipers recorded their instrumentals on an old-school, Tascam 8-track cassette console (and performed using vintage drums, bass, and keyboards). The final dub mix (by Jay Champany of Truth and Rights) was recorded live on the same Tascam deck, utilizing classic dub techniques and effects--and the results are really pretty phenomenal (and having Kevin Metcalfe, who has worked with David Bowie, The Clash, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Dr. Alimantando, UB40, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, Prince Far I, and others, master the final mixes certainly must have helped!).

Flying Vipers' The Green Tape contains six fantastic tracks of tangibly warm, vibrant, and crisp dub instrumentals with great melodies--earworms, really--that will move your body and elevate your mood. My favorite cut here, "Beacon Street Version," features a lilting, very Rico-like trombone melody on a song that sounds like it could have been off Warieka Dub. Other great touches abound throughout the tape--from the jazzy, bell-like sound of the Fender Rhodes on the lovely "Bell Crickets," to the haunting melodica lines on the slow spooling of "Tape Hiss," as well as the urgent and slightly dangerous "Dragon Snout," to the trippy, wah-wah pedal effects on the guitar line of "Cannabaceae" (which is a family of small flowering plants including Cannabis and Humulus, or hops), and the tension on display between the relaxed sax and the hyper, almost martial percussion in "Coffee Kush" (yes, apparently a strain of coffee-flavored marijuana now exists--does one have the Pavlovian jolt from the taste of coffee, but then mellow out when the THC kicks in?).

My only complaint about this release is that I want more of it. For now, hook up your dad's old tape deck to the stereo or bid on a used Sony Walkman on eBay--and then have someone over forty show you how to insert the cassette (and enjoy)!

[The Copper Tape; review originally published on April 2, 2017] 

This is the second release from Boston's mighty Flying Vipers, which is comprised of members of Destroy Babylon and Pressure Cooker, who specialize in '70s-sounding instrumental roots reggae and dub recorded on analog equipment that reminds this reviewer most strongly of Dennis Bovell's output. The Vipers create incredible, mesmerizing dub tracks that never quite deconstruct things to the point where the tune is entirely lost--melody is everything here (like on all Bovell productions). I love this whole tape (eight cuts on the cassette), but standout tracks for me include the sublimely ethereal "Smoke and Dagger" (paging Jackie Mittoo!), the Western reggae-ish "Heady Topper Headon" (of course, named after The Clash's phenomenal drummer), and the mysterious Lee Perry-like "Return of the Living Zero" (which rely on organ, melodica, and clavinet respectively to carry each song's tune). You may think me bold, but Flying Vipers' The Copper Tape is most likely the best new dub release you'll hear all year.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Destroy Babylon, Roger Rivas, Smoke & Mirrors Soundsystem, and Roy Radics' last recording with Dope Sagittarius!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Destroy Babylon--the powerhouse reggae/rock/post-punk band led by the Beaudette brothers when they're not doing their dub thing with Flying Vipers--have released a digital single that is a follow-up to their 2017 concept album Shapeshifters (read my review of it here). That album was about the Pandora's box of white supremacy, disinformation, lies, conspiracy theories, and potential for political violence that was unleashed by Trumpism and DB's latest extraordinary single "World's Straightest Line" b/w "Course Corrections" (Digital, Music A.D.D., 2021) continues in a similar vein with songs about the ongoing degradation of our society and disintegration of the social contract. At first, I thought "World's Straightest Line" (a fierce punk rock/hardcore-ish track) was about America's war on drugs, the mass incarceration of Black citizens, and the poverty-to-prison pipeline, but then realized it's about casting social media as a pusher--how it taps into people's lurid, insatiable desire for intimacy with other people's worst moments (and what it extracts from them/us in turn). If the post-punk cut "Course Corrections"--about giving in to authoritarian rule in order to survive ("If you want peace, don’t spare the rod/Closed fist--your new god...I have seen the awful truth/I would do the same to you")--had come out a couple of decades ago, you would have thought it was a good take on 1984. But listening to it in 2021, when it has become crystal clear that the right wing in our country is openly working to dismantle American democracy, is a chilling experience. The distorted, dubby, guitar effects that slip in and out of the shadows of this song are incredibly effective; they're the sounds of a slow-motion dystopian nightmare coming true. 

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Sean Flowerdew's Happy People Records is in overdrive lining up some of the best ska, rocksteady, and reggae singles one could hope for; I believe they're almost up to their 100th release already! (US fans--did you notice that there's a new Happy People Stateside imprint, so you can order these great records and not get killed by international postal rates?) One of the latest singles is Roger Rivas' terrific "Heading West" b/w "Last Goodbye" (7" vinyl single/digital, Happy People Records, 2021), which come from Rivas' out-of-print 2014 LP Last Goodbye (which is still available digitally on Bandcamp). "Heading West" is a bright, bubbly Western reggae/rocksteady trip to a better place that promises even better times, while "One More Dance" sounds a bit tentative and melancholy, as if someone's holding out hope that a rift can be patched up before the end of the night with a close and silent slow dance.

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I meant to write about the John Roy-driven Smoke and Mirrors Soundsystem project much earlier this spring. This is the relaunched New Normal Collaboration project that released the excellent Quarantined on Easy Street last fall (read my review of it here), but ran into issues with one of the people co-leading the effort. Roy (of '90s ska act The Unsteady) has since re-recorded all of the drum tracks and remixed the album, and the new version--retitled Strength in Numbers--can be heard/bought here (at some point soon it will be released on vinyl, too). Smoke and Mirrors Soundsystem also has been working on an album of awesome ska/reggae covers of '80s classics like Bowie's "Let's Dance," Echo and the Bunnymen's "Killing Moon," and Tears for Fears "Mad World," as well as cuts from Junior Byles ("Fade Away"), Sam and Dave ("When Something's Wrong with My Baby"), Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ("Second That Emotion"), Edwin Star ("25 Miles"), Spencer Davis Group ("I'm a Man"), and more.

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A few weeks ago, Luqman Brown (from the NYC "soul core" NYC band FunkFace, which includes members of Beat Brigade) reached out to let me know that another band of his Dope Sagittarius is re-releasing a special edition of their latest album that features Roy Radics' last recording. Radics, of course, was the beloved lead singer of the NYC ska and reggae band The Rudie Crew who passed away unexpectedly in the prime of his life in 2016. The Dope Sagittarius track that features Radics is "Sacred Places"--the title track of this incredible funk-electro-hip-hop-rock band's latest album (which is available from Buddahbug Records on vinyl and digital via Bandcamp). Radics delivers some wickedly fantastic toasting during a dancehall break in this cut about the place you're transported to when you lick the chalice ("I'm stuck between the now and the sacred space"). He sounds so good here and hearing him do what he did so well will make you miss Radics all the more. Anyone who knows about and is into the Black Rock Coalition bands (who incorporate "the spectrum of Black music" into their songs) like Living Color, 24-7 Spyz (I caught them opening for The Untouchables years ago and they were on fire!), FunkFace, and Fishbone will want to devour Dope Sagittarius' Sacred Places.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Cascadians and Crazy Baldhead featuring Maddie Ruthless!

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

The Cascadians' super Windows Down (Digital, self-released, 2020) came out at the end of last year and was lost in my holiday craziness, so forgive this tardy write-up. The Cascadians have a striking and compelling sound going in Meg Nye's powerful, emotive soul singing that floats over the band's sharp '60s-style ska and rocksteady. The sultry lead and standout track "Windows Down" is about someone so knock-out gorgeous and magnetic that you'd be happy to sell your soul (and your grandma's, too) just to be in their presence: "I got the windows down/I'm driving my girl around town/I got the windows down/She said that she'd long to go dancing by now/How could I turn her down?/Oh, that girl is so cool...No one's even watching the band/They're under her spell, watching her dance...I got the windows down/I'm driving my girl back home right now...Her eyes say everything without making a sound/How can I turn her down?" It'll resonate deeply if you've ever had the good/bad luck to be in the singer's shoes. Ever get annoyed by how people talk over and ignore bands while they're playing? "Rudy Come Lately" is a somewhat subtle but increasingly pointed and frustrated jab--complete with all of crowd noise competing with the sounds coming from The Cascadians--at the people there solely for the scene ('cause it's cool, right?) and not the music and bands ("Rudy come lately/Rudy smoking a bud...But Rudy never come home...")--and "Old School" is a boss, dubby instrumental. Things then shift gears for a terrific, jazzy cover of Smokey Robinson's "Quiet Storm," and "Discover Me," a catchy AM-pop-soul-ska tune that's a "Tears of a Clown" plea for someone to see and love the person beneath the persona. And there are three great dubs--a more reggae take on "Quiet Storm," a mega-deconstructed "Old School," and the stellar "Two Face Dub," which I don't think is a version of anything on this album (and has these snippets of vocals: "Rude boy smashing up the town...My freedom is almost gone...No, I don't wanna go...I want another beer"). Highly recommended.

I'm slowly going broke keeping up with all of the extraordinarily good singles--thick as dinner plates--that are being issued these days from Happy People Records. (To be fair, the cost of the singles isn't this issue, it's the overseas shipping that's killing me.) The latest 45 to grace my mailbox and turntable features two killer productions from Crazy Baldhead (full disclosure: I actually pre-ordered a copy directly from Agent Jay and only paid domestic shipping!). The moody but deadly cool and defiant "Take a Lick" (7" vinyl single/digital, Happy People Records, 2021) features The Far East's Maddie Ruthless fiercely challenging the wicked who are tormenting her brother and sister and other good people to "take a lick [hit]...but we come down for more/More than you bargained for..." Her siren song-like vocals unwind over Crazy Baldhead's loping, King Kong-earth-shaking riddim that's bound to knock some plaster loose from your walls and ceiling if you play this loud. Its version "Take a Dub" is even heavier and ready-made for aspiring deejays' use. (Also, make sure to check out my review of The Far East's awesome Lover's rock EP New York is for Lovers; and my write ups of other Happy People Records singles from Capitol 1212 featuring Earl 16, Joe Yorke and The Eastonian Singers, Perkie and The Co-Operators, Roger Rivas, Pama International, The Caroloregians, The Dreamlets, Carroll Thompson, Flying Vipers, Kitma, and more TK, as my pre-orders are fulfilled!)

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Duff Guide to Ska Bullet Points: Dr. Ring Ding "The Remedy" and Flying Vipers "Dub Fader Cuts"

(Good through 2021, at least.)

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

• Given Dr. Ring Ding's considerable talents and history of releasing consistently great albums, a review of his latest, The Remedy (LP, Jump Up Records, 2020), could probably be summed up in just a few words: You know it's incredible, so go buy it! But since my humble lot in life is to write about ska music--even if I'm usually too verbose in doing so--I've going to delve a bit into why The Remedy is one of the best ska, reggae, and dancehall albums you'll find this year. 

According to Dr. Ring Ding's brief liner notes, the music on The Remedy is intended as an antidote of sorts to the awful plague year we've all endured--to both lift our spirits, as well as acknowledge all of the suffering and loss we've experienced. So, the album is split between a Sunny Side and Cloudy Side, no doubt inspired by the completely unexpected (and great!) cover of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" (key lyric: "I've looked at clouds from both sides now"). Just as Stranger Cole preaches "more life!" as the answer to all our ills, Dr. Ring Ding plugs "More Reggae" to inject some joy into your world ("More reggae, loving the community/More reggae, celebrate life/More reggae, together in the unity/And bring on the positive vibes"). Title track "The Remedy" is a terrific '80s computer game dancehall cut with some really charming interplay between the good Doctor and Sista Gracy: "Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Mi terrible, the pain in my limbs is unbearable/Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Distressed, and that is why I've come to your address/Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Mi horrible, want some advice, my sweet, mi adorable/Dr. Ring Ding, how are ya?/Mi bad, I wonder what kind of remedy you have"; at the end of this consult, Sista Gracy prescribes "a quart of rum" to dull the pain (personally, I recommend Tito's and soda with a twist of lime). On the minor-key, Busters-sounding ska song "Fun," Dr. Ring Ding is simply out for a good time, but stymied in his endeavor by the overly woke: "Cracked a joke the other night/Almost got me in a fight/Stuck up buzzkill got uptight/Told me my style ain't right." The showpiece "Unity" sports a serious and driving bass-heavy groove for Dr. Ring Ding and Tippa Irie to toast over ("One love, one blood, one life, one unity/Peace and understanding inna fi we community"). If you don't dance to this...

The darkest bit on The Remedy's Cloudy Side is another surprising cover--a slightly off-kilter reggae version of Radiohead's "Creep," where Dr. Ring Ding really leans into its stalker-y and narcissistic lyrics. Benny Bell's 1946 novelty song "Shaving Cream" (popularized by Dr. Demento in the 1970s)--where every vignette in each verse ends badly (literally going to shit)--feels appropriate for 2020 (and the lyrics are so calypso-like in their suggestiveness/naughtiness): "I have a sad story to tell you/It may hurt your feelings a bit/Last night when I walked into my bathroom/I stepped in a big pile of...Shaving cream/Be nice and clean/Shave everyday and you'll always look keen"). The instrumental "Toochie" sounds like a classic Skatalites cut given a brisk reading by The Scofflaws, and "Oldschool Rock" seems like it could be a long-lost Studio One Sound Dimension riddim just recovered from Coxsone's vaults. The final track on the album "Dancing in the Rain" is a beautiful, if melancholy duet with jazz singer Stephanie K that seems to be a tribute to someone who has died: "You gave us all a smile/If only for a while/We know you didn't want to stop the fun...Without your happy face/There's only empty space/It's seems the world's not round without you dear/You brightened up the day/Then you went away/We hope you know that you're forever here...Dancing in the rain/We'll never be the same/As we throw confetti/Fare thee well." So say we all. Dr. Ring Ding's The Remedy is incredible, so go buy it!

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     Happy People Records continues their streak of issuing choice singles from top ska and reggae acts from all over the world. The latest is Dub Fader Cuts (7" vinyl single/digital, Happy People Records, 2020) from Boston-area reggae masters Flying Vipers. Both tracks are versions of instrumentals from their stellar debut LP Cuttings (which I reviewed earlier this year) that were remixed by Dub Fader (aka Craig Welsch of 10 Ft. Ganja Plant). "The Gorgon Strikes Back" is a brighter and more deconstructed version of Cuttings' Bunny "Striker" Lee tribute "Flight of the Gorgon"; while "Fermented Herbs" is a sparser and dubbier take on "Gesho," the latter of which sports all sorts of fantastic keyboard bits and sound effects (gesho is a plant native to Ethiopia that is used to make a type of mead). Needless to say, both tracks are essential if you love dub and the Vipers. And to top it off, the band is donating their proceeds to the Alpha Boys School. 

Duff Guide to Ska Bullet Points: Top Shotta Band Featuring Screechy Dan, and The Return of Flying Vipers

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

•  A mainstay of the Brooklyn ska and reggae scene, Top Shotta Band (led by ex-Slacker/Murphy's law trumpet man Mush1, and including Slacker Vic Ruggiero and The Far East's Maddie Ruthless) featuring Screechy Dan (Megative, Leon Dinero, Vital Crew, Big Yard, Shaggy Posse) have released their incredible second album Spread Love (LP, Liquidator Music, 2020), which is available in the US directly from the band (direct message them through their FB page) or through one of my fave BK shops, Record City. Striving for--and achieving--a vintage, live ska studio sound like those created by Coxsone Dodd, Prince Buster, and Justin Yap (all of whom worked with The Skatalites--they're the act Top Shotta Band channel and honor exceedingly well on this LP), Spread Love is--shocker!--filled with songs about romantic love, and love and respect for your fellow human beings and yourself. "Share My Love" (Screechy Dan's pitch for why he should be her man) and the awesome "Cool and Deadly" ("I'm a champion/I'm nobody you can stomp on/But you can keep your eyes on/A conqueror, that's what I am!") already have been spun off on a Liquidator 45. But there are loads of additional top-shelf tracks, including the encouraging wisdom shared in "No Complaints" ("So, live the life you love/And love the life you live/Don't worry about what could have been/Be thankful for what is"), the head over heels profession of love and devotion in "Coming Over," the rhythmically unusual "Johnny," the cool out son cut "Easy Yourself" ("The more you think you tough/The more you gonna suffer"), the killer dance floor filler "Ska Ska," and the wonderful duet in the anti-bad boy cut "Rude Boy" ("Boys and girls, this is my story/Make sure you have all of Jah glory/And no, don't you be a rude boy, I tell ya"). If traditional ska is your thing, this album is a must.

• Since Flying Vipers' incredible debut full-length record Cuttings is soon being released on plum-colored vinyl by Jump Up Records, it's worth revisiting my review of the digital version of this album from back in July:

"After releasing a series of superb cassettes (The Green Tape, The Copper Tape), and physical and digital singles ("Highest Region," "Nervous Breakdub (Pandemic Version)" b/w "PMA Calling") over the past few years, Flying Vipers have finally issued their first long-player Cuttings, which, as one would expect, is crammed with incredibly hooky, dubby roots reggae instrumentals reminiscent of Dennis Bovell's magnificent productions and Perry's recent and awesome collaborations with Adrian Sherwood and Daniel Boyle. 

Cuttings, of course, refers not only to the leaves that have been harvested from cannabis plants, but these musical fruits of the band's labors in the studio--and they have one bounteous crop here. Highlights include "Leaf Miner," which has a wonderful interplay between a rigid and relentless bass riff and a series of answering free flowing Rhodes piano lines; the prescient, apocalyptic "Two Twenties Clash" (and people thought things were bad back in '77!); the Bunny "Striker" Lee tribute "Flight of the Gorgon" with its majestic, panoramic horns; the bad-ass "Scorpio Son" and its version "Son of Scorpio"; and the supremely confident and untouchable "Puff Adder" (many of the cuts on this album are ripe for being versioned by deejays and singers--and becoming well-known riddims in their own right). 

Flying Vipers are comprised of the devastatingly good rhythm section of Marc and John Beaudette (Destroy Babylon, The Macrotones), the gifted Zack Brines (Pressure Cooker) on keys, and Jay Champany (10 Ft. Ganja Plant) on percussion and the master at the analogue controls (plus ace guests on horns, sax, flute, clarinet, and binghi). 

If you haven't been paying attention to this band, Cuttings is a brilliant introduction to the mighty Flying Vipers; and if you have, you're going to love this album!"

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Duff Guide to Ska Bullet Points: The Bakesys, No Sports

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

• The Bakesys are back with a new song that was recorded during the sessions for their great More Bakeseys album (for a refresher, here's my review of it from back in 2017). In case there's any question about who "Rich Boy Rude Boy" (digital, Do the Dog Music, 2020) is really about, there's a snippet from a Congressional hearing featuring Donald Trump's former lawyer/fixer Michael Cohen--Question: "Did the president or his company ever inflate his assets or revenue?" Michael Cohen: "Yes." Like its related cuts on More Bakesys, "Rich Boy Rude Boy" mines the latter day Specials sound (found on More Specials and the Ghost Town EP), and is explicitly left-wing protest music--with a socialist message at the end--calling out the despicable, if not outright evil, things many of the rich do to attain and maintain their wealth. Despite its somewhat dour tone, it's an immensely winning, well-done reggae track. And did I mention it's free?

• Back in the day, if you were lucky to be following the extraordinary late '80s/early '90s UK/European ska scene--most of which was captured for posterity via a string of amazing releases on Unicorn Records (their owner had an impeccable taste in bands, but--fatal flaw here--failed to pay them their royalties!)--you undoubtably loved Germany's No Sports. Massively influenced by The Specials and Selecter, No Sports revved up the beat and supercharged their 2 Tone sound on their stellar 1989 debut album King Ska (recently reissued by Black Butcher Classics/Mad Butcher Records and available in the US via Jump Up)--one of the best records of that era--adding a bit of lyrical (and vocal) zaniness to very relatable, everyday songs about work, rest, and play (I'll write this album up at some point in the near future). No Sports' 1990 follow-up was their stunning Stay Rude, Stay Rebel EP. The fantastic anti-racist/anti-fascist title cut was particularly meaningful at a time in Germany soon after reunification (the Berlin Wall fell in '89), when newly-found patriotism for a unified Germany gave far-right hate groups the cover to actively recruit new legions of goons, and led to attacks on Germans of color and non-white immigrants. (No Sports' peers The Frits' 1991 album Little Idiots is practically a concept album about this era that both mourns for a Germany filled with so much hate and pushes fiercely back against it, with songs like "Searching for Another Place in Town," "The Most I Hate is You," "Little Idiots," and "Bonehead.") No Sports' "Stay Rude, Stay Rebel" is an immensely catchy track that, like other powerful 2 Tone songs written in response to dark times, effortlessly moves both body and mind: "Stay rude against the fascist regimes/Stay rebel against politicians' dreams/Stay rude and fight back against injustice/Stay rebel against racial prejudice." And the chorus--in a very RAR move--is aimed squarely at on-the-fence skinheads: "Stay rebel--stay S.H.A.R.P. [Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice]" (a spoken word bit adds: "Skinheads remember your roots/Think with your brain and not with your fucking boots"). The other great cuts rounding out the EP are the jaunty "Tour de France" (an original, not a Kraftwerk cover) sung in French; the demented "Love Song"; and the magnificent Madness-y pop-ska epic "Girl (Tango)" ("She was not very pretty/She had no class or style/She was just a girl/But she had that love of I"). This reissue of Stay Rude, Stay Rebel is a 7" picture sleeve single (as opposed to the original's 12") and brought to us by Black Butcher Classics/Mad Butcher Records (and also available in the US via Jump Up); props to whomever redesigned the background on the paper label from the original blue unicorn silhouette to the cartoon butcher. (Related reading: I wrote about many of Unicorn's releases for a 1998 issue of The People's Ska Annual.)

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Duff Review: Flying Vipers "Cuttings"

Music ADD Records
Digital (July 3, 2020)/LP and cassette (Fall 2020, Jump Up Records)
2020

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Back in the mid-nineties when I ran the Moon Records promo department out of a bedroom in my apartment (with my assistant and an intern or two), I often played dub albums (loads of Lee "Scratch" Perry after reading an extensive overview/ranking of his recordings in the Beastie Boys' magazine "Grand Royale"), as the rhythms and melodies would help keep us working at a steady pace without being too intrusive or overpowering. While I'm certainly not implying that dub is akin to background music a la Muzak, it is great music to play either while doing something else or when taking the time to do nothing but be alone with your thoughts. If Flying Vipers' Cuttings had been available back then, it would have been in heavy rotation on the office stereo, as well as during the off hours.

After releasing a series of superb cassettes (The Green Tape, The Copper Tape), and physical and digital singles ("Highest Region," "Nervous Breakdub (Pandemic Version)" b/w "PMA Calling") over the past few years, Flying Vipers have finally issued their first long-player Cuttings, which, as one would expect, is crammed with incredibly hooky, dubby roots reggae instrumentals reminiscent of Dennis Bovell's magnificent productions and Perry's recent and awesome collaborations with Adrian Sherwood and Daniel Boyle.

Cuttings, of course, refers not only to the leaves that have been harvested from cannabis plants, but these musical fruits of the band's labors in the studio--and they have one bounteous crop here. Highlights include "Leaf Miner," which has a wonderful interplay between a rigid and relentless bass riff and a series of answering free flowing Rhodes piano lines; the prescient, apocalyptic "Two Twenties Clash" (and people thought things were bad back in '77!); the Bunny "Striker" Lee tribute "Flight of the Gorgon" with its majestic, panoramic horns; the bad-ass "Scorpio Son" and its version "Son of Scorpio"; and the supremely confident and untouchable "Puff Adder" (many of the cuts on this album are ripe for being versioned by deejays and singers--and becoming well-known riddims in their own right).

Flying Vipers are comprised of the devastatingly good rhythm section of Marc and John Beaudette (Destroy Babylon, The Macrotones), the gifted Zack Brines (Pressure Cooker) on keys, and Jay Champany (10 Ft. Ganja Plant) on percussion and the master at the analogue controls (plus ace guests on horns, sax, flute, clarinet, and binghi).

If you haven't been paying attention to this band, Cuttings is a brilliant introduction to the mighty Flying Vipers; and if you have, you're going to love this album,

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Take: Flying Vipers "Nervous Breakdub (Pandemic Version)" b/w "PMA Calling"

Music A.D.D.
Digital single
2020

(Review by Steve Shafer)

While much of the nation--and world--is under heavy coronavirus manners, John and Marc Beaudette of the Boston dub unit Flying Vipers (and reggae-rock band Destroy Babylon) have revisited their really fantastic take on Black Flag's debut Nervous Breakdown EP (which we reviewed last year) with their new digital single "Nervous Breakdub (Pandemic Version)" b/w "PMA Calling." The pandemic version is even better than Flying Vipers' already great first run at this--its now distorted bass more punky and dirty and ballsy, and the use of the forever-locked-in-the-'70s sounds of the Odyssey synthesizer (think of the theme music for the "In Search of..." TV show hosted by Spock) provides a crisp, just shy of cheesy retro-futuristic contrast that works brilliantly. As you might of guessed, "PMA Calling" is Bad Brains-related; it's Flying Vipers' cover of BB's "Jah Calling" from their yellow ROIR tape (Bad Brain's debut release in '82), which turned on John Beaudette and countless other budding American teen punk rockers to reggae (and blew so many people's minds that Bad Brains could play both hardcore and roots reggae so damn well). Flying Vipers again make terrific use of the Odyssey synth with spaced-out sounds that soothe the stressed-out mind/body and float above the insistent, ever forward moving rhythm section (I'd listen to this in a sensory deprivation tank!). These stellar tracks will greatly enhance your lockdown playlist and help keep you going during dark and uncertain times.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: New Singles from Flying Vipers, Pama International, and Kim Yul-hee and the Soul Sauce

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Released on 02/20/20, Flying Vipers' "Two Twenties Clash" (Digital single, Music ADD Records, 2020) marks the first single from their forthcoming album (their most recent release was last year's incredible dub version of Black Flag's Nervous Breakdown EP). One new aspect of the Vipers' '70s roots sound is the welcome addition of horns (Andy Bergman on sax, Brian Paulding on trombone, and Rich Graiko on trumpet, from The Macrotones, Kotoko Brass, and The Void Union, respectively). As might be expected, "Two Twenties Clash" is an unsettled instrumental reggae track; the martial-like drumming and relentlessly busy bass riff are an undercurrent pulling constantly against the majestic horn lines, and neither dominates. It's a great teaser for what is sure to be a compelling album.

"I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)" b/w "Feel Like Jumping" (7" heavyweight vinyl, Happy People Records, 2020) is the first double A-sided single off Pama International's most recent album, Part Two (a continuation of where things left of with The Altruistic Soul Sound of Pama International aka Stop the War on the Poor). If you're familiar with these albums, you'll know that the band is currently in the midst of exploring their deep love of soul music (and singer Jewels Vass is the not-so-secret ingredient in their success). The deft arrangements of both of these classics are sure to appeal to the ska crowd (Marcia Griffith's "Feel Like Jumping" by Keith Anderson and Jackie Mittoo is now Northern Soul, while The Stones' classic is given a Stax revamp), and the powerhouse performances captured here are top-notch.

South Korean reggae act The Soul Sauce (formerly NST and the Soul Sauce) have been collaborating with sorikkun (or pansori) singer Kim Yul-hee in recasting this form of traditional Korean folk storytelling, music, and movement in a modernized reggae setting. Their latest release, following last year's Version album, is "(Who Knows) Swallow Knows" b/w "Swallow Dub" (Digital single, Eastern Standard Sounds, 2020)--a lush mix of funk, modern jazz, and reggae supporting Yul-hee's recounting of a swallow's adventures (translated from Korean: "When this swallow came to Boeun-pyo Park/I'm just looking for a nice view/I have to get to the end of my eaves/How swallows cry honey"). I don't pretend to grasp the meaning and significance of everything that's going on here, but it's beautiful and it works.

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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Flying Vipers "Nervous Breakdub"!

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Flying Vipers Nervous Breakdub (digital, Music ADD Records, 2018): Twin brothers Marc and John Beaudette from the mighty Boston reggae/punk/rock band Destroy Babylon are the driving force behind the fantastic dub and roots reggae act Flying Vipers (we've previously reviewed their Green Tape, Copper Tape, and Johnny Clarke Meets Flying Vipers single--all are great). Their latest effort is an incredible dub version of Black Flag's debut Nervous Breakdown EP, released 40 years ago this month. Flying Vipers' version of this punk/proto-hardcore classic conveys the original's edge and general unhinged-ness as one extended dub cut covering all five-plus minutes of Black Flag's short, sharp, shocks of fury ("Nervous Breakdown," "Fix Me," "I've Had It," and "Wasted"), using only drums, bass, melodica, effects, and the space between. Their take on Raymond Pettibone's sleeve artwork is pretty cool, too. If you like Black Flag and dub (and even if you just like dub), you'll get a big kick out of this.

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The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 4

Unrelated image of releases and posters from NYC area ska bands.

(All reviews by Steve Shafer)

Destroy Babylon Shapeshifters (CD/digital, MusicADD, 2017): A concept album of sorts, Destroy Babylon's extraordinary Shapeshifters is a collection of angry and defiant post-punk, rock, and reggae protest songs aimed at the heart of Trumpism. Beginning with the question of "how much do you pay for protection" (from the police and criminals roaming the streets), the songs traverse a systemically racist, violent, authoritarian-leaning, war-crazy, unfettered capitalist dog-eat-dog American landscape, ending with the singer's demise at the "business end of a knife." In the midst of this, there are pleas for tolerance ("Judgement": "Hey! Leave your judgement unspoken/Shouldn't matter to you if we're living atypical lives/No, we're not gonna hurt nobody/We need no alibi"), a rumination on mortality ("Teeth Dreams": "Got a handful of my teeth staring at me, oh well/Got a long list of things that I can’t be, oh well/Got a lifetime full of enemies/I still curse missed opportunities/with this infinitely finite me, oh well"), and a song about being lulled into apathy, despite one's best intentions otherwise ("Drift": I wanted everything to change/While I stay the same/But I just drifted away")--even a classical instrumental with flute and strings called "Dance of the Demagogues"! It's one of the most unique, compelling, and disturbing records I've encountered this past year (and keep coming back to). Give it a listen!

Danny Rebel and the KGB Lovehaus (digital, Stomp Records, 2017): I'm kicking myself for missing this sleeper of a release earlier this year! Danny Rebel and the KGB's sound is a brilliant and fully-realized blend of rocksteady, roots/dubby reggae, pop, and soul--and their super-catchy songwriting and performances on Lovehaus are phenomenally top-notch. I can't stop listening to tracks like the Heptones-y "Take Me Away"; "Steady Hands" (the life of a gunslinger has to be a lonely one), a punky reggae cut that could have been on Sandinista; "Copper Mountain," which I think is about the long-dead, bad-ass pioneering inhabitants of a ghost town ("I was into anarchy before the war/I used wonder what we're fighting for/Lost my leg to an iron gun/and I never walked back to Copper Mountain") who want to know if we're satisfied with our modern lives; "When the Lights Go Out," a hauntingly beautiful lament (with ice rink organ!) for our collective--and self-inflicted--end-times ("Burn all the forests/And drain the sea/I get my advice/From a cash machine/Build bombs for civilians/Make a million, you'll see/Will we make it out alive?/And if we do/Is the sun going to shine?"); and "1601," a magnificent track that conveys the "Purple Rain"-like emotions unleashed of the end of a relationship. Make sure to check this one out! (Hey, Stomp Records--this deserves a physical release!)

Version City Rockers Fortitude (CD/digital download, Stubborn Records, 2017): As its title might suggest, there's an Old Testament, God-of-wrath vibe permeating this record. Despite significant personal and professional setbacks over the past decade--betrayal, flood, destruction, illness, and several deaths of friends and family--King Django's Job-like grit and determination to persevere (and triumph) in the face of repeated adversity are embodied in this amazing album. Based on the single--but remarkably durable--"Fortitude" riddim Django created back in 2002, this album collects sixteen versions by various dancehall and reggae greats (who contribute their own melodies and lyrics/toasts of positivity); two-thirds of these cuts were issued on 45s via the Freedom Sounds/Jamaican Version City label in 2007-2008, while the remainder are new and previously unreleased. I'm partial to takes by Johnny Osbourne ("Let There Be Love"), Prince Alla ("We No Want No Bomb"), Pompidou ("Selassie I Rule"), ex-Toaster Jack Ruby, Jr. ("Action Time"), Little John ("I Feel Good"), P-Dub ("Solitude"), Kapaichie ("One for All"), Carlton Livingston ("Vex"), and Drew Daniels ("Talk About Love")--and completely relate to King Django's mid-life perspective "The More I Learn" ("... it seem the less I want to say/Things I knew just yesterday/I'm not so sure today/I used to think in black and white/But now it's shades of gray/With open eyes and mind/For all that I survey..."). Each track is beautiful in itself, but taken as a whole, Fortitude is a powerful and profound body of music and message. Use as needed.

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 1.

Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 2.

Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 3!

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The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 2!

From The Duff Guide to Ska patch collection (click on image to enlarge).

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

The Applecores The Applecores EP (Five-track digital EP, self released, 2017): This female-fronted reggae-rock-pop NYC outfit (think Sublime crossed with No Doubt) delivers some fine originals on their debut--the break-up cut "Holding Hands" is particularly affecting--plus they do a great cover of Drake's "One Dance."

The Bakesys "Golden Brown Slices of Toast" (free digital single, Do the Dog Music, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Bakesys More Bakesys (CD EP, Do the Dog Music, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Bakesys Studio Selections 1991-1995 (CD, Do the Dog Music, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Beat Brigade Tomorrow's News (Three-track digital EP, Buddahbug Records, 2017): OG NYC ska kings (and contemporaries of The Toasters) Beat Brigade keep the aggressive and gritty '80s Big Apple ska sound alive on this really fantastic new EP. The protagonist in the dangerous, film-noir-ish ska-jazz cut "You Charming Thing" ("Every day is Christmas/Every night is New Year's eve...you tease me until I come undone") knows he's on the road to perdition, but can't resist her. "Bomb Squad" is from the (cynical) POV of someone on that detail ("You're gonna have to hose my bloody guts away!") and appropriates the great riff from Devo's "It's Not Right." The roots reggae rebel track "Battle Cry" ("This is not a warning/This is not a test/Armageddon's coming...") has one seriously good groove in its call for solidarity in the face of injustice ("No matter where you're from/No matter where you stand/Together we are strong/Together we are one"). Much more of this please.

Ken Boothe, Dillinger, Leroy Smart, Delroy Wilson White Man in Hammersmith Palais EP (limited edition RSD 7" vinyl four-track EP with mini-poster, Greensleeves Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Brooklyn Attractors Xmas in Babylon, Volume II (red or green vinyl PS single, Jump Up Records, 2017): This single by this NYC area supergroup features top-notch rocksteady arrangements of two Christmas classics (a spirited cover of "Up on the Rooftop" and a melancholy version of "Jolly Old St. Nick" retitled "Ras Nick"). Pure class, this one. Play it to impress the relatives when they visit.

Johnny Clarke "Highest Region" b/w Flying Vipers "Highest Version" (green 7" vinyl single, Jump Up Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Dub Natty Sessions and Dennis Bovell featuring Matic Horns and Mad Professor DNS and Friends (CD/digital download, available through Bovell's Old School Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Flying Vipers The Copper Tape (cassette/digital, Music A. D. D.,  2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Hopeton Lewis "There She Goes" b/w Vin Gordon and The Supersonics"Reggay Trombone" (heavyweight 7" vinyl single, Trojan Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Lee "Scratch" Perry and the Full Experiences Disco Devil (red 12" vinyl, Trojan/Get On Down, 2017 Black Friday Record Store re-issue; originally released in 1977 on the Upsetter label): For whatever odd reason (legal matters with Marley's estate?), this re-issue jettisons the awesome Bob Marley and Wong Chu "Keep On Moving" b side for the 7" mix of "Disco Devil" (which is, of course, a version of Max Romeo's phenomenal "Chase the Devil" from War Ina Babylon). Nonetheless, this is still a gift for Perry fans--original copies of Disco Devil go for $350 and more, while the 2003 Trojan reissue fetches around $50 and up. (If you're in the NYC area, as of this posting, Rock and Soul still has copies in stock.)

Lee "Scratch" Perry and Subatomic Sound System Super Ape Returns to Conquer (CD/LP/digital, Subatomic Sound, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Mungo's Hi Fi featuring Johnny Clarke "Rain Keeps Falling" b/w "Spring Shower Dub" (7" vinyl single, Scotch Bonnet Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The New Limits "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" (digital single, self-released, 2017): Considering the hellish year we've been through in the USA and the ongoing BS about the ginned-up, so-called "War on Christmas," it helps to shore up your faith in humanity to know that The New Limits chose a holiday classic to cover specifically for its message of love, companionship, and inclusiveness (since no specific holiday/religion is referred to in the lyrics, anyone from any religion--even atheists--can relate to it). Stax artist William Bell's wonderful "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday" is given a terrific rocksteady treatment by The New Limits here. Maybe this version can find its way to wax some day? 

The Skatalites Foundation Ska (CD/2xLP, Studio One, 2017 reissue; originally released in 1997 on Heartbeat Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Toasters Skaboom! (blue heavyweight vinyl/cassette, Jump Up Records/Megalith Records, 2016 reissue; originally released in 1987 in the USA on Moving Target/Celluloid and in a slightly altered form in the UK on Unicorn as Pool Shark): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

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Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 1!

Read The Duff Guide to Ska Year in Ska Reviews 2017, Part 3!

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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 Danny Rebel (of Danny Rebel and the KGB)

Editor's note: For the third straight year in a row, Jump Up Records is participating in Cassette Store Day--which is today, 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 (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).

Thanks to Danny Rebel for taking the time to do this interview so quickly!

The Duff Guide to Ska: This is your second cassette-only release of acoustic ska and reggae songs that were recorded on your boombox. What inspired you to do this and what has been the reaction from your fans?

Danny Rebel: "Listening to old acoustic Bob Marley and Dennis Brown recordings. As far as recording it on a boombox, most artists of today concentrate too much on the sound and not so much on the music itself. I wanted to show everyone that you can make music without going through the machine, like Autotune and this and that. I think doing it through the box makes it sound more gritty, interesting, and punk rock. Fuck the rules! A good example is Daniel Johnston's Hi How Are You, that album was recorded on a cassette player and the sound quality is not so great, but the song writing is fucking amazing. I also want to big up the great Chris Murray for 'nuff inspiration!"

DGTS: Did you grow up listening to your favorite music on cassettes or are you a more recent convert to this format?

DR: "When I was younger, my dad hooked up our TV to his boombox to have a better sound. And everytime a music video would come up, I'd hit the play and record button. That's how I made my mixtapes back then, along with songs I heard on the radio. I used to bike around town with my huge yellow sports Walkman, you know which one I'm talking about."

DGTS: Are tapes (becoming more) popular in the Montreal music scene?

DR: "I'm actually seeing more and more local bands coming up with tapes. They're coming back!"

DGTS: Do you collect tapes from your favorite musicians--and, if so, which ones are some of your most treasured?

DR: "I consider myself a music nerd. So, yes I do have a tape collection. From hip-hop to reggae to jazz to punk! I'd have to say Yellowman's One in a Million, Half Pint's In Fine Style, and Rancid's classic Let's Go.

DGTS: If you could have any boombox ever made, is there a particular model you'd want?

DR: "I already have the Clairtone 7980 along with 13 other boomboxes at home, so I think I'm good, ha ha." 

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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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Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: Hopeton Lewis "There She Goes" b/w Vin Gordon and The Supersonics "Reggay Trombone," Johnny Clarke and the Flying Vipers "Highest Region" b/w "Highest Version," Mungo's Hi Fi featuring Johnny Clarke "Rain Keeps Falling" b/w "Spring Shower Dub"

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

Hopeton Lewis "There She Goes" b/w Vin Gordon and The Supersonics "Reggay Trombone" (heavyweight 7" vinyl single, Trojan Records, 2017): This limited edition Record Store Day 2017 release boasts two unreleased Duke Reid productions from Treasure Island's archives. As both cuts are fantastic, one wonders why they lay hidden until now (perhaps the almost ridiculous abundance of incredible music in JA at the time made it difficult to choose what to release?). Lewis' sprightly rocksteady track (love the combination of flute and sax here) masks the heartache of the lyrics: "There she goes/And I'm lonely once again/There she goes/And I don't know where she's going/But she's gone, gone, gone." "Reggay Trombone" spotlights Vin Gordon's t-bone chops as he's backed by Tommy McCook's Supersonics on this cheerful and lively early/skinhead reggae instrumental. (Copies are still out there to be had at reasonable prices.)

Johnny Clarke "Highest Region" b/w Flying Vipers "Highest Version" (green 7" vinyl single, Jump Up Records, 2017): Phenomenal roots singer Johnny Clarke is supported by Boston's reggae/dub masters Flying Vipers on this excellent single (unofficially titled Johnny Clarke Meets Flying Vipers). The atypical and unsettling beat and stripped-to-the-bone dubby instrumental backing on "Highest Region" provides a sharp contrast to Clarke's plaintive chant of "We want, we want, we want to go home/To Zion, away from Babylon" (the restlessness and unease in the music won't be calmed until there's deliverance from evil). Its dub "Highest Version" is even further deconstructed to great effect. This is definitely one of the more unusual dub releases you'll find this year and very much worth owning.

Mungo's Hi Fi featuring Johnny Clarke "Rain Keeps Falling" b/w "Spring Shower Dub" (7" vinyl single, Scotch Bonnet Records, 2017): For Record Store Day 2017, Glasgow-based Mungo's Hi Fi created a fantastically spare and seductive new roots riddim track for Johnny Clarke to sing his message of love over ("Rain keeps falling/And my body is calling/You're my one and only/I don't want to be lonely/You're my pride and joy/We were meant to be/Life is just for living/Love is what I'm giving"). Notably, this cut and its great dub version feature the "flying cymbals" that harken back to Clarke's first hit in 1974 with Bunny Lee, Earl Zero's "None Shall Escape the Judgement." As to be expected, Mungo's Hi Fi and Clarke deliver nothing short of the best.