That hasn't really been happening, though...(at least from the perspective of someone living in the heart of OC) I don't see enough kids being influenced to go out and start their own bands, and the ones who do take their influence directly/only from Reel Big Fish or start a novelty joke band. What made ska such a strong scene in the mid-90s was its wide range of musical influences and cross-genre diversity...you could get all sorts of audiences into ska music, and all the audiences overlapped: back in the day, you could get The Skatalites, The Toasters, Skankin' Pickle and the Daddies all on the same bill. Unfortunately, the media has the most influence over what the kids listen to, and only the Top 40 acts such as RBF and No Doubt serve as these kids' only exposure to ska music, which has greatly influenced the So Cal scene for the worst. I'm surrounded by a sea of pop-punk-with-horns bands with joke lyrics, without a single trace of anything remotely resembling the ska I, and most of America, grew up with.

It's great that some of the more "out-there"/trad bands are getting attention, but there's still drawbacks. The Aggrolites and the Debonaires, for instance, rose from the ashes of previous established ska bands....they didn't just *happen*. It's not like they were a group of determined youthful ska fans who one day decided to start playing "dirty reggae". Ska can't be entirely the domain of guys in their 30s and 40s...there need to be groups who can carry on the sound, and not just trad and ska-punk, there needs to be more genre diversity to ensure a wider, stronger audience, or else it's going to end up as sequestered and non-existent as what's left of the neo-swing fanbase.

Reel Big Fish seems to be leading the youth market in terms of ska...they seem to have the most influence and they seem to be selling out *huge* venues in the So Cal area. I see their influence as mainly negative, but without them, the ska kids will have no one to follow and, without them, most people will never come to discover "ska" in the first place, albeit a poppy bastardized version of it. They seem to be supporting the meager strings the scene is clinging onto.

"As long as the greats from the 3rd wave continue on (I'm looking at you Bosstones), I'll forget about the shambles it became."

I'd have to disagree. It's great that said greats are still around, but once they're gone, then the entire scene is in jeopardy; a scene needs a strong youthful following in order to continue, and there's been really no notable new ska bands in the last decade to carry on the legacy.

From the look of things, when Reel Big Fish crumbles, the entire American ska scene will die out within a year.

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I see what you're saying here. As long as the "greats" continue to tour and draw, that'll hopefully lead to a generation to rise.

Whether that is RBF, MMB, Slackers or whoever still playing....Dicky said he was inspired to start the MMB after attending an English Beat show in the 80's.

My gateway band were the MMB in 96, and within a year, I branched out to 2-tone, Jamaican ska, and Moon ska. That lead to me to starting a ska band and creating a nice little local scene for about 5 years.

So I hope that the 3rd wavers continue on, until leading to a "4th wave". There a good crop of younger ska/reggae bands comin on:

1) Westbound Train
2) Aggrolites (I know they are not ska, but they tour with related bands)
3) Knockout
4) Debonaires
5) Sonic Boom Six
6) Various Long Island/East coast bands
7) Megalith records roster

"As long as the greats from the 3rd wave continue on (I'm looking at you Bosstones), I'll forget about the shambles it became."

I'd have to disagree. It's great that said greats are still around, but once they're gone, then the entire scene is in jeopardy; a scene needs a strong youthful following in order to continue, and there's been really no notable new ska bands in the last decade to carry on the legacy.

From the look of things, when Reel Big Fish crumbles, the entire American ska scene will die out within a year.

Love the hell out of the Pietasters..and I'm waiting for this record in the mail. CPD always knew how to write a kick ass ska jam.

As long as the greats from the 3rd wave continue on (I'm looking at you Bosstones), I'll forget about the shambles it became.

I think we need to focus on repairing the *third* wave before we can start focusing on a fourth...

c'mon 4th wave ska revival!

love the pietasters

This was an excellent review. One of the better ones I've read in awhile. I disagree with some of the points, but it's only small gripes. Regardless, I was going to pick up this record anyway, but now I'm even more stoked for it.

Also for anyone looking for Moon Ska-era stuff. Check out Megalith Records. That's Bucket (of The Toasters) new all ska label. It's even based out of my hometown in Norman, OK.

wow, i didn't know that. i was at the last toasters show when they played with flatfoot. i'm gonna have to check this place out.

I don't care what image make over they may undertake or what good things are said about them by this site or any other.... I will NEVER give this band the time of day.

"Don Quixote" is a crucial mid-90s ska track.

I agree with thegimper. Nice job.

mephiskapheles was the last great ska band.

Icagree that Don Quixote is a good song, it was back in the day when it appeared on the Ska The 3rd Wave compilation. Hi Lo is also a treat, definitely the best song on the album. The rest of the album is pretty bland and really has no substance behind it.This is not the spirit of ska, this is the spirit of bad music.

Posted by Thegimper on 2009-10-02 20:43:02
My Score:

This was an excellent review. One of the better ones I've read in awhile. I disagree with some of the points, but it's only small gripes. Regardless, I was going to pick up this record anyway, but now I'm even more stoked for it.

Also for anyone looking for Moon Ska-era stuff. Check out Megalith Records. That's Bucket (of The Toasters) new all ska label. It's even based out of my hometown in Norman, OK.