I know just reading the word probably brings back bad memories from the late '90s - when you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a ska band.

But I was recreating an early '98 mix tape for a friend that had Mustard Plug's "Miss Michigan" on it over Christmas break. And damn if I didn't play the CD in my car for a couple days straight afterward and enjoy the hell out of it. Soon, the others came out (The Exceptions, The Pilfers, The Articles, The Pietasters, assorted ska comps) and now I'm actually looking forward to Mustard Plug coming to town next month.

We've all been to at least a couple ska shows in our time and at least flirted with the genre, so share memories good and bad of your checkered past.

Is ska good, or do I like good ska?

It's too bad the trend was 10 years ago, 'cuz I would've liked to hear Creed or Nickelback go ska in a desperate bid for greater chart success. What sweet, sweet comedy that could've been.

I chose awesome only because when it's done well(Specials, Madness etc.) it, uh, is.

Mustard Plug?!

A band actually named themselves after an infants first bowel movement?


I think that I'd like to like ska more but it hasn't happened yet. What is considered good ska? More importantly, who wants to send me a mix cd of their favorites?

I've been to one ska show. It was horrendous. I just went to see an old friend. I should have stayed home.

love ska.

no shame honey.

60's/70's Jamaican Ska - Great
Early 80's British Ska - Pretty good
90's Californian Ska - oh dear....

There are good ska bands out there, but I'm no longer a fan of the genre (stopped listening several years ago). Bad ska-punk (and most of it is bad) is quite possibly more annoying than pop-country.

Ska was the first musical "trend" that I got into whole-hog from its beginning. I don't know what it was like elsewhere, but '95-'99 in Michigan was just a HUGE time for ska and especialy ska-punk. I had friends who were in bands, I was promoting local all-ages rock shows when you pretty much had to have at least one ska-influenced band on a bill to draw a crowd. Even went to a couple Warped Tours and saw The Suicide Machines more times than I can count.

It seems like a gimmicky thing now, but if you caught the right band on the right night you could have a total blast. Guess it was indicative of the atmosphere of the day; fun, care-free music for a period with a booming economy, no foreign animosity or war... good times.

id like to get some original ska. ive heard madness and the specials and liked it, but i wanna hear the original stuff. suggestions?

I've seen Mustard Plug 10 or 12 times, and they put on a good show (or at least they used to). Unfortunately a lot of their studio output doesn't have the energy they have live. Although their cover of "The Freshman" is great. Maybe I'll pull out some of their stuff later . . .

there is nothing resembling an option I believe in there. howsabout "Can be awesome, but was destroyed in the third and fourth wave exploitations of the genre". yeah I like that.

Nothing but a modern offshoot of reggae; updated with white rock influences--definitely upbeat. It'll never become really popular, because even though they made the backbeat more conventional, it's still too exotic for mass acceptance.

i'd have to agree mostly with cotton's assessment. there were a few good bands to come out of the third wave. sure, it was more diluted than any other period, but there was enough to like to not totally throw it all out. i still listen to the slackers and hepcat regularly. what i liked best about it, though, was that it led me to listen to its history. i discovered prince buster, desmond dekker, alton ellis, etc. and coxsone dodd's one of my favorite producers.

actually, reggae is descended from rocksteady, which is a downtempo offshoot of ska. All the ska groups ended up slowing down their beats and made names for themselves as reggae artists. Toots, Skatalites, Marley all began as part of the ska movement.

i wasnt aware ska was ever a trend in the 90s, i dont know a single person who has professed any interest in it. i however love the band catch 22, from new jersey. their most recent album is blah but they're probably my 3rd favorite band. if your on slsk shawnisthekingoftheworld, check em out in my singles section

You're probably not going to want to do what Patrick Bateman just said.

LIES!@!!

Pretty much except I think I like the 2nd wave Brit Ska better than the OG stuff. It was funny back around when Cali Ska hit I used to go to a lot of shows since my friends bands were playing with a lot of those acts but totally hated them & talked shit on them. It was so entertaining since 80% of the kids at the shows were there to see a ska band & here was this funk punk band talking shit on them. Then there was this really loud punk band Wash, who's only wanted to cause mayhem. To the point they kept having to change names since they kept getting banned at local venues for throwing fruit & vegtables into the crowd or breathing fire & aiming at audience members & jumping on lights & kicking things.

Good times.

Thanks, Johnny!

Swiateck and I share a brain, methinks.

never been to a ska show or even thought about approaching ska, let alone talking to it. It's that drunken hairy ugly woman who yells obscenities at passerbys. Why do i need to flirt with that shit?

For all you indie people who complain/get annoyed about going to an indie show and seeing no one dance, go to a good ska show. you and 50 other people will leave tired, sweaty, and all danced out.

i had a bort compilation on the backburner for 90s ska, but maybe i'll move it up and get it done sooner.

list your favorite stupid ska band name:

mephiskapheles
and
luke skawalker
and
bim skala bim

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up for me.

For peopole looking for old ska, a few suggestions...

Try a Desmond Dekkar CD,
or grab one of the Trojan budget priced 3 CD sets that focuses on ska,
or any older records from the Ethiopians or the Skatallites.
There's also a greart collection around called Intensified! Original Ska 1962-1967 that's got tons of great stuff on it and covers many of the major bands, if you can find one.

Man, I forgot about them! What was the record on Victory they had out in 98 or so; it had a song on there that I just loved but I can't remember the name now. Chorus went: "When they come for me I'll be sittin' at my desk/with a gun in my hand wearing a bullet-proof vest."
Awesome.



We are both bald. And that would seem to make the swapping of grey matter quite a bit easier. Either way, cool.