Ska and Punk-Ska Appreciation Thread

[IWasBored]

when done right, it's really catchy and really great music. i tend to be more of a fan of punk ska, rather than real clean pure ska.

anyone else?



WILL be missing catch 22 next week. WILL NOT be happy about it.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I suppose Rudie Can't Fail doesn't count?

*needs to check out Op. Ivy*

(i also liked this really catchy song called 'superman' by goldfinger once. i don't know how 'punk' they are now, but damn that was pretty catchy)

 

[MrBrau1]

Ska is the worst music ever.

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

Ska is the worst music ever.

Well your avatar is the worst ever.


I love ska, I was actually in a ska band in high school/college. We were pretty big in San Diego. Our name was Unsteady. We had a kick ass 4 piece horn section (2 trumpets, Sax, and Trombone). We didn't sound gay like Save Ferris or Reel Big Fish or Less Than Jake. More like a cross between Oingo Boingo and Elvis Costello, but totally ska'd out. I was really into the music then, actually I still listen to The English Beat all the time. I know you're prolly more into the newer stuff, but old school bands like The Specials, Madness, English Beat, The Selecter, Bodysnatchers, and of course early, early Bob Marley are still way classic today. So, yes IWB I love ska too!

 

[martha]

The Specials are fucking great.

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

The Specials are fucking great.

"Where did you get that blank (blank!) expression on yoouuur face?!"

No Martha, you are fucking great!

 

[adamswildhoney]

Specials and early Bob Marley

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

ooh English Beat, I know one of their songs

save it for later
don't hit the deck you'll get found out
save it for later
don't run away run away and let me down...

catchy as heck

 

[u2popmofo]

ooh English Beat, I know one of their songs

save it for later
don't hit the deck you'll get found out
save it for later
don't run away run away and let me down...

catchy as heck

If you like their version, check out the cover by Harvey Danger. I like it more than the original for some reason.

The most ska sounding stuff I like is :

Operation Ivy
The Clash
The Specials


That's the extent of my knowledge of the genre.

 

[martha]

ooh English Beat, I know one of their songs

save it for later
don't hit the deck you'll get found out
save it for later
don't run away run away and let me down...

catchy as heck

That's one of their later songs. Check out Mirror in the Bathroom.

 

[martha]

No Martha, you are fucking great!

I saw them live, you know. Back when.

 

[joyfulgirl]

We didn't sound gay like Save Ferris or Reel Big Fish or Less Than Jake.

You wanna rethink your choice of words there? Yes, I'm sure you do. And hurry.

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

Sorry..sorry. What I meant was "lame"

Sincerest apologies. I'm an ass.

 

[zonelistener]

The Specials

English Beat!

I can't think of the lead singer for EB right now, but he has been touring quite a bit for the last few years...doing quite a few EB songs.....great show.

There is a little coffee shop in St. Paul, Minn. called Rudie's - it is a SKA cofee shop.

 

[IWasBored]

yes the specials are awesome. and the english beat too. i do like both those bands.

less than jake, reel big fish, save ferris. yes, they do suck. for a while i liked some less than jake stuff, but i listened to the new album last week and suddenly couldn't stand them anymore. never liked reel big fish or save ferris.

headonsticks, have you heard the spitvalves?

big d and the kids table are really cool (boston band).

i can't figure out if i like mustard plug or not...they kind of remind me of lagwagon if they had a horn section...i don't know how i feel about that, but the song "safe" is too catchy for me to hate it.

i remember reading an article about rancid from when they put out ...and out come the wolves and tim armstrong was talking about how he had really wanted "time bomb" to be a ska song, and that's what he was going for with the melody. i beleive the word he used to describe the kind of sound he was going for was 'infectious'

 

[Cleasai]

I love ska, I was actually in a ska band in high school/college. We were pretty big in San Diego. Our name was Unsteady.

HOLY PANCAKES BATTMAN!! I SAW ONE OF YOUR SHOWS!! Didn't you used to play at SOMA? I thought you guys actually kicked some ass. Whatever happened with the group? Seems like every good local band I used to listen to in the mid-90s are no where to be found I also got to see The Specials, Madness, Buck-o-Nine, and Aqua Bats at SOMA as well. Oi vey, this is too trippy First its MVD and her Interland neighboor and now this!

 

[Cleasai]

*cough* and just to clarify... I'm well aware that The Specials and Madness are not a local group. I'm just saying I saw them there

Remember the days when the scene was fun?
When the crowd was young and you knew everyone.
The songs were simple and you had to dance.
(You) went to every show because you got the chance.
Well the scene's still here. You don't know anyone
And the crowd is young, we can still have fun.
The song is simple. Now you've got the chance.
It's the Unsteady beat that'll make you dance.
Remember the days when the scene was fun?
When the crowd was young and you knew everyone.
The songs were simple and you had to dance.
(You) went to every show because you got the chance.

 

[pub crawler]

English Beat!

I can't think of the lead singer for EB right now, but he has been touring quite a bit for the last few years...doing quite a few EB songs.....great show.

I saw Dave Wakeling 4-5 years ago in a small bar (at, of all places, Hollywood Park horse racing track), and he was really good. He sounded just like he did when he led the English Beat. He played newer stuff as well as a bunch of EB hits and I specifically remember him playing "Best Friend," which is one of my favorites. And yeah, Wakeling has been playing shows in SoCal for as long as I can remember.

I also discovered that the English Beat's "Can't Get Used to Losing You" was actually a cover of an old Andy Williams song I bought the original version and it's actually very good.

Everybody should have "Special Beat Service" in their record collection. Every song on that album is highly listenable. "I Just Can't Stop It" is a damn fun party album, too.

Save Ferris: saw them at a free show sponsored by KROQ a few
years ago, enjoyed the show but I wouldn't pay to see them. They're basically a poor person's No Doubt.

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

HOLY PANCAKES BATTMAN!! I SAW ONE OF YOUR SHOWS!! Didn't you used to play at SOMA? I thought you guys actually kicked some ass. Whatever happened with the group? Seems like every good local band I used to listen to in the mid-90s are no where to be found I also got to see The Specials, Madness, Buck-o-Nine, and Aqua Bats at SOMA as well. Oi vey, this is too trippy First its MVD and her Interland neighboor and now this!

You're fucking kidding me! Yeah, we played at SOMA all the time. How funny! I left the group in 1994 when I transfered to NAU, the rest of the group plugged along for a while but we had already hit our peak. 2 years of fun fun fun, couldn't really have asked for more. The sax player is now with, ready? DAVE WAKELING! Fantasy fufilled. LOL. Are you still in San Diego? God, I'm tripping right now, this is too funny!

 

[HeadsOnSticks]

yes the specials are awesome. and the english beat too. i do like both those bands.



headonsticks, have you heard the spitvalves?

No, haven't. Are they good?

 

[IWasBored]

i like the spitvalves. they're pretty good live

 

[zonelistener]

my vote for your new user name...see below, vote recorded

Originally posted by Alive on four legs
Dave Wakeling

Thank you...its been bugging me ever since I posted this. He was great. I would love to see him again.

 

[BAW]

HOLY PANCAKES BATTMAN!! I SAW ONE OF YOUR SHOWS!! Didn't you used to play at SOMA? I thought you guys actually kicked some ass. Whatever happened with the group? Seems like every good local band I used to listen to in the mid-90s are no where to be found I also got to see The Specials, Madness, Buck-o-Nine, and Aqua Bats at SOMA as well. Oi vey, this is too trippy First its MVD and her Interland neighboor and now this!

the Aqua Bats



My son's old band played at SOMA in the mid-90's with the Aqua Bats, etc...they toured with all the local ska-punk bands for a while. Ever hear of Mealticket?

 

[pub crawler]

Re: my vote for your new user name...see below, vote recorded

Originally posted by Alive on four legs

heheh..

 

[Cleasai]

You're fucking kidding me! Yeah, we played at SOMA all the time. How funny! I left the group in 1994 when I transfered to NAU, the rest of the group plugged along for a while but we had already hit our peak. 2 years of fun fun fun, couldn't really have asked for more. The sax player is now with, ready? DAVE WAKELING! Fantasy fufilled. LOL. Are you still in San Diego? God, I'm tripping right now, this is too funny!

Yup, I still live in San Diego. In fact I just saw a friend's band play at the New SOMA. They moved yet again and they are at their new location on Sports Arena Blvd. I felt very old when I went there though lol. The venue was filled with punk teenagers. This is very cool, I'm gonna have to hit a couple of Music Traders to see if any of your CDs are still floating around the area. You must be very proud of your Sax player! Gaw! That IS a dream fullfilled! Btw, I tried looking to see if I still had any show bills with the bands name on it but no luck lol.

 

[martha]

They're basically a poor person's No Doubt.

:shudder:

 

[Cleasai]

My son's old band played at SOMA in the mid-90's with the Aqua Bats, etc...they toured with all the local ska-punk bands for a while. Ever hear of Mealticket?

BAW, no I haven't seen them before, but I think I might have heard the name before. I think it would have been way too creepy had I seen them lol. I was only like in the 9th grade back then so it's not like I could have afford to go to every show at SOMA as much as I would have liked to

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I'm going to download some of tehse bands now

ska's the ultimate party music, isn't it?

 

[Basstrap]

my feelings on ska cannot be expressed here because the swear words and general word usage would get me banned

 

[u2popmofo]

my feelings on ska cannot be expressed here because the swear words and general word usage would get me banned

Haha, I feel the same way actually. Most of those bands I mentioned are only slightly related to the ska movement.

I think my problem with the genre is that all the ska bands I've heard have been weird local bands that were absolutely terrible.