In Defense of Ska

In the ’90s, ska began to break into the mainstream. And yet, even during the great ska boom, only a handful of bands had an actual radio hit. One of the few acts to accomplish such a feat was Save Ferris, scoring big with their cover of Dexys Midnight Runner's 1982 song “Come on Eileen." This week on In Defense of Ska, Save Ferris vocalist Monique Powell discusses the group, the Orange County scene, having a popular video on MTV, and their monumental cover. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Powell runs through the somewhat tumultuous history of the band, from their formation to their break-up in 2003 to the 2013 reformation that led to a flurry of legal issues. Through all of the highs and lows, however, Powell and Save Ferris delivered some unforgettable, surprisingly popular ska -- all steeped in Orange County vibes, of course.

Listen to Monique Powell go deep into Save Ferris' history on this episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

You can also support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

One of the best ska bands of the past decade is The Steady 45's, a trad ska group based out of Los Angeles. They are one of the few bands that have been able to call both LA’s lively trad ska and vibrant Latino ska scenes home. So we brought on four members and friend of the band Jackie Mendez to talk about the band’s history and how they’re helping to break down barriers in the ska scene. 

We talk about the members’ history in punk rock and how they played an Operation Ivy cover set for Esteban Flores’ birthday. On the other end of the spectrum, we talk about how they’ve backed several Jamaican legends like Stranger Cole, Pat Kelly, the Clarendonians, the Pioneers, and more. 

We also talk about them playing the Los Angeles Skawars festival, and opening for Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, and we break down several important figures in LA’s trad ska scene like Chris Murray, Aggrolites, See Spot, The Expanders, Mobtown, and Luis Correa of Steady Beat. The Steady 45's also talk about their new record, Swing & Sway/Don’t Be Late. 

Listen to The Steady 45's on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will be released in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

One thing we love doing on this podcast is talking to former members of Asian Man Records and getting all the dirt onMike Park. This is our third episode in the series. We’ve already spoken toSkylar SuorezandLazlo Happenstance. Now we talk to Bob Vielma. 

You probably know Bob from his fire rap verse on “SkrAm” fromJeff Rosenstock’s Ska Dream. His rap alter ego is Boboso, and he’s got a fewrecordsyou can download on Jeff’s label, Quote Unquote. Bob also played bass in Shinobu and several other bands, including Gnarboots with Adam Davis and Aaron Carnes, hosts of the In Defense of Ska podcast. So you can imagine that Gnarboots stories were told!

Make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

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 theirLives EP. Also, check outDan P and the BrickstwoLPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska.The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Skawill release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band calledOmnigone. Their latest record,Against The Restreleased on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label calledSka Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Half Past Two have been around for almost two decades, and yet they still feel like a breath of fresh air in the ska scene. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, lead vocalist Tara Hahn and guitarist Max Beckman discuss the band's history and their brand new album, Talk iI Killing Me (out April 19th). Listen now.

Formed in August 2006, Half Past Two effectively came up during the "dark ages" of ska. And yet, they persevered, helping build a sustainable scene in Orange County in the mid-2000s. Now just under twenty years on, the band takes a look back at their journey, ultimately explaining how they've found a new home on Bad Time Records.

Listen to Half Past Two talk about Talk Is Killing Me on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

After forming in 1995, The Adjusters quickly made a name for themselves in the bustling Chicago scene for their blend of ska and soul, as well as their intensely political edge. Over time, the group has only gotten more and more active. Lead vocalist Daraka Larimore-Hall joins In Defense of Ska this week to dive into the band's history, their overtly socialist politics, and the direction ska took in the '90s. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

The Adjusters may not have ever been chart-toppingly huge, and that may have been because they didn't fit in with the typical third-wave pop-punk/ska stylings that dominated the late '90s. In between exploring the band's origins and political views, Larimore-Hall explains why he's hesitant to even call these groups "ska," pointing out how their connection to the genre's Jamaican roots are distant at best. (Before you get your pitchforks out, though, he also has plenty of praise to sing for the genre! The dude was in a ska band!)

Listen to Daraka Larimore-Hall talk about The Adjusters and '90s ska on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

Check out Daraka’s podcast here! 

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

On this week's episode of In Defense of Ska, members of ska supergroup Mutiny -- Efrem Schulz, Chris Ruckus, and Mike Cambra -- discuss the project and its connection to their other bands. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Let's get one thing straight -- ska needs more supergroups. Aside from Rude Girl Revue and Kilograms, they're surprisingly hard to come by. Luckily, Mutiny is here to remidy that! The group features members of Death By Stereo, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Dissidente, Manic Hispanic, and Adolescents, along with guest spots from members of many more bands.

The group released their debut, self-titled EP on SPI Records in February, despite having yet to all be in the same room together. Fortunately, three members have sat down to talk about the project and its connection with the other related bands.

Listen to Mutiny talk together about the project on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

It's no secret that ska music is alive and well, and not just in the United States. On this episode of in defense of ska, English ska-punks Call Me Malcolm join to chat about the current scene, the band's history, and their new album Echoes and Ghosts. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Starting from the beginning, guitarist/vocalist Lucias Malcolm and saxophonist/vocalist Mark Farthing chat about the origins of the group, why they write songs with titles like “John Feldmann’s Going To Kill Me,” and taking inspiration from Goldfinger and Chris Gethard.

The band supplements such fun-loving energy with vulnerable, personal storytelling for Echoes and Ghosts. Diving into the mental health journey that inspired much of the lyrics on the album, the band opens up about depression, anxiety, OCD, and experiences with medication.

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

On this week's episode of In Defense of Ska, Illuminati Hotties creative force Sarah Tudzin discusses how her ska roots continue to inform her current artistic output. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

The artist grew up going to punk and ska shows in Southern California, and the influence of such experiences continues to have a major influence on her work. Look no further than her recent collaboration with JER, as she provided guest vocals for Skatune Network's cover of Pain's "Jabberjaw Running Underwater" and had the ska-fluencer jump on her song "Joni: LA's No. 1 Health Goth."

Listen to Tudzin go deep on her history with ska on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Michelle Ska has been to a lot of ska shows. Like A LOT! So many that she's kind of famous in ska circles for being a hardcore, supportive fan. She also went through one of the most harrowing natural disasters of recent time: The 2023 Lahaina Wildfire. 

We brought her on to talk about ska and give us the full story of what it was like to survive the Lahaina Wildfire. 

Please consider purchasing theBlack Sand Reliefalbum to support Michelle and the People of Maui.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out ourPatreon! 

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 theirLives EP. Also, check outDan P and the BrickstwoLPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska.The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Skawill release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band calledOmnigone. Their latest record,Against The Restreleased on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label calledSka Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This week, In Defense of Ska heads outside of the United States to dive into the massive ska scene in Mexico. Joined by Jose “Deals” Olan, an experienced musician and promoter in Mexico, the crew explores the fans of the region, the massive festivals, and more. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Olan first cut his teeth by playing saxophone in several bands, and now fronts his own group, Out of Control Army. Right around that same time he launched that project, he also booked his first big ska festival, Non Stop Ska, which drew tens of thousands of people.

In addition to Olan's work, he guides In Defense of Ska through the history of the genre in Mexico.

Keep up with all things In Defense of Ska and show your support by following and reviewing the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network has to offer.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This week on In Defense of Ska, Jawbreaker drummer Adam Pfahler discuss his long-time love of ska, the band existing as a touchstone for future emo bands, and battling notions of selling out when touring with Nirvana. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

As far as bands go, Jawbreaker have quite the story. They've influenced a multiple generations of emo musicians, were called sellouts for signing to a major label, and played a reunion show at Riot Fest that had infinitely more people than they’d ever played to when they were an active band. One thing they’re not famous for, however, is liking ska -- but Pfahler joins In Defense of Ska to set the record straight.

The drummer explains that he was not only catching various ska bands in the early '80s, but that he continues to seek out music from the genre. Then, in between conversation about burritos and how to best organize records, he details Jawbreaker's tour with Nirvana, for which they were labeled sellouts.

Listen to Jawbreaker's Adam Pfahler talk about his love of ska and more in this episode of In Defense of Ska above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This week on In Defense of Ska, author Daniel Rachel discuss his book, Too Much Too Young -- The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Rachel tells the story of how 2 tone spread all over the world. While many of the scene's bands were largely cult artists outside of England, they planted seeds for new, important ska scenes around the world. In celebration of how socially 2 tone's sonic and political importance, author Daniel Rachel presents an in-depth look at the genre's place in music history. You can pre-order it here.

Listen to Rachel go deep on 2 Tone's fascinating history on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Few American bands have had such an influence on ska music like Fishbone. This week, In Defense of Ska does their second episode on the group, this time featuring bassist Norwood Fisher. Listen to Fisher and the hosts talk about their upcoming tour with GZA, the band's career, and more in the episode below. You can also follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

Fisher gets into the nitty-gritty of Fishbone's surreal career with moments like opening for Gallagher, hanging out with Karate Kid star William Zabka, and meeting Dave Grohl in the '80s when he was in Scream. Also discussed is the band's connection to hip-hop (including namedrop of Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and more) and how it relates to their upcoming tour.

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

On this special teaser of In Defense of Ska, season 1 guest Nick Lavallee returns to tell the story of getting Manchester — his hometown — recognized as the Chicken Tender Capital of the World. Listen to the teaser, and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of Ska wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn about who invented the chicken tenders, how different they are from the way fast food/diners make them, and get the low-down on where to get some of these OG tendies.

If you’d like to hear this entire Chicken Tender conversation, sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon NOW, where you'll also get other ad-free episodes with bonus content.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Musician and composer Jeff Rosentsock and show-creator Ben Levin join In Defense of Ska to chat about the music behind Craig of the Creek. Both products of ska-punk love, the series' music skanks pretty hard, and that's no accident. The two also get into it about Rancid, ska-tastic collaborations, and dealing with stress.

Listen to Ben Levin and Jeff Rosenstock chat about ska, Craig of the Creek, Rancid, and more above. You can also follow the series wherever you get your podcast, or get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

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 and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This is the first episode of our 4th season, and it’s our first as part of the Consequence Podcast Network. So that means, we had to go big this week. We brought the one and only P-Nut on the show. That’s right, the bass player for 311. Today we talk about how 311’s journey overlapped with the rise of ska in the 90s, and how the group existed in a space adjacent to the music. 

But it makes sense. The group is influenced by ska and reggae, amongst other genres of music. So, P-Nut follows us down this rabbit hole and talks about playing Bob Marley at early 311 rehearsals, playing shows with Fishbone, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Urge, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger and No Doubt. And even headlining the ska festival Back To The Beach in 2018. We even dive headfirst into a discussion about 311’s most ska track, “I’ll Be Hear Awhile.” 

Plus, we talk about The Wailers’ bassist Aston “Family Man” Barett, opening for Jay-Z, vibing to Mighty Mighty Bosstones tapes, covering Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ “Taste The Pain” at his high school talent show, and how 311 played its first official show as the opening act for Fugazi! And, P-Nut tells us all about how much he loves 100 gecs. f

We also talk about his old dreadlocks, his appearance in Jordan Morris’ graphic novel Bubble, being abused by Eric Andre during the “Investigate 311” sketch, and we ask the biggest, most important question of all time: Can Jeff Rosenstock play the 311 Cruise? 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of SKa wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Nathan Gray has played music with their band Boysetsfire for decades. But only once during the band’s run did they dabble in ska (“Deja Coup”). But that has completely changed now with Nathan’s new group, The Iron Roses, a joyful punk band with heavy doses of ska and reggae. The joy in the band is purposeful, a middle finger aimed at the rise in racism, homophobia, transphobia and fascism, making ska the perfect vehicle for the band’s message. 

This week we speak to Nathan and Iron Roses’ co-lead vocalist Beck Fontaine. The group released their debut, self-titled record in October 2023. They’ve already done some touring and are really excited about the band. And they have big plans for 2024. It’s a great record, and they play ska well. But the question on our minds was, where did this band—totally unconnected from the ska scene, with little history playing the genre—come from? And what motivated them to go all in on ska-punk in 2023? 

We talk about Nathan’s love for The English Beat, The Specials, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear and Trojan Records skinhead reggae. Also, we talk about Becky’s history with musical theater and how that informs The Iron Roses’ unique approach to lead vocals. Plus, we learn that co-host Adam Davis was an extra in the film adaptation of Rent! 

Nathan talks about the new ska bands that inspire them (We Are The Union, Catbite, Kill Lincoln), the important message in Iron Roses’ song “Old Guard,” and we learn about Nathan’s long and difficult journey in coming out as non-binary. Plus, we learn all about how Nathan spoke out against Pantera playing a music festival Boysetsfire was booked to play (due to lead singer Phil Anselmo’s history of racism). And they tell us about their long friendship and admiration for Frank Turner. 

Plus, we all took a moment to discuss how much we love the film Swing Kids. 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of Ska wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following 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 Skajoins 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 in the In Defense of Ska archives have featured guests like Fred Armisen, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, The Police’s Stewart Copeland, Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Joe Gittleman, Margaret Cho, Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon, and more."

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will be released in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of SKawherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network.

Does being a ska fan inherently make someone an antifascist? While this topic gets frequently debated among ska fans, it’s important to remember that antiracism and antifascism have long been an important part of the ska scene. The 2 Tone ska bands were explicit in their stance. They came up at a time when fascism was on the rise in England, and they dealt with nazi skinheads at their shows. And the bands (mostly) didn’t shy away from confronting these nazis and putting them in their place. This battle has continued to be part of ska and punk as time has progressed. 

But what does it mean to be an antifascist. And how has the battle between white supremacists and anti-fascists changed over the years? This is the central question we address in this week’s episode with Josh Fernandez, author of the new book, The Hands that Crafted the Bomb: The Making of a Lifelong Antifascist, which will be released on PM Press on February 13, 2023. 

Josh started going to punk shows in Davis, CA in the late ’80s. Many Nazis invaded these shows, so he and his friends organized and fought back. He continues to oppose nazis, proud boys, Patriot Front and other far right groups in the street to this day. But the battleground is no longer punk shows. His book tells his story. The main thread is about how he was under investigation at the college he teaches at because he started an Campus Antifascist Network chapter there. He nearly lost his job. Teen Vogue even interviewed him about the experience. 

We also talk about Josh’s history as a music journalist, his horrible experiences interviewing David Choe and Immortal Technique, his love for Sublime, seeing Operation Ivy back in the day, why he doesn’t think colleges are actually leftist, and he talks about how running marathons helped him quit drugs. 

Plus, we learn which of his tattoos he likes the best! 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Patreon Exclusive Bonus Episode! And it’s the episode of episodes. You won’t want to miss it! 

2023 has been an awesome year. We've had Stewart Copeland, Fred Armisen, Bill Stevenson, Rhoda Dakar, Vic Ruggiero and a bunch of other amazing people.

So, to talk about our year, we brought on the great Mike Park. Additionally, we asked our editor Chris Reeves to join the conversation as well. You will gain lots of insight into our guests and hear some secret (very Behind The Curtain) information about the episodes we recorded in 2023. It’s also one of our funniest episodes! 

Give it a listen and we'll see you in 2024! We have a ton of great episodes planned. And our Season 4 premiere on Jan 17 is going to be extra special for a few reasons #BigThingsHappening 

To listen to this entire episode, sign up to 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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs is one of the biggest ska bands in the world. They formed in Argentina in 1985 and continue to be a major global force in ska and in pop music in general. But Los Fabulosos didn’t evolve out of thin air. This week, we get a crash course on ska’s history in Argentina. To walk us through this fascinating history, we chat with musician and ska historian Daniel Flores. He plays in the Argentinian trad ska band Satélite Kingston, he is the chief editor atRolling Stone Argentinaand he wrote a book in 2013 about the history of ska in Argentina calledManera Correcta De Gritar. 

In addition to Los Fabulosos, we talk about important Argentinian groups like Sumo, Los Auténticos Decadentes, Los Intocables, Los Pericos and others. We also talk about key moments like an early Police concert in Buenos Aires in the early ’80s as well as Mano Negra’s first performance in Argentina in the early ’90s. Plus, Daniel explains how important Madness were to the popularization of ska in Argentina.

We learn how different ska development was in Mexico and Argentina. And we even learn about an early figure in Argentina, Ronnie Montalban, who released the ska recordSeñor Canibalin ’60s. Plus, we discuss Argentina’s role in Rock en tu idioma movement in the ’80s.  

We also talk to Daniel about his history with ska, which includes a three year stint in Washington DC during his high school years, where he saw bands like The Skunks, The Toasters, Bim Skala Bim, Pietasters and a Mötley Crüe ska cover band called Skatley Crüe. 

We learn all about Daniel’s friendship with the Loving Pauper’sJorge Pezzimenti. It all started in Sao Paulo, Brazil with copious drinks and karaoke. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out ourPatreon! 

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 theirLives EP. Also, check outDan P and the BrickstwoLPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska.The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Skawill release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band calledOmnigone. Their latest record,Against The Restreleased on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label calledSka Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Comedian Anna Valenzuela has gone to Fest for the past 3 years. She feels right at home there because she grew up going to punk and ska shows, and when she started comedy in 2014, she often performed on the same bills as punk bands. She got involved in LA’s roast battle scene in 2015 and even participated in the Comedy Central show Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle the following year. This week, we discuss the pockets of comedy in Anna’s world and see where they overlap with ska. 

Fest comes up a lot this week, as does the band Folly. She even tells us an entire story about Folly’s merch person. She also talks about Devon Kay covering Kelly Clarkson, the joys of seeing Eve 6, and her friendship with Jon Graber (Who’s worked with We Are The Union, NOFX, and MxPx). 

She tells us all about LA’s roast battle scene (including The Wave), about being a blackbelt in karate, teaching Esteban Flores how to stretch, and she tells us about recording her new special Murderpuss, which she will release in 2024 on Brandie Posey’s label, Burn This Records. 

Plus, she heaps copious praise on Adam Davis and his band Omnigone. Will she use an Omnigone song on her new special? We shall see! 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

People are still fascinated by the idea of Satanic ska. So much that metal magazine Loudwire wrote an article in 2021 called “Satanic Ska is a Real Thing that Actually Exists.” The article was about Mephiskapheles, a New York ska band that formed in 1990. For their debut album, God Bless Satan, they created a unique sound that blended traditional ska rhythms with jazzy and experimental songwriting. As the band progressed, they got weirder and experimental. 

But what was the tone of group? We tackle this question by speaking to founders Mikal Reich (drums), and Brendan Tween (guitar). They give us a glimpse into the dry, maniacal, advertising-fueled satire of Mephiskapheles’ early years. It’s our 2nd Mephiskapheles episode. Mikal and Brendan have a somewhat different perspective on the group than was presented in our prior interview. So make sure to listen to that one too when you get a chance. 

We also talk about Brendan’s ’80s hardcore band The Shaved Pigs, their time working at Greenwich Village Mexican restaurant Panchito’s—they worked with Jon Stewart! Mikal even got him fired. We talk about chaotic shows at Wetlands (One time they baptized Chris Gethard in Satan’s blood on stage) and getting banned from venues due to skinhead violence. Plus, Mikal tells us his connection to comedian (and former IDOS guest) Jon Daly. 

We get a full history on their song “The Bumble Bee Tuna Song,” we learn how they got their song “Doomsday” on MTV prior to the station’s interest in ska, getting a shoutout from Rancid, how future pick-up artist Neil Strauss interviewed Mikal for a NY Times article about ska, and we get a breakdown of the production work Victor Rice and Bill Laswell did on God Bless Satan. We also talk about Mikal and Brendan’s new band Barbicide and even discuss the cocktail it inspired. 

Plus, we learn that The Skatalites’ Tommy McCook called the band Meph-i-ridiculous, since he wasn’t too keen on a ska band worshiping the devil. 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Nerdcore hip-hop entered mainstream consciousness in 2016 when a contestant on Jeopardy mentioned being a fan of the genre. Then, host Alex Trebek made a joke about fans of the genre being losers. Mega Ran, one of the main figures nerdcore (Hip-hop that focuses on video games, comic books, anime and other “nerd” topics) posted a diss back at Trebek. It quickly turned into a full on diss track with every major nerdcore rapper. At shows, Mega Ran had the audience shout, “Suck it Trebek!” 

Today we show how nerdcore is connected to ska. This year, Mega Ran released a kids album called Buddy’s Magic Toy Box, which has a ska song (“Recess”) on it. He modeled the song, after “Super Rad!” by The Aquabats. And he brought on Jer from Skatune Network as well as Stacked Like Pancakes to play on the track. It’s a killer song. Mega Ran’s relationship to ska goes even deeper. MC Lars introduced him to several artists in the genre years back. They’d listen to ska while on tour. Mega Ran loves the genre so much, he proudly wears a shirt that says, “Ska and Pro Wrestling are the Only Legitimate Forms of Art.” 

We discuss all of this as well as other tracks on Mega Ran’s record, Buddy’s Magic Toy Box. There’s songs about fruit, bullying, self-esteem and one on the history of rap music. It’s got a reggae groove as a tip of the hat to DJ Kool Herc and the genre’s Jamaican roots. We also talk about how Mega Ran got a song in Kevin Smith’s film Clerks 3. We talk about chip/ska artist Lo(u)ser ie Chris Graue. We discuss video game math rock band The Minibosses who famously cover the DuckTales theme song at their shows, and we talk about Mega Ran’s new music festival in Yuma, AZ called Dream Master Mixtape Music Festival. Former IDOS guests AJJ and Open Mike Eagle played the festival this year. 

Plus, with the help of IDOS friend Dane Jackson, we ask Mega Ran several pro-wrestling questions.

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Doughboys is an extremely popular podcast. On it, hosts Nick Wiger and Mike Mitchell discuss chain restaurants, while also chopping it up with different weekly guests, many of who are comedians. Doughboys is kind of a food podcast and kind of a comedy podcast. And it’s a lot of fun to listen to. It’s perfect because who doesn’t have strong opinions about chain restaurants like Taco Bell, Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden, Arby’s, and Outback Steakhouse? 

Avid Doughboys listeners have noticed ska pop up on the show occasionally. That’s because Nick has a ska past. So, we brought him on the show to discuss it. When he was a teenager, he played sax in an Orange County ska band called My Other Brother Darryl (A Newhart reference). Nick also went to high school with Reel Big Fish members Tavis Werts (Trumpet) and Danny Regan (Trombone), so he got to witness Reel Big Fish’s rise to the mainstream from a unique, inside angle. 

We talk about this, and the various ska bands he likes (No Doubt, Let’s Go Bowling, Save Ferris, Aquabats) and find out what the chances are of him ever attending a ska show again. We also talk about how Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett nearly appeared on Doughboys, Nick’s history on the clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone, and we determine what is the official ska fast food. 

Plus, we talk about Taco Bravo (our favorite shitty restaurant, located in San Jose, CA), Nick’s love/hate relationship with Jack In The Box, and Comedy Bang Bang host Scott Aukerman’s ska connections. We break down a few Funny or Die skits Nick made back when he worked there (The Monster Fuck, Jar Jar Binks Gungan style). We also talk about Pears’ love for Doughboys (And their connection to ska band, Bad Operation), and go into detail about PUP’s brilliant performance on a Doughboy’s livestream: a food parody version of their song “Reservoir.” 

Plus, we make a plea to former IDOS guest Jordan Morris to take Nick to a ska show. Help us Jordan. You’re our only hope! 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Ozomatli was formed in Los Angeles in 1995. Right out the gate, they blended a ton of styles: cumbia, funk, hip-hop, salsa. Within that mix, reggae and ska were also prominent ingredients since Day 1. They went all in with Jamaican-influenced music in 2017 with their record Nonstop: Mexico to Jamaica, a brilliant album where they cover popular Mexican and Mexican-American tunes from groups like Maná, Selena, Café Tacvba, and Julieta Venegas and transform them into awesome reggae/ska/rocksteady songs. They even got Sly and Robbie to produce it.  

This week, we bring on Ozomatli’s sax player, Uli Bella. We also learn that Uli has deep ska roots. Before joining Ozomatli, he played sax in LA trad ska group, Yeska, a mostly instrumental band that married Skatalites-influenced ska with Latin elements. 

We also talk about Luis Correa and Steady Beat shows (which was the epicenter of LA’s trad ska scene in the ’90s), Yeska opening for Desmond Dekker, how Hepcat and Jump with Joey ruled the trad scene, Yeska member Alfredo Ortiz who later went on to play with The Beastie Boys, Gogol Bordello and Los Lobos. And we talk about how Ozomatli played at Rage Against The Machine’s Zack De La Rocha’s house early in their career. 

We also talk about Jurassic 5 (Cut Chemist and Chali 2na were early Ozomatli members), how Ozomatli’s samba opener came to be, what is was like for Ozomatli to play Warped Tour and that Mike Watt was one of the only old punkers that checked them out every night. We talk about how they made fans of Carlos Santana, Prince, and Pharoah Sanders. And we hear about how Uli recorded with King Chango, Money Mark, and Western Standard Time Orchestra. 

Plus, we hear all about the early Black Eyed Peas, who came from the same Peace and Justice Center scene as Ozomatli. 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

St. Louis ska band MU330 was formed in 1988. Different members came and went through the course of their first two full-lengths, but by the time they went to record their 1997 masterpiece, Crab Rangoon, they locked in as a five-piece with Dan Potthast, Ted Moll, Chris Diebold, Rob Bell, and former Skankin’ Pickle trombonist Gerry Lundquist. That lineup hasn’t changed since. 

Most curious about this lineup is the horn section: Two slide trombones. Rather than lean into the high, peppy brass of trumpets or the sultry vibe of saxophones, it was pure trombone action. With the entire horn section sliding, it sometimes added an unsettling effect to their lines, a curious, unique sound that further distinguished them from other 90s ska bands.

Today we celebrate one of the best ’90s ska bands, by hanging out with their incredible horn section: Trombonist Rob Bell and trombonist Gerry Lundquist. For anyone who toured during the ’90s or early 2000s, it was common knowledge that Rob and Gerry were incredible, hilarious, and always a delight to hang out with. They zoomed in to talk to us from a St. Louis bar of course! 

We talk about tattoos, touring with Link 80, weird experiences in Europe, Rob winning the Buddy Lee jump rope contest, Rob hanging out with Against Me’s Laura Jane Grace, Devil sticks, and garlic ice cream at the Gilroy Garlic Festival

We also talk about Gerry moving to St. Louis and staying at Dan Potthast’s house, beer farming, Rob seeing The Cramps (his first punk show), their experience playing The Outhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, and the infamous Link 80 Fireworks War. 

Plus, Rob reveals to us exactly who Pepe is! 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Author Dan Ozzi’s 2021 book “Sellout” brilliantly profiled 11 punk/hardcore/emo bands that signed to a major label in the 90s/2000s (Green Day, Against Me, Jawbreaker, At The Drive-In). He showed minute details of the scenes these bands came from, how and why they signed to a major, and ultimately what impact making this jump had on them. What’s interesting is how differently each band was impacted by releasing a “sellout” record. 

We brought Dan Ozzi this week to search for signs of ska in his book. While no ska band was profiled, the genre comes up occasionally on the sidelines. Plus, we learn that Less Than Jake (and their “sellout” record “Losing Streak”) was considered as one of the profiles for his book. 

But we also talk about Chris Farren, Jeff Rosenstock, Glenn Danzig, Catch 22, Jersey ska band Professor Plum, and we explore all the connections between Jimmy Eat World and Less Than Jake. Plus, Dan also tells us wild Gilman stories that came up in his research. 

We also talk about Blink 182’s connection to ska, how many times people brought up Reel Big Fish to him while he was promoting his book, and we discuss new genres that are over all our heads (Indie Sleaze). 

Plus, we talk about a brilliant 90s Star Trek-themed garage band called The Vulcaneers that featured Gerry Lundquist and Lars Nylander of Skankin’ Pickle. Amazing group! 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This is a critical historical conversation! Prepare to have your understanding of Bomb the Music Industry and Arrogant Sons of Bitches EXPANDED with this timeless interview with John DeDominici and Sean McCabe.

Everyone know John DeDominici's important contribution to all of Jeff Rosenstock's projects. But what about Sean McCabe? Arguably the most important figure in the Jeff Rosenstock universe...yet he hides in the shadows!

He is a secret no more. Listen to this episode and LEARN! All you need to do is sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon to hear the entire episode.

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Hard Times recently declared Flying Raccoon Suit to be the best ska band out of Mississippi. But, as good as they are, they don’t have a lot of competition—they don’t live in an area filled with ska or punk bands. But part of their charm is this very thing—they bring different influences and life experiences to ska.

This is especially apparent in their new highly diverse album, Moonflower, which was released on Bad Times Records on November 3rd. This week, we bring on FRS members Andrew Heaton and Jessica Jeansonne to discuss the band’s history, life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and their excellent new record. 

But we also talk about Garfield, Jessica’s cartoon character voices, how Andrew plays guest horn in every band, growing up steeped in jazz, and how they searched high and low for the weirdest pizza on tour. 

We also talk about NOFX’s “Darby Crashing Your Party” music video, which took its premise from Flying Raccoon Suit’s “Swan Song” video. We talk about guest horn player Eric Molina getting stuck in Canada. And we talk about Duck’s upcoming horror movie, Amityvillenado. 

Plus, we learn the truth about Flying Raccoon Suit: They’re just a bunch of anxious goobers. 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The Police exploded in the late 70s. By the early ’80s they were one of the biggest bands in the world with countless hits like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” and “Don’t Stand So Close To Me.” They were classified as New Wave, but ska and reggae were prominent influences in their songs. Their popularity pre-dated the 2 Tone ska explosion. Nearly all of those bands—The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, The Bodysnatchers, Bad Manners—opened up for The Police at some point. 

Today we bring on The Police’s drummer, Stewart Copeland. His drumming was highly informed by ska/reggae. In fact, he was the first member of the group to fall in love with the music. We discuss The Police’s career, 2 Tone ska, reggae drumming and also talk about his new book, Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries. 

We also talk about how The Police were “fake punks” during the UK British movement, Stewart’s first time seeing The Specials at The Hammersmith Palais and talking to Madness’ singer Suggs about the show. We talk about UB40’s place in the 2 Tone scene, as well as the important role that Stewart’s brothers Miles and Ian played in all of this music gaining a larger audience. 

We talk about Don Letts role in popularizing reggae among punks, British skinheads, how Stewart discovered reggae in Berkeley (and how he found similarities to the Baladi music he heard as a child growing up in Egypt and Beirut.) And we talk about his weird side project Klark Kent, who actually scored a hit single before The Police! 

Plus, Stewart gives us an impassioned rant about music that is aimed at The Specials leader Jerry Dammers. 

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 P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

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.

In our conversation, we also found several connections to ska and reggae. Pall is a huge fan of dub and old Jamaican music and says that the swinging groove has always been an influence on his music. We even gives us a tour of his vinyl ska/reggae/rocksteady collection, which includes records by Prince Buster, Roots Radics, The Upsetters, Horace Andy, Tapper Zukie, Augustus Pablo and many others.

We talk about San Diego skinheads, Pall's interest in punk rock and skateboarding in the 80s, San Diego ska bands (Donkey Show, Gangbusters, Buck O' Nine, Unsteady) and we talk extensively about knives. We also talk about the origin of Three Mile Pilot (They were almost called Taco Pilot). How they got signed to Geffen Records, and how frustrating the process of working with Geffen on Another Desert, Another Sea ended up being. (Geffen ended up giving the album back to the band, who released it on Cargo Records)

We talk about their cover of Brian Eno's "By This River," what it was like for Pall to meet Lee "Scratch" Perry, and we dissect several songs off of Another Desert, Another Sea. Speaking of, be sure to pick up the 25th anniversary double vinyl re-issue of Another Desert, Another Sea, which was released earlier this year!

Plus we talk about Pall singing on the reggae song "Reboot The Simulation" by Satanic Puppeteer Orchestra. 

Hans Gruber and the Die Hards came out of the pandemic swinging and ready to take over the ska scene. The band formed in 2014 in Austin, Texas, went through some lineup changes (A big lineup change a few years ago!) and then released their excellent record, With A Vengence, in May 2022 on SPI Records. They want to get the word out and have been touring as much as possible.

The group mixes ska with furious hardcore, cumbia, silly singalongs, and whatever else they feel like throwing in the mix. And they bring a stage show filled to the brim with bizarre antics that involve sock puppets, conga lines, copious guest horns and exercise classes. Today we speak with three members of the group: Chris Thompson, Rosey Armstrong and Kurt Armstrong.

We talk aboutDie Hard lore, and whether the film is in fact a remake of A Christmas Carol. We talk about their long tours and the methods they employ to save money (Forage for nuts in the forest, get free cheese from members of The Best of the Worst). We also talk about Kurt's blackeye and why the band members are the undisputed Gods of Dairy.

We also talk about the squirrels in Adam's backyard and Christian rock groups like Lust Control, DC Talk, One Bad Pig and Rich Mullins. We talk about Hans' experience being on the Ska Parade tour a few years back. And they talk about The Slackers, Slackfest and missing veggie trays. 

Plus we talk about a very controversial topic: Kurt's underwear

Jon Wurster played drums in Superchunk from the early 90s, but left the band earlier this year. He currently plays drums in The Mountain Goats and with Bob Mould. He also famously played the character Ronald Thomas Clontle on The Best Show with Tom Scharpling and declared that Madness invented ska!

And Jon certainly jokes around about ska a lot, but when he was a teenager, he really loved the 2 Tone ska bands like The Specials and English Beat. He was also a big fan of The Hooters during their early 80s ska phase. And more recently, Jon skanked and played tambourine on stage during the infamous Ska No Children incident. (Sad Snack opened for The Mountain Goats in San Francisco and played their ska cover of "No Children.")

We bring Jon on today to talk about ska. He tells us that he used to practice drums to the Dance Craze soundtrack. We talk about his connection to the band Dead Milkmen. (Amongst other things, he booked their first show!) We discuss his nickname Johnny Earthshoe and we talk about two key shows he attended with The Police. (The Specials and Rhoda Dakar were at one of them) 

He also tells us about missing his high school prom for The Meatmen, Ska band The Pressure Boys' connection to Superchunk, and we try to figure out the name of the ska artist that was featured on a DVD he owns (It turns out it was King Django) 

IDOS PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODE

Supernova 2023 was an incredible experience! Amazing bands and just a lot of great people hanging out at the festival. It was the first time that we (both Aaron and Adam) got to experience this awesome festival. But also, we were heavily involved with the festival.

For September's bonus episode, we discuss our Supernova experience with an after-the-fact conversation and a few field recordings from Supernova.

Sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon to listen to this EXCLUSIVE episode! 

In 2011, long time Southern California ska trumpet player Eitan Avineri had an idea. He wanted to blend traditional Jamaican ska with big band jazz. He assembled a crew of all the best players in LA's traditional ska scene, as well as some of his jazz friends, and re-arranged his favorite Skatalites tunes in a big band style. He called the project Western Standard Time Orchestra. And their first album was called Big Band Tribute To The Skatalites (Vol 1)

Though Eitan would later discover that he wasn't the first person to form a ska orchestra, Western Standard Time Orchestra would be a particularly vibrant band, steeped in ska and jazz in equal measures. Now over a decade into the band's existence, they have a brand new Christmas record that releases on November 3rd. To talk about it, we bring on Eitan and Aggrolites' vocalist Jesse Wagner, who sings lead vocals on the record.

We discuss, at length, LA's trad ska scene and its various players that helped give birth to this cool project. And we talk about how WST tour, record and function as a massive 15-30 piece band. We also talk about the various LA trad ska bands that built the foundation the group grew from: Jump With Joey, Mobtown, Yeska, Hepcat, The Allentons, Kingston 10, See Spot, Ocean 11, Rhythm Function and others.

We also talk about the role of Steady Beat Records and Chris Murray's Bluebeat Lounge. Also, skinhead fights, Christmas music, how Jesse can croon so well without making it sound cheesy, and we learn that Gogol Bordello has been using LA trad ska drummers in the group for the past decade! 

Plus we discover that Jesse Wagner used to be a child/teenage actor! 

Bill Stevenson is a punk rock legend. He's the drummer/only consistent member of The Descendants. He played in Black Flag, All and he owns/operates punk-friendly recording studio The Blasting Room. And while most bands that roll through The Blasting Room are punk, Bill has worked with several ska bands, including Mustard Plug, Kemuri, Suicide Machines, Less Than Jake and Big D and the Kids Table. Today we dig into Bill's connection to ska!

But we talk about so much more, including recording techniques, pre-show stretching techniques, nightmare tour stories, major label stories, Conan O'Brien stories, Joey Ramone stories, and he tells us about his special drink. Also, I mention an obscure Fort Collins group called The Bob Hollister Band to see if Bill has ever heard of them.

Plus he gives us an update on how Milo's been doing since the heart attack. And he answers drum question by Omnigone drummer Justin Amans. 

The Loving Paupers have a brand new album out. Ladders! Who are the Loving Paupers you ask, they are an amazing band that plays "Melancholy Roller Skating Rink Reggae," according to Jump Up Records's Chuck Wren. And you know what, he's exactly right. So today, we have on their guitarist/songwriter Jorge Pezzimenti.

But we have so much more to talk about than just Loving Paupers' new Victor Rice produced album. We dive deep into Jorge's ska past with 90s ska-punk band The Decepticonz (as previously discussed on the Patrick Stump and Jamie Woolford episodes), as well as his time in DC's one and only Pietasters. We even touch on his 80s cover band The Legwarmers and some of his side projects, like the infamous Jorge and the Landladies record Monobound.

We also talk about the influential role that MU330 had on The Decepticonz, Too Hep Records (This Aren't Two Tone, Metalliska), and we learn which song The Legwarmers were playing when the police shut down their show at the Kansas House in 2001 (Hint: it was "Eye of the Tiger")

We also talk about the time Jorge was arrested just before a Pietasters gig, how the Pietasters once backed soul icon James Brown, and he tells us some important Jamaican records like Desmond Dekker's Music Like Dirt and The Heptones Night Food. Catbite gives The Loving Paupers a shoutout in Bearded Gentlemen, we learn how Tango music informed Jorge's song "Let's Not Rewind These," and find out whether the Decepticonz had an oboe player in the band. 

Plus we devote a little time to 2000s-era hipster bands with weird stylized names. All caps, no caps, weird letter in the center capped for unknown reasons. It's all there! 

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 about playing with the Butthole Surfers, Scream (Dave Grohl's old band), and Operation Ivy.

But we also talk about ska. Steve not only talks about his band The Resignators, but some of the other important Australian ska bands of the past two decades, like Melbourne Ska Orchestra, The Bennies and The Porkers. As well as the annual festival Ska Nation. Plus we of course discuss former IDOS guest and Australian comedian Aaron Gocs, who hung out with Catbite on their recent trip to Australia.

Steve also tells us about the punk and ska scene in Richmond, Virginia back in the 80s and 90s, including bands like Burma Jam, The Good Guys, Avail and Lamb of God. We also talk about The Caribs and the theory that they--an Australian ska band--helped create the ska groove back in the day.

Plus we discuss Mustard Plug (who barely left Australia before Covid) and UK ska band Death of Guitar Pop who The Resignators recently toured with over in Australia. And we talk about Supernova International Ska festival...a lot! 

Does rapper/podcaster Open Mike Eagle like ska? Well, when I brought up Fishbone, he immediately said that he loved the song "Unyielding Conditioning." Great! Now that that's out of the way, this week, we talk about a whole lot of other topics with the great OME including AJJ, They Might Be Giants, MF Doom, Adventure Time, and he has a fantastic Angelo Moore story!  

With AJJ specifically, we discuss what it's like to tour with the group, how he exercises on the road, and Adam even forces him to choose between Sean and Ben! We also go deep into OME's all-time favorite band They Might Be Giants, and discuss every moment he's referenced their music in his own songs. And he tells us about what it was like to be a judge on the "I Left My Body" video contest. Plus, we determine whether "Boss Of Me" is a ska song or NOT! 

We cover a range of other topics, including his long friendship with Hannibal Buress (And how Hannibal once beat him at a rap battle contest), The Pixies, famous people he's mentioned in his songs (Peter Dinklage, Marc Maron, Joe Rogan, Jon Lovitz) and whether they're aware that they were mentioned. And Tim Robinson's show I Think You Should Leave gets brought up--of course. Adam even makes OME choose a favorite sketch!

Plus we finally decide once and for all if punching nazis is a good or bad thing (hint: It's good) 

We continue on with our new PATREON-EXCLUSIVE series: I Worked At Asian Man Records. Another brave soul, Lazlo Happenstance, confesses to us Behind The Curtain what it was like to work for the one and only Mike Park. And this episode gets JUICY! Make sure you're properly hydrated before you click play on THIS episode!

Go to www.Patreon.com/indefenseofska to listen to the entire episode NOW! 

The time has finally come! We have landed an Aquabat on the In Defense of Ska podcast. Not just any Aquabat, but EagleBones Falconhawk! Or as he's known when he's not busy with his superhero duties, Ian Fowles. 

We get into the Aquabats! history with Ian, including his personal story with the group, the mythology of his character and what it was like to work on Yo Gabba Gabba! and The Aquabats! Super Show! Many names were dropped in this conversation, including Weird Al Yankovic, Jack Black, Greg Hawkes (The Cars), Puddles Pity Party and Jesse Hughes (Eagles of Death Metal). 

We also dig into Ian's history as a musician. He was a founding member of Death By Stereo. He quit the group to go on his Mormon Mission. When he returned, they were signed to Epitaph. We talk about how Michael J. Fox or rather Marty McFly's guitar scenes in Back To The Future inspired him to take up the guitar, what it was like to tour with Rancid, and we discuss his mustache phase! 

Plus we ask Ian he likes ska. You may not want to know the answer! 

Artist Sam Grinberg started interning with The Simpsons in 2014. It turned into an actual job shortly after--a dream job! He joins us today to discuss the popular show, its possible ska connections and his own history with the genre.

He's got a lot of history with ska. Sam grew up in New Jersey and used to go see tons of bands like Streetlight Manifesto and local legends Awful Waffle. He even drops some super obscure local ska band names on us like Stolen Oregano, Explosive Sheep, and The Nerd Who Ate St. Louis.

Sam has also done a lot of artwork for ska bands. A short list includes Catbite, Kill Lincoln, Less Than Jake, Save Ferris, The Holophonics, the Too Hectic comps on Pay Attention Records (By Phil Lucas-Smith of Ska Punk Daily) and more. (He even did art for the Hella Mega Tour, which featured Fall Out Boy). Plus Sam talks about his other artwork like the Scumburbia series and his infamous "How To Skank" comic.

We also learn how Sam got a job at The Simpsons, how he defines his art style, and how many tattoos people have gotten of his artwork. He talks about seeing Fatter Than Albert, Bomb The Music Industry and going to many shows at The Starland Ballroom and the Stone Pony. Plus he talks about going to the "It's a Ska World After All" at Disneyland. And we learn that one of his art teachers was Gary Panter, who created the characters for Pee Wee's Playhouse.

And we discuss ska bands with Simpsons references and the ultimate Simpsons-themed metal-core band: Okilly Dokilly. A jam-packed episode!

The UK has a long history of producing interesting, eclectic ska bands. And this tradition continues to this day. Today we bring on Popes of Chillitown, an excellent UK band that formed in the early 2010s and just released their 4th record, Take A Picture. The band mixes ska, punk, metal, grime, hip-hop, drum n bass and anything else they feel like into catchy, energetic tunes. On Take A Picture, they go a little heavier and get even more diverse than any prior record.

We talk about a lot, including British sketch shows like The League of Gentlemen and The Young Ones. We talk about the influence that rave culture and hip hop has had on the UK's ska-punk scene, and we dig into the Household Name Records era bands like Capdown, King Prawn, and Sonic Boom Six.

We also talk about iconic UK venues New Cross Inn and The Underworld. We talk about how The Popes like to kill time on tour in the van (Reading religious texts and playing the ukulele?), we discuss new UK bands and artists like Pook, Bar Stool Preachers, The JB Conspiracy and The Skints, and we get the full story on the band's biggest song, "Wisdom Teeth." 

Plus, we learn what Onion Tea is! 

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 opened for KISS at an amphitheater, then immediately left the venue to open for Skankin' Pickle in a small Inland Empire club. We also talk about how strange it was for Reel Big Fish to travel all over the world. (He includes a particularly funny story from their trip to Russia). Not to mention the time their tour bus blew up--they were almost inside when it happened.

Plus Scott talks to us about interviewing random people in Times Square about ska for the documentary Pick It Up - Ska In The 90s. We also talk about his acting roles in the We Are The Union music videos for "You're Dead / Vampire Ska" and "Make It Easy." (And what it was like to kill Brent Friedman on camera!) We also discuss what it was like to recently meet The Slackers' frontman Vic Ruggiero for the first time, the influence of Fishbone on the Reel Big Fish, making a cameo in the film BASEketball (by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone) and how Aaron Barrett and Scott's funny on-stage banter started as something antagonistic between them.

Plus we dig deep into the fantastic record Cheer Up and learn a lot about "Drunk Again" and "Average Man," two songs Scott wrote. And Crumbl Cookies. We definitely talk about Crumbl Cookies.

In a brand new PATREON EXCLUSIVE In Defense of Ska series, we speak with former employees of Asian Man Records to get the DIRT on Mike Park. It gets juicy behind the curtain. Our guests feel comfortable spilling the tea because Mike Park IS NOT a Patreon Subscriber so he'll never hear this!

This month, we chat with Skylar Suorez who worked at Asian Man from 2005 - 2011. Skylar's other big claim to fame is that he discovered AJJ!!!!!

To listen to the ENTIRE episode, sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon! 

The first CD Sadie Dupuis saved up her own money to purchase was "Let's Face It" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The first concert she begged her mom to take her to was No Doubt. And on a recent NPR segment, Sadie talked about the huge influence The Selecter's Pauline Black had on her. Pauline, through example, taught her that music could be a political tool

These days Sadie plays in the indie-rock band Speedy Ortiz, and she also releases music under the moniker Sad13. But she hasn't forgotten about her love for ska. In fact, she makes a plea to JER for a Sadie Dupuis / Skatune Network collaboration. (Hopefully, you're listening JER!) 

We also get into a lot more, like how Sadie's parents worked at record labels in the 70s. Her mom worked at the UK ska/reggae label Rock Steady Records. We talk about how The Specials' "Ghost Town" is a perfect song, we discuss the ska leanings of 100 gecs. And she talks about sending an AIM message to I Voted For Kodos. 

We also talk about booking MySpace tours, Sinéad O'Connor, and her love for Weezer. (Her favorite non-album track is "Blast Off!!"). We also talk about a ska band Sadie played in when she was a kid called "Walker Exists." They had no bass player! (She also mentions the ska band that Kevin Bacon's kid used to play in.) We talk about her songwriting process, fostering dogs, and get into the 2 Tone ska influences on the Brit-pop genre. 

But most importantly, she tells us her AOL and AIM screen names from back in the day. They both are ska-related. 

Be sure and check out Speedy Ortiz's new album Rabbit Rabbit, which releases on Sept 1! 

This week we explore Ska-Jazz. Specifically, we talk to Fred Reiter (aka Rocksteady Freddie), the band leader of the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. And we aim to understand the difference between the jazz-influenced traditional ska sound and ska-jazz. Fred gives us a simple explanation and a more complex technical explanation.

But Fred also talks about his entire personal history in music: He studied jazz in high school--clarinet, flute and saxophone. He played the sax in a variety of bands including the N.Y. Citizens, The Scofflaws and The Toasters. New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble started as a recording project, but he soon realized there was a demand for it on the live circuit. The band continues to play. To this day they have played in 37 different countries.

Fred also tells us what it was like to be a part of the legendary Skavoovie tour in 1993 (The Special Beat, The Selecter, The Skatalites, The Toasters), what it was like to share the stage with Coolie Ranx, how the German band The Busters helped get the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble to Europe, and what it was like to back ska legend Laurel Aitken in the 90s. 

Plus we discuss various elements of jazz, and why the elitism of the genre he experienced in New York may have influenced him to play in ska bands. 

While it's an undeniable fact that most musicians have ska roots, Tom May of The Menzingers has an entire, elaborate ska past. Before forming The Menzingers in 2006, Tom spent a solid 4 years playing in the Scranton, Pennsylvania ska band Bob and the Sagets. During the early 2000s, Bob and the Sagets (and another band, Lester) were the big local ska bands in Scranton.

Tom speaks to us this week about Bob and the Sagets. We talk about the Scranton scene, including venues like Cafe Del Sol and Sessions Skatepark, as well as other prominent bands from the scene (Including Tigers Jaw!). But we also discuss The Menzingers and search for signs of ska, which includes a cover of The Specials' "Gangsters" they used to do, an old song called "Dark Side Of The Poon," and Tom joining Worriers on stage to play ska guitar for their cover of Rancid's "Old Friend."

We also talk about playing with ska/reggae producer Curtis Irie (ie Irie Idea), how Against Me influenced The Menzingers' sound, touring with Jeff Rosenstock, meeting Brendan Kelly for the first time at Fest, his feelings on The Hard Times' Menzingers articles and getting to see Catbite for the first semi-recently. Plus he talks about some of the most amazing DIY shows he's seen back in the day, including Frank Turner, Gaslight Anthem and Paint It Black. 

And, as a special treat, Tom explains to us what the Receipt Scam is! 

The Dead Milkmen were odd ducks in Philadelphia's 1980s  hardcore scene. They played really fast, but with a clean guitar channel, and wrote satirical--often strange and very imaginative--lyrics. It felt like they were almost a ska band. And in fact, they did have a few ska songs in their set like "If You Love Somebody, Set Them On Fire," "Little Man In My Head," "Gorilla Girl," and a cover of The Specials' "A Message To You, Rudy."

Today, we bring on Dead Milkmen guitarist Joe Genaro. We talk about the band's relationship to ska, Joe's love for The Specials, The English Beat, Philly locals The Hooters, Operation Ivy and what it was like to play a LIVE 105 radio event with Skankin' Pickle (Along with Duran Duran and Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.)

We discuss their recent cover of Heaven 17's "(We Don't Need No) Fascist Groove Thang," which they turned into a ska song, the influential role of Dead Kennedys' In God We Trust, Inc, Joe's love for Dr. Demento and Weird Al (And how excited he was when he heard himself played on the Dr. Demento show), Why they mentioned drummer Jon Wurster in the song "Stewart," and we breakdown the recording of Big Lizard In My Backyard, and discuss some of the weirder promotional events Dead Milkmen did when "Punk Rock Girl" broke, including a bonkers performance on Club MTV with Downtown Julie Brown.

Plus we discuss the band's excellent new album, Quaker City Quiet Pills, which was released on June 9th.

I don't know if you've heard, but there is a book on Asian Man Records/Mike Park in the works! And the author of the books is none other than Mike Huguenor, guitarist for the Jeff Rosenstock band. He's also played in Hard Girls, Shinobu, Classics of Love, and a bunch of other bands.

The book isn't expected to release until 2025, but Mike gave us a sneak peak of this work in progress!

If you want to get some juicy tidbits about Mike's upcoming Asian Man Records book, sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon NOW and listen to the entire episode.

Fred Armisen loves ska. He's brought it up on multiple Tonight Show appearances. Portlandia famously did the Bart Ska-mpson skit (with guest Matt Groening), and he performed a ska song in one Saturday Night Live sketch (with Bill Hader and Katy Perry).

So, we brought Fred on the podcast and discussed all things ska. He had a lot to say on the topic. We talked about his love for 2 Tone ska bands (The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, English Beat, Bad Manners, The Bodysnatchers). But we also talked about the US ska bands he got to know in the 80s and 90s while he played drums in Chicago punk band Trenchmouth. We talked about Fishbone, Skankin' Pickle, Gangster Fun, Slapstick, Let's Go Bowling and more. 

We also talk about ska in Latin America, which he learned about during his multiple trips to Santiago, Chile, while filming Los Espookys. We talk about the larger movement of punk/New Wave bands that dabbled with ska XTC, The Clash, The Members, Joe Jackson) or stemmed from ska bands (Fun Boy Three, Fine Young Cannibals, General Public) and we talk lovingly about Chicago's famous indie venue, Fireside Bowl. I also tell Fred about a rumor I heard that Cap'n' Jazz were the first band to play Fireside and he votes on whether it was true or not! 

We also talk about how dumb band fights can get, the influencing role that Alan Myers (Devo), David Barbarossa (Bow Wow Wow), Topper Headon (The Clash) and Clem Burke (Blondie) had on his drumming style, and he takes a moment to mourn the loss of Specials lead singer Terry Hall, which hit him hard.

Plus, we decide the perfect number of bands to have on a bill. Listen and find out!

Philadelphia hardcore band Soul Glo put out one of the best records of 2022: Diaspora Problems. It made it on many "best of" lists, Jeff Rosenstock tweeted about how amazing it was and the band My Chemical Romance invited Soul Glo to open for them.

But, what we've learned as the group have transitioned from a DIY punk band to being one of the names constantly referenced in the current hardcore reconnaissance is that they like ska. So we brought on bassist GG Guerra to discuss the genre.

He talks about his love for Arrogant Sons of Bitches, specifically their landmark record, Three Cheers For Disappointment. We also discuss Folly--Soul Glo singer Pierce Jordan participated in a cover of Folly's song "Broken" with members of Catbite, We Are The Union, The Best of the Worst and Gouge Away for 2 Minutes to Late Night. We also talked about Soul Glo's love for JER. GG assures us that at some point in the near future, we can expect a JER/Soul Glo collaboration.

We talk about so much more. Ska Against Racism, GG's Choking Victim tattoo, GG's old ska band, signing to Epitaph, how the film Whiplash inspired the idea for the video for "Jump!! (Or Get Jumped!!!) ((by the future))" and we dig deep into the recording of Soul Glo's Diaspora Problems. 

Plus Adam reveals the name of Atomic Garden Recording Studio's owner Jack Shirley's old ska band!

Bad Operation played their first show ever in October 2021. It was packed, with an enthusiastic crowd. But a lot led up to this moment. The band formed in 2019 as a side project for the members, with the intention of them playing a single show. That show, scheduled for March 12 2020 never happened thanks to the pandemic. As much as that sucked, they did suddenly have a ton of time to record music. In Dec 2020, they released their excellent debut album and blew many minds!

Today we bring on two members of Bad Operation: Greg Rodrigue and D-Ray. Though Bad Operation is a new group, the members have an interesting and expansive history with ska, like their time in the mid-2000s New Orleans ska scene with bands like Fatter Than Albert, Samurai Deli and Angry Banana. We also talk about Greg and D-Ray's label, Community Records, their ongoing festival Block Party, the iconic NOLA venue Big Top, and Greg's spot Hey Cafe.

We also break down several samples on their debut record that includes The Impossibles, Mike Park, Blue Meanies, The Specials, Sublime and Jackie Mittoo. We talk about how Jeff Rosenstock's label Quote Unquote and Mike Park's label Asian Man inspired Community Records.

Plus we discuss the new Bad Time Records Wavebreaker release with songs by Bad Operation and Mighty Mighty Bosstones bassist Joe Gittleman.

Here's a link if you want to hear the playlist for "Sell Out," Greg's ska cover band mentioned during the show.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones had the biggest ska-punk hit of the '90s. Their song "The Impression That I Get" was huge and made them legit stars for a while. But they were a band that earned it. They got their start in the 80s, signed to Taang Records in 1989, got a major label deal in 1993 and released several records before hitting it big with their 1997 record Let's Face It. Not to mention, they were a huge influence on the sound of US ska-punk in the 90s. 

Today, we talk to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' bassist Joe Gittleman (aka the Bass Fiddleman). He tells us stories from the Bosstones year, working at SideOneDummy in the 2000s, producing Big D and the Table's "Strictly Rude" record, playing in Gang Green and he gives us his side perspective regarding The Bosstones' breakup last year. 

He also talks about playing Lollapalooza in 1995, quitting drinking, and Bouncing Souls covering his song "Lean On Sheena" from his other band Avoid One Thing, and how the song ended up being one of the Souls most popular songs. We talk about Brian Fallon and Gaslight Anthem's landmark record The 59 Sound, playing Warped Tour and the significance of seeing Fishbone play in the 80s. 

Plus we talk about Joe's upcoming Wavebreaker release on Bad Time Records with the great Bad Operation. You're going to want to grab a copy ASAP! 

Eugene Robinson was at many iconic hardcore shows in the 80s--as a musician (He played in Whipping Boy), as a journalist, and as a fan. The scene was not always a pretty place. He's been in enough fights that he wrote a book about it. Fight: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking but Were Afraid You'd Get Your Ass Kicked For Asking.  But Eugene's latest book details his hardcore years and it's another mouthful. A Walk Across Dirty Water and Straight Into Murderer's Row: A Memoir. So we brought him on to tell his punk stories. 

This is easily the most intense episode of In Defense of Ska. There are many violent stories, including the infamous Misfits show in San Francisco in the early 80s where the band hurls homophobic slurs at the crowd and then Paul Caiafa (aka Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein) nearly kills a kid. Eugene tells this and other stories in graphic detail. 

We also talk about Dead Kennedys and SSD in Staten Island, Bad Brains' famous 3-day run at CBGBs, Whipping Boy's first show ever (opening for Circle Jerks), and the time Eugene got jumped on his way to see The Clash film Rude Boy. He also tells us how his love for The Specials inspired him to go to college at Stanford, how he made a lot of money arm wrestling a group of guys and how he went to high school with the members of early New York dance/ska band Urban Blight. 

Plus we talk about his band Black Face which he did with Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski, and how Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) tried to get them to change the name to Black Velvet because "Black Face is a fucked up name." Eugene explains why he didn't take Ian seriously (Hint: It's because he wrote "Guilty of Being White.") 

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE!

This month we give you a bonus episode about emo!

Why? Because Adam and I don't know a lot about emo, and there are some pretty major parallels to the story of ska and the story of emo. Besides, a lot of the new wave of ska bands were influenced by emo, so it makes A LOT of sense for us all do do our homework on emo! 

To do that, we brought on an emo expert! Andrew Sacher, editor at Brooklyn Vegan! This is a must-listen episode!

To listen to this episode in its entirety, sign up for the IDOS Patreon!

Only a handful of bands made up the 2 Tone era of ska in late 70s England. Today, we bring on Rhoda Dakar, the singer of The Bodysnatchers, an all-female ska band that released 2 singles on the 2 Tone record label before breaking up. The band also recorded a few Peel Sessions and were featured on Dance Craze. Though short-lived, The Bodysnatchers were an important band and are still loved by many to this day.

Rhoda also sang on the Specials' song "I Can't Stand It" (A really cool duet with Terry Hall), and was part of Jerry Dammers' Special AKA project. Their In The Studio record took 2 years to record. Rhoda tells us about "I Can't Stand It" and what it was like to work on In The Studio. (It was no fun!) 

We also talk about Rhoda's pre-Bodysnatchers years of being a punk kid and seeing Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, becoming friends with The Sex Pistols' Paul Cook and Steve Jones, and how she tried (and failed) to sneak into a Roxy Music concert in 1973. She tells us what it was like to work with The Interrupters on their most recent record, how she finally got to perform at the Brixton Academy Theater and the role that The Pogues' Shane MacGowan had in her joining The Bodysnatchers. 

She talks about writing "Ruder than You" with scenester Gaz Mayall (son of British blues legend John Mayall), playing on the Seaside Tour with The Specials and the Go Go's, and we talk about the legacy of her song The Boiler. 

You probably know our next guest for playing keyboards with Catbite. But Esteban Flores has played with a ton of ska bands, (live or just recording on some tracks). We're talking somewhere in the range of 80 groups! The point is that Esteban is THEE keyboardist of ska, so he needed his own episode.

We talk about the many bands he's played with like Matamoska, The Steady 45's, The Bandulus, Mr. Kingpin, The English Beat, We Are The Union and The Interrupters, and how he played in 8 separate bands one year at Supernova. We also talk about one particular band he wishes he could play with, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (His all-time favorite ska band). Esteban then gives us a lesson on how to play traditional ska/reggae on the keys and even explains what "the bubble" is.

Esteban also tells us why he thinks the East LA ska scene is the best in the US. We talk about the time he (and this scene) were featured on a Fox News 11 segment, and we talk about the Ska Wars festival that is a major part of this scene. Esteban also gives us his top 4 craziest tour stories (Which involve car accidents, breakdowns and theft). And we also talk about his personal history as an immigrant that moved to the US at age 3, and how he benefited from the DACA program as a Dreamer.

Plus, Esteban brings up Brent Friedman a few times for no apparent reason! Hey, maybe he's a big fan? 

Bedouin Soundclash are a household name in Canada, The UK and other parts of the world. But in the US, they are a lesser known group. They formed in 2000 in Ontario, Canada and scored the big hit "When The Night Feels My Song" in 2004. The song made it to Radio 1 in the UK and got airplay on The Edge radio show in Toronto.

Not only did "When The Night" launch their career, the song developed a life of its own.  It was everywhere. You could hear it in grocery stores, on TV ads and on kids shows. Years later, some Bedouin Soundclash fans were surprised to learn that this was one of their song since it was the soundtrack to their childhood.

Bedouin took a hiatus for a decade, and returned in 2019 with the record Mass. But in 2022, they released their best record of their career (And one of the best ska albums of the 2022), We Will Meet In A Hurricane. We talk to Jay Malinowski and Eon Sinclair about this wonderful record and their interesting career.

We also discuss the new albums' guest contributors: Aimee Interrupter (The Interrupters), Marcia Richards (The Skints), and Kathryn Calder (New Pornographers). The band talks about what it was like to open for No Doubt, Slightly Stoopid and to play the Vans Warped Tour twice. And they tell us some experiences of playing the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival. 

We also talk bear sightings on their "Walk Through Fire" video shoot, working with Bad Brains' Darryl Jenifer on their early records, Jay's struggles with addiction, and what it was like for him to lose his voice at the Leeds Festival in 2006 and have the entire crowd sing for him. 

Plus we talk about Waffle House, a lot. Adam schools us all with Waffle House facts and Jay tells us a story he's never told before that involves tripping on mushrooms in a Waffle House and being terrified.

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 that, one day, Scowl would collaborate with Skatune Network. And they talked about the bands that influenced The Caps: The Specials, Choking Victim and a whole slew of surf bands.

But we got even deeper and talked about the late 2000s/early 2010s San Jose punk scene they came from and talked about legendary groups like Leer, Hard Girls (featuring Jeff Rosenstock's guitarist Mike Huguenor), Monstrauss (Who played ska & grunge ie Skunge), Matsuri, Stickup Kid and Point of View. And of course, we had to talk about San Jose's weirdest punk venue, Nickel City. Hyper Ska artist Eichlers wrote a song about the venue on their sophomore record.

We also talk about touring with Limp Bizkit, what it was like to have thousands of kids show up to their Real Bay Shit shows, seeing Laura Stevenson at a backyard BBQ in San Jose, and we discuss the horrible Punknews comments they sifted through every day.

Most importantly, we talked about Adam and Aaron's old band, Gnarboots! 

Dance Craze recently got re-issued in the UK. So we figured it was time to give it another watch.

Adam had never seen Dance Craze. I've not only seen it several times, but I interviewed several people involved with its creation.

We got together and watched the film and said all of our thoughts! Hear what we had to say.

If you want to watch the film along with us, here's the link. Start it when we say! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT77dnsFkik

In the early 2000s, Jamie Stewart wanted to go to Vietnam. They brought a rubber baby doll with them to take photos while they were there. One of those photos became the cover for Xiu Xiu's excellent A Promise album. But, for this trip to happen in the first place, Jamie needed to raise some money. For 8 months before they left, they recorded as many punk and ska bands as they could (One of the bands was Short Round).

This isn't the only time that Jamie has intersected with ska. Another band they recorded, Firme, lent them their horn section for the Knife Play record. One of their old 90s bands, IBOPA (Indestructible Beat Of Palo Alto), played with a lot of ska bands since they were a fun horn-driven band (Ska was an influence, but not a style they played). Another one of their bands, Ten In The Swear Jar, released a record on Asian Man Records, and Pitchfork made a point to talk about ska in the review, despite there being NO ska on the album.

We talk about all of this with Jamie, and so much more. We discuss the time period when they worked at Streetlight Records, how they discovered ska and reggae on KPFK on Sundays, how their 2nd concert ever was Pato Banton and Tippa Irie, and how they briefly played bass in a dub band.

They also tell us about the time GG Allin jumped on stage and demanded they "plays some blues." They tell us stories about The Cactus Club. They tell us why Deerhoof is an amazing band. We learn who Richard Snakedick is.  We discuss what it was like to perform a balloon solo as the opening act on AJJ's 2021 tour, and we find out why they once blurted out "Fred Flintstone's Lucius Dick." 

Plus, Jamie sings for us a Weird Al-style parody song they wrote when they were a teenager. Just imagine The Grand Illusion by Styx, but it's The Grand Fart! 

Aranivah didn't dance when she was a punk teenager living in El Salvador. It wasn't till years later after she immigrated to New York that she fell in love with ska, cumbia, soul music, and dancing to these genres. With no formal training, she discovered that she was really good at it. But she wasn't just good at moving her body. She made it accessible to other people. Her videos dancing to ska and other subgenres soon went viral on TikTok and Instagram. She used this online popularity to create dance classes.

Today, we speak with Aranivah. We talk at length about the ska bands that speak to her personally. In particular, we break down a YouTube video she made that namechecks Prince Buster, Inspecter 7, Akatz, Vieja Skina, Bad Manners, Desmond Dekker, Decibelios, Laurel Aitken, Ska Cubano and Skalariak. Some great ska tunes!

We also talk about her formative years as an El Salvadorian punk, we talk about her experiences immigrating the New York at the age of 17, the Brooklyn Rocksteady / Dirty Reggae scene in the 2000s that turned her on to the genre here (The Hard Times, The Far East, The Forthrights, The Frightnrs), and we talk about what led to her starting Dance Culture By Aranivah.

We also talk about her dancing in a Hub City Stompers video, how she approaches social media, and she even tells us all about a really cool reggae club she visited in Mexico last year called Cultural Roots. 

Chicago would become a major ska town in the 90s as the home of Jump Up Records, Slapstick, and Fireside Bowl. But before any of this took off, there was Heavy Manners, a Chicago ska/reggae band that formed in 1980. Within a few years, Heavy Manners were the biggest band (of any genre) in town, but they weren't able to create the same kind of passionate following outside of Chicago. So, in 1984, they threw in the towel. 

Today we speak to Heavy Manners lead singer Kate Fagan. Before forming the band, she released the underground hit single, "I Don't Wanna Be Too Cool," which has become a sought-after punk collector's item. On Feb 24, 2023, Captured Tracks Records put out a long-awaited reissue of "I Don't Wanna Be Too Cool," along with several previously unreleased Kate Fagan tracks.

We talked about Heavy Manners and Kate's work with Rock Against Racism in Chicago. (She once booked Patti Smith at an event!). We talk about Heavy Manners getting to open for The Clash, The English Beat and Peter Tosh--they eventually cut some tracks with Tosh and Bob Marley's engineer Dennis Thompson. And we talk about some of Heavy Manners' famous fans like filmmaker John Hughes, actor John Cusack, and Ministry's frontman Al Jourgensen. 

We also talk about Chicago's overall music scene in the 70s and 80s, Kate's musical, The Kissing Concept, and discuss some great non-religious Christmas songs. Lots of opinions! 

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 band Link 80, Adam and Aaron's old band Gnarboots and find out which Nirvana songs Adam sang at his high school talent show.

I read Adam an unpublished 2014 Gnarboots interview he did for the San Francisco Chronicle, we discuss a blog post Adam wrote for Please Don't Hang Out In Front Of The House and Adam explains the importance of applying Tiger Balm to his nether regions before a show.

We also talk about how Anthrax inspired Adam to be in a band, why Catbite's name is good and why so many old punk rockers bum Adam the fuck out.

Plus, Justin has a soothing message for Mike Park as he prepares himself to listen to this episode. 

 Is 2023 the year ska comes back? Oh I know, you've heard that one before. But it does seem like there's some great things happening in ska in 2023, and we thought we'd talk to one of the leaders of the new ska scene (JER of Skatune Network and We Are The Union!) about what this all means for the future of ska!

We originally released this episode in Jan 2023 exclusive to our Patreon subscribers. Many of them suggested we release this one to the public since it was SUCH A GOOD CONVERSATION! So here it is!

If you like this type of content, consider signing up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon. 

The Hooters were most known for their handful of rock singles in the 80s: "And We Danced," "Day By Day," "All You Zombies," to name a few. There is a reggae-tinged to "All You Zombies." Earlier versions of the song were more overt because when they formed, The Hooters were one of the US's first ska bands.

Today we sit down with Hooters' members Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian to talk about their ska years in Philadelphia. The group got a lot of local radio play with their cover of The Skatalites' "Man on the Street." We also discuss their first rendition of "All You Zombies," which was another crowd-pleaser during these years. Their history with ska is expansive. Rob tells us about visiting Jamaica in the 60s as a teen and hearing Eric Monty Morris' "Sammy Dead" on the radio and immediately deciding he needed to track that record down.

We also dive deep into a very unusual and interesting time for the band in the 80s when they collaborated with Cyndi Lauper on her "She's So Unusual" album. We discuss such favorites as "Time After Time" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and hear about all the ska and reggae elements that started out on this record in the demo phase (Some of those elements remained!) The band confirms for us that Cyndi loves ska.

And of course, it wouldn't be a proper episode of In Defense of Ska if we didn't ask a fellow Philly band about Catbite. And no surprise, they are besties! 

Chris Farren doesn't know a lot about ska, despite his claim that he "practically invented modern ska guitar playing." However, he IS an amazing ska podcast guest. We discuss the various ways his non-ska career has intersected with ska and ska people. We also just wanted to hear Chris' amazing stories!

Chris starts by reading us his texts from TikTok celebrity Mike Park. We also learn what it was like for Chris to collaborate with Jeff Rosenstock. Chris tells us about sharing a Cameo with Brian Fallon, performing on the Chris Gethard Show. And, Chris tells us the one, single ska album he owned back in the day. You will never guess which one it was. (Hint: It was The Aquabats' Myths Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures Vol 2). 

We also learn why best-selling author Dan Ozzi takes Chris' press photos (And also photos of Chris in front of Glenn Danzig's house). We also talk about Chris' iconic Smiths t-shirt (As seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), The Cup (ie the greatest piece of merch ever invented), we hear his Martin Starr/hip hop story, and we learn why Chris took down his Born Hotline after 2 years! 

Plus Chris updates his "How to be a punk celebrity" Vice article for inquiring punks in 2023.  

Before David J discovered David Bowie & T-Rex--the artists that inspired him to play music for a living--he fell in love with ska/rocksteady/reggae. As a young teen, David J snuck into skinhead clubs where he fell in love with reggae's deep bass vibrations, and got to see the slick fashion and vibrant dance moves associated with the subculture. Years later, he brought elements of ska and reggae into his band, Bauhaus. 

Today, we speak to Bauhaus bassist David J. And we go deep into reggae. He tells us which Trojan comp was the first album he ever owned, what it's been like to DJ in recent years and throw some reggae songs into his set ("to perplexed goths"). We talk about David's experiences with reggae and ska in the UK in the '70s and 80s. We also discuss the dub and reggae influences in Bauhaus music, and he tells us how influential Roots Radic bassist Errol "Flabba" Holt was on his bass playing style. 

David also tells us hilarious stories about meeting two of his idols in the 80s. Bauhaus met Iggy Pop during their first trip to New York in 1980 (Iggy heckled them, but later told them they were awesome). A few years later, they met David Bowie on the set of The Hunger. David tells us about his private moment with Bowie which he refers to as receiving some "Bowie Magic."  

Stranger Cole doesn't recall a time before he started singing and writing music; it was always a part of his life. As a teenager in Jamaica in the early 60s, he took several of his songs to record producer Duke Reid, who liked his songwriting, but not his voice. He had Eric Monty Morris sing Stranger's song "In and Out The Window." After the song became a hit, he let Stranger sing a few of his songs. The next two, "Rough and Tough" and "When You Call My Name" (With Patsy Todd) were also big hits. These songs are STILL well-known songs from this era.

The hits kept on coming for Stranger with "Uno Dos Tres" (With Ken Boothe), "Bangarang" (The first recorded-reggae song), Yeah Yeah Baby (With Patsy Todd) and many more.

This week we are honored to speak with Jamaican ska icon, Stranger Cole. We talk about his vast and fascinating history with music, which includes playing with The Skatalites, performing at the Sombrero Club (featured in the 1964 BBC documentary, This Is Ska), working with Duke Reid, and how he stumbled into singing the first reggae song. 

We also talk about his move to Toronto, Canada in the 70s, where he opened the Kensington Market record store Roots Records. We talk about the recording of his debut LP, "Forward" In The Land Of The Sunshine, and we ask what it's been like traveling all over the world in recent years, and getting backed by young and eager, ska-studious bands wherever he travels. 

He also explains how doing "rewinds" makes for a better live show. 

Buffalo New York ska band The Abruptors formed in 2015 and came out the gate playing 2 Tone and trad ska grooves. They looked around and didn't see very many new ska bands in their region playing a similar style of the genre. That didn't bother them. They just did their thing. However, Mike Park noticed and immediately forged a relationship with them. They released their latest record, Noticeably Cheerless, on Asian Man Records on Feb 24.

Today we talk with Abruptors members Mike Geraci and Toni LaMantia about their great new "upbeat bummer" record and get a sense of what the ska scene has been like in Buffalo. They had just opened for Sublime with Rome days before we recorded this interview!

We also talk about their cover of Brian Fallon's "Forget Me Not" (His retweet of song was apparently his first--of many--tweets about ska), their friendship with Greg Soden (Host of Unscripted Moments: A Podcast About Propagandhi), how Chicago ska band Deal's Gone Bad completely influenced them and why the British ska band Hotknives are so awesome (and so underrated!) 

We also talk about the band's cool fashion sense, how shitty vinyl turnarounds pushed their album release back several times, and we dive head first into the group's history with wild stories about disgruntled former band members. 

Everyone loves Half Past Two! And as a fan of the band, you surely ADORE their lead singer Tara Hahn! But are you familiar with Tara's SECRET past? You will be if you listen to this special episode of In Defense of Ska that is available EXCLUSIVELY to IDOS Patrons!

And if we do say so, this is our BEST bonus episode of In Defense of Ska TO DATE! You won't want to miss Tara's CRAZY stories from her previous life!

If you'd like to hear the ENTIRE episode, sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/indefenseofska 

When Eric Daino formed The Holophonics in Denton, Texas in 2012, there weren't a lot of other bands in his area playing ska. That was fine with him. The group went hard regardless, recording originals and a ton of ska covers (18 covers albums in fact!). The vibe was goofy. They imagined exaggerated versions of Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake as characters they were playing.

That changed. The band no longer plays cover songs and doesn't want to be perceived as a goofy band. Their latest album, LAVOS, on Bad Time Records, really showcases this. It's an extremely personal, heartfelt record that deals with Eric's anxiety and trauma, and finds him grappling with his identity. Musically it's informed by RX Bandits, Thrice and Mars Volta--though still rooted in ska-punk.

Today, we talk to The Holophonics singer Eric Daino. He walks us down the band's interesting history, while also shedding light on Denton's music scene, as well as the scene in Long Island, where he grew up. We talk about the band's many covers, which even included Luis Fonsi's "Despacito." (Their ska cover has over 2 million views!) Eric also tells us about the covers record that was their most sincere, a full album tribute to Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. 

We also get into detail about LAVOS. Eric talks about the trauma that informed the record, how therapy helped him process his pain, and how he used Chrono Trigger to help articulate it all in his music. 

He also tells us about the Ska By Skawest festival and which song he told the crowd is about "how we're all going to die." 

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 Australia when they'd visit, even if that meant he would get any sleep.

Today we speak with Aaron Gocs about ska, Australia, and where these two worlds meet. We talk about Warped Tour's first venture to Australia in 1998, Aaron's favorite local ska program (Ska Trek, every Thursday at 8p!), why he's retired his skanking boots (And semi-retired from stage-diving), and his deep love for The Mountain Goats.

We also discuss several Australian ska bands like The Resignators, The Porkers, Area-7, Allniters, and Strange Tenants. He explains what a "stitch-up" is to us. Plus we discuss some unique Australian food and animals. Cane Toads, anyone? 

We also find out what Mr. Bean had to do with Aaron getting kicked off of Twitter! 

The Slackers formed in New York in 1991. The band, fronted by Vic Ruggiero, played a bit of everything. But eventually, Vic realized that they needed to focus, and suggested they stick with the ska and reggae tunes and drop the other stuff. It suited the band. Though The Slackers signed with Moon Ska and then Hellcat Records, they were always a smaller band during the 90s Ska Boom. That changed in the 2000s when ska became a dirty word and many of the bands broke up or changed their sound. The Slackers carried on and became ska scene leaders. And they continue to be so in 2023.

Today we speak with Slackers frontman/keyboardist Vic Ruggiero. We go deep into Slackers' history and talk about their early years, the long journey to signing to Hellcat and we break down the song "Statehouse" from their new album. (Though the song dates back to 1998. Rancid played an early version of it called "Wrongful Suspicion" on their Life Won't Wait Album.

Vic also fills us in on the short-lived Silencers project he had with Tim Armstrong, and even tells us why he quit Tim's other band, Transplants, after "only 10 seconds." Plus Vic tells us about the time he met The Wu-Tang Clan, which was one of the funniest stories ever told on this podcast. Not to mention, we even circle back to an early episode of this podcast and get Vic's memories of playing The Crack Shack in Tuba City. 

Austrian ska-metal band Russkaja came to the US for the first time in 2022 and opened for Flogging Molly. Every night on that tour, they blew tons of minds. The band, who formed in 2005, is a blend of many influences. They mix intense metal with ska, polka and Russian folk music. They sing in multiple languages and have members from Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Russian and Austria.

The group is well-known in Austria. They are the house band for the comedy show  Willkommen Österreich. And they have several albums out on Napalm Records. Their latest, Turbo Polka Party, releases on February 3. 

Today, we speak with Russkaja's guitarist/songwriter Engel Mayr. We talk about the band's history and the Ska/Balkan music scene they emerged from (And outlasted). We talk about their biggest song, "Energia" (2013) and the excellent video that they made for it. And Engel even tells us which songs he wanted to cover for the new album but didn't get to. (Hint it's Psy's "Gangnam Style" and ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man.") 

Plus Engel tells us how the band addressed Russia's war in Ukraine while they toured the US--it started a week before they came over! 

Is 2023 the year ska comes back? Oh I know, you've heard that one before. But it does seem like there's some great things happening in ska in 2023, and we thought we'd talk to one of the leaders of the new ska scene (JER of Skatune Network and We Are The Union!) about what this all means for the future of ska!

To listen to the entire episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon! 

Supernova International Ska Festival started in 2013 as a house show that got so big, it was moved to a local brewery. Though it took a few years before it got the name Supernova, and that first show wasn't even a festival; just a kick-ass show with Chris Murray and King Django.

Every year, Supernova has grown. 2023 is looking to be the biggest and best version of the festival to date with acts from all over the world like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Fishbone, The Dualers, Don Letts, Stranger Cole, The Planet Smashers, Catbite, Out Of Control Army, and so much more.

Today we talk about all things Supernova with co-founder Tim Receveur (He founded the festival with his wife April) and creative director Mike DeMatteo. We talk about the festival's history and dig into what people can expect at this year's festival. We also chat about some fun stories from Supernova's previous festivals. And there are plenty of fun stories there!

We talk about Derrick Morgan's epic 2017 performance, 2020's quarantine edition (fundraiser for Alpha Boys School), and how Taylor Morden managed to film several interviews for Pick It Up - Ska In The 90s at the festival in 2018 during a storm. We also talk about Hepcat playing the festival (Their first east coast concert in decades!), the creation of the Rude Girl Revue and Tim lets us know how he managed to get Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra to headline this year's festival.  

Actor John Ross Bowie is best known for playing Barry Kripke on the hit TV show Big Bang Theory as well as Jimmy DiMeo on Speechless. But when he sat down to write his memoir, No Job For A Man (released in 2022), he focused a lot more pages to his formative shows going to punk, hardcore and ska bands in New York's vibrant live music scene than he did being on the set of these hit shows.

Today, we speak with John and he surprises us with quite a few details about New York's ska scene in the 80s. We talk about seeing CBGB ska matinees, The Toasters, New York Citizens, The Boilers, Second Step and Bigger Thomas. And John also tells us about going to college in Ithaca in the early 90s, where he interviewed several musicians on his radio show, including Joe Gittleman of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Marc Wasserman and Robert Apollon Jr. of Bigger Thomas.

We also talk about his band, Egghead meeting One Eye Open on the road, his love for The Ramones, The Dickies and The Toy Dolls, the hyper-specific and bizarre hardcore subgenre known as Krishnacore, and why Chris Gethard insists that John is his comedy mentor. 

And most importantly, John gives me advice on how to record the audio book for In Defense of Ska. Thanks for the pointers, John! 

Indie rock band Minus The Bear created a unique sound that blended a multitude of genres: math rock, emo, pop, prog, and yes, ska. Well, at least, the bass lines were informed by ska and reggae. Bassist Cory Murchy grew up obsessed with ska music. And when it came time to write interesting and moving bass lines, he often drew inspiration from the bass masters in reggae and ska bands. Besides, who plays bass better than ska and reggae bass players?

Today, Cory joins us to talk about the secret ska influence of Minus The Bear. We break a few songs that lean the heaviest into ska territory ("My Time," Memphis & 53rd," "Pachuca Sunrise"), and we also talk about Cory's ska formative years growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He even discusses his high school ska band, Soulskats.

We talk about the impact seeing Mealticket live had on Cory, we discuss a few of the key New Mexico DIY spaces, and we talk about the Seattle indie rock scene that Cory joined when he got a little older (and its connection to Animal Chin)! We find out why Suicide Squeeze's David Dickenson has a "Cory Murchy" tattoo and we learn what ska tattoo Cory has on his body. 

And during the interview, Cory casually drops a huge reveal on us. His mom used to babysit Kurt Cobain! 

While still quite young and headstrong, Sammy Kay dove headfirst into the ska scene, doing touring work for The Skatalites, King Django, The Slackers and Westbound Train. He later played in trad ska/rocksteady group The Forthrights and then fronted his own group (featuring future members of Catbite): Sammy Kay and The Fast Four. In that time, he accumulated a lot of stories! 

Today we bring on Sammy to hear his tales. And he has quite the tales. He tells us about living with Vic Ruggiero, how he juggled working for so many bands at once, and how he helped to build a ska/rocksteady revival scene in Brooklyn in the late 2000s/early 2010s. 

Sammy gets deep and personal and talks about how he dealt with his addiction and how difficult that was. You don't want to miss this episode! 

World/Inferno Friendship Society was not a ska band. However, their punk cabaret sound was similar in spirit and they played with a fair amount of ska bands. They even toured with Blue Meanies and The Independents. Accordion/Keyboardist Franz Nicolay WAS a ska fan. When he moved to New York in the 90s, he saw many brilliant ska shows at The Wetlands. Later when joined indie rock group The Hold Steady, and continued to love the music wholeheartedly.

Today, we talk to punk rock's number-one accordionist, Franz Nicolay. He explains why he once sent In Defense of Ska a message to inform us that he NEVER renounced ska. He tells us about discovering ska in the 90s and seeing many Moon Ska bands perform in New York. He also tells us many unhinged World/Inferno stories from the road. And he tells us what the other members of The Hold Steady REALLY think about ska!

We also discuss Franz's excellent novel, Someone Should Pay For Your Pain, and he tells us why he often thinks about the unglamorous side of being a touring musician. 

We've released over 100 episode of In Defense of Ska! For this month's bonus episode, we recap our first 100 episodes with our number one fan, Mike Park! 

Mike offers his opinions on episodes, we figure out which guests talked about Mike Park and which DID NOT. And if you listen long enough, Mike offers his email and specific instructions for YOU to follow!

To listen to the full episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon

The Uptones made big decisions--spontaneously. This is how guitarist Eric Din describes the group's career. Formed in 1981 in Berkeley, California as young teenagers in love with all things 2 Tone ska, The Uptones took the bay area by storm IMMEDIATELY with packed shows with lines out the door. They got their songs into heavy rotation on the radio by walking into the station and handing the DJs their demo recordings! But the band could never land a contract. Some of that could have been due to how quickly they were willing to completely shift gears and not be predictable.

By 1987 the band called it quits, but reunited in 1989 at Gilman and then in 1990 for the Earth Day ska festival. The next time they played was in 2002, effectively missing the entire Third Wave US Ska boom. 

Today we talk to two members of The Uptones: Eric Din (Guitarist) and Paul Jackson (Trumpet, Keys) They tell us the important influence they got from repeated views of Dance Craze at UC Theatre in Berkeley (With copious out-of-control dancing), as well as getting to see English Beat in their prime. They tell us about opening for the big names in New Wave at the time: R.E.M., Oingo Boingo, UB40, The Go-Go's, Madness and Billy Idol. And they tell us about the time Fishbone showed up at their rehearsal space to hang out. 

Eric and Paul also tell us about working with Rancid in the 90s. Eric co-wrote a handful of songs with Tim Armstrong, and Paul Jackson played the organ on "Time Bomb." Yes, that's his solo you've heard a thousand times on the radio. They also tell us how a young Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy) used to stage dive at Uptones shows in the 80s.

All of this is a part of the ups and downs of the bay area's very first ska band, The Uptones. 

Walt Jabsco, the iconic dancing ska guy logo that came to symbolize the Specials and 2 Tone ska, was inspired by a photo of Peter Tosh from his '60s ska years. The Beat Girl, which the English Beat created as a logo for their band (though also came to symbolize 2 Tone ska) was inspired by a photo of a woman dancing with Prince Buster in 1964. Very little was known about the woman in this photo. Recently, Joanna Wallace, long-time ska fan and operator of Miss Upsetter Designs decided to learn more about Brigitte Bond, the woman in the photo. She dug in deep for 5 months and created a 30-minute documentary (Blue Beat Baby) of her findings.

Joanna discovered a lot! Her research revealed Brigitte to be a transgender bluebeat singer, dancer, actor and stripper. And Joanna found a handful of movies Brigitte acted, that she danced all over the world, that she was briefly engaged to Sir John Waller and that she even harassed Billy Graham when he came to the UK. All of this is discussed in Blue Beat Baby.

Joanna's film (and our conversation with Joanna) also sheds light on the London Soho scene in the mid-60s and how ska developed in the UK in general. We talk about the Flamenco Jazz Club, Prince Buster's role in spreading ska globally and we even try to understand the difference between "ska" and "bluebeat."

You can watch Blue Beat Baby here!

Metal-heads know that Kyle Shutt is a shredder. It's clear in his band, The Sword's music. Even non-metal-heads that played Guitar Hero knows that he can shred, and have likely played along to his guitar licks on "Freya." But Kyle also has ska roots. At age 15, he played trombone in the Hobbs, New Mexico Christian ska band Ten Betty Zane. When he was 17, he took a 24 greyhound bus ride to see Blue Meanies play a free show in Chicago. And in Austin, he was part of the Blue Meanies (And MU330) street team. 

On Oct 20, 2022, Kyle's two decade-long group, The Sword, broke up. For his first post-Sword interview, he did what all non-ska bands should do; he chatted about ska with us. Listen as we discuss Kyle's ska roots, break down the hundreds of metal subgenres, talk about meeting Anthony Bourdain during the No Reservations Austin episode, and discuss how he turned Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon into DOOM side of the Moon. 

We talk about how the metal scene differs from the ska and punk scenes, dish about Nickelback, Dead Milkmen, Zebrahead and Lit, he tells us about singing about poop with his daughter on the Dirty Restaurant of Death side project, and Kyle tells us what it was like to invent an entirely new metal subgenre: Shitgrind. 

John DeDomenici has played the bass in many bands. But most notably Jeff Rosenstock's solo band and Bomb the Music Industry. He also played a whole variety of instruments in Arrogant Sons of Bitches.

Today, we bring on John and throw every random and obscure question we can think at him. We talk about catching Covid in England, getting his own dressing room at the Gaslight Anthem Jersey show, drunkenly cutting his hand trying to open a bottle of wine, and joining Chris Gethard at Fest in a Smiths cover band. 

We also talk about green-screening his bass performance to Late Night With Seth Meyers, the time he almost joined Every Time I Die, and why he likes to listen to a punishing amount of 311 and Metallica cover songs. 

Plus he even tells us about the time in 2004 he did live sound for Donald Trump. Spoiler Alert, Trump was not a good guy. 

"Everything I do is out of necessity," Jay Vance tells us. He grew frustrated playing with Blue Meanies, then Skankin Pickle, and realized that the only way he was going to have a successful band with longevity is if he no longer played with other humans. So he built his own band called Captured! By Robots, where he is the only human member and the rest are robots.

Today, Jay tells us about the early days of Blue Meanies (He founded the band!), his year in Skankin Pickle (As their third bassist!), and the weirdest band to ever exist: Captured! By Robots. he spills all the details and rants angrily about the evils of the music industry in the process.

He also talks about his love for rocksteady, his hatred of ska, the role he may or may not have had in Skankin' Pickle bassist Mike Mattingly getting kicked out of the band, and the many unusual TV appearances Captured! By Robots made in its early days. He also says why he will never do America's Got Talent, no matter how many times they invite him.

Plus Jay explains what a dildo unicorn is and why he's tripping balls.

Here is a link to the rocksteady mix Jay mentioned during the interview

For November's BONUS episode we talk about Fest. Specifically how it became SO ska. To do that, we speak with the man that books most of the Bad Time Records bands AND got Against All Authority to reunite: Brent Friedman 

To listen, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon

The Aggrolites have zero ska songs. Sure they play with a lot of ska bands, but their genre is REGGAE, specifically "Dirty Reggae." That means it was influenced by late 60s skinhead reggae, and given a modern, aggressive punk rock edge. The band formed in 2002, immediately appealing to the hardcore skinhead and rudeboy crowd. But in 2007, when they appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba (And performed the E.K. Bunch's classic reggae song "Banana") they gained a much wider audience. 

Today, we tell the story of The Aggrolites with singer Jesse Wagner and keyboardist Roger Rivas. We talk about the vibrant traditional ska scene they emerged from, and how they formed out of a Derrick Morgan recording project that was never released. We talk in-depth about the first three records and learn how the band went from recording spontaneous jams to thought-out (and sometimes experimental) songs. 

We talk about the group getting signed to Hellcat and backing Tim Armstrong on his debut solo album, "A Poet's Life" (The session included an Alkaline Trio cover that was released separately). We also talk about how rough it was opening for Dropkick Murphys on tour. We get into the group's style, which has a lot more in common with punk than reggae or ska. And we discuss how, even though they play reggae music, they don't fit into the reggae scene. 

Five days after Ryan Seaman graduated from high school, he hit the road. His gig: drumming for The Eyeliners on Warped Tour 2002. This was just the beginning for Ryan. He'd go on to play in Fairview, Falling In Reverse, I Am Ghost, and I Don't Know How By They Found Me. That last band played Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. But before any of this, Ryan was a ska-punk kid going to as many shows in Salt Lake City, Utah as he possibly could.

On today's episode, we chat with Ryan about his SLC ska-punk scene years. He tells us how transformative Green Day's Dookie was for him, discovering The Stereo in 1999, road managing The Aquabats in 2019, and how a Link 80 show at Area 51 was one of the greatest shows he saw in his life. 

We also talk about the movie SLC Punk, The Used, and Adam tells us about the time he saw Mr. Bungle in Utah. We also discuss Utah ska bands, including Insatiable, Sturgeon General, My Man Friday, Stretch Armstrong, Hospital Food and The Knockouts. 

The Chris Gethard Show was supposed to start like normal, but the audience had their own idea. They shouted "Eat More Butts" at Chris to a degree that he couldn't start his show. The musical guest, Jeff Rosenstock, even gave them a musical accompaniment. For 15 minutes, the show descended into madness. But Chris also didn't fight it because he knew that this would be great TV. Having grown up in the DIY punk scene, he was aware that this type of chaos was where a show's best moments would be.

Today, we speak to Chris Gethard about his punk roots. His first show ever was in a Jersey church basement with all local bands. His 2nd was in a friend's backyard. A young, Less Than Jake was also on the bill. Less Than Jake became Chris's favorite band for a while. During this time, he also saw Slapstick, Skankin' Pickle, Mephiskapheles, Catch 22, and was a fan of other ska bands like Mustard Plug and MU330.

We also talk about Chris's recent experience hitching a ride with Catbite. He also talks about bringing on Take Today to play his live "New Jersey is the World" show a few times. (He loves, "Do You Still Hate Me?," their Jawbreaker cover and their ska song, SKAdiving.). He talks about his recent interview with Bigger Thomas singer Roger Apollon. And we also talk about his passion for all things New Jersey...he tells us where we can get REAL Italian Ice!

Plus Chris tells us how surreal it was recently to see Jeff Rosenstock play a huge show opening for Gaslight Anthem. 

New 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 The Presses, and get deep into their history, first starting in the primarily Spanish-speaking town of Hialeah, Florida in 2010 to their elaborate Halloween-themed shows (One year it evolved into a complete theatrical production called "It's Pronounced Nuclear") to relocating to New York in 2015. Once in the Big Apple, they locked in a new lineup and started working with Agent Jay of The Slackers to produce Money In The Bank (2019) and Got It (2022)

We also discuss their three separate RVs, the Cuban roots of The Skatalites, the touring game that gave them their new album cover, and we break down their fantastic cover of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" (Complete with a Dolly Parton "9 to 5" introduction) 

For 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! 

In 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 to Lyman about his ska roots and discuss how important ska was to The Warped Tour. We talk about the time in the 80s he toured with The Untouchables, and we discuss how he booked Fishbone in the early 80s at rented halls. We also talk about some of the lesser-known ska bands that played the festival in the 2000s, like Oreskaband, Go Jimmy Go, Westbound Train, Stacked Like Pancakes and Sonic Boom Six.

We also talk about Warped Tour's most attended year, 2005, when Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance played as they were exploding on MTV. He tells us about the BBQ bands, and he reveals whether he knowingly allowed Jeff Rosenstock's old band, ASOB, to sneak on to Warped Tour or if he was blissfully unaware. 

In 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 they were often alone on an island, the only band on a bill playing overtly 60s-influenced ska. And somehow became one of the most popular US ska bands to form after the 90s. Now, the group just surprise-dropped their first record in 13 years, called Dedication.Lead singer Obi Fernandez sat down with us to talk about the new album and the band's history.

We talk about their formation at Berklee College of Music and learn that one of their classmates, comedian Eric André roadied for the band (when he wasn't putting on strange shows at All Asia Bar.) Obi also tells us the influential role that country music plays on all Westbound Train songs. And he tells us how Bucket let him use The Toasters touring van to move to college.

We also discuss their time on Warped tour 2009, how the Mighty Mighty Bosstones gave the group their first big shot, and how they rushed the recording of their sophomore album Five to Two in order to have something to show Tim Armstrong in hopes of getting signed to Hellcat (Which they did). 

Obi also tells us why the band ended shortly after that Warped Tour run when they were seemingly at the height of their popularity. He also tells us what it took to get the band back together again. 

Gogol 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 (Aggrolites, Tim Armstrong, See Spot, Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra, Rhythm Doctors) and we all know that the heart of ska is in those drum beats. 

Today we talk to the legend, Eugene Hutz about Gogol Bordello's relationship with ska. We also talk a lot about Ukraine--Eugene is a Ukrainian political refugee and has done much to support them against Russia's attack, including playing a recent secret show for Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. We also talk about his childhood growing up in Kyiv and going to super DIY punk shows and trading tapes with other local punks. Some favorites include Dead Kennedys, Devo, The Selecter, P.I.L., Bad Manners, Murphy's Law, The Specials, G.B.H.

On this episode, we also talk about the immigrant experience that often comes up in Gogol Bordello's lyrics. It is often the product of necessity through displacement or economics. Eugene has talked at length about the idea of worldwide citizenship, so he squares this ideal with the global issue of anti-immigrant sentiments that have increased in recent years. 

Of course, we talk a lot about interesting music too including Sonic youth, Mano Negra, Russkaja, Cuatro Pesos de Propina and The Specials. 

The 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 looked up to fellow east bay band Link 80. And in fact, even went to high school with Link 80's original guitarist Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. The Locals even played Link 80s final show! 

Today we talk to The Matches' lead singer/guitarist Shawn Harris about the bands roots and dig into several stories throughout the band's career. We discuss their years building a scene at East Bay venue iMusicast, where bands like My Chemical Romance, Zebrahead and RX Bandits would play on tour. We also talk about The Matches first major tour--which was with Reel Big Fish. Shawn tells us about two mind-blowing shows from that tour. 

We also talk about why Gilman would never book the band, what is was like working with some famous producers (Tim Armstrong, John Feldmann), how The Locals ended up touring in Bosnia while they were still in high school, and Shawn talks a bit about his new life as a children's book cartoonist, book author and Dave Eggers collaborator. Shawn even tells us about the time he sneaked a peak into Dave's CD collection to see what kind of music he listened to.  And it was exactly the bands you think it was!