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A bunch of us felt it was time to rise up and put a Ska megathread out there, whether it be in a futile attempt to convince people to listen, or just because we can't get enough of arguing about what bands really are "ska." Just kidding, it's actually because Streetlight Manifesto is getting ready to release an album good enough to make grown men cry, and we all crawled out of the woodwork to join together in brass-backed fraternity. I figure the best way to kick this thread off is to provide some background information on Ska music in general, in case you slept through middle school. Ska Much to most people's surprise, Ska has been around for decades in one form or another, and is traditionally categorized into three "waves:" First Wave, Second Wave (2 Tone), and Third Wave (which can be subdivied into pretty much any version of ska-[genre] or [genre]-ska) Hopefully this thread will not be limited to only Third Wave ska discussion, as there are numerous great bands still playing traditional ska and 2 Tone stuff (some will be listed below). Ska FAQ Where did Ska go? It didn't really "go" anywhere, it's been around for years, but has had slight peaks of success. Most notably in the early 80's in England and in the late nineties in the US. As for why it declined, scholars could debate this for centuries. However, many who know of ska but do not listen consider it to be "immature" or "repetitive," while others may see that the large number of ska-[genre] subtypes led many bands to simply drift away (for better or for worse) from their original ska sound (see The Hippos). It still has a surprisingly large following, but is getting increasingly hard to keep tabs on. What are those assholes doing in the pit, that's not moshing. I'm going to hit them. They're most likely skanking, or trying to. We're just dancing, let us have our fun. For the record, one-man-at-a-time skanking pits are dumb  Why does [Band X] suck so much, they aren't ska! Let's keep this poo poo out of this thread, it's dumb and has a tendency to turn every ska discussion to poo poo. If you don't think a band is ska, it doesn't matter, just don't listen to them. They most likely are ska influenced, played ska at one time, or aren't all that good (but they're trying, and we need all we can get). Unless people start proclaiming Radiohead as gods of ska, we shouldn't have a problem. Why are all the shows I go to empty by 9pm High school kids. We keep getting older, but they stay the same age. The meat of the thread! Bands! Tours! Releases! Bands I'd like to keep a running list of bands that people can listen to. It's harder to find new ska music than it used to be, so post every single god drat one you know (as long as it isn't up here), and I'll add it. Click here for sweet bands! (also ska bands) Tours These are some current or future tours featuring some of our beloved ska bands: Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere In The Between Tour The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - FIRST GOD drat HOMETOWN THROWDOWN IN FOUR YEARS Releases Some recent or upcoming ska cds. BUY THESE. If you download your music, I won't stop you. But as with any non-mainstream genre, if you like the cd you are listening to, please buy it. Many of these bands are on small, sometimes self-run labels, and they need all the support they can get. Mad Caddies - Keep It Going : May, 2007 (Buy) Reel Big Fish - Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free : July, 2007. (Buy) Streetlight Manifesto - Somewhere In The Between : November 13th, 2007. [url="https://"http://interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=151945&"](Buy)[/url] Mustard Plug - In Black and White : 2007. (Buy) Mighty Mighty BossTones - Medium Rare : December, 2007 (Buy) Taj Motel Trio - Part of the Problem : 2007 (Buy) Bomb The Music Industry - Get Warmer : 2007 ("Buy") The Slackers - Self Medication : April, 2008. (Buy) Again: Absolutely DO NOT turn this thread into a shitstorm of "This band isn't ska!/Ska-core sucks!/Wah Wah Wah!" Just remember, ska is the Byob of music. Not as elitist as punk, not as widely accepted as rock. We're just here to chill out and have a good time. This OP will be a work in progress, so keep an eye for updates and changes. lessthankyle fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Jul 12, 2008 |
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Nov 2, 2007 00:55
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Placeholder for a list of bands! A (RIP) indicates a band that is no longer around, but you should still listen. Traditional Arthur Kay and the Originals Blue Beat Players Deals Gone Bad Desmond Dekker Hepcat Justin Hinds (RIP) Laurel Aitken Lee "Scratch" Perry Maroon Town New Town Kings New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble Pama International Prince Buster Rebelation Rude Rich and the High Notes Ruder Than You Skavoovie and The Epitones (RIP) Smoke Like A Fish Spiritual Rez The Aggrovators The Adjusters The Ethiopians The Pepper Pots The Skatalites The Slackers The Special Guests The Splitters The Top Cats The Trojans The Usuals Tommy McCook (RIP) Toots & the Maytals Westbound Train 2 Tone Bad Manners Jump With Joey Madness The (English) Beat The Hotknives The Lockup (Goon!) The Pacers (RIP) The Selecter (RIPish) The Specials (RIP) Third Wave [spunge] 20 Dead Camels Aks Mamma Atomic Potato Baker Act (RIP) (Goon Band) Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution Big D and the Kids Table Bim Skala Bim (RIP) Blue Meanies (RIPish) Bomb The Music Industry Bomb Town Buck-O-Nine Capdown (RIP) Catch 22 Chocking Victim (RIP) Citizen Fish Chris Murray Cousin Oliver (RIP) Dance Hall Crashers Distored Penguins Drive thru pharmacy Donkey Punch! (RIP) Edna's Goldfish (RIP) Eighty Proof Soul (RIP) (Goon) El Marko (A goon band, if I recall) Face First (RIP) Fishbone Five Iron Frenzy (RIP) Forces of Evil Freefall Felix General Rudie Goldfinger High School Football Heroes (RIP) Hub City Stompers I Voted For Kodos (RIP) Insyderz (RIP) Jeffries Fan Club (RIP?) Johnny Socko Kemuri (RIP) King Apparatus (RIP) Leftover Crack Less Than Jake Let's Go Bowling Link 80 (RIP) Liberator Long Shot Hero (RIP) Mad Caddies Mephiskapheles (RIP) MU330 Murphy's Kids Mustard Plug No Doubt No Regrets Operation Ivy (RIP) One Cool Guy (RIP) Ore Ska Band Pilfers (RIP) Potshot Public Service Rancid Reel Big Fish Regatta 69 Royal Noise Brigade (RIP) Rx Bandits Save Ferris (RIP) SGR (RIP) Skankin' Pickle (RIP) Ska-p Skinnerbox Slapstick (RIP) Slow Gherkin (RIP) Sock Full of Pennyz (RIP) Spider Nick and the Maddogs Spring Heeled Jack (RIP) Streetlight Manifesto Suburban Legends Superspecs (RIP) The Aggrolites The Aquabats The Arrogant Sons of Bitches (RIP) The Bruce Lee Band (Uh..RIP? maybe?) The Busters The Chinkees (RIP) The Decepticonz The Dissenters (RIP) The Have Nots The Hippos (RIP) The Impossibles (RIP) The Know How (RIP) The Mafia The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (Please please please please stay this time) The Pietasters The Planet Smashers The Porkers The Pressure Tones The Rudiments (RIP) The Scofflaws The Siren Six! The Smooths The Stitch-Ups The Stray Bullets (RIP) The Supertones (RIP) The Toasters The Urge (RIP) The Vagabonds The W's (RIP) The Witches Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Too Many Crooks Thursday by Six (another goon band) Voodoo Glow Skulls Zen Baseballbat lessthankyle fucked around with this message at 20:11 on Dec 4, 2007 |
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Nov 2, 2007 00:56
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Wizard Mannequin posted:I would hesitate to stick the Slackers in with other third wave bands, I'd say they have just as much of a traditional sound as Hepcat, mixed with reggae and rocksteady. Yeah, The Slackers were one of the ones I was wary about. There are a few others I think are debatable up there too. I'll switch them to Traditional for now, but I might start doubling up on others if people see the need to.
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Nov 2, 2007 03:30
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Wizard Mannequin posted:Haha, I just noticed Drive Thru Pharmacy on that list. I used to see them every week in churches in South Jersey, heh. Didn't know they were big enough to actually be known outside of the (dead) local scene. I have a few songs of theirs. I grew up in Delaware, so we always had a ear to South Jersey's ska scene. As for the Stray Bullets, I tried to find a definite answer, but couldn't. If you can find me something, I'll change it. Also, I'm going to bed, but I'll update the OP with new bands, etc. tomorrow. Also, along with Zombie, feel free to review CDs in here. I'll link them in the OP. lessthankyle fucked around with this message at 06:54 on Nov 2, 2007 |
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Nov 2, 2007 06:51
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Uh, also, I could have sworn I picked the Hype! thread tag. Could a mod change it? vv Good call. I was doing Trad and 2-tone from memory, I had to bust out my music directory for third wave. I'll put that in now 
lessthankyle fucked around with this message at 17:18 on Nov 2, 2007 |
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Nov 2, 2007 07:49
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Wizard Mannequin posted:Ruder Than You is one of my favorite Philly bands, I saw em for the first time with the Slackers years ago and they honestly stole the show. I haven't been to a philly show in a while, but what happened to SGR? They were one of my absolute favorites, but suddenly dropped off after their lastest record release.
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Nov 2, 2007 20:46
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quote:I'm waiting for Action League Now! to actually record something. Dual lead singers, one female. I know of no other place to hear their music than myspace, so sorry about that. Here's the link anyway Oh god, female ska singers. They make me weak in the knees I used to go to see Too Short Notice all the time and get all mushy when she'd start singing.
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Nov 4, 2007 07:11
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DHCJohn posted:Yum!Yum!ORANGE (Lead singer and backup singer are female). Oh man, I can't believe I left them off the list too. Listening to them is even better when you know the lyrics and hear the ways she says all the english words, like pajamas (paj-a-mah-s).
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Nov 5, 2007 00:05
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JesusDoesVegas posted:whelp... I suppose its time to come clean NMD. I have a confession to make. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+skank&search=Search  But seriously, I would just keep trying. At most shows, no one cares if can skank well or not, just don't go in those one-man pits. Also, I would be lying if I said I never skanked when I'm home alone and blasting my music. So that's as good a place as any to practice. It it helps, I kind of picture it as pulling back with one shoulder while kicking out with the opposite leg (like right shoulder, kick with left). Or, you could go the real old school route: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAL1VTfffOo
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Nov 5, 2007 21:04
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I don't know if anyone is gonna read this in the near future, but if you do, this is very important (quoted from the bosstones thread):quote:The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are pleased to announce a very special New Year’s Eve show in Providence, RI at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel.
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Nov 7, 2007 22:59
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Wizard Mannequin posted:Good point. I understand that ska has a different meaning now than it used to, but I sorta wish there was a different name for the punk with horns and up picking genre, heh. I see no problem with including them as ska or ska-influenced. Every band around now has genre/genre/genre-genre. I personally love SL for their choreography. I haven't seen them since their change in vocalist though. They are just fun to go see, much like the Aquabats as someone mentioned above. I can see how they would rub some people the wrong way, especially since I haven't heard a whole lot of good things about their new work.
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Nov 21, 2007 00:40
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Sorry I've been absent lately, lots of travel going on. I'll update the OP ASAP with new bands, etc.
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Nov 27, 2007 14:25
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TLG James posted:Has anyone listened to the new Bosstone's Album? I'll be picking this one up when it comes out. I love it so far. God, all this Bosstones news and hoopla makes me feel like a kid again. I've never been more excited for a concert than this New Year's Eve. I'm gonna check out the new songs and put down a definite pre-order.
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Dec 5, 2007 07:15
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FateoMcSkippy posted:Anyone else got tickets to any of the Bosstones shows? I managed to grab a pair for the New Years Eve show at Lupos. I got tickets for NYE the minute they came out. This is gonna be the show of the year(s).
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Dec 10, 2007 22:42
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Reminds me of when the Rx Bandits came to Colgate University my freshman year, about four years ago. The other bands didn't show up because of a snow storm, so they played for three hours to cover the whole time. The whole band looked dead after the show, but I'm honestly surprised the drummer was actually alive.
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Dec 11, 2007 06:37
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The thing I'm curious about is why you don't consider Reel Big Fish (or maybe just their latest album) to be ska. I'm not saying it's incorrect or anything, I'm just curious why you feel that way. Edit: Fixed awful double negative. lessthankyle fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Dec 30, 2007 |
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Dec 30, 2007 04:37
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I just realized how the double negative I accidentally used completely changed what I meant to say, but I'm glad you got it anyways. I personally think they are making huge strides towards coming back to a great ska sound after Cheer Up. I loved Cheer Up as a lot of people did, and several tracks had a good horn sound on it, but it wasn't the same. I'm glad RBF is seemingly back on track, I was really discouraged after We're Not Happy... but I can't wait to see where they go from this. The Mad Caddies album this year made me grin from ear to ear when I first heard it. I was really glad to see them put out something that sounded so great. They have a sound to them that is so distinct, and it really shines through on this one. I'd kill to see them in concert (the only time I've seen them so far was at one Warped Tour many years ago, what a sad place to have to go to hear ska music...) On another note, where are the guys who said they were going to the Bosstones this week? I heard one small remark above about it, but I'm waiting for a good trip report so I can more (if that's possible) pumped for their RI show.
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Dec 30, 2007 06:48
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FateoMcSkippy posted:Just got home from yesterdays Mighty Mighty BossToneS show in Providence. Best concert I have ever been to. The BossToneS are the best ska band to ever exist. Agreed on all counts. I haven't been to many concerts in the past few years, but that was easily the best I've been to in at least 7 years, and definitely the best Bosstones performance I've ever been to. They may have taken a four-year break, but they haven't missed a beat. They played for two hours straight and managed to keep the energy up the whole time. I agree with you about Zox. I wasn't able to decide if I liked them or not, I had heard some of their stuff beforehand as well. Regardless, people acted like jerks in general towards them. As bad a decision as it was to have a band like that before a band people have waited four years to see again, they could have shown a little respect. I remember that guy you are talking about too, I assume you were right up front? His buddies were right in front of me right by the first set of steps, and as soon as he got carted off, they all ran off to get him. What an amazing night over all though, they were really on the ball.
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Jan 1, 2008 22:18
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Knowing Streetlight, their van was probably stolen.
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Jan 9, 2008 05:27
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Uh, apparently the English Beat and RX Bandits are playing in NYC next Saturday. There is a slight chance I might be staying in the city for that weekend and would get the chance to go, but anyone else who is around should check it out.
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Feb 22, 2008 07:06
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I've been getting more and more frustrated about not being able to find any good shows here in NYC. You'd think it'd be a kickin' scene, but I'm at a complete loss.
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Apr 1, 2008 01:39
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Mike_V posted:
The Slackers have been in Europe a lot lately playing. I saw them on a Booze Cruise over the summer, but trying to catch them since then has been rare. I've only been here since August, and it's been pretty sparse lately. Regardless of the shows that may or may not be happening, it's more that I can't seem to find any organized listing or site that shows what is coming up. Myspace only seems to show a handful of them, so if anyone knows anything, I'd love to hear it. BTMI also seems to be all over the place a lot more now, they used to do a lot of shows here in the area that I would drive up for, but being split between Atlanta and NYC kinda hinders that I guess.
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Apr 2, 2008 01:28
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Yum!Yum!Orange always does the trick for me. They're a J-ska band, so if you want to understand all the words, you might be out of luck. About half-way down page 2 is a little discusson on female bands, some of them are: Action League Now! Too Short Notice Ore No Ska Band Usuals And these two comps: Ska Down Her Way Ska Down Her Way 2
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Jun 30, 2008 18:22
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Did I really say ska was the BYOB of music? How did I get away with that? Anyways, anyone going to Less Than Jake in Poughkeepsie tomorrow? I'm still trying to rally some friends to go, it's a two hour hike from Brooklyn, but I think it's going to be worth it. And besides, BTMI is going to be there, that's like two for one.
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Jul 12, 2008 04:23
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So for the past week and a half the Starbucks by my work has had a little CD shelf for a "One Step Beyond" compilation CD, but I haven't seen a single drat CD in it. Anyone else noticed this? I haven't gotten a chance to so much look at the cover so I don't know if it's the same One Step Beyond comp CD I've seen on amazon. I assume it's probably this one. Also, I added some of the releases I could think of to the OP. I'm gonna start tidying it up a bit. If I missed one, let me know. (I'm very certain I did)
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Jul 15, 2008 23:46
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Hawkstein posted:
What's the deal for this date? It's the one I could possibly go to.
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Jul 16, 2008 15:46
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FateoMcSkippy posted:As long as I have many songs where I can pretend to be Joe Gittleman the Bass Fiddleman I'll be happy. I'm pretty terrible at those games, so I'll be Ben Carr.
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Aug 18, 2008 19:36
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I've always enjoyed Big D in various forms. Mainly because they somehow got sucked into coming to play at my college (a very small liberal arts school, not known for amazing taste in music) during my sophomore year--about four years ago--along with three other bands. Big D went on second to last, and by their set there was only about 15 people left (the BBQ food had run out by that point). They still put on a good show considering they were playing on a small plywood stage in the middle of a soccer field. They sure seemed surprised when I asked them to play "In Front of Me," evidenced by the fact they needed some time to remember how to play it.
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Aug 20, 2008 23:21
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wear comfortable shoes and don't bring a whole lot of stuff. Dancing and general concert go-ery is a lot better if you aren't concerned about all the crap you might bring with you. And dance, a lot.
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Oct 17, 2008 06:59
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I was at the Aquabats show as well with two bandmates of mine. A really great experience overall. I haven't seen the Suburban Legends in a few years, so it nice to see they still have it (although their choreography was less this time). I was ambivalent about Tragedy, we stayed by the bar for that set and finished our drinks. But when the Aquabats were on, it was amazing. It was my first time being able to see them and it was worth every second. Endless dancing and singing and laughing. It's been a while since I've been to a bigger venue as well, and boy does it make you feel old when you look around and see that a number of kids there weren't even born when the Aquabats were formed. Anyone going to the Pilfers on Sunday? I was wavering until I saw BTMI will be there, that's enough to push me off the fence.
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Nov 22, 2008 07:08
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I saw the Suburban Legends with the Aquabats about two weeks ago. I had low expectations going in from their recent stuff, but was really surprised and they played a great set. But really, no matter what happens to them, I'll always love their show just for the first time I saw them. It was at a Get Out The Vote outdoor concert in Jersey many years ago. They started their set but the power cut out, so while it was being fixed, they came and played duck, duck, goose with the whole crowd. Yes, I'm biased because I got to chase Tim Maurer around the circle, but still, you can dance to them, and that's all I care about.
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Dec 4, 2008 05:35
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That's such a sad thing to see. Even though I'd never be able to see the reunion tour, I would absolutely love to see it happen. In the slight slight slight chance it'll keep the ball rolling and they decide to try it over here.
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Dec 12, 2008 04:10
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Aw man. This means I'll have to strongly consider going. I really tired out on Warped Tour a few years ago. It's not usually worth it to go and see some great bands get to play for half an hour then get booted off.
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Dec 21, 2008 23:16
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BTMI is one of my absolute favorite bands to see lately. They play a ton of really random, last-minute shows in the Brooklyn area. Seeing them in a larger venue is fun, but they really shine when it's some cramped poo poo-hole. The last time I saw them was at a place called John Bosch in Brooklyn, which was basically a 15x15 bandspace already 1/3 filled with garage junk. They argue, yell, invite people up, get piss drunk, and play in the dark. Seeing them play is like a choose-your-own adventure chock full of audience interaction.
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Jan 2, 2009 23:48
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Oddly enough, as I opened this thread, "Till I Hit The Ground" from "Monkeys for nothing..." came on during the Fiesta Bowl.
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Jan 6, 2009 04:10
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Evil Vin posted:I'm arguing with myself if really want to see Big Reel Fish/Streetlight Manifesto tomorrow; tickets sold out and I found a guy on Craigslist selling the tickets for regular price + ticketmaster fees. For people who seen them play and are more of casual fans is worth being poor for a few days? If you end up not going, you can come see my improv show at the broadway comedy club instead, since I had to forgo the concert to host it. Misery loves company! But if you are on the fence, it's usually a great time to go. Big shows in the city can be a little hectic sometimes. It's also a little rare to have a great lineup like that, so you probably wouldn't regret it. I'm really pumped for the new BTMI album. I hate that I keep missing all the little under the radar shows they play. They had one on the 22nd that would have been great to go to, and now they're going to be in Europe for a while. Hopefully this album will tide me over until they get back. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they're re-release got delayed because of the copyright fiasco that QUR went through earlier in December.
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Jan 20, 2009 00:48
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Just stumbled into a great show by the band Passafire. I was walking back from a night out on a business trip and heard them playing in Emos here in Austin, TX. They were a lot of fun, but I had never heard of them before. I'd give 'em a listen, they're more reggae than ska, but still good.
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Feb 4, 2009 08:48
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God damnit! Play a show I want to see! I guess I'll see who else may be playing, this would be hard to pass up. They are on my list of bands I regret never being able to see (right up there with Slapstick and The Impossibles).
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Feb 13, 2009 21:47
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Ska-P is in the OP Some of the best ska I've heard lately is foreign. I was telling a friend about TSPO a while ago, he works for a TV station dealing specifically with asian alternative music and hadn't heard of them.
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Feb 22, 2009 11:20
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Sandwolf posted:Anyone like Leningrad as far as Russian Ska goes? They seem to teeter off into punk and even folk sometimes, but they have some good ska tracks. I'm come across some of their stuff on last.fm, I was a fan. Haven't had much more exposure than that, I'll have to look them up again. Did anyone go to the Toasters show tonight in NYC? A friend happened to know the leader singer of Across the Aisle, so he reminded me of the show and I went along. I kinda want to die now after six hours of dancing, but it was a fantastic show.
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Feb 23, 2009 07:06
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