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I love (third-wave) ska to pieces, but I have never been quite satisfied with the amount of ska bands that I actually like. For me, it's pretty much Reel Big Fish, old Catch-22, Suicide Machines, and of course Streetlight Manifesto.. I like some Suburban Legends, I used to see them all the time when they played here (Bay Area) back in high school. But I've yet to find another ska band that really does it for me... Except for an awesome Boston band called Stray Bullets. Has anyone else heard these guys? They're freaking fantastic, they remind me of the Suicide Machines but they have a really unique sound to them. Their singer has an awesome sense of rhythm, it really adds a lot to them. I'd check 'em out.
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Nov 2, 2007 10:23
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I have a very specific recommendation I'm looking for. I'm looking for ska/ska-punk bands that are really, really uptempo, with really, really rapidly executed upstrokes. I love Catch-22's first two albums, and everything Streetlight Manifesto has done. However, those are really the only examples I can find of this, with the *possible* exception of Reel Big Fish's early material. Can you guys recommend to me some other bands that do this? I mean, listen to the intro to Hey Sergio. That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. Is there even that much else out there, or is that fashion of ska-guitar playing kind of exclusive to Tomas' stuff? BlandMan123 fucked around with this message at 23:06 on Nov 3, 2007 |
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Nov 3, 2007 23:03
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DHCJohn posted:Actually, the name of the song is "Dear Sergio", for both versions of the Keasbey Nights album (The original Catch 22 and the Streetlight Manifesto rehash). gently caress it is Dear Sergio, isn't it? My bad. I always thought it was cool that every band Tomas has been in since C-22 has recorded that song. Those two songs aren't on The Vagabonds MySpace, but a bunch of others are, and gently caress, they really kick some rear end. Thanks for the tip, I'll try and track down an album of theirs.
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Nov 4, 2007 08:41
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Acoustic would be sweet. A bit off topic, does anyone know what happened to Jeff Davidson after he quit Catch-22? I dug the stuff he did w/ them and was sad to never hear from him again. I heard he played drums in a reggae band or something, but did he ever sing again?
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Nov 7, 2007 03:23
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I wanted to throw in my opinion and agree that Somewhere in the Between does, incredibly, live up to the hype. It's the only album I have ever heard that, when I listen to it, I don't skip ANY tracks. Every single song on that album is fantastic, and I can't say that about any other of my favorite albums. I used to go to SL shows all the time four or five years ago. They were a part of the local scene here, despite not being local (I'm in the Bay Area). My old band actually played a bill with them a while ago, they're really nice guys. And though they're not ska now, they did USED to be ska. Their very early songs, as well as their self-titled EP, are most definitely ska. I was a bit disappointed that Rump Shaker deviated a bit from third wave ska (it was more rock-with-horns), and also that it shamelessly ripped off RBF and FIF's style, but I like RBF and FIF, so I still dug the album. I listened to some stuff on their Myspace today for the first time in years. They're definitely not ska anymore. But they do put on a great, fun live show.
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Nov 23, 2007 07:46
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So I've recently discovered Amazon.com's awesome MP3 downloading service, and I'm trying to build up my ska collection that way. I was interested in getting into Big D and the Kids Table, but their discography is somewhat daunting - any Big D fans want to sort of sum up their albums for me, recommend which ones to start at, etc? If it helps, I prefer my ska fast and synth-free (any other bands that fit this bill would be nice to hear, as well).
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Dec 1, 2007 10:00
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guppy posted:Incidentally, if anyone else -- like me -- is only buying MP3s at this point, Amazon has recently added Mustard Plug and Streetlight Manifesto to their catalogue. I really like Mustard Plug's style, but I really don't like too many of their songs. It's unfortunate, I only like maybe one out of every five MP songs I hear.
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Dec 2, 2007 11:10
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SkaWes posted:I did but I lost the drat thing, it was good to I have a copy. I'd think that it's kosher to share it, considering that it's way out of print and unavailable anywhere, to my knowledge, but I'm not sure. Anyone wanna clarify that?
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Dec 29, 2007 06:25
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Quest For Glory II posted:To me, I care more about how well composed and executed the music is, than how 'ska' it is (like it's a unit of measurement). I kind of prefer that bands try and go out and do their own thing and create their own niche. When bands conform to the standards, like the Planet Smashers and the Toasters, their music can kind of wear out on you after a few albums because it's almost too mechanical and ordinary. And I like those bands too. But I'm all for variety and experimentation. He didn't say that the more 'ska' a band was, the better. He just said that RBF's last album doesn't have much ska on it, and he was right. Listen to "Party Down." Nothing in the instrumentation of the guitar, or bass, or drums bears any resemblance to third-wave ska. There are no upbeats, no rapidly-executed walking basslines, etc. The only thing ska-esque about it is the inclusion of horns, but if you think that horns in an alternative rock song automatically makes it 'ska,' you are incorrect. Reel Big Fish is and always will be one of my favorite bands, and while I don't love the new album, it has nothing to do with the fact that it's less ska. Cheer Up is an absolutely fan-loving tastic album, and that has maybe two ska tracks on it. I will admit that it irritates me a bit when good ska bands devolve from the ska sound, but if the music their playing is just as good, I'm all for it. The Suicide Machines, for example, released two great ska-punk albums, and then two relatively lovely alternative rock albums. Did I dislike the latter two because they weren't ska? No, I disliked them because they just weren't that good. But then they released two more albums that, while they did have more ska elements, had more of a hardcore/punk feel to them, and I loved them both. The point is, and I think we're in agreement here, that an album's worth doesn't rest on how 'ska' it is, but simply the quality of the music, whatever genre it may be in. EDIT: Completely unrelated, but I just gave Capdown a listen, and holy gently caress, my mind is blown. BlandMan123 fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Dec 31, 2007 |
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Dec 30, 2007 21:06
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Mysterious Aftertaste posted:They're like the spanish bosstones. I'm with you, I never quite got the appeal of the Bosstones, although I haven't really heard much of their stuff. I'd be glad to try out more of it.
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Jan 6, 2008 22:50
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Mysterious Aftertaste posted:The first opening band (Facing New York) was pretty bad, and the second one (Portugal) was alright. Portugal's lead singer/guitarist never faced the crowd the whole set :?: I must emphatically employ you to give Facing New York a second chance. They grew out of my local scene four or so years ago from the ashes of a local favorite, and are an amazingly talented band. Listen to the song "Full Turn" if you don't believe me. Sometimes, they completely gently caress up live and give a horrible performance (although when they're on, they are ON), and I can imagine that if you saw them opening for an even kind of ska band, you'd be confused and pissed off. But you should at least try some of their recorded stuff (this goes for everyone!). Sorry for the derail. Josh, I just bought Life of the Party from AmazonMP3. Thanks for putting it there, I'm really loving it so far! It totally reeks of the third-wave ska energy that I crave, but is so hard to find in its purest form outside of a few specific bands. You guys have captured it really well, and it's all catchy as hell to boot. Nicely done. BlandMan123 fucked around with this message at 09:54 on Jul 28, 2008 |
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Jul 28, 2008 09:50
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Mysterious Aftertaste posted:Well, everything they said that was "on their new album" was awful. I remember one being called "Cops on Bikes" and it was just terrible. That album is not yet released, and I haven't heard any of it (it's been a while since I've seen them live). It could well be awful, and I'll be disappointed if that's the case. But, still, I can't help but recommend all of the material they've released this far. It's really stellar stuff.
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Jul 28, 2008 20:40
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Sugar Blaster posted:http://www.myspace.com/havenotsboston Stray Bullets are one of my favorite bands. They don't get nearly the credit they deserve. They only released one album (I believe), yet it was good enough for me to proclaim them one of my favorite bands. I strongly urge all ska/punk fans to check them out. That said, I didn't really enjoy the early demos that The Havenots released. The two songs now on their myspace are quite a bit better, though. Here's to hoping the album's good.
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Dec 22, 2008 14:24
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Okay, so I absolutely bloody LOVE the Stray Bullets, and the new Have Nots album is fantastic as well. However, as far as ska-punk goes, I have a really, really hard time finding bands that I like. Maybe I'm just picky, but most ska-punk bands I find a) are too punky for my tastes, and not enough ska, or, more often, b) have singers that I find really irritating, to the point at which I can't enjoy the music. For example, I just listened to some of Choking Victim's stuff, and while I dig the music, the singer annoys the hell out of me. I feel the same way about Operation Ivy (I know, I know), Big D and the Kids Table and NOFX (although they're not quite as bad). I just don't like whiny or uncontrolled-sounding vocals, and that sort of seems to be the norm in punk. A large reason I like the Stray Bullets as much as I do is their singer, Jon Cauztik. He has a scratchy voice, but it's super focused, strong, and extremely rhythmic. Does anybody have any suggestions for ska punk bands I might enjoy? The only other I can think that I like is The Suicide Machines, who I've listened to for many years. Oh, and The Flatliners are pretty good, too. Stuff like that!
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Jul 6, 2009 06:27
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nerve posted:I am so loving excited for new Streetlight material. Please don't disappoint me Tomas, you fuckface. Oh, don't get your hopes up. You know it'll be another five years. What did you all think of Tomas' solo album (sorry, sorry, "Toh Kay"'s solo album)? I thought it was going to be awful, and found myself upset that he once again was rerecording a bunch of old songs, but upon listening, I was pretty blown away. It really showcases what an excellent composer--and guitarist--he is that songs written for an 8-some piece ska band worked just as well as a solo folk album. And I don't even like folk.
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Feb 9, 2012 20:40
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