In Defense of Ska

Latest Episodes:

The Exit Interview with Sammy Kay Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

Oh, wait a minute! We have one more episode. Three-time IDOS guest Sammy Kay couldn’t let us walk away from the podcast without doing a proper exit interview. So this week, Sammy asks Adam and Aaron a bunch of questions about the podcast, what we think our legacy is, and gets some hot takes on ska from us.

This is for reals the final episode. Until the next final episode. And the next next final episode and the next next next…

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, which was released in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Feral released on July 26, 2024.

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
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The Final episode w/ special guest Mike Park Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Well, folks, this is it. You’ve made it to the end of the In Defense of Ska podcast. Nobody can say it wasn't a great four-and-a-half-year run of interviews, discussions, laughs, and hard-hitting ska journalism. Hosts Aaron Carnes and Adam Davis certainly had a blast, so join them as they celebrate the end of the series with special guest Mike Park. Listen now.

Will there ever be more episodes of In Defense of Ska? It could happen, say Carnes and Davis. Though, for now, there’s not a soul on this planet that knows what the future holds. Don't cry 'cause it's over -- skank 'cause it happened.

In the meantime, Carnes is working on a new book, a novel called Little Black Book of Death, as well as a few other super cool projects. Make sure to follow him on Substack for updates and insights into his creative process. He'll also make sure to make frequent updates on all of his and Davis' upcoming projects on the In Defense of Ska Patreon.

Meanwhile, Davis is going to be working his ass off on more Omnigone goodness. Fans can rest easy knowing new records and tour dates are on the way. Follow the band on social media for updates.

At last, In Defense of Ska leaves you by saying, “Ska Now More Than Ever.”

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.

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Why Fishbone Matters with W. Kamau Bell Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Are Fishbone the greatest band of all time? Perhaps. But no matter how great any single person thinks the group is, it’s a fact that Fishbone is a super important, very original band. And they still matter in the year 2025. To discuss this point, we bring on a Fishbone superfan, comedian W. Kamau Bell!

W. Kamau Bell has been a hardcore Fishbone fan since the early ’90s. And he remains a fan to this day. He was also a fan when the band was less popular. He has a lot to say about their entire catalog.

This is the Fishbone conversation you’ve always wanted to hear

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Felipe Esparza on Voodoo Glow Skulls and all things ska Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Comedian Felipe Esparza may have won Last Comic Standing in 2010 and is currently touring theaters. But probably the most important thing to know about him is that he loves ska. We’re talking Madness, The Skatalites, Los Skarnales, Toots and the Maytals and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.

We talk about all these bands with Felipe. But the group we spend the longest time on is Voodoo Glow Skulls. Felipe is friends with the group; he uses a recording of their song “Fat Randy” for his podcast theme, and he has some lore with the band. We’re talking an unaired episode of his podcast with the group, a TV show with Voodoo as the house band that never got picked up. And, Felipe’s opener, Rodrigo Torres, grew up with the Voodoo guys—he even worked at their record shop, Cheap Guy Records, for five years!

So yes, this is a funny episode with a hilarious comedian. But you may actually learn a few things about Voodoo Glow Skulls after you listen to this one.

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

1 in 3000 nerds can’t be wrong: Interview with Janitors Against Apartheid’s Lodge Worster Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

There were a lot of ska-punk bands in the ’90s. Perhaps, none were more out there than Northern CA’s Janitors Against Apartheid: A wild group that played hyper-fast ska and had a singer who sang about Punky Brewster and Little Caesar’s in a demented Kermit the Frog voice. And the stage show was completely unhinged. Usually, stuffed animals were getting destroyed.

This week, we talk to the sax player (And later lead vocalist) Lodge Worster. We get insight into the band’s history, their transformation to The Adjustments, and we also discuss the punk TV script that Lodge is working on with our own Aaron Carnes. Hey!

Plus, we find out that Lodge works as a music editor on TV and film projects. So, we learn which ska songs he had a hand in editing into your favorite shows.

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

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.

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Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
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The Mozzarella Stick Ska Meme: Its history and impact on ska Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

They said it couldn’t be done, but In Defense of Skalaughs in the face of such faithlessness. It's with great pride and honor that the crew unveils this week's episode -- a lengthy discussion and breakdown of the infamous mozzarella stick ska meme that has come to define the genre's culture across the internet. Listen now.

Join the In Defense of Ska investigation team as they dive into the meme's history, its impact on ska, and its incredibly polarizing nature. Ultimately, they try to answer the grand, existential question of if the gag has been a net positive or net negative for the genre.

Along the way, this journalistic masterpiece features interviews with folks like comedians Dave Thomason, Matt Lieb, and Jaime Loftus, as well as 'Ska Defender Numero Uno' Brent Friedman. Plus, the gang gets a little insight into the meme courtesy of its original creator.

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ska Punk International: An interview with Chris Reeves Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Eras of ska are, in part, defined by the ska labels. This week on In Defense of Ska, the crew chats with the head of one of those labels helping make the modern age of the genre -- Chris Reeves, owner/operator of Ska Punk International. Listen now.

With Reeves' business and artistic insight, In Defense of Ska explores the bands that helped the label carve out its ethos, as well as its continuing legacy. Then, hear all about the behind-the-scenes craziness that it takes to keep a ska label skanking away.

Reeves also serves as the editor of In Defense of Ska. Though, while it makes for a casual and comfortable vibe, the gang doesn't linger on his excellent editing skills this go around. This is a 100% Ska Punk International conversation -- so strap in.

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The story of Ska in New Orleans post-Katrina: A live panel at Hey Café May 28, 2025

Show notes

New Orleans had a surprisingly big ska scene in the late 2000s. This caught the attention of In Defense of Ska host Aaron Carnes after he wrote the first edition of his book on the genre (also called In Defense of Ska). Today on the podcast, Carnes recaps and re-airs a recent panel he hosted in New Orleans about the era, touching on the bands o the time, the impact of Katrina, and more. Listen now.

Carnes had previously caught up with the New Orleans band Bad Operation, speaking with them extensively about the city's music. Those conversations resulted in a large added section in the second edition of the In Defense of Ska book. Now, Carnes jumps back into the topic at the Hey! Café, leading a conversation that features guests like Greg and D-Ray, Brian Funck of Thou, Travis of Tha Supaflies, Kirah of the Big Top, Hunter from Fatter Than Albert, and more.

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The beginning of a global trad ska revival: Potato 5 May 21, 2025

Show notes

In England, two-tone ska was absolutely huge -- but only for a brief time. By the early ’80s, the country had moved on to other sounds in pop music, and most of the two-tone bands broke up or moved on to play non-ska tunes. But in this vacuum, a band called Potato 5 formed. This week on In Defense of Ska, the band's four original members jump on the horn to chat about the unlikely story of Potato 5. Listen now.

Potato 5 wasn't exactly a two-tone band, per se. They were, however, directly and profoundly influenced by The Skatalites. During their original run (which ended in 1989), they had three different lead singers: Floyd Lloyd, Spider Johnson, and the legendary “godfather of ska” himself, Laurel Aitken. Plus, they worked with Mad Professor early in their career. The gang gets into all of this and more!

Additionally, the In Defense of Ska crew and Potato 5 use the band's story as a means to explore the burgeoning reinvention of traditional ska that would eventually blossom in the years following their initial disbandment.

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Japan’s finest: Hey Smith singer Shu May 14, 2025

Show notes

This week on In Defense of Ska, the gang travels to the ska-loving country of Japan to interview the amazing ska-punk group Hey Smith. Listen to the band's singer and primary songwriter Shu and trombonist Ume (also of Kill Lincoln) chat about the band's growth, music, and more now.

The In Defense of Ska crew, Shu, and Ume discuss everything from the band's origins to their most recent accomplishments, like signing to a major label and touring in the United States. Plus, Shu and Ume talk about how they wrote ska-punk jams for more than one popular anime series, while the podcast hosts try to (unsuccessfully) sneak in a question or two about Kill Lincoln.

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

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.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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