In Defense of Ska
285 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 76 ratingsSka no longer needs to be the butt of every joke. IDOS is flipping the narrative on this style of music that they love dearly.Hosts Aaron Carnes (author of "In Defense of Ska") and Adam Davis (Link 80, Omingone) chat with people in and outside of the ska scene to tell its stories, show its pervasiveness in culture, and defend it to their last dying breath.
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Episodes
In Defense of Ska Ep 169: Save Ferris' Monique Powell
April 10, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 78.8 MBIn the ’90s, ska began to break into the mainstream. And yet, even during the great ska boom, only a handful of bands had an actual radio hit. One of the few acts to accomplish such a feat was Save Ferris, scoring big with their cover of Dexys Midnight Runner's 1982 song “Come on Eileen." This week on In Defense of Ska, Save Ferris vocalist Monique Powell discusses the group, the Orange County scene, having a popular video on MTV, and their monumental cover. Listen wherever you get your podc...
In Defense of Ska Ep 168: The Steady 45's
April 03, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBOne of the best ska bands of the past decade is The Steady 45's, a trad ska group based out of Los Angeles. They are one of the few bands that have been able to call both LA’s lively trad ska and vibrant Latino ska scenes home. So we brought on four members and friend of the band Jackie Mendez to talk about the band’s history and how they’re helping to break down barriers in the ska scene. We talk about the members’ history in punk rock and how they played an Operation Ivy cover set for Es...
Behind The Curtain: I worked At Asian Man Records w/ Bob Vielma
March 29, 2024 21:03 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBOne thing we love doing on this podcast is talking to former members of Asian Man Records and getting all the dirt on Mike Park. This is our third episode in the series. We’ve already spoken to Skylar Suorez and Lazlo Happenstance. Now we talk to Bob Vielma. You probably know Bob from his fire rap verse on “SkrAm” from Jeff Rosenstock’s Ska Dream. His rap alter ego is Boboso, and he’s got a few records you can download on Jeff’s label, Quote Unquote. Bob also played bass in Shinobu and sev...
In Defense of Ska Ep 167: Half Past Two (Tara Hahn & Max Beckman)
March 27, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 99.4 MBHalf Past Two have been around for almost two decades, and yet they still feel like a breath of fresh air in the ska scene. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, lead vocalist Tara Hahn and guitarist Max Beckman discuss the band's history and their brand new album, Talk iI Killing Me (out April 19th). Listen now. Formed in August 2006, Half Past Two effectively came up during the "dark ages" of ska. And yet, they persevered, helping build a sustainable scene in Orange County in the mid-2000...
In Defense of Ska Ep 166: Daraka Larimore-Hall (The Adjusters)
March 20, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBAfter forming in 1995, The Adjusters quickly made a name for themselves in the bustling Chicago scene for their blend of ska and soul, as well as their intensely political edge. Over time, the group has only gotten more and more active. Lead vocalist Daraka Larimore-Hall joins In Defense of Ska this week to dive into the band's history, their overtly socialist politics, and the direction ska took in the '90s. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. The Adjusters may not have ever been chart-...
In Defense of Ska Ep 165: Mutiny (Efrem Schulz, Chris Ruckus, Mike Cambra
March 13, 2024 08:00 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBOn this week's episode of In Defense of Ska, members of ska supergroup Mutiny -- Efrem Schulz, Chris Ruckus, and Mike Cambra -- discuss the project and its connection to their other bands. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Let's get one thing straight -- ska needs more supergroups. Aside from Rude Girl Revue and Kilograms, they're surprisingly hard to come by. Luckily, Mutiny is here to remidy that! The group features members of Death By Stereo, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Dissidente, Manic Hi...
In Defense of Ska Ep 164: Call Me Malcom (Lucias Malcolm & Mark Farthing)
March 06, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBIt's no secret that ska music is alive and well, and not just in the United States. On this episode of in defense of ska, English ska-punks Call Me Malcolm join to chat about the current scene, the band's history, and their new album Echoes and Ghosts. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. Starting from the beginning, guitarist/vocalist Lucias Malcolm and saxophonist/vocalist Mark Farthing chat about the origins of the group, why they write songs with titles like “John Feldmann’s ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 163: Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties)
February 28, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBOn this week's episode of In Defense of Ska, Illuminati Hotties creative force Sarah Tudzin discusses how her ska roots continue to inform her current artistic output. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. The artist grew up going to punk and ska shows in Southern California, and the influence of such experiences continues to have a major influence on her work. Look no further than her recent collaboration with JER, as she provided guest vocals for Skatune Network's cover of Pain'...
Behind The Curtain: An Interview with Ska Superfan Michelle Ska
February 26, 2024 09:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBMichelle Ska has been to a lot of ska shows. Like A LOT! So many that she's kind of famous in ska circles for being a hardcore, supportive fan. She also went through one of the most harrowing natural disasters of recent time: The 2023 Lahaina Wildfire. We brought her on to talk about ska and give us the full story of what it was like to survive the Lahaina Wildfire. Please consider purchasing the Black Sand Relief album to support Michelle and the People of Maui. If you’d like to suppor...
In Defense of Ska Ep 162: Deals Olan (Out Of Control Army, Tijuana No, The Toasters, Bad Manners, Maskatesta)
February 21, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 66.5 MBThis week, In Defense of Ska heads outside of the United States to dive into the massive ska scene in Mexico. Joined by Jose “Deals” Olan, an experienced musician and promoter in Mexico, the crew explores the fans of the region, the massive festivals, and more. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. Olan first cut his teeth by playing saxophone in several bands, and now fronts his own group, Out of Control Army. Right around that same time he launched that project, he also booked h...
In Defense of Ska Ep 161: Adam Pfahler (Jawbreaker, J Church, Whysall Lane)
February 14, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 92 MBThis week on In Defense of Ska, Jawbreaker drummer Adam Pfahler discuss his long-time love of ska, the band existing as a touchstone for future emo bands, and battling notions of selling out when touring with Nirvana. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. As far as bands go, Jawbreaker have quite the story. They've influenced a multiple generations of emo musicians, were called sellouts for signing to a major label, and played a reunion show at Riot Fest that had infinitely more p...
In Defense of Ska Ep 160: Daniel Rachel (Too Much Too Young, Don’t Look Back In Anger, Walls Come Tumbling Down)
February 07, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBThis week on In Defense of Ska, author Daniel Rachel discuss his book, Too Much Too Young -- The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. Rachel tells the story of how 2 tone spread all over the world. While many of the scene's bands were largely cult artists outside of England, they planted seeds for new, important ska scenes around the world. In celebration of how socially 2 tone's sonic and political impor...
In Defense of Ska Ep 159: Norwood Fisher (Fishbone, Trulio Disgracias)
January 31, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 80.7 MBFew American bands have had such an influence on ska music like Fishbone. This week, In Defense of Ska does their second episode on the group, this time featuring bassist Norwood Fisher. Listen to Fisher and the hosts talk about their upcoming tour with GZA, the band's career, and more in the episode below. You can also follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here. Fisher gets into the nitty-gritty of Fishbone's s...
Behind The Curtain: The Real History of Chicken Tenders with Former IDOS Guest Nick Lavallee TEASER
January 26, 2024 09:00 - 9 minutes - 8.48 MBOn this special teaser of In Defense of Ska, season 1 guest Nick Lavallee returns to tell the story of getting Manchester — his hometown — recognized as the Chicken Tender Capital of the World. Listen to the teaser, and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of Ska wherever you get your podcasts. Learn about who invented the chicken tenders, how different they are from the way fast food/diners make them, and get the low-down on where to get some of these OG tendies. If y...
In Defense of Ska Ep 158: Craig of the Creek (Jeff Rosenstock & Ben Levin)
January 24, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 97.3 MBMusician and composer Jeff Rosentsock and show-creator Ben Levin join In Defense of Ska to chat about the music behind Craig of the Creek. Both products of ska-punk love, the series' music skanks pretty hard, and that's no accident. The two also get into it about Rancid, ska-tastic collaborations, and dealing with stress. Listen to Ben Levin and Jeff Rosenstock chat about ska, Craig of the Creek, Rancid, and more above. You can also follow the series wherever you get your podcast, or get ea...
In Defense of Ska Ep 157: P-Nut (311): Bob Marley, Jordan Morris' Bubble, and Eric Andre's Sketch
January 17, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBThis is the first episode of our 4th season, and it’s our first as part of the Consequence Podcast Network. So that means, we had to go big this week. We brought the one and only P-Nut on the show. That’s right, the bass player for 311. Today we talk about how 311’s journey overlapped with the rise of ska in the 90s, and how the group existed in a space adjacent to the music. But it makes sense. The group is influenced by ska and reggae, amongst other genres of music. So, P-Nut follows us ...
In Defense of Ska Joins the Consequence Podcast Network!
January 11, 2024 09:00 - 1 minute - 1.49 MBIf you thought 2023 was an awesome year, get ready for 2024! In Defense of Ska is excited to announce that we have joined the Consequence Podcast Network. "Inspired by Carnes best-selling, soon-to-be-expanded book of the same name, In Defense of Ska joins the CPN in time for its fourth season. With new episodes arriving every Wednesday, the show delivers insightful conversations with ska legends, emerging artists, comedians, authors, and cultural figures who share their deep appreciation fo...
In Defense of Ska Ep 156: The Iron Roses (Nathan Gray & Becky Fontaine)
January 10, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 77.3 MBNathan Gray has played music with their band Boysetsfire for decades. But only once during the band’s run did they dabble in ska (“Deja Coup”). But that has completely changed now with Nathan’s new group, The Iron Roses, a joyful punk band with heavy doses of ska and reggae. The joy in the band is purposeful, a middle finger aimed at the rise in racism, homophobia, transphobia and fascism, making ska the perfect vehicle for the band’s message. This week we speak to Nathan and Iron Roses’ c...
In Defense of Ska Ep 155 Josh Fernandez (Author of “The Hands That Crafted The Bomb: The Making of a Lifelong Antifascist”)
January 03, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBDoes being a ska fan inherently make someone an antifascist? While this topic gets frequently debated among ska fans, it’s important to remember that antiracism and antifascism have long been an important part of the ska scene. The 2 Tone ska bands were explicit in their stance. They came up at a time when fascism was on the rise in England, and they dealt with nazi skinheads at their shows. And the bands (mostly) didn’t shy away from confronting these nazis and putting them in their place. ...
Behind The Curtain: 2023 in review with Mike Park & Chris Reeves TEASER
December 31, 2023 23:51 - 7 minutes - 6.91 MBPatreon Exclusive Bonus Episode! And it’s the episode of episodes. You won’t want to miss it! 2023 has been an awesome year. We've had Stewart Copeland, Fred Armisen, Bill Stevenson, Rhoda Dakar, Vic Ruggiero and a bunch of other amazing people. So, to talk about our year, we brought on the great Mike Park. Additionally, we asked our editor Chris Reeves to join the conversation as well. You will gain lots of insight into our guests and hear some secret (very Behind The Curtain) informatio...
In Defense of Ska Ep 154: Daniel Flores (Satélite Kingston, Manera Correcta De Gritar, Rolling Stone Argentina)
December 27, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBLos Fabulosos Cadillacs is one of the biggest ska bands in the world. They formed in Argentina in 1985 and continue to be a major global force in ska and in pop music in general. But Los Fabulosos didn’t evolve out of thin air. This week, we get a crash course on ska’s history in Argentina. To walk us through this fascinating history, we chat with musician and ska historian Daniel Flores. He plays in the Argentinian trad ska band Satélite Kingston, he is the chief editor at Rolling Stone Arg...
In Defense of Ska Ep 153: Anna Valenzuela (Comedy Central Roast Battle, 12 Questions, Murderpuss)
December 20, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 92.8 MBComedian Anna Valenzuela has gone to Fest for the past 3 years. She feels right at home there because she grew up going to punk and ska shows, and when she started comedy in 2014, she often performed on the same bills as punk bands. She got involved in LA’s roast battle scene in 2015 and even participated in the Comedy Central show Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle the following year. This week, we discuss the pockets of comedy in Anna’s world and see where they overlap with ska. Fest comes ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 152: Mikal Reich & Brendog (Mephiskapheles, Barbicide, The Shaved Pigs)
December 13, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 94.2 MBPeople are still fascinated by the idea of Satanic ska. So much that metal magazine Loudwire wrote an article in 2021 called “Satanic Ska is a Real Thing that Actually Exists.” The article was about Mephiskapheles, a New York ska band that formed in 1990. For their debut album, God Bless Satan, they created a unique sound that blended traditional ska rhythms with jazzy and experimental songwriting. As the band progressed, they got weirder and experimental. But what was the tone of group? W...
In Defense of Ska Ep 151: Mega Ran
December 06, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 73 MBNerdcore hip-hop entered mainstream consciousness in 2016 when a contestant on Jeopardy mentioned being a fan of the genre. Then, host Alex Trebek made a joke about fans of the genre being losers. Mega Ran, one of the main figures nerdcore (Hip-hop that focuses on video games, comic books, anime and other “nerd” topics) posted a diss back at Trebek. It quickly turned into a full on diss track with every major nerdcore rapper. At shows, Mega Ran had the audience shout, “Suck it Trebek!” Tod...
In Defense of Ska Ep 150: Nick Wiger (Doughboys, Get Played)
November 29, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBDoughboys is an extremely popular podcast. On it, hosts Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell discuss chain restaurants, while also chopping it up with different weekly guests, many of who are comedians. Doughboys is kind of a food podcast and kind of a comedy podcast. And it’s a lot of fun to listen to. It’s perfect because who doesn’t have strong opinions about chain restaurants like Taco Bell, Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Arby’s, and Outback Steakhouse? Avid Doughboys listeners have noticed...
In Defense of Ska Ep 149: Uli Bella (Ozomatli, Yeska)
November 22, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 73.2 MBOzomatli was formed in Los Angeles in 1995. Right out the gate, they blended a ton of styles: cumbia, funk, hip-hop, salsa. Within that mix, reggae and ska were also prominent ingredients since Day 1. They went all in with Jamaican-influenced music in 2017 with their record Nonstop: Mexico to Jamaica, a brilliant album where they cover popular Mexican and Mexican-American tunes from groups like Maná, Selena, Café Tacvba, and Julieta Venegas and transform them into awesome reggae/ska/rockstea...
In Defense of Ska Ep 148: Rob Bell and Gerry Lundquist (MU330, Skankin’ Pickle, Suzie Cue, Jeffy and the Sunken Heads, The Vulcaneers)
November 15, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 75.4 MBSt. Louis ska band MU330 was formed in 1988. Different members came and went through the course of their first two full-lengths, but by the time they went to record their 1997 masterpiece, Crab Rangoon, they locked in as a five-piece with Dan Potthast, Ted Moll, Chris Diebold, Rob Bell, and former Skankin’ Pickle trombonist Gerry Lundquist. That lineup hasn’t changed since. Most curious about this lineup is the horn section: Two slide trombones. Rather than lean into the high, peppy brass ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 147: Dan Ozzi (Author of Sellout)
November 08, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 81.8 MBAuthor Dan Ozzi’s 2021 book “Sellout” brilliantly profiled 11 punk/hardcore/emo bands that signed to a major label in the 90s/2000s (Green Day, Against Me, Jawbreaker, At The Drive-In). He showed minute details of the scenes these bands came from, how and why they signed to a major, and ultimately what impact making this jump had on them. What’s interesting is how differently each band was impacted by releasing a “sellout” record. We brought Dan Ozzi this week to search for signs of ska in...
Behind The Curtain: A Conversation with John DeDominici & Sean McCabe TEASER
November 03, 2023 08:00 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBThis is a critical historical conversation! Prepare to have your understanding of Bomb the Music Industry and Arrogant Sons of Bitches EXPANDED with this timeless interview with John DeDominici and Sean McCabe. Everyone know John DeDominici's important contribution to all of Jeff Rosenstock's projects. But what about Sean McCabe? Arguably the most important figure in the Jeff Rosenstock universe...yet he hides in the shadows! He is a secret no more. Listen to this episode and LEARN! All yo...
In Defense of Ska Ep 146: Flying Raccoon Suit (Jessica Jeansonne, Andrew Heaton)
November 01, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 75.1 MBHard Times recently declared Flying Raccoon Suit to be the best ska band out of Mississippi. But, as good as they are, they don’t have a lot of competition—they don’t live in an area filled with ska or punk bands. But part of their charm is this very thing—they bring different influences and life experiences to ska. This is especially apparent in their new highly diverse album, Moonflower, which was released on Bad Times Records on November 3rd. This week, we bring on FRS members Andrew Hea...
In Defense of Ska Ep 145: Stewart Copeland (The Police, Klark Kent)
October 25, 2023 08:00 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBThe Police exploded in the late 70s. By the early ’80s they were one of the biggest bands in the world with countless hits like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” They were classified as New Wave, but ska and reggae were prominent influences in their songs. Their popularity pre-dated the 2 Tone ska explosion. Nearly all of those bands—The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, The Bodysnatchers, Bad Manners—opened up for The Police at some point. Toda...
In Defense of Ska Ep 144: Pall Jenkins (Three Mile Pilot, The Black Heart Procession, Ugly Casanova, Mr. Tuba And The Flying Objects)
October 18, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 94.1 MBThe Black Heart Procession were one of the coolest indie rock bands in the 2000s. Creative songwriting, downer vibes and a general steering away from pop sensibilities while still maintaining catchy melodies. But before the band started to blow up in the indie scene, their singer Pall Jenkins fronted the band Three Mile Pilot, a struggling San Diego indie band that released Another Desert, Another Sea (1997), one of the greatest albums of all time (in the opinion of Aaron and Adam). Though n...
In Defense of Ska Ep 143: Hans Gruber and the Die Hards (Chris Thompson, Rosey Armstrong, Kurt Armstrong)
October 11, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 84 MBHans Gruber and the Die Hards came out of the pandemic swinging and ready to take over the ska scene. The band formed in 2014 in Austin, Texas, went through some lineup changes (A big lineup change a few years ago!) and then released their excellent record, With A Vengence, in May 2022 on SPI Records. They want to get the word out and have been touring as much as possible. The group mixes ska with furious hardcore, cumbia, silly singalongs, and whatever else they feel like throwing in the m...
In Defense of Ska Ep 142: Jon Wurster (The Mountain Goats, Superchunk, Bob Mould, Psychotic Norman)
October 04, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBJon Wurster played drums in Superchunk from the early 90s, but left the band earlier this year. He currently plays drums in The Mountain Goats and with Bob Mould. He also famously played the character Ronald Thomas Clontle on The Best Show with Tom Scharpling and declared that Madness invented ska! And Jon certainly jokes around about ska a lot, but when he was a teenager, he really loved the 2 Tone ska bands like The Specials and English Beat. He was also a big fan of The Hooters during t...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Supernova 2023 recap w/ Aaron & Adam
September 29, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.33 MBIDOS PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODE Supernova 2023 was an incredible experience! Amazing bands and just a lot of great people hanging out at the festival. It was the first time that we (both Aaron and Adam) got to experience this awesome festival. But also, we were heavily involved with the festival. For September's bonus episode, we discuss our Supernova experience with an after-the-fact conversation and a few field recordings from Supernova. Sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon to listen...
In Defense of Ska Ep 141: Western Standard Time Orchestra (Eitan Avineri & Jesse Wagner)
September 27, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 90.8 MBIn 2011, long time Southern California ska trumpet player Eitan Avineri had an idea. He wanted to blend traditional Jamaican ska with big band jazz. He assembled a crew of all the best players in LA's traditional ska scene, as well as some of his jazz friends, and re-arranged his favorite Skatalites tunes in a big band style. He called the project Western Standard Time Orchestra. And their first album was called Big Band Tribute To The Skatalites (Vol 1) Though Eitan would later discover th...
In Defense of Ska Ep 140: Bill Stevenson (The Descendants, All, Black Flag, The Blasting Room, Higley)
September 20, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 86.8 MBBill Stevenson is a punk rock legend. He's the drummer/only consistent member of The Descendants. He played in Black Flag, All and he owns/operates punk-friendly recording studio The Blasting Room. And while most bands that roll through The Blasting Room are punk, Bill has worked with several ska bands, including Mustard Plug, Kemuri, Suicide Machines, Less Than Jake and Big D and the Kids Table. Today we dig into Bill's connection to ska! But we talk about so much more, including recordin...
In Defense of Ska Ep 139: Jorge Pezzimenti (The Loving Paupers, The Pietasters, The Legwarmers, The Decepticonz)
September 13, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBThe Loving Paupers have a brand new album out. Ladders! Who are the Loving Paupers you ask, they are an amazing band that plays "Melancholy Roller Skating Rink Reggae," according to Jump Up Records's Chuck Wren. And you know what, he's exactly right. So today, we have on their guitarist/songwriter Jorge Pezzimenti. But we have so much more to talk about than just Loving Paupers' new Victor Rice produced album. We dive deep into Jorge's ska past with 90s ska-punk band The Decepticonz (as pr...
In Defense of Ska Ep 138: Steve Douglas (GWAR, The Resignators, Mud Helmut, Log, The Shiners)
September 06, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBThis week, we connect GWAR to ska. And this is a fun connection because GWAR's founding guitarist Steve Douglas is the current guitarist for the Australian ska band The Resignators. Yes, that's right. Steve is a ska musician with a GWAR past. Steve gives us many hilarious and jaw-dropping GWAR stories, including the early days in Death Piggy (the band that preceded GWAR), incidents with cat shit-filled pinatas, real cow's blood on stage, and how local Richmond, Virginia artist Hunter Jacks...
In Defense of Ska Ep 137: Open Mike Eagle
August 30, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBDoes rapper/podcaster Open Mike Eagle like ska? Well, when I brought up Fishbone, he immediately said that he loved the song "Unyielding Conditioning." Great! Now that that's out of the way, this week, we talk about a whole lot of other topics with the great OME including AJJ, They Might Be Giants, MF Doom, Adventure Time, and he has a fantastic Angelo Moore story! With AJJ specifically, we discuss what it's like to tour with the group, how he exercises on the road, and Adam even forces hi...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: I Worked at Asian Man Records w/ Lazlo Happenstance
August 25, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBWe continue on with our new PATREON-EXCLUSIVE series: I Worked At Asian Man Records. Another brave soul, Lazlo Happenstance, confesses to us Behind The Curtain what it was like to work for the one and only Mike Park. And this episode gets JUICY! Make sure you're properly hydrated before you click play on THIS episode! Go to our Patreon to listen to the entire episode NOW! If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 136: Ian Fowles (The Aquabats!, Death By Stereo)
August 23, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBThe time has finally come! We have landed an Aquabat on the In Defense of Ska podcast. Not just any Aquabat, but EagleBones Falconhawk! Or as he's known when he's not busy with his superhero duties, Ian Fowles. We get into the Aquabats! history with Ian, including his personal story with the group, the mythology of his character and what it was like to work on Yo Gabba Gabba! and The Aquabats! Super Show! Many names were dropped in this conversation, including Weird Al Yankovic, Jack Black...
In Defense of Ska Ep 135: Sam Grinberg (The Simpsons, Scumburbia)
August 16, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 74.3 MBArtist Sam Grinberg started interning with The Simpsons in 2014. It turned into an actual job shortly after--a dream job! He joins us today to discuss the popular show, its possible ska connections and his own history with the genre. He's got a lot of history with ska. Sam grew up in New Jersey and used to go see tons of bands like Streetlight Manifesto and local legends Awful Waffle. He even drops some super obscure local ska band names on us like Stolen Oregano, Explosive Sheep, and The ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 134: Popes of Chillitown (Matthew Conner, Arvin Bancil, Thiago Trosso)
August 09, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 79.7 MBThe UK has a long history of producing interesting, eclectic ska bands. And this tradition continues to this day. Today we bring on Popes of Chillitown, an excellent UK band that formed in the early 2010s and just released their 4th record, Take A Picture. The band mixes ska, punk, metal, grime, hip-hop, drum n bass and anything else they feel like into catchy, energetic tunes. On Take A Picture, they go a little heavier and get even more diverse than any prior record. We talk about a lot,...
In Defense of Ska Ep 133: Scott Klopfenstein (Reel Big Fish, The Littlest Man Band, Nuckle Brothers, The Scholars)
August 02, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 96.7 MBReel Big Fish was one of the biggest ska-punk bands in the late 90s. Their success was launched by the success of their single "Sell Out." In 1997, the song started to explode while Reel Big Fish was on tour as the opening act for Let's Go Bowling and The Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Midway through the tour, they were promoted to headliner. To this day, Scott still feels weird and kind of guilty about it. But there have been a lot more weird moments during Reel Big Fish's career, which Scott sh...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: I Worked at Asian Man Records w/ Skylar Suorez
July 28, 2023 10:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBIn a brand new PATREON EXCLUSIVE In Defense of Ska series, we speak with former employees of Asian Man Records to get the DIRT on Mike Park. It gets juicy behind the curtain. Our guests feel comfortable spilling the tea because Mike Park IS NOT a Patreon Subscriber so he'll never hear this! This month, we chat with Skylar Suorez who worked at Asian Man from 2005 - 2011. Skylar's other big claim to fame is that he discovered AJJ!!!!! To listen to the ENTIRE episode, sign up to the In Defens...
In Defense of Ska Ep 132: Sadie Dupuis (Speedy Ortiz, Sad13)
July 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBThe first CD Sadie Dupuis saved up her own money to purchase was "Let's Face It" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The first concert she begged her mom to take her to was No Doubt. And on a recent NPR segment, Sadie talked about the huge influence The Selecter's Pauline Black had on her. Pauline, through example, taught her that music could be a political tool These days Sadie plays in the indie-rock band Speedy Ortiz, and she also releases music under the moniker Sad13. But she hasn't forgot...
In Defense of Ska Ep 131: Fred Reiter (New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, The Toasters, The Scofflaws, The N.Y. Citizens)
July 19, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.5 MBThis week we explore Ska-Jazz. Specifically, we talk to Fred Reiter (aka Rocksteady Freddie), the band leader of the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. And we aim to understand the difference between the jazz-influenced traditional ska sound and ska-jazz. Fred gives us a simple explanation and a more complex technical explanation. But Fred also talks about his entire personal history in music: He studied jazz in high school--clarinet, flute and saxophone. He played the sax in a variety of bands i...
In Defense of Ska Ep 130: Tom May (The Menzingers, Bob And The Sagets)
July 12, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBWhile it's an undeniable fact that most musicians have ska roots, Tom May of The Menzingers has an entire, elaborate ska past. Before forming The Menzingers in 2006, Tom spent a solid 4 years playing in the Scranton, Pennsylvania ska band Bob and the Sagets. During the early 2000s, Bob and the Sagets (and another band, Lester) were the big local ska bands in Scranton. Tom speaks to us this week about Bob and the Sagets. We talk about the Scranton scene, including venues like Cafe Del Sol a...
In Defense of Ska Ep 129: Joe Genaro (The Dead Milkmen, The Low Budgets, Joe Jack Talcum, Touch Me Zoo)
July 05, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.8 MBThe Dead Milkmen were odd ducks in Philadelphia's 1980s hardcore scene. They played really fast, but with a clean guitar channel, and wrote satirical--often strange and very imaginative--lyrics. It felt like they were almost a ska band. And in fact, they did have a few ska songs in their set like "If You Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire," "Little Man In My Head," "Gorilla Girl," and a cover of The Specials' "A Message To You, Rudy." Today, we bring on Dead Milkmen guitarist Joe Genaro. We t...