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| Ska and Reggae About:
Ska emerged in the early '60s as a precursor to reggae by Jamaican musicians influenced by the New Orleans R&B that reached the island over radio. Early bands from this movement including Skatalites and Toots & The Maytals developed the distinct rhythms and arrangements now associated with the style. In the late '70s the music saw a revival in England when young British acts fused the recent sounds of punk rock with the style. Ska revivalists featured racially integrated lineups and bold political statements. The lead group from this time was The Specials, who formed the independent label 2-Tone. The scene cultivated by The Specials included Madness, The (English) Beat and The Selector.
Ska music saw it's third wave begin in the mid to late 80s with bands that further further mixed punk rock with the 2-Tone sound like Fishbone, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Operation Ivy. Furthermore a strong roots ska scene was emerging in New York City with The Toasters and Moon Ska Records. The style's popularity peaked in `96 with bands like Rancid, No Doubt, Sublime, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish and the Bosstones all making huge waves in the mainstream. While the popularity of the style has waned over the years, a small but devoted group of bands like The Slackers and The Planet Smashers have carried on the style into the new millennium. Artists with releases on this label:
Fox Trotsky, The Aquabats, High School Football Heroes, Hot Stove Jimmy, Lightyear, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Cellphish, Public Access, Babylon Circus, Suburban Legends, Slightly Stoopid, Razbari Sumthing, Big D and the Kids Table, Ska Weekend 2006, Stuck Lucky, Lee Scratch Perry and the WhiteBellyRats, Los Furios, Buck-O-Nine, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, The Specials, Victims of Circumstance, Circle City Ska Fest, The Pietasters, The Best of the Worst, The Homecoming Queens, Joey Terrifying, The Planet Smashers, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Lemon Lime Tennis Shoes, Out of Nothing, Skavesa`, Mouthwash, Chewing on Tinfoil Recent ReviewsRecent NewsBuck-o-Nine celebrate 18th Anniversary Buck-O-Nine will celebrate their 18th anniversary with a November 25th performance at the Belly Up Tavern in San Diego, California. You can find more details here.…Hometown Throwdown 12 announced The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have announced Hometown Throwdown #12, their annual series of Holiday shows in Boston, MA. The band is promising shows on December 26, 27, & 28 at the House of Blues in Boston, MA. Tickets are $25 and went on sale this weekend at the Orpheum Theater Box Office (One Hamilton Place, Boston) and through Ticketmaster. While a full lineup has not yet been announced, Darkbuster has revealed their…The Mighty Mighty Bosstones detail "Pin Points and Gin Joints" Some details have been announced regarding the highly anticipated new full-length from The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Pin Points and Gin Joints will be released on December 8, 2009 and will be the band's first proper studio album…The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: "Graffiti Worth Reading" The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have revealed the cover art for their upcoming new album Pin Points and Gin Joints. You can get a new track, "Graffiti Worth Reading", for free through their store. Check out the cover…State Radio: "Let It Go" Political ska/reggae/rock outfit State Radio have launched a stream of their new album, Let It Go. Check it out on their MySpace page. The band will be performing at the G20 protest alongside Anti-Flag.…State Radio: "Calling All Crows," "Knights of Bostonia" Political reggae/rock outfit State Radio have posted two songs from their upcoming album, Let It Go, due out September 29, 2009. Check out "Calling All Crows," "Knights of Bostonia" on their MySpace page.…The Slackers preparing "Lost & Found" rarities album New York City's ska ambassadors The Slackers have announced a new collection titled Lost & Found. The set will include "redos, remixes and new rarities" from the band's catalogue dating from 1998 to 2007. No release date for the record has been announced yet. As per usual the Slackers have a…Greg Robinson leaves the Toasters Trombonist Greg Robinson has left the Toasters. The former Mephiskapheles trombonist will not be joining the band for the Ska Is Dead Tour with Voodoo Glow Skulls, Deal's Gone Bad and Mustard Plug. Robinson will instead be performing and producing in New York City. He's performed with the Toasters since late…The Toasters / Voodoo Glow Skulls / Deal's Gone Bad (Ska is Dead IV) The lineup and dates have been announced for the second leg of Ska is Dead IV. The bill will feature The Toasters, Voodoo Glow Skulls and Deal's Gone Bad on all dates. Some shows will include Mustard Plug, The Filgers and one-off dates will include The Johnstones, Independents, Taj Motel Trio, The Pinstripes, We Are the Union, Hub City Stompers, Fatter Than Albert and many…Bosstones enter the studio, document via Twitter The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have begun posting updates from the studio as they record with producer Ted Hutt. The band is working on the follow up to Medium Rare. Some updates include: One week into pre-production on the new record! Start recording in two days. 25 songs now down to 16... Only the strong survive! Check out the feed… |
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