Review: The Slackers - Self Medication

Posted on 9 November 2008 | No Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Ska

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Let me just start this post by saying that it is cold as hell and I’m fucking freezing. I’m huddled up beneath a blanket and am contemplating roasting my feet with a space heater. I mean, I saw the first snow flurries of the season this afternoon and… wasn’t it just summer, like, last week or something? It is only fitting that I’m trying to listen to something that will make me feel a little warm. That something (at least in this case) is Self Medication, the seventh studio full-length from NYC’s The Slackers. The twelve songs on Self Medication find The Slackers doing what they do best; straight ahead old-school ska that is rooted in chill-out reggae, sinister dub, and 60’s soul that sounds a little like Motown filtered through the streets of Kingston. You know, soulful reverb-drenched vocals, killer horns, and great organ playing. Now I remember seeing The Slackers (I think) with Digger at the Fireside Bowl over ten years ago and (at least in terms of the music) not a lot has changed for The Slackers except that they are better now than they were back then. I’m feeling warmer already.

MP3 | The Slackers – Don’t Forget The Streets Self Medication
MP3 | The Slackers – Eviction Self Medication

Review: Pepper - Pink Crustaceans & Good Vibrations

Posted on 31 August 2008 | No Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Just Plain Rock, Ska

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Seeing that this is the unofficial last weekend of the summer, I thought it would make some sense to listen to (and share with all y’all) some music that is pretty much made exclusively for hot and lazy summer days. Ska, reggae, dub, etc… you know what I mean. Music that creates images of sandy beaches, clear blue skies, umbrella drinks, flip-flops and floral prints.

One such album is Pepper’s most recent Pink Crustaceans & Good Vibrations. It is not a complicated thing though; rather, it is mostly surf-inspired good-time laid-back party music that touches a Sublime-ish nerve a lot of the time. Occasionally the band strays and gets a little more aggro, but even then it still has an island vibe. Maybe it is because I saw Pepper at last year’s Warped Tour or maybe because these Southern California guys originally called the beaches of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii home, but this sounds like summer.

Pepper isn’t really doing anything unique, but who cares? They sound like they’re having a damn good time. This isn’t an album I could listen to every day unless I could see ocean waves breaking from my bedroom window but it is great background music for spending days with your feet in the sand.

MP3 | Pepper – Davey Jones’ Locker Pink Crustaceans…
MP3 | Pepper – The Phoenix Pink Crustaceans…

Review: Less Than Jake - GNV FLA

Posted on 30 June 2008 | 4 Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Punk, Ska

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In the 15 years that they have been playing together, Gainesville, Florida’s Less Than Jake have become a ska-punk institution. From indie to major and back, the band has tweaked but never really truly strayed from the signature LTJ sound. Sure, over the course of seven full-length albums and a zillion compilations and EP’s there were bound to be a few miscues, but (for the most part) LTJ has been remarkably consistent. Their latest album GNV FLA (the band’s first on their own Sleep It Off Records) is more of the same, but better. It’s a fact.

I’ve been a fan since way back when and GNV FLA has a feeling about it; like Chris, Roger, Vinnie, and the guys are a little angrier and ready to do something about it. While LTJ’s last few albums have suffered from a stiffness that one can only attribute to the demands of major-label record execs, GNV FLA just sounds, well, liberated. GNV FLA finds the band a little more energetic and a little more focused with the skank a bit livelier and the punk a little more biting. Even the horns sound sharper and brighter than they have in awhile. And while the band’s sound hasn’t ever really strayed too far from the ultra-melodic and insanely-catchy ska-punk they’ve been banging out all these years, this feels like a return to form for the band.

From “One Last Cigarette” to “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads” and (now) on to GNV FLA, Less Than Jake is like comfort food for aging punks and it just feels like hanging out with an old friend. And in capturing a little of the old magic, LTJ has made what is their strongest album in 10 years.

MP3 | Less Than Jake – Does The Lion City Still Roar? GNV FLA

Review: The Expendables - The Expendables

Posted on 26 April 2008 | No Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Ska

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The Expendables play ska that ranges from Goldfinger style ska-punk to more laid back Sublime-y or Pepper-ish island reggae grooves. This is something that could easily (and will likely) be written off by most critics as party music for ganja smokin’ college kids, but there is something that I sorta like about these Santa Cruz, California dudes. There is an interesting and pervasive power metal influence that permeates much of this album and percolates my own inner Guitar Hero. If ever a ska band could be called shred-tastic, The Expendables are it. This album will take you for a fun ride so get your flip flops, sunscreen, and limes ready; it is almost summertime and this could be your soundtrack.

MP3 | The Expendables – Paper Chains The Expendables
MP3 | The Expendables – Sacrifice The Expendables

Review: Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Medium Rare

Posted on 29 March 2008 | 1 Comment

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Ska

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Really? Seriously? I didn’t know. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones recently released a compilation album, Medium Rare, that includes a bunch of b-sides , vinyl-only tracks, and (the best part) three new tunes. I thought they broke up, but (as evidenced by the new songs) the band hasn’t missed a single skankin’ beat.

MP3 | Mighty Mighty Bosstones – The Meaning Medium Rare
MP3 | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Don’t Worry Desmond Dekker Medium Rare

Review: Bomb The Music Industry! - Get Warmer

Posted on 11 December 2007 | 1 Comment

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Punk, Ska

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I‘m not sure if there has been a more “fun” album than this released in all of 2007. Get Warmer is the latest from the DIY collective known as Bomb The Music Industry! and it is overflowing with punk, ska, folk, folk-punk, ska-punk, soul and everything in between. Zany synths mingle with traditional ska type horn stabs and a gruff, shouted, punk rock vocals in a dirt-poor three ring circus. The man behind the band (Jeff Rosenstock) must be some sort of mad musical genius because he effortlessly blends every element on Get Warmer together into something that is simply fucking awesome. I mean, I had no idea that I would like this album so much when I first played it. Fun, fun, fun. And if you question their DIY spirit, just know that you can get Get Warmer and some of their other records from either Asian Man Records or as free MP3’s from the band’s site. RIYL: Blue Meanies, old Against Me!, etc…

MP3 | Bomb The Music Industry! – 493 Ruth Get Warmer
MP3 | Bomb The Music Industry! – I Don’t Love You Anymore Get Warmer

Review: Mustard Plug - In Black And White

Posted on 13 September 2007 | 1 Comment

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Punk, Ska

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Cool hipster blogs certainly do not post about anything related to ska. Good thing this one is neither of those things. That aside, how can ten years have gone by since Mustard Plug released Evildoers Beware (easily their finest album) yet nothing about the band’s sound has changed one bit? Putting on their latest album In Black And White is like stepping into a time warp. I almost want to skank like it was 1997 or at least teach my 2 year old daughter to. I mean, she was singing along to the “la la la” part at the end of “Real Rat Bastard.” Needless to say, if you are a Mustard Plug fan you will like this. For those that are new to the band, keep reading. Mustard Plug calls Grand Rapids, Michigan home and plays an upbeat brand of horn-filled third-wave ska punk that has gotten a little more “core” over the years, but nothing like fellow Michiganites the Suicide Machines.

One of the few ska-punk bands that remains from the genre’s mid 90’s heyday, Mustard Plug hasn’t really progressed musically or lyrically since their early days. That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Ska-punk was cool for a split second way back when and certainly isn’t considered hip today, so what gives? Maybe it is just the nostalgia of it all that makes In Black And White sound so good right now but it is also a bit refreshing to hear a band just do what they do and do it solidly. While other ska-punk bands like the RX Bandits have become more and more experimental and progressive with each release, Mustard Plug just keeps it simple and have (in the process) released their best material since Evildoers Beware. In Black And White is out now on Hopeless Records.

MP3 | Mustard Plug – Hit Me! Hit Me! In Black And White
MP3 | Mustard Plug – Copasetic In Black And White

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Review: Oreskaband - EP (or) Antonella Barba ain't got nothing

Posted on 7 March 2007 | 1 Comment

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Punk, Ska

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Oreskaband is a group of six teenage girls from Japan that are armed with noting but their instruments. The band plays an infectious style of edgy ska-pop that is reminiscent (at times) of Mustard Plug and the poppier side of LTJ. Now I was introduced to Japanese ska back in the mid 90’s through bands like Kemuri and have always found their appropriation of the genre to be top notch and Oreskaband is no different. In addition, all the girls’ vocals are sung in Japanese which adds an interesting element for us westerners. This is definitely a band that third-wave and modern ska fans should check out.

MP3 | Oreskaband – Pinocchio S/T EP
MP3 | Oreskaband – The Boys S/T EP

An incomplete history of Chicago punk rock (vol. 17)

Posted on 6 March 2007 | 3 Comments

Filed Under: Chicago Punk, Punk, Ska

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Does anyone remember Dill Records? That was the name of Mike Park’s label (and a reference to his band Skankin’ Pickle) before he changed the name to Asian Man Records. It seems like such a long time ago. I also bring this up because one of my favorite albums of all time was originally released on Dill Records. It is Slapstick’s punk-ska masterpiece Lookit!.

Slapstick was an energetic and snotty punk-ska band from Elgin/Chicago, IL that played from about 1993-1996. I think the first time I saw Slapstick was when they opened for Less Than Jake at the Fireside. From that day until their official last show at Metro, I probably saw the band live a dozen times or so and was never disappointed. Maybe it was because I was 16 or 17 years old and nostalgia has colored my memory, but those were some of the best shows I’ve ever seen. In November of 1997 I even got to see the band play two reunion/benefit shows at the Fireside Bowl. Those were amazing times.

Since their breakup in 1996, the former members have gone on to play in bands like The Honor System, The Broadways, Tuesday, Less Than Jake, Colossal, Duvall, Smoking Popes, Whale|Horse, Lawrence Arms, Alkaline Trio, and The Falcon. Pretty impressive, huh? I could say that Slapstick was the best band ever, but they weren’t. Yeah it was an absolutely perfect marriage of crunchy rock guitars, rocksteady bass, punk rock backbeat, and bright melodic horns, but they were sloppy, rebellious, teenage punks.

Despite having two 7” records, a few compilation appearances, and Lookit!, the only remaining music of theirs still in print is their green Discography CD. Luckily for us, it contains a majority of their recorded material. I have two copies of the Lookit! CD and the Discography. You should really go to Asian Man Records and buy this today.

Pay to c'mon into the world of jah

Posted on 5 January 2007 | No Comments

Filed Under: Live, Punk, Ska

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Formed in 1979, Washington DC’s Bad Brains juxtaposed the fury of hardcore punk with the spiritual groove of reggae and although the original lineup of the band is still together today, it is (to me at least) not the same band that existed in the early eighties and is largely credited with establishing hardcore punk.

Their recently released DVD and accompanying CD Live At CBGB 1982 (however) does a great job capturing the band at their best, right in the middle of what most fans consider their most vital period of 1979-1986. The jarring transitions from warp-speed hardcore to their Rastafarian jah anthems are evident here as well. It is a testament to the power of the music Bad Brains created that (despite mediocre sound quality and the notable absence of the song “Pay To Cum”) their visceral energy still smarts.

1982 at CBGB, with Bad Brains, what could be better than that? Not much, really. This was recorded before the band became (at least IMHO) a watered-down version of what they began as. Now I fully realize that most bands (Bad Brains included) attempt to “move forward” artistically, but nothing that they have recorded since 1986 packs the same punch that their early material did.

Zach Baron at Pitchfork (of all places) almost perfectly sums it up by saying, “The audience for this kind of creaking document is clear: Those who wish they’d been there, those who were and want to look back, and those who just really, really love the Bad Brains.” I am one of those who wishes they were there to see Bad Brains during their glory days. Hell, I was four years old in 1982 and only discovered of the band much much later (via Thrasher magazine I think). Live At CBGB 1982 for me (and many others) is as close as we’ll get. The DVD and CD are out now on MVD.

MP3 | Bad Brains – Destroy Babylon Live At CBGB 1982
MP3 | Bad Brains – Jah The Conqueror Live At CBGB 1982

In with the down and out crowd

Posted on 3 June 2006 | 3 Comments

Filed Under: Album Reviews, Punk, Ska

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If you didn’t know it already, summertime is almost here (officially that is) and I can’t think of a better way to kick off the summer than with a little high-octane party music. Coincidentally (or not) punk rock stalwarts Less Than Jake have a new album out called In With The Out Crowd that is filled with the same brand of consistently great high-quality melodic punk-ska that LTJ has been pumping out for more than a dozen years and roughly ten full-length albums. Old reliable (if you will).

Now I’ve seen the band live probably a dozen or more times at venues ranging from tiny basements, to the legendary Fireside Bowl, to the main stage at the Warped Tour, and they always make it special. They are also one of the few bands that survived the ska-punk boom and bust of the mid nineties, and have done so jumping from indie label to major label and back and forth all over again.

I also admire their dedication to the 7” vinyl record. They’ve released backwards one-sided 7” records complete with pizza box packaging, a split 7” with Megadeth, an orange and black limited edition Halloween 7” (commemorating Amy’s 21st birthday), and even a 7 × 7” box set for their album Hello Rockview.

Needless to say, the music of LTJ has been a major influence on me over the years. There is something very endearing about the band. Despite the catchy, poppy, upbeat nature of their music, there has always been an underlying sadness and a world-weary quality to their songs. Feelings of longing for better days gone by and the futility of it all come creeping through the candy-coated exterior.

Even the new material on In With The Out Crowd has that same nostalgic feeling that has remained consistent in their music since the beginning. With the core trio of Chris, Roger, and Vinnie in tact you get the same great vocal harmonies, bouncing basslines, buzzsaw pseudo-metal punk guitars, and snappy drumming flanked by an always tight horn section. It is standard-issue Less Than Jake, which is just the way I like it. So enjoy the 30 minutes of LTJ below and go pick up a copy of In With The Out Crowd from here or here today. As my brother says, “Less Than Jake… I like that song.”

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