Duff Review: Out of Control Army "From Mexico to the World"

Black or white vinyl LP
Jump Up Records
2022

(Review by Steve Shafer)

By all indications, the Mexican ska scene is massive, and the reason you've seen top name ska acts (like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Madness, The Selecter, and Bad Manners) bypass much of the US in favor of playing festivals there. With this in mind, Jump Up's Chuck Wren, who seems to have his finger on the pulse of every ska scene, has just released a killer new compilation from Mexico City's Out of Control Army (led by Deals Olan, who's played with The Toasters and Bad Manners) titled From Mexico to the World. 

For this release, Wren selected some of the best cuts from Out of Control Army's three most recent albums (Cat Nation (2018), The Spooky Ska Orchestra (2019), and Una Noche En Las Piramides (2021)) that reflect the band's love of--and great proficiency in---British 2 Tone and '60s Jamaican ska. Highlights include brass-heavy, Scofflaws-like original instrumentals like "El Chulo" (which features a beautiful piano intro; its title translates to 'bad-ass,' among other meanings), "One Note Samba," and "Tenor Madness"--and the pumped-up, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra ska-jazz of "Lilith." 

Out of Control Army also ratchets things up with raucous, knees-up 2 Tone ska tracks, such as "Unity" (with King Hammond--who declares, "we are living in troubled times, what the world needs now is love, love and unity!"--and Los Furios), "We Do The Ska" (with Neville and Sugary Staple, and members of Oreskaband and Kingston Rudieska), and "Global Ska." There's even some lounge-y, Rat Pack ska with their cover of "Just a Gigolo" and the big band-sounding "My Darling."

All in all, Out of Control Army's From Mexico to the World is a blast and shouldn't be missed!

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Bonus cut: Check out Checkerphil, the host of the long-running Manhattan cable access music show Checkerboard Kids, along with Deals Olan and Daniela from Inspecter 7, in the new Out of Control Army video for "Dance Jerico!" that was shot on various locations in NYC.

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Duff Review: NST and The Soul Sauce: "Heaven Is Here/Song for Rico" EP

Eastern Standard Sounds

2016
Seven-track digital EP/Cassette
Artwork by CHema Skandal

(Review by Steve Shafer)

Originally formed as a session band comprised of members of other South Korean ska and reggae bands (such as Kingston Rudieska) for bassist and singer Noh Seon Teck's solo project, all of the musicians involved in what would become NST and The Soul Sauce quickly realized that they had a very good thing going. So, they decided to make a go of it and made it legit.

The sensational results of their efforts are presented in the digital EP and cassette Heaven Is Here/Song for Rico, which is built around the two title tracks--followed by their dubs, and then two live tracks (and the hidden, bonus cut "Highway Ram Jam"). According to the liner notes, the warm and vibrant title songs were expertly recorded live in the studio in one take, without overdubs and other studio wizardry (which was judiciously saved for the dub versions).

"Heaven Is Here" is a soothing, almost lullaby-ish roots reggae cut with verses in Korean and an uplifting, take-the-time-to-appreciate-all-that-we-have chorus in English: "Heaven is on this earth/Heaven is in our world." Its underwater dub version, "Heaven Is Dub," is true to its name and includes a fantastic sax solo that may remind one of Saxa from The Beat. The funk workout "Doo Man River" is a cover of an old Korean pop song that was recorded at one of NST and The Soul Sauce's gigs, and it shows off their considerable live chops.

As expected, "Song for Rico" is a horn-driven, Skatalites-like instrumental honoring the late and truly great Rico Rodriguez, where all of the brass players do solo improvisations and show off their mad skills. They do him very proud. The "Dub for Rico" is even better (mixed by their drummer, Kang Teck Hyun, who really knows what he's doing in deconstructing/reassembling this song) and is the highlight of the EP. The listener is then treated to a lovely, if not essential, live concert version of "Rico" (with audience members chatting in the front of the mix), which is subtly different from its studio version.

Lastly, the organ-powered bonus cut "Highway Ram Jam" is a recording of one of NST and The Soul Sauces' rehearsals (would that all bands always sound this good during practice!) and midway into the song, it shifts to include a good portion of Jackie Mittoo's sublime "Ram Jam." A violin solo in this section is a bit surprising at first, but then you realize that it's the perfect choice to help convey the sensuous, aching longing or euphoric satisfaction--its interpretation probably depends on your mood--in Mittoo's composition.  (To me, "Ram Jam" sounds like what it feels like when you're in love--both unrequited and reciprocated.)

Now that I'm collecting ska tapes again, I just need to figure out how to get my hands on this amazing cassette...

Duff Review: Dr. Ring Ding and Kingston Rudieska "Ska'n Seoul" EP

Rudie System
2014
CD EP/digital download

(Review by Steve Shafer)

The great Dr. Ring Ding has been a fervent fan of Kingston Rudieska--South Korea's top vintage ska act in the mold and of the calibre of The Skatalites--since he first encountered their track "Oscar Wilde" in 2007 on Pork Pie's Benetton-inspired United Colors of Ska 4.0 compilation.

So when Dr. Ring Ding's Ska-Vaganza was scheduled to appear alongside Kingston Rudieska at the 2013 Jisan World Rock Festival in South Korea, he and Kingston Rudieska--both great admirers of each other's music and musicianship--took advantage of this opportunity to enter the studio to record an EP's worth of material. This brilliant collaboration yielded the cheekily-titled, five-track Ska'n Seoul, which is mostly likely one of the finest traditional ska releases of 2014.

Ska'n Seoul is bookended by the terrifically smooth--but no less desperate, urgent, and tragic--ska-jazz version of Fine Young Cannibals' (ex-Beat members Andy Cox and David Steele with ex-Akrylykz Roland Gift) dark family drama "Johnny Come Home" (originally released in 1985) and its slick deconstruction in "Johnny Come Home (Worried Dub)." Kingston Rudieska shows the love to the good Doctor with a half-English, half-Korean cover of Dr. Ring Ding and the Senior Allstars' "Bad Company" (off the essential Ram di Dance), retitled here as "Discovery of Life," which Kingston Rudieska has included in their live set for for some time now. The traditional African-American spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" (which is not just about being shepherded into heaven, but escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad to free states or Canada) is presented as if the musicians were part of a revved-up, ecstatic ska tent revival and Dr. Ring Ding as an Elmer Gantry-like charismatic preacher. The one new tune here, written especially for this occasion, is Dr. Ring Ding's delightful "Your Sweet Kiss" (about how the only thing the singer would miss when he's dead and buried), which is reminiscent of an ace Lord Tanamo or Laurel Aitken collaboration with The Skatalites from back in the day.

If you can get your hands on this CD, do it now (a digital version is available through iTunes and you can mail order the CD through Dr. Ring Ding's website)! You'll want it and even more from this ska supergroup. May we be lucky enough for their paths cross again very soon in the future.

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Philippine Ska Festival!

Calling all rude boys and girls in the Philippines! Duff Guide to Ska reader Arvee Fider kindly altered us to the upcoming Philippine Ska Festival, taking place this December, and asked us to help spread the word. 

This three night event features the best Philippine ska bands around, as well as South Korea's number one ska act, Kingston Rudieska, which will be playing each date. (It's great to discover that such a brilliant traditional ska band thrives in the land of shiny K-pop!)

All details are below and in the festival flyer. And definitely be sure to check out Kingston Rudieska's video--they are terrific!

We have to admit to not knowing much about the Philippine ska scene, but it is fantastic to know that something like this is taking place in that part of the world. We wish the organizers, bands, and fans the best of luck with it!

The Philippine Ska Festival

DEC 08 (7PM) - 3rd MANILA SKA FESTIVAL @ Makati Square Arena

DEC 15 (8PM) - SOUTHSIDE SKARNIVAL @ Peace Bar, Cebu City

DEC 16 (8PM) - SOUTHSIDE SKARNIVAL @ Bob Marlin, Mandaue City

TICKET INQUIRIES:
E-mail: piliskapinas@gmail.com
Twitter: @PiliSKApinas

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