In Defense of Ska
292 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 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 93: Stop The Presses (Ali Culotta, Danny Portilla, Karole Alexander)
October 26, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBNew York's Stop The Presses were all set to hit the road hard in March 2020. The day they scheduled to leave, New York went into lockdown. So instead, they hunkered down and made an excellent pandemic record, Got It, released on September 29 on Jump Up Records. The group showcases their uniquely dreamy and washy ska-pop sound, rooted in an aesthetic that takes its vibe from the 1960s-1980s, in all its reverb and space echo-y goodness. On today's episode, we interview three members of Stop T...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: What Makes a Good Band Name (Teaser)
October 22, 2022 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBFor October's Patreon exclusive bonus episode, we talk about SKA BAND NAMES. You know, that thing that everyone makes fun of. Well, over here at In Defense of Ska, we decided it was time to have an impartial evaluation of every major ska band's name. We brought on our editor, Chris Reeves for this conversation. And we even judge our own band names too, just to be fair. Sign up to the IDOS Patreon to listen! If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with b...
In Defense of Ska Ep 92: Kevin Lyman (Vans Warped Tour)
October 19, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 64 MBIn 1995, promoter Kevin Lyman launched The Warped Tour. The first year's lineup was an eclectic mix of bands from the 90s (including No Doubt and Sublime). In subsequent years, it gained a reputation as a punk rock festival, though the lineups always remained diverse. And ska was always a component, even during the 2000s and 2010s. Some years, Lyman booked a bunch of ska bands. 1998 included The Specials, Hepcat, Pietasters, Skavoovie and the Epitones, and more. On today's episode, we talk ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 91: Obi Fernandez (Westbound Train, The Inevitables, Day 19)
October 12, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 81.5 MBIn 2006, Boston ska band Westbound Train played the Summer of Ska tour, followed by the Fall of Ska tour. Between the two tours, they played with Suburban Legends, Big D & The Kids Table, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto--all ska-punk bands. Westbound Train plays traditional ska, rocksteady and early reggae, with a hint of soul. The group, which formed in 2001 in Boston, has always been a ska band out of time. Not only did they form after the 90s ska boom, but the...
In Defense of Ska Ep 90: Eugene Hütz (Gogol Bordello, Everything is Illuminated)
October 05, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 86.5 MBGogol Bordello plays a mix of different genres (Punk, Romani folk, Latin rock, polka), though hints of ska can be found all over their songs. Frontman Eugene Hütz calls it "ska without doing ska" and says he almost doesn't think about the ska elements since he sees ska as so closely linked to punk music. But on Gogol Bordello's latest album, Solidaritine, the ska elements are more overt than ever before. The reason: their new drummer Korey "Kingston" Horn has an impressive ska resume (Aggr...
In Defense of Ska Ep 89: Shawn Harris (The Matches, The Locals)
September 28, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 83.2 MBThe Matches played catchy pop-punk in the 2000s, a time when catchy pop-punk bands could be top 40 pop stars. They worked their asses off, were courted by major labels, but never reached pop stardom. Though the band did mean a lot to a ton of people. They built community around their music and made sincere connections with their fans. And they have ska roots. The band formed in 1997 as The Locals. Inspired by Rancid, they originally played a blend of punk rock and ska-punk. They also looke...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: IDOS Tour Diary TEASER
September 23, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 7.13 MBThe first official In Defense of Ska tour was a huge success. We traveled along the west coast with Mustard Plug, Buck-O-Nine and Omnigone. Aaron Carnes opened the show with a reading from his book, In Defense of Ska. We got to meet many of YOU wonderful people and dance to SKA music every night! We also kept an audio diary of the tour. Listen now! But THIS is just a teaser. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, sign up to our Patreon. It is quite the JOURNEY! If you’d like to support...
In Defense of Ska Ep 88: Folly (Arben Colaku and Jon Tummillo)
September 21, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 86.3 MBAfter the '90s, skacore got a lot heavier. One of the reasons for this was Sussex, New Jersey band Folly, who took the heaviest elements of hardcore, metalcore and mixed it with ska. They also did so in a way that emphasized the genres similarities, as opposed to their differences. Though the band struggled to find a significant audience in the 2000s, they would find that years after they broke up, not only did they have an obvious impact on newer, younger bands, but they suddenly fit in wit...
In Defense of Ska Ep 87: Chris Cresswell (The Flatliners, Hot Water Music)
September 14, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 76.6 MBToronto, Canada had a raging ska scene in the mid-2000s. It included ska bands like Hebrew School Dropouts, Suzy Jacuzzi and the Hottubs, and Five Across The Eye. It also included PUP singer Stefan Babcock's former ska band Stop Drop N Skank. But there was one band, The Flatliners, who would go on to sign to Fat Wreck Chords and make a name for themselves in the punk scene. But when they started, they played intense ska-punk. A brutal, aggressive mix of Suicide Machines, Kid Dynamite, Agains...
In Defense of Ska Ep 86: Against All Authority (Danny Lore, Joe Koontz, Spikey Goldbach)
September 07, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 99 MBIn 1992, Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Florida. Prior to the hurricane, bassist Danny Lore was playing in the punk band Grover Snatch. But the hurricane caused some members to move away. Rather than replace them, he decided to start a new ska influenced punk band: Against All Authority. For months they practiced acoustically--there was no power in South Miami for a while. And as the band got going, they booked their own shows at the Kitchen Club in Coconut Grove. No one else would. Besides,...
In Defense of Ska Ep 85: Turner Sparks (Lost In America, Double Happiness)
August 31, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 76.2 MBComedian Turner Sparks has a new comedy album out on September 30th. It's called Double Happiness. And yes, it's no coincidence that it is literally the same title as Slow Gherkin's debut album. Turner was a huge ska fan growing up. And he wanted his record's title to give a wink to the ska scene. In fact, not only did he attend wild ska shows in Sacramento at Capitol Garage, BoJangles, El Dorado Saloon, and the Crest Theater, but he also had his own band: Fat Kids On Mopeds. Oh and one of ...
In Defense of SKa Behind The Curtain: Ska in Comedy w/ Brandie Posey & Ian Fidance TEASER
August 26, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.26 MBLots of comedians love to make fun of ska. And TV shows are now required to have at least ONE ska joke per season! But what do comedians that ACTUALLY LIKE ska think of all these ska jokes? We brought on the two MOST SKA comedians out there right now! And both have been on the podcast before: Brandie Posey and Ian Fidance. Now listen to them AT THE SAME TIME! This is only a teaser. To hear the entire episode, sign up for our Patreon Do it now! What are you waiting for? Don't you want to s...
In Defense of Ska Ep 84: Victor Rice (The Scofflaws, New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, Easy Star All-Stars, Firebug)
August 24, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 95.8 MBVictor Rice studied music at Manhattan School of Music intending to be a New York City session bass player. That is until he got talked into joining The Scofflaws in 1988. From that point forward, he became immersed in the world of ska. In fact, after doing a fantastic job producing The Scofflaws' first album, Bucket started hiring him to produce Moon Ska albums. He produced Skavoovie and The Epitones' Ripe, The Pietasters' Oolooloo, The Slackers' Better Late Than Never and The Adjusters' Be...
In Defense of Ska Ep 83: Vi Viana (Gutless)
August 17, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 53.4 MBEarlier this year Vi Viana released her first ska song in years. The song, "Burning The Bridge," (by her band Gutless) is a serious song about coping with trauma and abuse and features Jer on horns. One of the reasons she wrote the song was to push back on people's (false) idea that ska is silly music. Vi has been a fan of ska since she was a child. She was born and raised in northeast Brazil. Her mom introduced her to the music via The Specials and Brazilian bands like Os Paralamas do Suc...
In Defense of Ska Ep 83: Vi Viana (Gutless)
August 17, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBEarlier this year Vi Viana released her first ska song in years. The song, "Burning The Bridge," (by her band Gutless) is a serious song about coping with trauma and abuse and features Jer on horns. One of the reasons she wrote the song was to push back on people's (false) idea that ska is silly music. Vi has been a fan of ska since she was a child. She was born and raised in northeast Brazil. Her mom introduced her to the music via The Specials and Brazilian bands like Os Paralamas do Suce...
In Defense of Ska Ep 82: Horacio Blanco (Desorden Público)
August 10, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.3 MBIn the 80s, when Horacio Blanco was only 14 years old, a friend showed him a poorly dubbed cassette of The Specials' debut album. Even though it was hard to make out, when "A Message To You, Rudy" came on, his mind was blown. What is this music? In no time, he and his friends vowed to show everyone they knew in their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela ska music. First in the form of minitecas (mobile sound systems) and then form their newly formed band, Desorden Público, which would become Venez...
In Defense of Ska Ep 82: Horacio Blanco (Desorden Público)
August 10, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 88.6 MBIn the 80s, when Horacio Blanco was only 14 years old, a friend showed him a poorly dubbed cassette of The Specials' debut album. Even though it was hard to make out, when "A Message To You, Rudy" came on, his mind was blown. What is this music? In no time, he and his friends vowed to show everyone they knew in their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela ska music. First in the form of minitecas (mobile sound systems) and then form their newly formed band, Desorden Público, which would become Venez...
In Defense of Ska Ep 81: Chas Palmer-Williams (Lightyear)
August 03, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 92 MBIn the late '90s, a new ska-punk scene was bubbling up in the UK that would last until the mid-2000s. This scene would be defined by groups like Capdown, Sonic Boom Six, Adequate Seven, Five Knuckle and the record label Household Name Records. One of the earliest groups to form in this scene was a band from Derby called Lightyear--and they were the craziest groups from this scene. Defined by copious on (and off) stage nudity, Morris dancing, pantomime horses and never-ending pranks and she...
In Defense of Ska Ep 80: Jake Matter (Ska or Nah, Grey Matter)
July 27, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBJake Matter thought it was a good idea to start tweeting at celebrities to see if they liked ska or not. Surprisingly, quite a few answered. While most said yes, some did not, like Converge, who told him "Fuck No!" This exchange went viral and earned the Ska or Nah Twitter account 3,000 new followers in under 8 hours, and an article in Loudwire. Several of the people that Ska Or Nah has tweeted at have been on this very podcast, and their responses have served as part of our research for t...
In Defense of Ska Ep 80: Jake Matter (Ska or Nah, Grey Matter)
July 27, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 49.4 MBJake Matter thought it was a good idea to start tweeting at celebrities to see if they liked ska or not. Surprisingly, quite a few answered. While most said yes, some did not, like Converge, who told him "Fuck No!" This exchange went viral and earned the Ska or Nah Twitter account 3,000 new followers in under 8 hours, and an article in Loudwire. Several of the people that Ska Or Nah has tweeted at have been on this very podcast, and their responses have served as part of our research for t...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Punk Podcast Summit TEASER (Unscripted Moments: A Podcast about Propagandi, On The Impossible Pod, As You Were: A Podcast About Alkaline Trio)
July 22, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBOn this special BONUS episode, we chat with a trio of punk podcasters: Greg Soden (Unscripted Moments: A podcast about Propagandhi), Cheska Colombo (On The Impossible Pod), David Anthony (As You Were: A podcast about Alkaline Trio) To listen to the entire episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon at www.patreon.com/indefenseofska If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! If you like our theme song, go dow...
In Defense of Ska Ep 79: AJJ (Sean Bonnette & Ben Gallaty)
July 20, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.5 MBFolk-punk duo AJJ was playing Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland when they were approached by a guy named Skylar Suorez who was angling for some free records. Skylar told the Phoenix group that he worked at Asian Man Records. The group was excited at the prospect of being on the same label that released groups like Ten In The Swear Jar, Shinobu and copious ska albums. Shortly after, Asian Man signed them. On this episode, we bring on Sean and Ben from AJJ and dissect their ska roots. Ben is a much ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 79: AJJ (Sean Bonnette & Ben Gallaty)
July 20, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBFolk-punk duo AJJ was playing Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland when they were approached by a guy named Skylar Suorez who was angling for some free records. Skylar told the Phoenix group that he worked at Asian Man Records. The group was excited at the prospect of being on the same label that released groups like Ten In The Swear Jar, Shinobu and copious ska albums. Shortly after, Asian Man signed them. On this episode, we bring on Sean and Ben from AJJ and dissect their ska roots. Ben is a much ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 78: Dunia Best (Agent 99, Dunia and Aram, Brave New Girl, Dubistry, Rude Girl Revue)
July 13, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.6 MBDunia Best was a member of the very first incarnation of The Slackers. And after she left the band, she took a song she'd hope would be a Slackers song, "Walk," and started playing it acoustically. A friend suggested she could start her own band. That band, Agent 99 (1993-1995) played all over New York with No Commercial Value (Scott Sturgeon's first band), The Slackers, as well as punk and funk bands. Though Agent 99 was short-lived, many great musicians came through, like Ara Babajian (T...
In Defense of Ska Ep 77: Jon Daly (Those Who Can't, Kroll Show, Bob's Burgers, Big Mouth, Family Guy)
July 06, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.4 MBRecently, comedian Jon Daly noticed there was a cruise line with some 90s ska bands as its entertainment. It got him thinking...what if ska came back, and it was from a ska cruise. This silly thought inspired him to write the song, "Bring Back Ska," which is featured on his new musical comedy album, Ding Dong Delicious. This isn't Jon's only run-in with ska. He also played Skaat, the lead singer of Skaffirmative Action, on the TV show Those Who Can't. His band is played by members of The A...
In Defense of Ska Ep 76: Josh Jurk (School Drugs, Awful Waffle, Uncle Peckerhead, The Jurks)
June 29, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 77.2 MBEarlier this year, when New Jersey ska band Awful Waffle decided to reunite for the Ska Mom Memorial show, they needed a drummer. So they called up School Drugs frontman Josh Jurk to see if he'd fill those shoes. He was reluctant to play ska drums--he didn't have a lot of experience. But paying tribute to Leslie Brown (ie Ska Mom) was important to him so he said yes. Today we talk with Josh, whose ska credits also include playing bass on one Best of the Worst tour, starring in the Slapstick...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Interviewing the Ska Kids
June 24, 2022 10:00 - 3 minutes - 3.62 MBWhat's it like to be raised by a ska parent? We ask co-host Adam Davis' kids and find out. Give a listen to this month's bonus episode with Thomas and James Davis. This is only a teaser though. If you want to hear the entire episode, sign up for our Patreon. You will have access to the entire episode and a bunch of additional Patreon-exclusive content. If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! If you like our theme...
In Defense of Ska Ep 75: Brandie Posey (Lady to Lady Podcast, The Worst Year In My Life, Pick It Up - Ska in the '90s)
June 22, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBComedian Brandie Posey has been evangelizing about ska as long as people have been listening to her speak. In fact, some of her earliest comedy influences came from watching Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake goof around during their shows. The comedian, who is celebrating her 14th year in comedy, regularly performs at Fest, co-hosts the popular Lady to Lady podcast, and has an album out on cassette called Opinion Cave. On today's episode we discuss Ronald Reggae, the ska playlist she made fo...
In Defense of Ska Ep 74: Mephiskapheles (Andre A. Worrell, Michael Bitz, Greg Robinson)
June 15, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBLast year, Loudwire published an article with the headline, "Satanic Ska is a Real Thing That Actually Exists." The satanic ska band they were referring to was New York-based Mephiskapheles. And the band has existed for over thirty years. But mixing ska music and tongue-in-cheek Satanic imagery is only one attribute that distinguished the group from their 90s ska peers. Their music was unlike any other group. On their debut album, God Bless Satan, they mixed traditional ska drums & Skatalit...
In Defense of Ska Ep 73: Dane Roberts (Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival)
June 08, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MBIn the summer of 2000, ska was on the decline in the US, but up in Victoria, Canada, it was as popular as ever. Local promoter Dane Roberts--who'd been throwing ska shows for a few years--decided to throw a full-on ska festival. It was in part a tribute to Mathew Bishop, the man that introduced him to ska (he'd died from a mountain climbing accident two years earlier), and it was Dane's final college assignment. If the festival made money, he passed. If it didn't, he failed. The first year...
In Defense of Ska Ep 72: John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats, The Extra Lens, The Comedians, The Bloody Hawaiians)
June 01, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 71.7 MBWhen ska band Sad Snack recorded a ska version of The Mountain Goats' beloved "No Children," Mountain Goats singer-songwriter John Darnielle got so excited, that he invited the group to open for them at their San Francisco show. It was all hands on deck for Ska No Children. And during Sad Snack's performance, John and other members of the group got on stage and skanked. It was clear that it wasn't his first time skanking. And indeed, he went to many ska shows and skanked during his formati...
In Defense of Ska Ep 71: Bruce Lee Band (Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock)
May 25, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBDuring Skankin' Pickle's run, Mike Park had so many songs, he tapped Less Than Jake to record an album with him. He called it The Bruce Lee Band. This record was released in 1995. A decade later, The Bruce Lee Band returned with Beautiful World, this time backed by RX Bandits. But then, nearly a decade later, The Bruce Lee Band became a solid group with Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock, Dan Potthast and Kevin Higuchi (Though Mike Huguenor was involved in the two 2014 records). They've put out sev...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Live Shows During Covid
May 20, 2022 10:00 - 6 minutes - 6.21 MBOn May 13, Adam performed a killer set inside the Ivy Room in Albany, CA, main support for Voodoo Glow Skulls. He brought me up on stage to dance for the duration of one song (The only time I was mask-free inside the venue). The next day I found out I was exposed to Covid a few days earlier. On this very special episode, I take a Covid test and read the results LIVE as they come in. Also Adam and I talk about the Voodoo show show and the complexities of playing live music in the era of Cov...
In Defense of Ska Ep 70: Blue Meanies (Billy Spunke, Sean Dolan)
May 18, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 81.2 MBIn the late '90s, someone asked Blink-182's Tom DeLonge if he wanted to go see The Blue Meanies perform. Both bands happened to be in Australia at the same time. His response: "Are they still scaring kids?" The answer was obviously yes, so Tom passed. The Blue Meanies formed in 1989 in Carbondale, Illinois by Jay Vance, who would later start the avant-garde project Captured By Robots. The Blue Meanies started as a Fishbone-style party band, but when they relocated to Chicago a few years la...
In Defense of Ska Ep 70: Blue Meanies (Billy Spunke, Sean Dolan)
May 18, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBIn the late '90s, someone asked Blink-182's Tom DeLonge if he wanted to go see The Blue Meanies perform. Both bands happened to be in Australia at the same time. His response: "Are they still scaring kids?" The answer was obviously yes, so Tom passed. The Blue Meanies formed in 1989 in Carbondale, Illinois by Jay Vance, who would later start the avant-garde project Captured By Robots. The Blue Meanies started as a Fishbone-style party band, but when they relocated to Chicago a few years lat...
In Defense of Ska Ep 69: Pook (Pookout Records, Beat the Red Light, Redeemon, Lightyear, The Filaments)
May 11, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBThere was a big ska revival in the UK from around 2000 to 2005. Pook was playing music back then, but when the scene started to crater, he kept on playing. He would even fully realize his vision of combining extreme metal with ska, which you can hear in his groups Beat The Red Light and Redeemon. We're talking Sepultura and Lamb of God style metal mixed with ska. Pook also runs a record label called Pookout Records. It started as a means to distribute records into the UK but has since beco...
In Defense of Ska Ep 68: Coolie Ranx (Pilfers, The Toasters, Grand Theft Auto IV)
May 04, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBIn the early '90s, Coolie Ranx had his eyes set on being a dancehall star. That is until a friend dared him to audition to be The Toasters' new vocalist. He got the gig, and off to Europe he went (Though, a little uncomfortable with the Mohawk, spike-studded punks that came to these shows). He quit Toasters, but eventually came back and joined the group just before they did the Skavoovee tour, along with The Special Beat, The Selecter, and The Skatalites. At the time, Coolie was so entrenche...
In Defense of Ska Ep 68: Coolie Ranx (Pilfers, The Toasters, Grand Theft Auto IV)
May 04, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 88.1 MBIn the early '90s, Coolie Ranx had his eyes set on being a dancehall star. That is until a friend dared him to audition to be The Toasters' new vocalist. He got the gig, and off to Europe he went (Though, a little uncomfortable with the Mohawk, spike-studded punks that came to these shows). He quit Toasters, but eventually came back and joined the group just before they did the Skavoovee tour, along with The Special Beat, The Selecter, and The Skatalites. At the time, Coolie was so entrenche...
In Defense of Ska Ep 67: Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem, The Horrible Crowes, Lanemeyer, Molly and the Zombies)
April 27, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 63.1 MBLast year, singer/songwriter Brian Fallon tweeted that Slackers lead singer Vic Ruggiero is "one of the greatest songwriters and lyricists of our time." This isn't the only time that Brian tweeted about his love for ska during the pandemic. We've seen him praise Mike Park, Catbite and express his love for New York band The Abruptors' ska cover of his song "Forget Me Not." On today's episode of In Defense of Ska, we dig into Brian's past and learn about how he discovered ska, why Asian Man ...
In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: The Weirdest Ska Band Ever? with Chris Ruckus (Dissidente) and Duck (Joystick) TEASER
April 22, 2022 10:00 - 8 minutes - 7.56 MBBefore Chris Ruckus was in Dissidente...before Duck was in Joystick....they played in the weirdest ska band of all time: Cryptorchid Chipmunk. Listen to our conversation with them about this peculiar ska band, where the performance was just as unhinged as the music. To listen to the complete episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! If you like our theme song, go ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 66: Ara Babajian (The Slackers, Leftover Crack, Agent 99, Star Fucking Hipsters, The World/Inferno Friendship Society)
April 20, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 68.9 MBWhen drummer Ara Babajian joined The Slackers in 2003, Vic Ruggiero and David Hillyard had to teach him how to correctly play a traditional ska beat, which they did by handing him key records to listen to, and by singing ska beats at him. Ara wasn't new to ska. He'd played in several bands like Agent 99 and Leftover Crack. But The Slackers approached ska with a greater emphasis on hitting that Jamaican groove just right, so he had to up his game. He may have come to the band with little expe...
In Defense of Ska Ep 65: Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva, The Flight Attendant, Fire Island)
April 13, 2022 10:00 - 52 minutes - 48 MBIn the mid-90s, comedian Margaret Cho had a sitcom deal with ABC. She wanted to call it "The Margaret Cho Show" and to have Skankin' Pickle to write its theme song. But, the network wanted it to be called "All-American Girl," and they weren't keen on having a ska-punk band write its theme song. Skankin' Pickle singer/saxophonist Mike Park had already written the delightfully catchy song, "It's Margaret Cho." Since it wouldn't be playing on TV, he included it on Skankin' Pickle's third studio...
In Defense of Ska Ep 64: Stefan Babcock (PUP, Stop Drop N Skank)
April 06, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 65 MBIt would seem impossible for PUP to top their brilliant, cathartic 2019 record Morbid Stuff. But then, on April 1, they put out The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND, such a fantastic record, even Rivers Cuomo tweeted about it. In celebration of this awesome band releasing an awesome record, we brought on PUP singer Stefan Babcock on the show. But of course, we had to talk about ska. And there was a lot of ground to cover. For one thing, Stefan used to play in the ska band Stop Drop N Skank, who was...
In Defense of Ska Ep 63: Kmoy / Tape Girl
March 30, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBTwenty-five years ago, I would have never guessed that the bedroom recording aesthetic would eventually overlap with the ska scene. But, in 2022, you have Kmoy and Tape Girl, who are referring to their music as "Laptop Ska," which it turns out, is a great descriptor. Their recordings carry the lo-fi, compressed quality of 4-track indie-rock artists, but it somehow blends with these grandiose concepts and overdubs galore. Kmoy and Tape Girl are two separate projects. But they are best friend...
In Defense of Ska Behind the Curtain: Are The Police Ska? A debate between Middagh Goodwin (This is Ska) and Sean Dolan (Blue Meanies) TEASER!
March 25, 2022 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.54 MBAre The Police Ska? A heated debate between Middagh Goodwin (This is Ska) and Sean Dolan (The Blue Meanies) To listen to the FULL episode, head over the the In Defense of Ska Patreon If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan...
In Defense of Ska Ep 62: Eichlers
March 23, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBOne of the best things about ska is that it's such a flexible genre. You can mix it with soul music, black metal, or anything in-between. There have even been different artists that have mixed electronic music with ska over the years, but now Eichlers is taking the weirdo, Avante-Garde-meets-pop sensibilities of Hyperpop and using that as a foundation for what he's calling "Hyperska." What does hyperska (or even Hyperpop for that matter) sound like? You're going to have to listen to our int...
In Defense of Ska Ep 61: Derek Zanetti (Homeless Gospel Choir)
March 16, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.7 MBIn 2005, Derek Zanetti had an epiphany. He was a weirdo. He already knew that, but he had a hard time accepting it was ok to be a weirdo. That is until a friend told him that he was "never going to be normal because you're a punk." A few years later, Derek would start The Homeless Gospel Choir, a solo folk-punk project that would later go full-on punk rock. And in 2017, he would release the song "Normal," which touched on this moment in his life. Our guest today is Homeless Gospel Choir fro...
In Defense of Ska Ep 60: Rory Phillips (The Impossibles, The Stereo)
March 09, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 88 MBIn the 90s, there were hundreds of lesser-known ska bands that were amazing. Many of them were better than the bands getting radio and MTV play. On today's episode, we present one of them: The Impossibles from Austin, Texas. A band that seamlessly melded Op Ivy verses with Weezer choruses. Our guest today is Impossibles vocalist/guitarist Rory Phillips. We dig deep into the group's short time in Austin, where Gals Panic were local legends, and DIY spaces like Eco Action Warehouse hosted pun...
In Defense of Ska Ep 59: The Life and Times of Skatalities trombonist Don Drummond
March 02, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBSka forever changed the course of music. Not only in Jamaica, but all over the world. Many talented people were involved with its development in the late 50s/60s. But a lot of credit is owed to The Skatalites for perfecting and elevating the genre. Within the Skatalites camp, trombonist Don Drummond was incredibly important and influential. He wrote and/or arranged a majority of their songs. He also brought a somber vibe to the otherwise upbeat genre of music, often writing songs in minor ...
In Defense of Ska Ep 59: The Life and Times of Skatalites trombonist Don Drummond
March 02, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 69.9 MBSka forever changed the course of music. Not only in Jamaica, but all over the world. Many talented people were involved with its development in the late 50s/60s. But a lot of credit is owed to The Skatalites for perfecting and elevating the genre. Within the Skatalites camp, trombonist Don Drummond was incredibly important and influential. He wrote and/or arranged a majority of their songs. He also brought a somber vibe to the otherwise upbeat genre of music, often writing songs in minor k...