Any Ska Fans Out There?

[XXII]

I wanna meet some skankin' smashers from across the world!

For those of you who are very confused, Ska is a genre of music formed in 1950's Jamaica brought to England then America. It is all about upstrokes on electric guitar and catchy horn melodies
If interested, check out these bands:

Sublime
Reel Big Fish (older stuff)
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Specials
Big D and the Kids Table
Catch 22
Streetlight Manifesto

 

[Revolutions]

Yeah, ska is basically reggae for white people. (And black people, too, because ska isn't about discrimination, man. Also, white people are allowed to like reggae because rastafarians are so laid back.)

I'm pretty into Reel Big Fish and sort of into the Bosstones, but the straight-up early British stuff like the Specials and the English Beat are pretty hot, too.

A name I hear getting thrown around as far as good ska is Mustard Plug. You know 'em? Any good?

 

[Panik]

Hell yeah man, I'm a skankin' smasher. My favorite from your list has to be Streetlight (Sorry Sublime). I listen to ska and indie rap when I play Smash haha. What a combo.

 

[XXII]

I'm not much of a Sublime fan myself, except for a few songs. I'm more into 3rd Wave

I have heard much about Mustard Plug, but I have yet to hear their music. I can't download music anymore and when money's tight it's hard to buy CDs, ya know?

Streetlight is SO SICK! They're definetly the most talented band around nowadays. They have such a high level of quality. It's amazing.

My personal favorite band has to be Catch 22 because even after the Keasby Era, they still put out some catchy songs (Point the Blame, What Goes Around Comes Around)

I just went to the Catch 22 Christmas Tour on 12/27 with Big D and Catch 22. It was INSANE! Started at 3, ended at 12:30!!!


Keep Skanking!

 

[Dodongo]

I like Sublime, other than them I prefer reggae

 

[ender]

i leik ska-p

 

[solidsnake2234]

Mighty Mighty bosstones
Catch 22
Reel Big fish
Sublime
Nirvana had some ska in it
Operation Ivy
All my favorites

 

[Luigitoilet]

Uh, Nirvana did not have anything to do with ska ever.

Except when they did Smells Like Teen Spirit with...who was it, Phish?

 

[slippery209]

Ska is good, but typically I listen to Bob Marley more. Good music all-around, though
Alternative/indie rock is another genre I like.

 

[solidsnake2234]

Uh, Nirvana did not have anything to do with ska ever.

Except when they did Smells Like Teen Spirit with...who was it, Phish?

wikipedia said they were part ska dont know why listened to nevermind 3 times trying to find a ska sound in it

 

[XXII]

SolidSnake, if you like Cacth 22 you definetly need to check out Streetlight Manifesto

 

[Evil Eye]

wikipedia said they were part ska dont know why listened to nevermind 3 times trying to find a ska sound in it

I agree, one album is definitely the best way to judge an entire career >_>

Take it from me--Never Mind, In Utero, From the Muddy Banks of the Wiskah, Unplugged! in New York, Bleach, and the Greatest Hits albums have not a trace of anything SKA-ish in them.

Also, wikipedia is entirely user-contributed. I'm not at all surprised that the entry on Nirvana had something incorrect. Kurt was inspired by people like Bob Dylan, not reggae artists.

-I

 

[Dodongo]

I wouldn't really consider Operation Ivy ska either.

 

[Panik]

I'm not gonna knock you, but Op Ivy was ska/punk. Sure they had some songs that were straight Punk, but overall they were veiwed and still are as ska/punk. Streetlight is swift man! I definitely agree they are the best ska out there right now. Do they only have one album? Oh yeah, I don't know if I can do this or not but go here: http://pandora.com/ that site is awesome, just type in your favorite bands and it plays them and bands that are similar to them.

So, go there and type in ANY band, no matter how obscure. Go for Mustard Plug first since you haven't heard much of them yet. Typing in Streetlight Manifesto brings up so many good songs. Ah.... free music. Do any of ya'll listen t Five Iron Frenzy? They were pretty **** good.

 

[Dodongo]

Well I guess I can see Op Ivy as ska, but Rancid definately is not, and that's what they became. Although I can see some ska influences in Transplants, the latest side project, so maybe that sound is what Tim Armstrong wanted to do all along.

 

[Panik]

Rancid didnt have the same memebers as op ivy so their complete ska influence was gone. They still made a couple of good ska songs like Time Bomb. The Transplants incorporate rap though, so I wouldnt consider them that much ska. Seriously though, check out pandora. ^^^

 

[XXII]

Yeah, Panik, Streetlight unfortunatly has one album, "Everything Goes Numb". They're in the recording studio right now. They would have started much earlier, but 2 robberies of their equipment trailer has cause them to get way behind schedule. So yeah, they're in the studio now but don't expect it anytime soon. Such high quality music takes time (Everything Goes Numb was postponed for a long time)


Oh! One more band I forgot to mention was Westbound Train. You can fine them on purevolume.com, and probably pandora, but I'm not sure. They're very talented, and play at a more traditional tempo.

 

[The Hoax]

Huge fan of Mighty Mighty Bosstones......

 

[Panik]

MMB is really good. I just downloaded the streetlight cd and it is my favorite.

 

[XXII]

Yeah the awesome thing about Streetlight is that I've had the CD since November, and I'm still finding parts in it that I never noticed before. Each song is split up into so many different time signatures and stuff, so it's cool. The best songs though have to be

1. Point/Counterpoint (track 3)
2. Saddest Song (track 11)
3. The Big Sleep (track 12)

And all the rest are ties for 4th place. Streetlight owns.

 

[Legendaryhero]

im a huge ska fan... its the main music i listen to i've seen almost all the bands mentioned live xcept specials, op ivy, sublime, mighty mighty.... sadly they all broke up /// died before i could see them but my current favorite ska band would have to be the planet smashers but i change favorite bands about every month so thats subject to change

 

[Legendaryhero]

best song on everything goes numb is by far failing flailing can't remember which number it is on the cd im pretty sure its 7 thought but then again every song on that CD is excelent....

Yeah the awesome thing about Streetlight is that I've had the CD since November, and I'm still finding parts in it that I never noticed before. Each song is split up into so many different time signatures and stuff, so it's cool. The best songs though have to be

1. Point/Counterpoint (track 3)
2. Saddest Song (track 11)
3. The Big Sleep (track 12)

And all the rest are ties for 4th place. Streetlight owns.

 

[Panik]

I sort of agree, I really like that'll be the day. Not because of its musical complexity, but mainly because it shows that a ska song can be somber and serious. Also, the chorus just owns, and they have a heavy metal breakdown near the end. How many ska bands do that? I really like the planet samshers too, theyre pretty good. Streetlight is still the reigning king for me. Has anyone heard of the skankin' pickles?

Really though, I'm amazed by the Streetlight cd, i cant really decide one song over the other, I just think thatll be the day is my favorite right now. I've never had a cd that I honestly cant say I have a favorite for. The moment of violence/silence combo is amazing too. Does anybody know their history as people not really as a band, because they sing about suicide a lot it seems and loving life and such.

 

[XXII]

Well, all I know about Streetlight Manifesto is as follows:

They were formed by Tom Kalnoky (the lead singer/writer/composer). Tom was the guitarist/writer/singer for Catch 22, until he decided to leave the band to finish up college. I don't know what happened next, but he formed a band with the Catch 22 bassist (Josh Ansley) and Trombone (James Egan): then he teamed up with the members of One Cool Guy, another Jersey ska band that they knew. I don't know if he hold a grudge against Catch 22 or not, but I'm guessing he is because as the lyrics from "A Moment of Silence" say: "like a child who believed he was wronged, if you hate me so much then stop singing my songs". I think this might be a stab against Catch 22 because they still perform all of the songs Kalnoky wrote, and Streetlight/Catch 22 don't put on shows together (to the best of my knowledge)

If you want to find out about the songs, then I would research Tom Kalnoky's biography. Maybe he did struggle with suicide at one point or something.

 

[HMWii22]

The 22 in my name comes from the band Catch 22 (not the book). I used to be a big ska kid like 5 years ago. I'm not into it at ALL anymore, though. I listen to a huge variety of music, but ska is not really in there as of late. Electronic music FTW.

 

[Legendaryhero]

XXII ur missing the fact that inbetween catch 22 and streetlight manifesto tom created the symphonicly awsome band bandits of the acoustic revolution for whom he wrote heres to life and did a sweet dear sergio remix i guess u would call it.... although streetlight manifesto is an amazing ska band and i have seen them about 6 times i've lost my interest in them only because i've listened to the cd about 4000000000 times. and yes panik i've heard skankin pickels... they are very good. but if u like ska really try to get urself to a show and support some of ur local talent alot of up and coming ska bands are really amazing and desearve our attention.

 

[Panik]

I used to be in a signed ska band, but I quit because of moral differences...or spiritual rather. Anyway, we should support our local scene, but ska is down and out where I live (Louisiana). There is only one band that is really worth listening to that comes to my town every once in awhile (minus the band I was in), and that is 6 pack deep.

Oh yeah, I too love electronica. I hate MSI now, but I did see them in concert. I'm a big guy so I worked my way to the front and got spat on and such by Jimmy Urine. KInd of fun.

 

[Panik]

Wait, sry to double post but I'm pressed for time. What are Catch 22's best songs (yes I know this is all opinion)?

 

[XXII]

Yeah, Legendaryhero, I forgot that part. I go to ska shows a lot because apparently Connecticut's supposed to be the most ska influenced state in the U.S.

Right now me and 2 of my friends are in a ska/jazz band called the Optimists (the name comes from growing tired of all the depressing music nowadays) It's hard to pull off ska though, cause I play drums, one guy plays Tbone and the other plays Alto Sax. So for now, we're mostly jazz. We need a skatarist badly.

And Catch 22's best songs are:
-What Goes Around Comes Around
-Keasby Nights
-Point the Blame
-On&On&On
-9mm and a 3 Piece Suit
And most of the Keasby songs

 

[Bailey]

Is Ska like regge and jazz?

 

[Torrential-Mist]

Catch 22's best song is definately What goes around comes around.

 

[XXII]

Italianplayerboi, yeah, I guess you could call it that.

A ska band usually consists of a guitarist who plays upstrokes, a horn section, bassist, and drummer. Sometimes a keyboard/organ.

 

[solidsnake2234]

Could you call chumbawamba ska?I like alot also

 

[XXII]

Chumbawumba? From what I know, I really don't think so...

 

[Russ3ll]

Yes. I do like Ska. I ****ing love Ska. Streetlight Manifesto is my favorite band of all time. Along with Sublime and RBF. I went to see Streetlight at concert, but I missed RBF.

 

[QUIVO]

I used to love ska, now i just like it. Some of my old favorites were Five Iron Frenzy and Sublime.

 

[Sizzle]

Streetlight definitely owns. RBF has some pretty good stuff. Even the Streetlight version of Keasby Nights is much better than the Catch 22 version just because I think the sound quality is much better. Early Less than Jake stuff, specifically PezCore, is pretty good as well.

 

[KevinM]

Yeah, ska is basically reggae for white people. (And black people, too, because ska isn't about discrimination, man. Also, white people are allowed to like reggae because rastafarians are so laid back.)

I'm pretty into Reel Big Fish and sort of into the Bosstones, but the straight-up early British stuff like the Specials and the English Beat are pretty hot, too.

A name I hear getting thrown around as far as good ska is Mustard Plug. You know 'em? Any good?

Mustard Plug is a pretty good Ska band, nothing special but one of their songs is rather catchy.

If you want to listen to anything from them i would reccomend their song Mr. Smiley.. its rather catchy.

 

[ParamoreRiot]

Okay an awesome Ska band is Pepper.

I saw them at Warped Tour and they were amazing.
They made fun of the emo kids (i'm emo and I thought it was funny still.)

I also saw Big D and the Kids Table there too.

 

[victra♥]

Lol i love Ska. I'm really into Reel Big Fish's older stuff. Not really into there recent cd. =/