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

From The Duff Guide to Ska sticker collection
(click on image to enlarge)!

(All reviews by Steve Shafer)

Bad Manners Return of the Ugly (LP, Black Butcher Classics, 2017 reissue; originally released in 1989 on Blue Beat Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

Erin Bardwell Collective vs. Friends, Guests, and Studio Stars Great Western Reggae Soundclash (CD, Pop-A-Top Records, 2017): The Erin Bardwell Collective makes great, laid-back old school rocksteady and early reggae with a bit of worldbeat in the mix--think of The Trojans--and are joined here by a number of high profile friends, including Neol Davies (The Selecter), Dave Clifton (Hotknives), Pat Powell (Melbourne Ska Orchestra), Matty Bane (Neville Staple Band), and London's Nostalgia Steel Band. The connective tissue of this album is a Western reggae vibe coursing through many of the tracks, but it's really all about great songs/performances (check out "Best News of The Year," "Edith New," It's No Lie," "Dominica," "Waiting for the Conversation," or "Night Bus to Highworth"). This one may take a few listens to reveal its offbeat charms, but once it clicks--damn, it's good!

Buster's All Stars Skinhead Luv-a-fair (LP, Black Butcher Classics, 2014 reissue; originally released in 1989 on Blue Beat Records): Read The Duff Guide to Ska appreciation here.

The Busters "Hunky-Dory" b/w "Ska Bang 87" (red or clear yellow vinyl 7" single, Jump Up Records, 2017): This single off The Busters' eighteenth album (if I'm counting right) Straight Ahead features two awesome Richie Alexander penned tunes (Dr. Ring Ding has been a member of The Busters since 2013, if you're not up on the German ska scene). Side A is a great swinging-jazzy-ska tune about looking good, feeling fine, luck shining down on you, and being in love. The flip "Ska Bang 87" is a cracking instrumental that swipes a bit of the riff from The Rolling Stones' "Miss You."

Susan Cadogan "Don't Know Why" (Three track digital single, Stonyhill Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Hollie Cook "Superstar" b/w "Superdub" (free Record Store Day 7"/digital download, Merge Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Dirty Notion The Dirty EP (CD/digital, Abbey Productions, 2016): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Georgetown Orbits "Keep Your Chin Up" b/w "Picture on the Wall" (7" vinyl picture sleeve single/digital, Simmerdown Productions, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Napoleon Solo Early Recordings: First Demos - 1984/1985 (Six-track, limited-edition vinyl EP, Jump Up Records, 2017): Ska old-timers will remember this fantastic Danish ska-soul act from the late 1980s--their How to Rule the World EP and Shot! LP are very much worth tracking down, and they contributed really winning tracks like "I Don't Believe You" to Skankin' 'Round the World, Volume II, "Drive Me Wild" to Live in London: The London International Ska Festival, and "Go Home" to Ska United. This new EP features the band's early cassette-only demos which contain some very catchy material that probably should have turned up later on proper releases. "0059," "Nobody Told Me," the "Ghost Town-ish" "What Comes After Spring," and the South African anti-apartheid cut "Victory" ("ANC is going to make them free/ANC is going to lead to victory") are particularly good.

NST and The Soul Sauce Back When Tigers Smoked (CD/digital, Eastern Standard Sounds, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Pama International Love and Austerity (Heavyweight LP/CD/digital, Happy People Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Pama International "Man Next Door" b/w "Austerity Skank" (clear vinyl 7" single/digital download, Record Kicks, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Red Stripes In the Ska East (CD, Mod Sound Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Smiley and The Underclass Rebels Out There (CD/LP/digital, Bredda Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Neville Staple Return of Judge Roughneck (CD/2 x LP, Cleopatra Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

The Stiff Joints First Proper Album (CD/digital, self-released, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review here.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Paradise Has No Borders (CD/LP/digital, Nacional Records, 2017): Read The Duff Guide to Ska review 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 2.

(Part 4 to come soon!)

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The Duff Guide to Ska Fast Takes: The Dirty Notion's "The Dirty EP" and NST and The Soul Sauce's "Back When Tigers Smoked"

Editor's note: I've been in the midst of doing research and interviews for a book I'm writing on The Toasters, so I've been behind on reviewing ska releases that deserve your attention. As a result, for the near future, I'm going to be running shorter than usual reviews, in order to try to keep you up on what's going on...

(Reviews by Steve Shafer)

The Dirty Notion The Dirty EP (CD/digital, Abbey Productions, 2016): This is one that I should have reviewed last year--particularly, since I've hosted The Dirty Notion/their alter-ego 1592 twice at Otto's Shrunken Head in Alphabet City and really dig them. This superb Detroit-based band plays gritty, garage-y rocksteady and early skinhead reggae originals, all fantastically showcased on this six-track EP. Boss tracks include the defiant, full-thrusters on of "Being and Time" ("I don't live for tomorrow/That just brings on sorrow"), "Two Whiskeys," the confusion, anxiety, and vulnerability of "Don't Know" ("I didn't know/Where this would go/Tell me, please/An answer's all I need/Tired of all of the silly games we play/Tired of all of the silly things they say about us/Cause they don't know you...I don't see your future..."), and what is--in my mind--their really extraordinary sing-along Gen X hit anthem (aimed at those of us disaffected slackers squeezed between the Baby Boomers and Millennials) "Someday" ("...I will be gray/Someday I will be old/But I don't have a say/When the revolution come..."). Both live and on tape, these guys deliver the goods and more. Never miss them. (While you're here, check out our review of 1592's most recent album, Family of Choice, from 2016.)

NST and The Soul Sauce Back When Tigers Smoked (CD/digital, Eastern Standard Sounds, 2017): South Korea's NST and The Soul Sauce bill themselves as a roots reggae band (an amazing one at that), but that label is much too confining--the band masterfully composes and performs trad ska, Jamaican jazz, reggae, and dub cuts, while mixing in elements of Korean music and culture. There's pretty much something for everyone to like here, including the mystery and tension of the rocksteady-ish "The Night of Mt. Naeba" (an ancient volcano in Japan); the spare reggae of "Sound Man" (not about the person behind the PA, but the selector at the controls: "Love your sound man/Respect your sound man/Give thanks for the knowledge/Give thanks for the wisdom"); the punchy and percussive "Riding a Jorang Horse" (a breed of pony native to Korea's Jeju Island that is descended from Mongolian ponies and typically strong and gentle); "Blooming Mind" is a gorgeous instrumental that opens with a melodica that slowly builds upon itself with layer after layer of repeating musical lines; and the (not unexpected) funky reggae of "Farmer's Funk." Ska and reggae fans alike should make sure to pick this one up, as you may not hear a better ska/reggae release this year... (anyone in the US, Europe, and beyond can order this album through NST and The Soul Sauce's Bandcamp page). (Also, read our review of NST and The Soul Sauce's "Heaven Is Here/Song for Rico" EP, released in 2016.)

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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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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...