Shows
In Defense of SkaThe Exit Interview with Sammy KayOh, wait a minute! We have one more episode. Three-time IDOS guest Sammy Kay couldn’t let us walk away from the podcast without doing a proper exit interview. So this week, Sammy asks Adam and Aaron a bunch of questions about the podcast, what we think our legacy is, and gets some hot takes on ska from us. This is for reals the final episode. Until the next final episode. And the next next final episode and the next next next…Sign up for the IDOS Patreon to support us and hear our entire back...
2025-07-1639 min
In Defense of SkaThe Final episode w/ special guest Mike ParkWell, folks, this is it. You’ve made it to the end of the In Defense of Ska podcast. Nobody can say it wasn't a great four-and-a-half-year run of interviews, discussions, laughs, and hard-hitting ska journalism. Hosts Aaron Carnes and Adam Davis certainly had a blast, so join them as they celebrate the end of the series with special guest Mike Park. Listen now.Will there ever be more episodes of In Defense of Ska? It could happen, say Carnes and Davis. Though, for now, there’s not a soul on this planet that knows what the future h...
2025-07-091h 38
In Defense of Ska1 in 3000 nerds can’t be wrong: Interview with Janitors Against Apartheid’s Lodge WorsterThere were a lot of ska-punk bands in the ’90s. Perhaps, none were more out there than Northern CA’s Janitors Against Apartheid: A wild group that played hyper-fast ska and had a singer who sang about Punky Brewster and Little Caesar’s in a demented Kermit the Frog voice. And the stage show was completely unhinged. Usually, stuffed animals were getting destroyed. This week, we talk to the sax player (And later lead vocalist) Lodge Worster. We get insight into the band’s history, their transformation to The Adjustments, and we also discuss the punk TV script th...
2025-06-1857 min
In Defense of SkaThe story of Ska in New Orleans post-Katrina: A live panel at Hey CaféNew Orleans had a surprisingly big ska scene in the late 2000s. This caught the attention of In Defense of Ska host Aaron Carnes after he wrote the first edition of his book on the genre (also called In Defense of Ska). Today on the podcast, Carnes recaps and re-airs a recent panel he hosted in New Orleans about the era, touching on the bands o the time, the impact of Katrina, and more. Listen now.Carnes had previously caught up with the New Orleans band Bad Operation, speaking with them extensively about the city's music. Those conv...
2025-05-281h 27
In Defense of SkaThis Could Only Happen in England: A Conversation with Josh from The SkintsSka and reggae are global genres, but the specific region in which a band originates undeniably influences their sound. Case in point, the wonderful world of British ska. To explore the minutia of the subgenera, this episode of In Defense of Ska welcomes Josh Waters Rudge, guitarist and vocalist of The Skints. Listen now.The ska scene our friends across the pond cultivated take from such specific, niche influences that, as Rudge tells it, it could have only happened in England. Their take on reggae-ska comes from a unique blend of subcultures: early 2000s ska-punk, grime, garage, lov...
2025-01-2959 min
In Defense of SkaThe Beatles played ska? An analysis with Jorge Pezzimenti (Loving Paupers, Pietasters) and Jay Nugent (The Slackers)No question about it, The Beatles forever changed the face of music -- but that's a discussion for another day. This week on the In Defense of Ska, the crew instead wants to look at the iconic band's relationship with ska and Jamaican music. Listen to the hosts chat with Jorge Pezzimenti (of The Loving Paupers and formerly of The Pietasters) and Jay Nugent (of The Slackers) about The Beatles and ska.As seen in both the work of the group and the members' respective solo efforts, The Beatles weren't strangers to Jamaican-style rhythms. The In Defense of Sk...
2025-01-2253 min
In Defense of Ska60 Songs That Explain the '90s' Rob Harvilla on The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' "The Impression That I Get"Welcome to Season 5 of In Defense of Ska! After a quick break for the holidays, hosts Aaron Carnes and Adam Davis are back for even more ska-tastic interviews, conversations, and analysis. To kick off the new season, the crew invites music critic Rob Harvilla (of the 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s podcast) to chat about '90s music, ska erasure, and the songs that defined the 2000s. Listen now.As the host of 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s, Harvilla explored quite a few tunes that defined one of pop-culture's most beloved decades. And yet, despite re-upping to make the...
2025-01-1556 min
In Defense of SkaBehind The Curtain: In Defense of Ska Live in Portland TEASERHey Ya'll, Aaron is midway through his book tour for the expanded 2nd edition of In Defense of Ska. As he prepares for the next leg, he wanted to share a recording of his recent Portland event, which was at Rose City Book Pub, hosted by the one and only Jeff Burk. If you’d like to listen to the entire episode, sign up to the IDOS Patreon. If you want to catch Aaron on one of his upcoming dates on the 2nd half of my tour, they are listed here: Dec 5: Barnes & Nobl...
2024-12-0520 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 198: Aaron Carnes (Author of In Defense of Ska, Flat Planet, Fashion Police)This week on In Defense of Ska, the podcast gives the floor to host Aaron Carnes to chat about the newly released second edition of his book, In Defense of Ska: Ska Now More Than Ever Edition. Alongside co-host Adam Davis (Omnigone) and special guest host Tara Hahn of Half Past Two, Carnes dives into his history of the genre and more. Listen now.IDOS the book began in 2013, and Carnes goes through the whole history of planning and writing the tome. He also gives insight into the Ska Now More Than Ever Edition, from the writing proces...
2024-10-301h 46
In Defense of SkaBehind The Curtain: This Is New Tone Discussion Bonus Ep TeaserOn this special bonus episode of In Defense of Ska, hosts Adam Davis and Aaron Carnes run a panel about the new documentary film This Is New Tone. Davis had hosted a showing of the movie, which chronicles the 2023 Catbite / We Are the Union / Kill Lincoln tour, and the convention that followed saw contributions from Eichlers (Hyperska superstar) and Jorge Lucero (All-star Bad Time Records record packer). Hear a preview of the recording now. You can also listen to the entire conversation by signing up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon.If...
2024-09-1309 min
In Defense of SkaBehind The Curtain: Vic Ruggiero & Jay Navarro LIVE PODCAST at Victoria Ska & Reggae FestivalIn Defense of Ska's latest bonus episode is a LIVE podcast! Listen now.Enter to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out our entry form (https://bit.ly/supernovaska), following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. There will be winners selected from each entry method and the contest ends September 9th, so hurry and enter now for your chance to win!Join host Aaron Carnes as he chats with The Slackers' Vic Ruggiero and Suicide Machines' Jay Navarro onsite at Victoria Ska & Regga...
2024-08-1607 min
In Defense of SkaBehind The Curtain: Bothering ‘Bothering The Band’ TEASERDid you know that some of our friends are also podcasters? For this month’s bonus episode, we wanted to bring on the fine folks from the Bothering The Band podcast. Their format is this: They bring on musicians and comedians and then proceed to BOTHER them with weird and silly questions. It’s a lot of fun. They’ve even had host, Aaron Carnes on one episode. So, we brought on Ryan and Abby and then BOTHERED them with our own weird and silly questions. Sign up to the IDOS Patreon to listen to the entire episode...
2024-07-0511 min
In Defense of SkaBehind The Curtain: I worked At Asian Man Records w/ Bob VielmaOne 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 several other bands, includ...
2024-03-2914 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Joins the Consequence Podcast Network!If 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 for and insight into this multifaceted genre. Proving that ska is as vital as any other genre, the over 150 episodes i...
2024-01-1101 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 144: Pall Jenkins (Three Mile Pilot, The Black Heart Procession, Ugly Casanova, Mr. Tuba And The Flying Objects)The 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 not ska, Pall agreed to join us on this ska podcast to discuss the album. ...
2023-10-181h 42
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Supernova 2023 recap w/ Aaron & AdamIDOS PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODESupernova 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 to this EXCLUSIVE episode! If you’d like to support us and...
2023-09-2909 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 138: Steve Douglas (GWAR, The Resignators, Mud Helmut, Log, The Shiners)This 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 Jackson and his film Scumdogs of the Universe helped to shape the band's aesthetic. He also talks...
2023-09-061h 36
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 133: Scott Klopfenstein (Reel Big Fish, The Littlest Man Band, Nuckle Brothers, The Scholars)Reel 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 shares with us. Like the time they...
2023-08-021h 46
In Defense of Skain Defense of Ska Ep 120: Bailey Lupo (Scowl, The Caps, CAPS, Try The Pie, The Can't Hardlys, Abysmalist)Scowl is one of a handful of new hardcore bands blowing up at the moment. And, more importantly, they are a band with ska roots. Specifically, their bassist Bailey Lupo, who used to play bass in San Jose ska-punk band The Caps (or CAPS). So, we brought them on to get all the deets on their ska past.Bailey told us about packing records at Asian Man Records as a teen. (They begged Mike Park to release the Scowl record in 2020, but he passed). Bailey talked about recently meeting JER in Gainsville and vowed to our audience...
2023-05-031h 10
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of SKa Ep 116: Omnigone (Adam Davis, Barry Krippene, Justin Amans)Welcome to our 116th episode, the one that TRULY matters. This conversation is what everything has led to...where host Aaron Carnes interviews co-host Adam Davis! We did this in our first episode, but in this episode, we go so much deeper.Adam's band, Omnigone just released an incredible album called Against The Rest on Bad Time Records. So we brought on Adam (Not a co-host this time!) along with Omnigone/Blast Bandits bassist Barry Krippene, and drummer Justin Amans (Also from Kitty Kat Fan Club). During this conversation, we talk about Omnigone, Adam and Barry's old...
2023-04-051h 32
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 109: Aaron Gocs (The Merger, Gocsy's Classics, At Home Alone Together)Beloved Australian comedian Aaron Gocs has appeared in the Netflix film The Merger, hosted videos for Vice and appeared in numerous Australian TV shows. But his roots are punk and ska.He discovered the music from Mighty Mighty Bosstones' hit single, "The Impression That I Get," but soon learned about local ska bands. His first-ever show was Melbourne-based punk (and sometimes ska) band The Living End and local Brisbane ska group Wiseacre. But soon, after diving into the music, he discovered Less Than Jake, who became his all-time favorite band. And he would follow them all over...
2023-02-151h 19
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: IDOS Tour Diary TEASERThe 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 sup...
2022-09-2307 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 74: Mephiskapheles (Andre A. Worrell, Michael Bitz, Greg Robinson)Last 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 & Skatalites-inspired walking bass lines with experimental, menacing songwriting and strange, jazzy horn lines. And for their 2nd and...
2022-06-151h 31
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 73: Dane Roberts (Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival)In 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 of the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival was a b...
2022-06-081h 04
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 72: John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats, The Extra Lens, The Comedians, The Bloody Hawaiians)When 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 formative years in Southern California, even though he was an a...
2022-06-011h 18
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 71: Bruce Lee Band (Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock)During 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 several releases. Last year they released the excellent EP Division in...
2022-05-251h 16
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Live Shows During CovidOn 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 o...
2022-05-2006 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 70: Blue Meanies (Billy Spunke, Sean Dolan)In 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 later, the group evolved into one of the most menacing bands...
2022-05-181h 55
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 69: Pook (Pookout Records, Beat the Red Light, Redeemon, Lightyear, The Filaments)There 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 become a proper record label and he's w...
2022-05-111h 35
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 68: Coolie Ranx (Pilfers, The Toasters, Grand Theft Auto IV)In 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 entrenched in the dancehall world, he wasn't even familiar with...
2022-05-041h 36
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 67: Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem, The Horrible Crowes, Lanemeyer, Molly and the Zombies)Last 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 Records mail order was so important to him as a...
2022-04-271h 08
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: The Weirdest Ska Band Ever? with Chris Ruckus (Dissidente) and Duck (Joystick) TEASERBefore 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 PatreonIf 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 Gherk...
2022-04-2208 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 66: Ara Babajian (The Slackers, Leftover Crack, Agent 99, Star Fucking Hipsters, The World/Inferno Friendship Society)When 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 experience playing trad ska, but he's since proven himself...
2022-04-201h 15
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 65: Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva, The Flight Attendant, Fire Island)In 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 album, Sing Along With Skankin' Pickle.Margaret was friends with Mike...
2022-04-1352 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 64: Stefan Babcock (PUP, Stop Drop N Skank)It 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 quite popular in Toronto in the 2010s...
2022-04-061h 10
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 63: Kmoy / Tape GirlTwenty-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 friends and play on each other's songs. And they are creating some of the most interesting, adventurous recordings...
2022-03-301h 36
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Behind the Curtain: Are The Police Ska? A debate between Middagh Goodwin (This is Ska) and Sean Dolan (Blue Meanies) TEASER!Are 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 PatreonIf 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 P...
2022-03-2509 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 62: EichlersOne 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 interview with the subgenre's innovator to find out. We talk to Russ Wood (aka...
2022-03-231h 05
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 61: Derek Zanetti (Homeless Gospel Choir)In 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 frontman, Derek Zanetti. He tells...
2022-03-161h 12
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 60: Rory Phillips (The Impossibles, The Stereo)In 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 punk shows. We talk about the group signing to Fueled By Ramen, touring with...
2022-03-091h 36
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 59: The Life and Times of Skatalites trombonist Don DrummondSka 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 keys. And he also forever linked the trombone with ska, something that...
2022-03-021h 16
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 58: Kyle Kinane (Drunk History, Those Who Can't, Right Now Kapow)Comedian Kyle Kinane is known for his hilarious storytelling-style comedy specials, his epic Drunk History appearances, and his love of punk rock. But he's also a fan of ska. In high school, he even played sax in a ska band called The Skabeatles. He tells us all about itWe also talk about his history growing up in the Chicago punk and ska scene where Slapstick reigned supreme. He saw Slapstick play more times than he can remember. He also saw Less Than Jake, Mustard Plug, and Skankin' Pickle. And of course, we discuss the legendary venues...
2022-02-231h 30
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska: Behind the Curtain with Ted Leo...on why Madness were great (Preview)On this Patreon exclusive episode, we sit down again with Ted Leo. This time we discuss the brilliant 2 Tone band Madness, a band that all three of us loves dearly. Ted even pulls out his Madness records and goes track by track to tell us what he thinks about each and every song. To listen to the entire episode, sign up for the "In Defense of Ska" PatreonIf 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...
2022-02-1808 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 57: Lili Trifilio (Beach Bunny) & Jeremy Hunter (Skatune Network, We Are The Union)In 2020, Chicago indie-pop group Beach Bunny released their debut LP Honeymoon to much acclaim. One of the people that fell in love with the album, was Jeremy Hunter, ie Skatune Network. It was one of their favorite records of the year. Just a month earlier, they’d recorded a cover of an earlier Beach Bunny tune, “Prom Queen.” After Honeymoon was released, they considered covering another Beach Bunny song. Instead, they recorded the entire album. Jer did this project in secrecy, not even telling Beach Bunny’s singer/songwriter Lili Trifilio until it was nearly finished, earlier this year...
2022-02-161h 14
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 56: Steve Borth (Link 80, Satori, Chllngr)Link 80's debut record, 17 Reasons, gets a lot of attention, rightfully so. But the group has other records worth your time, particularly their excellent 2000 album The Struggle Continues. On the album, you can hear the group's maturity as musicians, and their broader influences, which include deeper hardcore, and even some nu-metal elements. Our co-host Adam Davis was very involved in the band during this record, as was our guest today, Steve Borth. Steve joined Link 80 on sax shortly after Adam started playing guitar in the group. Steve brought a lot of skill to the group. After his t...
2022-02-091h 28
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 55: Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop, Fantano)This week we are excited to bring on YouTube music critic Justthony Skanktano...or sorry Anthony Fantano. Justthony Skanktano is the name he used on his review of Jeff Rosenstock's SKA DREAM, which he gave a Strong 8, a better score than he gave NO DREAM, the original non-ska version of the album. He even placed SKA DREAM in his top ten records of 2021. So obviously, we had to bring Skanktano...sorry Skanktano on the show and talk about ska. And he had a lot to say. Since reviewing SKA DREAM, he's also reviewed Catbite's "Nice One," and r...
2022-02-021h 36
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 54: Jenny Whiskey (Hub City Stompers, Rude Girl Revue, Rude Boy George)Everyone at 2021's Supernova International Ska Festival was talking about Rude Girl Revue, an all-star, all-women, 16-piece ska band, comprised of members of many bands (The Scotch Bonnets, Catbite, Half Past Two, Stop The Presses, The Pandemics, The Skluttz, and more). Today we talk to one of the group's founder's Jenny Whiskey, who's also been a longtime member of Hub City Stompers, and has been more recently, playing with Rude Boy George. Jenny started playing ska in the 90s. She almost got to play in Catch 22, but her mom wouldn't let her. However, in the early 2000s, s...
2022-01-261h 08
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 53: Mike Sosinski (Bad Time Records, Kill Lincoln)It seems like nearly every major ska record these days has been released by Bad Time Records. What’s going on? Today on the 1st episode of the 2nd season of In Defense of Ska, we bring on the owner of Bad Time Records himself, Mike Sosinski. He explains it all!There’s a lot to the story of Bad Time Records. It starts with Mike’s band, Kill Lincoln, which started in Washington DC a little over a decade ago. Mike tells us how his scrappy ska-punk band started at a time when no one cared about...
2022-01-191h 41
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 52: John Bunkley (Gangster Fun, Atomic Fireballs)The Midwest played a key role role in the development of American ska. Bands like Mustard Plug, MU330, Suicide Machines, Slapstick and Blue Meanies pushed and pulled on the genre's boundaries, with little concern for what a ska band was supposed to look or sound like. The band that influenced every single one of these groups was Detroit's first ska band: Gangster Fun. Formed in 1986, the group got huge locally within months. And not long after that, they developed a sizable following throughout the Midwest. Their impact elsewhere was minimal. And as they were slowing down, other M...
2022-01-121h 29
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 51: Ted Leo (The Pharmacists, Chisel, Citizens Arrest, The Both)In 2003, indie-punker Ted Leo released the dissonant, Thin Lizzy-esque rocker "Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?" The song pays tribute to The Specials, but also comments on the state of rock 'n' roll in the US during the post-911 era. On this episode, we bring on Ted and he gives us a full explanation of what inspired him to write this critically lauded song. He tells us he's previously been coy about fully explaining the song's meaning. So sit down and listen to its fascinating backstory. We also dig into Ted's history as a ska lover. H...
2022-01-041h 44
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 50: Pabst Blue Ribbon (Ska Beer?)If you’ve found yourself on Twitter during the pandemic, you might have noticed Pabst Blue Ribbon tweeting about everything from pro-wrestling to milk to ska. And these ska tweets haven’t been generic mainstream 90s ska memes. No, Pabst has expressed their undying affection for Asian Man Records, MU330, and has even released several “Rat Jamz” mixes that include new ska bands like Catbite, Kill Lincoln, We Are The Union, Grey Matter, Bad Operation, and Omnigone. But who is Pabst? We did some deep digging and found out that the Pabst social media manager is Corey Smale. An...
2021-12-291h 24
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 49: Sonic Boom Six (Laila K., Barney Boom)The UK had an exciting ska-punk revival in the late 90s/early 2000s that included bands like Capdown, Lightyear, King Prawn, and Spunge. One of the bands from this era, Grimace, broke up and reformed as Sonic Boom Six. They were so eclectic that their pool of influences included grime, hip-hop, dubstep and even just a dash of bhangra. But at their core, they played ska-punk. The group came into their own in the mid-2000s with their debut full-length, The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism. And they had a brush with mainstream culture in 2012 with their song “Virus.” Thi...
2021-12-222h 06
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 48: Buck-O-Nine (Jon Pebsworth, Jonas Kleiner, and Tony Curry)Buck-O-Nine’s breezy, feel-good ska-pop song “My Town” took off on radio in 1997, but its video didn’t make it into MTV’s heavy rotation. This was due to some delays in the production of the video, making it so that by the time Buck-O-Nine had the video ready, the moment had mostly passed. “My Town” is remembered from this period of mainstream ska in the sort of in-between zone, not quite The Bosstones’ “Impression That I Get” territory but definitely above indie ska band level. Before, during, and after this brush with mainstream attention, the group was on the road a lot...
2021-12-151h 35
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 47: Mustard Plug (David Kirchgessner, Colin Clive)This month, Grand Rapids’ Mustard Plug celebrates 30 years of playing ska-punk. Though they often get associated with the late ’90s “third-wave” ska-punk boom, there is so much more to the group. We aimed to explore this in our interview with lead singer Dave Kirchgessner and guitarist Colin Clive. For starters, before ska was on the tongue of MTV VJs, Mustard Plug was blowing minds in their hometown with their blend of punk rock and ska. And to top that off, they brought a bunch of out-of-town ska bands like Skankin Pickle and Let’s Go Bowling to Grand Rapid...
2021-12-081h 21
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 46: Uncle Peckerhead (Matthew John Lawrence, Jeff Riddle)It’s movie night here at “In Defense of Ska.” Grab some popcorn and go watch the 2020 horror-comedy film “Uncle Peckerhead.” Watch it before you listen to our latest episode because spoilers are discussed. “Uncle Peckerhead” is a great movie about fake DIY punk band DUH. Like “Green Room,” this punk-on-the-road film turns horror. But it’s quite different and involves a people-eating roadie. Fun!You’ve probably heard us talk about this movie in prior episodes. When we chatted with Slapstick, we asked them if they were aware that this movie had an entire scene built around their song “The...
2021-12-011h 22
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 45: Jason Thinh (Short Round, Chinkees)Asian Man Records has released some breakout records, like Pezcore (Less Than Jake), Goddamnit (Alkaline Trio), and People Who Eat People Are The Luckiest People in the World (AJJ). But the label has also released several great, lesser-known albums. For this episode, we will focus on Language by Short Round, which was released in 2002. More specifically, we brought in Jason Thinh, leader of Shortround to discuss this great record. But we also discuss his time in The Chinkees—he was only 17 years old when he joined—and his later project Marathon States, which he recorded with Max Feshb...
2021-11-241h 19
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 44: Jordan Morris (Jordan, Jesse, Go!, Bubble, Good Mythical Morning)In Jordan Morris graphic novel Bubble, a character finds a flyer for the hip new DJ in town, a person that was in Mighty Mighty Bosstones for a short stint and won’t shut up about it. And yet, in the strange post-apocalyptic world of Bubble, this ex-Bosstones DJ dude is cooool. It’s a tiny detail that makes Morris’ book such a fun read. However, the primary story is quite unsettling. A monster-filled planet where humans live in culturally appropriate bubbles, and make ends meet by working relentless gig economy jobs. Terrifying! Jordan, our guest today, is also...
2021-11-171h 04
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 43: Screaming Females (Marissa Paternoster, Jarret Dougherty)If there’s anything we’ve learned this year, it’s that deep down, everyone loves ska. This week we provide yet another example of an unexpected band releasing a ska song: Screaming Females. They will be releasing a cover of The Selecter’s “On My Radio” next month. The song is being released as part of the deluxe edition of the comic series What’s The Furthest Place From Here? which is written by punk lover Matthew Rosenberg, who has written many popular comic books (Spiderman, Wolverine, etc)We got a sneak of Screaming Females’ “On My...
2021-11-101h 15
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 42: Jamie Woolford (Animal Chin, The Stereo)In the first few months of this podcast, we used to joke that this was the “Animal Chin” podcast because, even though we’d never had anyone from Animal Chin on the show, we talked about them a lot. Well, guess what, now we have Animal Chin’s singer-songwriter Jamie Woolford on the show. So we finally get to ask him all of our burning Animal Chin questions. (Ie: this is kind of a long episode!)Animal Chin was an interesting group. Arguably in the top five 90s ska-punk groups. They influenced Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Jeff Ros...
2021-11-031h 45
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 41: Hepcat (Greg Lee, Greg Narvas)LA ska band Hepcat once appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. They were an early signing to Epitaph subsidiary Hellcat Records and were flown all over to open for a wide variety of bands. But they were—and the band admits this—never going to blow up. The group consisted of several LA ska scene kids from the 80s who loved original Jamaican ska. Not a commercially viable genre. And back then, you would have to search far and wide to find these old records. This love they shared for the music united them and led to...
2021-10-271h 35
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 40: David McWane (Big D and the Kids Table)By now, most of us know that ska wasn’t dead in the 2000s. But it was uncool. Really uncool. Bands were fleeing from the scene, and describing their sound as “Rock with horns”—anything other than “ska.” But the scene continued, fueled by the passion of dedicated fans. During this weird time, one group that did quite well was Boston’s Big D and The Kids Table, who even managed to chart on the Billboard Top Heatseekers with their excellent 2007 album Strictly Rude.Big D formed in ’96 but didn’t release their first album, Good Luck, until 1999, which...
2021-10-201h 28
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 39: Max Collins (Eve 6, Chevy Mustang)Up until last year, alt-rock group Eve 6 was best known for their hit 1998 single, “Inside Out,” or as some people refer to it, “the heart in a blender song.” But times have changed. Now Eve 6, specifically lead singer Max Collins, is best known for taking over Twitter. It started last December when he tweeted that he was a virgin when he wrote “Inside Out.” Since then, he hasn’t stopped tweeting a chaotic mix of weird jokes, hot takes, embarrassing rock n roll stories, and leftist political rants. It’s everything a band’s Twitter account shouldn’t be. But it’s also the ve...
2021-10-131h 23
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 38: Augusta Koch (Cayetana, Gladie)Augusta Koch’s first band was called The Blue Bananas, a ska band. They had a few originals and performed a Choking Victim song. They didn’t last long. She’s since gone on to play in some incredible non-ska bands like Cayetana and Gladie. And she even sang vocals for the fictitious group DUH in the horror-comedy film Uncle Peckerhead. But ska has remained important to her. During the pandemic, she found comfort in revisiting some of her favorite bands from when she was younger. RX Bandits have been a particular favorite for her. Augusta talks with us...
2021-10-061h 05
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 37: Homer Flynn (The Residents, Cryptic Corporation)Avant-garde band The Residents have spent the last five decades anonymously creating music that is at times unsettling, goofy, bizarre, and always pushes the boundaries of music. Even the very idea that The Residents are a band is up for debate. They are more of an art collective that pretends to be a band. And though they prolifically create music, they are perhaps best known for the imagery they’ve put out into the world, specifically the photo of the four band members with eyeball-heads, who are wearing fancy top hats. But it makes sense for The Res...
2021-09-291h 21
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 36: Mike Park (Asian Man Records, Skankin' Pickle, Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band)Asian Man Records will be remembered as one of the best outlets for ska-punk in the 90s, with bands like Slapstick, MU330, Slow Gherkin, Less Than Jake, and other bands that still hold up decades later. The label is the brainchild of former Skankin Pickle singer/saxophonist Mike Park. Initially, Skankin Pickle started Dill Records, as a means to release their own music, and eventually, put out the music of other great bands. It was Mike’s idea for Dill to be a serious venture, and he did much of the legwork. So when he went out on his ow...
2021-09-221h 23
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 35: Kenneth Partridge (Hell of a Hat: The Rise of ’90s Ska and Swing)The 90s was a weird time for mainstream music. After Nirvana and the “Grunge” scene blew up, major labels were on the prowl for the next big thing. A lot of unlikely bands and music genres had their 15 minutes of fame. Ska, of course, was one of those trends, as was the “swing revival.” We could debate whether it was good or bad that a handful of ska bands got launched into the mainstream for a few years, but regardless, the very fact that ska and swing were flavors of the month is a bizarre phenomenon worth exploring. Kenneth...
2021-09-151h 08
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 34: Angelo Moore (Fishbone, Dr. Madd Vibe)A couple of years before ska broke on the radio, Fishbone—who was on Columbia Records at the time—released arguably the greatest ska song of the 90s: “Unyielding Conditioning,” a beautiful tune with a deep message that challenges us to re-examine the very fabric of our shared reality, and to grapple with the forces that control us and make us miserable. In 1993, the public was not ready for this amazing tune, and would not accept ska in the mainstream until Sublime’s “Date Rape” got into heavy rotation in 1995. But can you imagine what ska’s legacy would have been if “Un...
2021-09-081h 23
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 33: Jessica Lipsky (It Ain't Retro: Daptone Records & The 21st-Century Soul Revolution)Soul music has never gone away, but different versions of it come and go. In 2007, when Sharon Jones, 51 at the time, released her third album 100 Days, 100 Nights, she reached a significant audience. That made a lot of people declare "retro" soul back. But Sharon wasn’t retro, and the story around her success was much more complex. It is tied to the record label Daptone Records and her backing band, the Dap-Kings. The story of the label and the bands associated with them (Sharon, Charles Bradley, The Frightnrs, and Amy Winehouse who worked with the Dap-Kings on you...
2021-09-011h 10
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 32: Ian Fidance (The Ska King of Comedy, Crank Yankers, The Last O.G.)Why is it that most stand-up comedians pretend that they hate ska? We all know that they’re big nerds, so why don’t they relish in their dorkiness and not put on some big show that they’re cynical, sophisticated tastemakers too intelligent for ska! Oh well, at least not every comedian is this insecure. New York-based comedian Ian Fidance—the ska king of comedy—is an unabashed lover of ska music and he wants you to know all about it.Fortunately for us in the ska community, Ian is out there, gigging every night all over the c...
2021-08-251h 16
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 31: Brad Logan & John Gentile (Architects of Self-Destruction: An Oral History of Leftover Crack, F-Minus, Punknews)Leftover Crack is a band of dumpster-diving, drug-abusing, cop-hating crust punks…so begins the opening section in the book Architects of Self Destruction, an oral history of the band. The story of Leftover Crack is strange—unbelievable at times—and filled with bizarre decisions, weird characters, and as the title implies, copious self-sabotage. They were also a very unique band, formed in the ashes of Choking Victim in the late 90s that mixed ska, dissonant punk rock, and angry black metal in a unique way. As unbelievable as many of Leftover Cracks stories are, the fact that these s...
2021-08-181h 33
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 30: Dan Potthast (MU330, Death Rosenstock, The Bruce Lee Band, Sharkanoid)At one of the first out-of-town shows that St. Louis ska band MU330 played, booking agent Steve Ozark, approached them, interested in working with the band. MU330’s members were excited and told him yes! But only if he agreed to book them as much as humanly possible. From Ozark’s perspective, it was a strange request, but one he was happy to meet. For much of the 90s, MU330 hit the road as much as they could. Even with these many stages they played, they still hovered at cult status, though they released some of the best ska-punk reco...
2021-08-111h 42
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 29: Mystic Bowie (Talking Dreads)In 2019, My wife and I took a week-long trip to Jamaica. It wasn't just a tourist trip to Montego Bay or Kingston, we went a few hours into the mountains to the small village of Accompong and experienced the Maroon Festival. Every year, on Jan 6, this village of roughly 600 balloons up to 10,000 people to celebrate hundreds of years of Maroon independence. It began in 1759, when the Maroons signed a peace treaty with the British, establishing their independence, something that would not happen for the rest of Jamaica for many years. The festival is an amazing gathering with l...
2021-08-041h 19
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 28: Jason Navarro (Suicide Machines, J. Navarro & The Traitors)Many of the 90s ska bands signed to major labels were based out of sunny California. Then there was Detroit ska band The Suicide Machines, the only band in their area to ink a big deal. And there is nothing sunny about The Suicide Machines. Taking influence from the city’s gutter punk and lawless hardcore scene, while also pulling elements from local chaotic ska legends Gangster Fun, Suicide Machines were the most punk rock band of the ska major label feeding frenzy. And their debut Hollywood Records album Destruction By Definition is a timeless masterpiece. Our gue...
2021-07-281h 45
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 27: Laura Jane Grace (Against Me)It’s been a rough year and a half. This past April—in response to our collective trauma—Laura Jane Grace tweeted that the “current ska revival is a sign of just how emotionally vulnerable we all are after the past year.” A perfect sentiment for the moment we’re in. While a lot of people have been using ska as a cheap punchline, her tweet honed in on just how meaningful and earnest the music is, and why it is matters to people in dark times. Clearly a true ska fan. That wasn’t her only recent ska twee...
2021-07-211h 07
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 26: Marc Wasserman (Ska Boom, Bigger Thomas, Rude Boy George)The US had a healthy, diverse underground music scene in the ’80s. Among the goths, art-punks, and lo-fi freaks were plenty of rude boys and rude girls. And yet for some reason, the story of ska in the US is nearly wiped clean from the oral history of American music during the ’80s. You even had bands like Fishbone—who mostly played ska at the time—and The Untouchables signed to major labels! Not only are these ska stories an important piece of the musical landscape, but they also help explain how ska seemingly popped up out of nowhere in the m...
2021-07-141h 11
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 25: Catbite (Tim Hildebrand, Brit Luna, Chris Pires)Philadelphia 4-piece ska band Catbite have only been together a couple of years, but for a lot of people—and I’m one of them—they are one the top new bands currently in the genre. This is largely due to how incredible their debut 2019 album turned out. The band seemingly came out the gate, fully formed, with a unique approach to ska that incorporated power-pop, soul, and garage-rock elements, with amazing songwriting, killer musicianship, and fantastic vocals.But now a couple of years later, Catbite has finally released their sophomore full-length, Nice One. It is absolutely a bett...
2021-07-071h 38
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 24: Nick LaVallee (Wicked Joyful)Many of us collected action figures as kids. And guess what, it’s OK to keep on collecting them, especially if you’re buying the offbeat variety that you can't find at Toys r us: Chris Farley and Patrick Swayze’s Chippendales dancers. Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Will Forte’s SNL character Macgruber, or Bill Burr’s Star Wars character, but with a heavy emphasis on his Boston accent (Wicked Awesome!) These unique and creative custom action figures are the work of Nick LaVallee (Wicked Joyful). They are awesome! Some even go to absurd lengths, like Eminem’s “Mom’s Spaghetti.”
2021-06-301h 12
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 23: Chuck Askerneese (The Untouchables)In Los Angeles, in the early ’80s, you would see rows of scooters on the street outside of ska shows. Inside the clubs, kids would be dressed in their best suits. And there was a full-on mod revival happening. At the heart of this local scene was The Untouchables, one of the best bands in the US ska scene at the time. And one of LA’s biggest bands in the ’80s. Unfortunately, they never made it to that next level. But in the DIY world at that time, they were huge. The Untouchables played a unique blend o...
2021-06-231h 26
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 22: Elliot Babin (Touche Amore, Dad Punchers, Warm Thoughts)Touche Amore drummer Elliot Babin wasn’t always a post-hardcore kid. In Fact, he spent many of his formative years on the Aquabats forum in the early 2000s. He’s even an official aquacadet. And for Elliot, t’s not just the Aquabats. He’s a big-time ska fan and he’s not afraid to shout it from the mountain tops, no matter what the rest of his music peers think of the genre. Elliot joins us on this episode of In Defense of Ska to lay out—in full detail—his ska roots. We learned that the Aquabats fo...
2021-06-1657 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 21: Tara Hahn (Half Past Two) with her aunt Heather McNeilSoCal ska band Half Past Two have a lot of great songs. But there’s something particularly special about their track “Heather.” It’s a simple track about lead singer Tara Hahn’s aunt, Heather McNeil. Heather played a fundamental role in Tara’s life. She introduced her to ska. In the late 90s, she started lending Tara her ska CDs and eventually started taking her to ska shows. Without Heather, Tara may not have become a ska superfan, and likely wouldn’t now be singing in Half Past Two. It’s a relatable story for many of us. Most ska f...
2021-06-091h 19
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 20: Reade Wolcott (We Are The Union)On April 23, ska-punk band We Are The Union, released one of its greatest singles of the band’s career: A catchy ska-punk tune called “Morbid Obsessions.” The song was also released alongside a huge announcement: We Are The Union’s lead singer Reade Wolcott was coming out as a trans woman. And the song “Morbid Obsessions” spoke to this journey openly, directly, and with plenty of emotion. And so far the ska community has embraced Reade’s announcement with open arms. The tune was the lead single off of We Are The Union’s new album, Ordinary Life, set to rele...
2021-06-021h 28
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 19: Tim Cappello (Tina Turner, Carly Simon, Peter Gabriel, Lost Boys)Has there been an 80s movie more iconic than The Lost Boys? Has there ever been a scene as legendary as the Boardwalk scene, where an oiled-up, muscular sax man wails through The Call’s “I Still Believe”? No, there has not. The sax man in question, Tim Cappello has become a cult icon. Synthwave bands invite him to play on their tracks, and TV shows, like The Break with Michelle Wolf, invite him on to harken back to that classic scene. And he’s huge on the convention circuit. Everyone wants a signed Lost Boys photo...
2021-05-262h 17
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 18: Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy)Patrick Stump is used to playing for huge crowds. His band Fall Out Boy plays massive venues. But when he was younger, he was quite shy. So in order to go see Reel Big Fish, a band he loved dearly, he had to work through his social anxiety. Once there, he found an unassuming spot in the back of the venue and danced to his favorite genre of music: ska. During the 90s, Patrick loved ska quite a bit. As a drummer, it was his go-to style to play. And though he didn’t go to a lot...
2021-05-191h 03
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 17: Kamala Lyn Parks (Book Your Own Fucking Life, Plot 66)In 1989, east bay punk musician and booker Kamala Lyn Parks was getting a ton of calls from bands asking if she’d book a tour for them. She didn’t even know most of them! She was so fed up with the unsolicited calls, she vented about it to Maximum RocknRoll founder Tim Yohannan: “I want to tell these bands to go book their own f*****g tour.” Tim, amused by her outburst, suggested she write an article telling these bands just how to book their own tours. This article was so popular, it would ultimately inspire the Maxim...
2021-05-121h 25
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 16: Jeff Rosenstock (Bomb The Music Industry, Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Death Rosenstock)In 2016 some group calling themselves Skankral Ska Hotel released an all ska version of Neutral Milk Hotel’s indie opus In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Interesting concept, terrible execution—deliberately so—with ska being the punchline. But imagine if a band made an all ska version of a classic album, but did it well. This is exactly what Jeff Rosenstock did. And the brilliant album he turned into ska, was his own, the critically acclaimed 2020 release NO DREAM. He called the album SKA DREAM and presented it potentially as an April Fool’s joke, with absurd ska pun t...
2021-05-051h 08
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 15: Slapstick (Brendan Kelly, Rob Kellenberger)Ska-hating punk rockers will permit a few ska bands in their playlist. Operation Ivy, of course, is fine. Also, Chicago’s Slapstick is a perfectly fine ska band. Like Operation Ivy, they were a short-lived, gritty punk band that also happened to play ska. But in the case of Slapstick, it was in the mid-90s during the ska-boom, and they had a raging horn section. Slapstick could have been huge. They were offered a contract with Epitaph, which they turned down. They broke up not long after. Who knows what would have been if they’d relea...
2021-04-2854 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 14: Jeremy Hunter (Skatune Network, JER, We Are The Union)In December 2016, multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Hunter got bored and decided to record a ska cover of “Feliz Navidad,” calling it “Feliz NaviSKA.” This silly idea got a lot of eyeballs, way more than they anticipated, so Jeremy kept recording ska covers of songs by Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Blink 182 and other groups. The views continued to grow. This was the birth of SkaTune Network, a YouTube channel with nearly 200,000 subscribers, and several viral videos. Jeremy is our guest on In Defense of Ska. They have shocked countless people outside of the ska scene who’ve assumed the music is de...
2021-04-211h 14
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 13: Duck (Joystick!)“I’m new and improved. So much better than I used to be. I was an awful alcoholic. I was a shitty drunk, and fucked up on drugs.”These are Duck’s words from the song “Rinse and Repeat” off the new Joystick album, I Can’t Take It Anymore (release date April 16). It, the band’s 4th full length, is a great skacore album, with a heavy dose of hardcore, mixed with an almost jazzy style of ska. If there were ever any doubts that ska-punk is more than just silly music, this album puts thoughts to rest. It’s a...
2021-04-1452 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 12: Leanor Ortega Till (Five Iron Frenzy)A decade ago, the idea of crowd-funding a record was still somewhat novel. One of the earliest successes was, in 2011, when Christian ska band Five Iron Frenzy used Kickstarter to raise over $200,000 for a new album—their goal was $30,000. For a lot of people, this seemed out of nowhere. Who was still listening to—not just ska—but Christian ska? A lot of people were. But Five Iron Frenzy was not just part of some specific, niche Christian ska scene. They’d built a loyal, hardcore fanbase by operating entirely in their own sphere. Rather than choose between t...
2021-04-071h 06
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 11: Thou (Bryan Funck, Mitch Wells)For the last fifteen years, Louisiana doom metal band Thou has filled eardrums with unsettling noise, and guttural screams. They are a magnificent group, one of the few sludge metal bands that gets accolades from music critics at typically-tame venues like NPR. However great this attention has been, the critics at NPR have failed to ask Thou one specific, but incredibly important question: Do they like ska? The answer is a little complicated. To help unravel this complicated question, Thou lead singer Bryan Funck and bassist Mitch Wells were kind enough to join us on In Defense o...
2021-03-311h 15
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 10: Clemente Ruiz (Evoekore Media, La Resistencia)Los Angeles has one of the best ska scenes in the country. A huge part of that is because, in LA’s Latino neighborhoods, ska is really popular. Over the past decade, festivals like Los Angeles Skawars & L.A. Skacore Invasion have brought thousands of kids out to local parks and underground spaces to skank with all their might and sing along to their favorite bands. These festivals are strictly DIY and showcase mostly local bilingual ska bands, as well as groups from Mexico, and occasionally bands from the larger US ska scene. And at the heart of this vi...
2021-03-241h 18
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 9: Steve Choi (RX Bandits, The Chinkees)The late ’90s were a busy time for Steve Choi. While he was playing drums in the punk band The Blockheads—a band that Lookout Records were considering signing—Mike Park invited him to join his new all-Asian ska-punk group The Chinkees. At the same time, he moved to Santa Cruz and filled in on various instruments with Slow Gherkin. Oh and somewhere in there, he played keyboards with The Specials for a tour. As a child, Steve was given a formal education in music. But ska and punk music allowed him to let go of all the com...
2021-03-171h 30
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 8: Brian Diaz (Edna's Goldfish, The Reunion Show)In 1999, Long Island ska band Edna’s Goldfish got a few plays on MTV with the video for their ultra-catchy song “Veronica Sawyer.” Behind the scenes, the group was being courted by major labels wanting to “take them to the next level.” But the band’s indifference to label support and the changing tides away from ska in the mainstream ultimately flat-lined any of these plans. They broke up in 2000 with no record deal to hold on to. Our guest today is Edna’s Goldfish’s lead singer Brian Diaz, who would go on to form a few other bands a...
2021-03-101h 28
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 7: Alex Begay (The Crack Shack)Touring as an indie musician often leads to playing unexpected spaces. When my band, Flat Planet, toured the US in the mid-90s, we played skate parks, backyards, public parks, recording studios, trailer parks, and one time we played in the middle of the desert, thirty miles from Las Vegas with nothing but a generator and a few lights. Adam Davis, co-host of this podcast, also played a ton of DIY spaces while touring with Link 80 in the late 90s and early 2000s. Of all venues he played, one of his all-time favorite spots was “The Crack Shack,” an aban...
2021-03-0346 min
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 6: Brent Lawrence Friedman (We Are The Union, Bad Time Records)Brent Lawrence Friedman has seen all sides of the music industry. He’s booked tours and done marketing for various ska and punk band (MxPx, Goldfinger, Five Iron Frenzy, Mr. T. Experience). His current gig is “merch fulfillment” for Skatune Network, Kill Lincoln, and other ska groups. He also plays drums in the group We Are The Union. When he’s not doing any of those things, he’s frantically posting about ska on social media, and getting tagged in literally every ska meme—a role he’s come to embrace. His Instagram and Twitter handle is @pleasetagmeinyourskaposts. I first inter...
2021-02-241h 25
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 5: Barry Johnson (Joyce Manor)Music critics love Joyce Manor’s blend of Jawbreaker, The Smiths, Guided By Voices and Weezer—and cite these influences with delight. But in every conversation music bloggers have about the band, they fail to mention the role that ska has had on Joyce Manor singer-songwriter Barry Johnson. Skaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!As a teenager, Barry fell in love with ska. His introduction to indie rock even came from getting into Asian Man Records ska bands (MU330, Slow Gherkin) and then checking out some of the non-ska bands on the label. The first band of note he played in, K...
2021-02-171h 14
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 4: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin: (Link 80, Scream)Matt Bettinelli-Olpin was a founding member of East Bay ska-core band Link 80. The band members started playing together in 1993 while they were young teens. Their first album, 17 Reasons, was released in 1997 on Asian Man Records—the first official release on the label not including albums that were brought over from Dill Records. 17 Reasons is a truly unique ska-punk record that blends hardcore, street punk, ska and filters it through an abrasive Gilman vibe and has surprisingly loose grooves mixed in with its intense punk rock explosions. The group gained some notoriety for being the ska-punk band that rom...
2021-02-101h 37
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 3: Slow Gherkin (James Rickman, A.J. Marquez, Phil Boutelle)Santa Cruz, California is best known for its primo surf spots and as the location of the classic 80s horror-comedy The Lost Boys. You can still hear reverberations of “sexy sax man” Tim Cappello singing “I still believe” right there on the outdoor stage at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. But during the 90s, ask any local what band best defined the city, and they would without a doubt say Slow Gherkin. Though they never reach a large national audience, Slow Gherkin were local legends. Even when they throw together reunion shows, you can be assured they will pack...
2021-02-031h 14
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep. 2: Keith Lowell Jensen (Punching Nazis and Other Good Ideas, Not For Rehire)I met comedian Keith Lowell Jensen shortly after I moved to Sacramento in 2013. We first got to know each other when I interviewed him for the local newspaper, Sacramento News and Review, but soon became friends. Before the pandemic, we were getting wieners on a regular basis. (It technically started as hot dogs for lunch, but soon wieners became synonymous with hanging out)Of the many things we bonded over, a mutual love for ska was high on the list, especially when Keith learned I was writing a book about ska. He insisted that I include him...
2021-01-271h 00
In Defense of SkaIn Defense of Ska Ep 1: Flat Planet (Aaron Carnes, Adam Davis)Raise your hand if you’ve never been in a ska band.I don’t see many hands up. That’s because most of us have been in a ska band at one point in our lives. And no matter how big (or small) that band was, it was really important. To you, at least.My band, Flat Planet, went on three DIY tours, released 2 demo tapes, and recorded a full-length album that was never released. If you’re not from Gilroy, California, and you happened to have heard of us, then you likely heard our song...
2021-01-2058 min