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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, Reel Big Fish, 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 Recent ReviewsRecent NewsReel Big Fish unveil "Fame, Fortune and Fornication" artwork Reel Big Fish have posted the cover art for their new covers album. The record is titled Fame, Fortune and Fornication and is due out January 20, 2009. The band will take on songs like Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me", Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down", John Mellencamp's "Authority Song", and The Eagles "The Long Run" as well as ska/reggae classics like Desmond Dekker's "Keep A Cool Head" and Toots and The Maytals "Monkey…Mighty Mighty Bosstones release new songs; announce new 7 inch and album The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have announced plans for a brand new full length and before that, a new 7-inch. The band explained: Lately we have been busy writing and recording music for a new MMB record. Two of the songs, "Impossible Dream" and "next To Nothing"…Mighty Mighty Bosstones announce "Hometown Throwdown 11" The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have announced the dates for their 11th annual Hometown Throwdown show. The shows will take place December 26th through 29th at the Middle East Nightclub in Cambridge, MA, and December 31st at Lupo's in Providence, RI. The band noted: There will lots of great bands, special guests and surprises along the way. Please check back for more info in the coming weeks. We have made some changes to the ticketing situation in response to the rampant ticket scalping that went on last year: The Middle East shows…Reel Big Fish plan covers album Reel Big Fish have unveiled plans for a new covers album. The record is titled Fame, Fortune and Fornication and is due out January 20, 2009. The band will take on songs like Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me", Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down", John Mellencamp's "Authority Song", and…Fishbone Fishbone have announced the dates for their 2008 fall tour. The band is supporting their 2007 album, Still Stuck In Your…Alton Ellis (1938-2008) This past Friday rocksteady pioneer Alton Ellis died of cancer in a London hospital. He was 70. The innovative singer-songwriter was born in Kingston, Jamacia in 1938, launching a singing career in 1959 as part of a duo with Eddy Perkins and recording at Coxsone Dodd's legendary Studio One. By the mid 60s he was instrumental in the launch of rocksteady, a successor to the earlier ska music and a precursor to reggae. His song "Get…Slightly Stoopid / Outlaw Nation Slightly Stoopid have announced their fall tour plans in support of Chronchitis and Slightly Not Stoned Enough to Eat…Dave Hillyard to hit the studio for new Rocksteady 7 recordings Slackers tenor saxophonist Dave Hillyard is planning to hit the studio on September 20th to record new songs for his side project the Rocksteady 7. The band will spend two days at Seaside Studios in Brooklyn to track a number of covers and originals, including versions of tracks by Fela Kuti, the Hippy Boys, Hepcat's Lino Trujillo, and Mexican composer Armando Manzanero. Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7 last released United Front…Johnny Moore of the Skatalites (1938-2008) Trumpet player 'Dizzy' Johnny Moore, a founding member of pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae act The Skatalites, has passed away. Moore died at his home in Kingston on Saturday after being released from a hospital where he was being treated for colon cancer. Moore helped form the band in 1964 with saxophonists Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso and trombonist Don Drummond. The band helped establish…Deal's Gone Bad cancels shows after frontman's appendectomy On Monday July 14, Todd Hembrook, vocalist for Chicago ska/jamaican soul act Deal's Gone Bad was rushed to hospital with extreme stomach pains where he underwent surgery to have his appendix removed. He is recovering well but his condition is forcing the band to cancel most of their East Coast Tour, at least up until July 29th in Cincinnati, OH. The group is hoping that Todd will be well enough to play later dates and will announce details via MySpace. Canceled dates are to be re-scheduled… |
