It's OK To Like... Ska
Every week, we encourage you to let your guard down, crawl out of the indie rock bunker, and embrace your guilty pleasures. You're welcome...
Ska Music: Five reasons to love Toots AND the Maytals:
1. Horns!
A liability, you say? We say: thank you ska, for making it easy to tell when we are listening to ska. We might not be too clear about the difference between Skavoovie and the Dance Hall Crashers, but when those horns kick in we know it’s time to stop with the indie rock head nodding and skank out, whatever that means.
2. Dickie Barrett
Leader of the unfortunately-named Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dickie B growled like Morrissey after a six-day organic gin bender. His hobbies included wearing plaid, drinking, and smoking a pack of cigarettes at the same time.
3. Rudy
We thought Rudy was the hobbit who talked his way into Notre Dame, but apparently it’s short for "rude boy," a ska-term that seems to apply to, well, everybody, as far as we can tell. Still, "A Message to You, Rudy" and "Rudy Can’t Fail" kick ass.
4. Reel Big Fish
Nothing gets us smiling like a good ska cover, and Reel Big Fish were masters of the form. The weren’t all that good at writing their own songs, but give ‘em a bit of Duran Duran, Pixies, or even Rogers and Hammerstein and they always came up with something playlist worthy.
5. High School Ska Bands
Mark's brother Steve was all, can I be in the band, and we were like Steve, Jimmy Eat World doesn’t have horns, and he was all but I’ve been playing the trombone since like fifth grade, and we were like, no way dude, and he was all, I’ll let you play my Playstation 3 and so finally we were like fine, dude, you can be in the band.
But seriously, got an idea for It's OK To Like...? E-mail tips at stereogum.com.
Posted at 5:00 PM
And that cover of the Pee Wee's Big Adventure song. The Scofflaws I think
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And that cover of the Pee Wee's Big Adventure song. The Scofflaws I think
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it's not ok to like ska unless to play a horn instrument.
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Ska is awful, you douchebags.
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Of course it's ok to like ska. Ska's awesome. Catch22 has an album about Leon Trotsky--so awesome.
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the specials are the only good ska band.
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Actually, the horns really pretty much are the only reason ska is decent.
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Ska is excellent, at certain times and and places.
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who says it's not okay to like certain things?
is there an indie yupp rulebook that i'm not aware of?
scott stereogum, you used to be more open minded - what the crapola is going on?
and:
"But seriously, got an idea for It's OK To Like...?"
WRITE YOUR OWN CONTENT, DAMMIT!
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I think there are few things worse than a ska or punk cover of any song. I like the Specials, but ska...seriously?
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There is no reason to be listening to ska.
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If you don't like the Skatalites or anything released on 2-Tone, you don't like music.
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i thought scenesters loved ska?? o well..i like the specials and westbound train, more reggae influenced actual ska is groovy.
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FUCK SKA!
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Within the last couple years, I was in a Borders and tripped into a pair of headphones that was playing the new Reel Big Fish album. I noticed that this album had covers of two songs I like - "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" by Morrissey, and "Talkin' About a Revolution" by Tracy Chapman. Unsurprisingly, they ruined the Morrissey song. Surprisingly, they made the Tracy Chapman song just as great in a different way - straight-up rock-steady! I downloaded that mp3 and listen to it now and then even today.
"Talkin' About a Revolution" by Reel Big Fish - one of the better new covers that I've heard in a while.
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i thought scenesters loved ska?? o well..i like the specials and westbound train, more reggae influenced actual ska is groovy.
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While I wouldn't call Fishbone "a ska band", they do have their ska-ish moments, and there ain't nothing at all wrong with liking Fishbone.
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It's meant to be tongue in cheek!
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White boy ska is absolute shit. Jamaican ska is ok, but not nearly as good it's brother Reggae.
The only exception is the Pilfers. They were an awesome band, but the singer (Coolie Ranx) was half Jamaican.
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ska is awesome! namely the specials, the english beat, the toasters, Catch 22, reel big fish, the flatliners, the mighty mighty bosstones, and the planet smashers are awesome.
don't hate
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i have a ska cover of the fraggle rock theme that i like. yeah.
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this is germane:
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/harlem-shakes/burning-birthdays-ep.htm
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My friend and I are convinced that if you were to lock yourself in a room listening to nothing but Hepcat for 2 weeks, you would emerge the coolest individual on the planet. Of course you would need supplies and be able to go to the bathroom in order for it to work, but I think the principal works.
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First Phil Collins, now ska? In all honesty, it's not okay to like either of those things, and this is a terrible new column. Please stop.
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The only place ska belongs is in a Circus act involing some kind of dodgy clown routine.
gratingly annoying. gratingly annoying, enthusiastic music.
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My friend and I are convinced that if you were to lock yourself in a room listening to nothing but Hepcat for 2 weeks, you would emerge the coolest individual on the planet. Of course you would need supplies and be able to go to the bathroom in order for it to work, but I think the principal works.
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Well, since no one has stepped up to the challenge, "It's ok to like...yacht rock"
We all know what it is; now it's time to reconcile our love for it. Player, Ace, Hall and Oates, so many more, so good, so golden.
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2 Notre Dame references in 1 month, bravo stereogum.
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2 Notre Dame references in 1 month, bravo stereogum.
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Not really in to much modern-day ska, but I do really like the Ore Ska Band from Japan. A bunch of Japanese school girls playing super cathy ska-pop - what's not to love?
Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8U4i8lW29k
Also, why are there so many Christian Ska bands? Its a strange trend.
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Save Ferris FTW.
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I had a film teacher in college turn me on to Toots and the Maytalls back in the late 70's. This is some of the most pleasing, fun music there is to listen to. I heard "Pressure Drop" on NPR a few weeks back and started singing along with it and dancing in the car.
Saw them in DC about 10 years ago, the Specials there another night, awesome, fun shows.
People who don't like Ska probably don't like ice cream.
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#1 is pretty much the only reason to listen to ska. And not even all horns. Just the fucking trumpet. Anything with the trumpet is by default awesome.
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Um yeah ska sucks but LTJ and RBF got me through middle school!
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ummm..... ska really isnt bad at all.... now,....ranchero music is somethin else . its simply the most annoying genre of music ever..
but i love it.
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Two bands sprung to mind from this thread: Rancid and Less Than Jake. Neither band sings songs about food and I don't think they have too many girl songs, and the ones they have aren't nearly as annoying as say, Panic! At the Disco. I've been thinking a lot about Rancid lately because Tim writes beautiful songs but still insists on acting like some high school thug in his videos (look up "Hold On" on YouTube, you'll see).
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Ska is tattooed on my heart and I'll always be true.
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I'm not normally a snob about these things, but ska is the exception. I mean, yeah, it's okay to like ska... if you're fifteen years old. But the ska of today is nothing but lame, gimmicky covers, or songs about high school girlfriends.
Actually, if my fifteen year-old cousins came over and wanted to listen to Mustard Plug or something, I'd probably ask them if they had some Mariah Carey or Jessica Simpson instead. Yes, I think it's THAT bad.
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it's ok to like... stereogum
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Ah... Ska.
It seems to be undergoing some kind of resurgence here in the UK. Plenty of alternative club nights dedicating portions of sets to Ska and Ska Punk.
I think a lot of you are getting confused, though. There is Ska, and then there is Ska Punk. Everyone should like Ska, it's stuff like the Specials and Bad Manners, often slower, and always more like reggae. Ska Punk on the other hand is the annoying catchy, Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish, etc, it's faster and has Punk beats. See, there is a difference, the two aren't the same.
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Thanks for giving a shout out to one of my favorite frontmen of all time - I love Dickie
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caught the bosstones once opening for some other acts and the guitarist had his hand in a cast. dickie said it was b/c he'd punched a guy out at a bar the previous night, and had the doctor set his hand with a pic in it. that's at least a little badass.
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I don't understand why this is a column. Why hate whole genres?
Anyways, I'll list 3 bands that can be considered ska, although they all sound quite different from each other. They also are all great bands and you should listen to them:
The Skatalites
The Specials
The Blue Meanies
What's not to like here?
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Some Ska thoughts:
I used to love ska in Junior High. Anything and everything with a horn was deemed good by me. I go over that, but I think I got too over that at one point and wrote off the genre all together. Ska Punk as a whole is embarrassing, but there are certainly some highlights.
"Someday I Suppose" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones is an incredible song.
Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake is a really fun album.
Mustard Plug (who are generally terrible) did a cover of "The Graduate" that I love and way prefer over the original.
Rancid need more critical love than the get. Just a great, great band that writes great, great songs.
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Ska is just as good as any other form of music. When it's good, it's good. When it sucks, it sucks. How's that any different than indie rock? Sure there have been legions of awful ska bands, but there are legions of awful indie rock bands as well. Both styles are good when the songs are well written.
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I play the sax in a high school ska band.
Check out my band: Bangin' On A Trash Can
http://www.myspace.com/banginonatrashcan
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i really dig the ska beat. bosstones, dhc, skatalites, toots, rancid, rbf. i dig em. as a trumpet player they give me something to look up to besides jazz and that craphole known as beirut.
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There's a ska band in Baltimore with possibly the worst band name ever: The Ska-kabobs
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There's plenty of good ska bands. Just not the bastardized third-wave fricka-frick played at high school talent shows.
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I don't see what the big deal is. Ska is music. Who cares if you like it or not? It's not okay to like music that is fun to dance to, but it's okay to listen to some shit ass whiney pussy cry about his girlfriend of two weeks that dumped him. Yeah. Yeah. That's really awesome. Oh god. I idolize bands where the lead singers where my sister's jeans. OOOH OOOH!!! FUCK THAT!!!
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I don't see what the big deal is. Ska is music. Who cares if you like it or not? It's not okay to like music that is fun to dance to, but it's okay to listen to some shit ass whiney pussy cry about his girlfriend of two weeks that dumped him. Yeah. Yeah. That's really awesome. Oh god. I idolize bands where the lead singers where my sister's jeans. OOOH OOOH!!! FUCK THAT!!!
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when it comes to high school bands with shitty names, ska bands take the cake... just find any word that will accept the word "ska" somewhere into it and you're golden. that's why my band would be called "skatuatory rape"
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Ska reminds me of crushing on cute skater boys in high school who made me mix tapes and schooled me in the English Beat, etc. I have a huge nostalgic fondness for "I Just Can't Stop It." Good times.
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Most ska punk bands do suck, but there's one that comes to mind that does not. Operation Ivy. It's hard to sell a million+ albums on word of mouth alone unless you're a pretty good band.
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dudes and dudettes, gotta throw in my 2 pennies...
haters gotta go. all you uppity bitches saying "fuck ska" and whatnot - go drown in your tears with Morissey and Belle and Sebastian and Yanni and whatnot.
the rest of us are gonna party like it's 1995...Bosstones, RBF, Specials, Hippos, Less Than Jake, Toasters, Catch 22...
if you can't dig it, shut it. get over yourselves.
I'm gonna go listen to "Dogs & Chaplains"...
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I'm not afraid to skank and dance like The Bosstone every once and a while. Central Michigan University's campus radio station had a ska show for years - only until a couple of years ago did someone decide not to carry the torch. And RBF is still touring! You can't stop the ska :)
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THANK GOD someone finally mentioned the Toasters. Whenever I saw them they never had the same members, but they could always down a good show. Bucket is fucking awesome. Saw them in DC several times, but Ocean City Maryland was the best, it was a marathon, like 2 hours. They took a break in the middle and sat at the bar with the crowd.
Hepcat is slick.
Edna's Goldfish and Springheel Jack are choice whining about your girlfriend groups
and PILFERS! I'm so glad someone mentioned the Pilfers. Coolie is by far one of the best entertainers I've ever witnessed. How many shows have you gone to where the lead vocalist won't stay on the stage and insists that the crowd dance with him and each other?
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For the record, the toasters are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, making them the first and longest touring America Ska band.
And to dismiss an entire genre as some of you have, for shame. Good music is good music no matter what it's classified as. You think a bunch of indie kids would know that after being forced to group Franz Ferdinand and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah into the same "genre."
For some good recent ska check out Streetlight Manifesto's first album Everything Goes Numb.
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Ska (90s) is kinda the same as Dance-Punk (00s) - put the guitar strums on the other beat and replace the horns with that synth that you just found on eBay for, like, really cheap - and put on your outfits (creepers, skinny suits, black and white checkschecks) - Have your friend set up a MySpace page with ska covers of frnzferdinand, rpture, blocpartty, and wearescientists... you get 4 songs on MySpace, right?)
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Jesus christ. The next time I log on to this site, am I going to see a checkered background or something?
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It's kinda funny that you compared Dickie Barrett to Morrissey since he got fired from his morning show gig on LA's Indie 103 (an endearingly awkward morning show that was fun to listen to) for saying on air how tired he was of a certain Morrissey single that the radio station was playing to death.
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i can't believe you pretentious indie-rock douches would give reel big fish props! nice.
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Also- thx for reminding me about operation ivy! I don't know if they're still together but ska fans should check out the Skeletones. Riverside, Ca band that absolutely rule! They have 3 CDs out (maybe more) and they are even better live.
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UNDERSTAND:
-ska is the father of reggae believe me or not (from ska came reggae)
-'tis tru that ska and ska/punk are very much different than each other
-both ska and ska/punk are very much alive today
HOMEWORK:
-LISTEN to the Specials rendition of A Message to You, Rudy.
-LISTEN to Operation Ivy's Unity
-Broaden your horizons and forget sterotypes and find out for yourself what YOU consider good music is. Give all music a chance.
CONFESSIONS:
-I am the front man/bassist in a "ska/punk" band.
-2 of the 7 are in high school
-Our first gig was indeed at a high school talent show
COMMENTS ABOUT MY POST?
please email me at bassballplayer@hotmail.com or myspace.com/michael_raper or check out my "ska/punk" band: www.myspace.com/thetrutones
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well apparently someone who knows their shit got ahead of me.and i'm glad he did.
yes,ska came before reggae, yes it is VERY DIFFERENT
...and i repeat
VERY DIFFERENT,for pete's sake!
...from ska-punk.common mistake, very common mistake...however, with the 'both ska and ska punk are very alive"-part, i don't agree that much...actually, not at all. ska, in its pure form, has gone to hell, my friend.imitators are few and puny, big guys are long gone.
thank god for ska-punk.
moving on..
i never really wondered whther it's okay to like ska or not.i don't see why it wouldn't.
although you do like it for all the wrong reasons :)
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