In Defense of Ska

Latest Episodes:

In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Interviewing the Ska Kids Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

What's it like to be raised by a ska parent? We ask co-host Adam Davis' kids and find out. Give a listen to this month's bonus episode with Thomas and James Davis. This is only a teaser though. If you want to hear the entire episode, sign up for our Patreon. You will have access to the entire episode and a bunch of additional Patreon-exclusive content.

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

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 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

In Defense of Ska Ep 75: Brandie Posey (Lady to Lady Podcast, The Worst Year In My Life, Pick It Up - Ska in the '90s) Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Comedian Brandie Posey has been evangelizing about ska as long as people have been listening to her speak. In fact, some of her earliest comedy influences came from watching Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake goof around during their shows. The comedian, who is celebrating her 14th year in comedy, regularly performs at Fest, co-hosts the popular Lady to Lady podcast, and has an album out on cassette called Opinion Cave.

On today's episode we discuss Ronald Reggae, the ska playlist she made for comedian Jackie Kashian, why ska musicians are similar to comedians, and the time she got to open for Against Me and The Interrupters, and what it was like to be one of the only non-musicians to be interviewed in Pick It Up - Ska in the '90s.

Brandie lists several non-ska things that are ska, like Andrew W.K., The rhino scene in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and those 12 foot skeletons from Home Depot. But most importantly, we try to figure out who is the ultimate ska comedian: Her or Ian Fidance.

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 74: Mephiskapheles (Andre A. Worrell, Michael Bitz, Greg Robinson) Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

Last year, Loudwire published an article with the headline, "Satanic Ska is a Real Thing That Actually Exists." The satanic ska band they were referring to was New York-based Mephiskapheles. And the band has existed for over thirty years.

But mixing ska music and tongue-in-cheek Satanic imagery is only one attribute that distinguished the group from their 90s ska peers. Their music was unlike any other group. On their debut album, God Bless Satan, they mixed traditional ska drums & Skatalites-inspired walking bass lines with experimental, menacing songwriting and strange, jazzy horn lines. And for their 2nd and third albums, Maximum Perversion & Might-Ay White-Ay, they went even further into avant-garde territory.

Today, we chat about Mephiskapheles' entire interesting career with singer Andre A. Worrell, bassist Michael Bitz and trombonist Greg Robinson. We talk about their deep love for The Skatalites and The Scofflaws, and how their goal in the 90s was to displace The Toasters as the top New York ska band.

We also talk about working with Victor Rice and Bill Laswell on God Bless Satan, their numerous vehicle problems, the origins of "The Bumble Bee Tuna Song," how they managed to get the "Doomsday" video on MTV, and we even talk about their label and lawsuit problems in the late 90s that sent the band on hiatus for several years.

But we also talk about what the band is doing now, from touring all over the world and meeting eager fans to holding online seances to still blowing the minds of people that never imagined that satanic ska was a real thing.

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 73: Dane Roberts (Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival) Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

In the summer of 2000, ska was on the decline in the US, but up in Victoria, Canada, it was as popular as ever. Local promoter Dane Roberts--who'd been throwing ska shows for a few years--decided to throw a full-on ska festival. It was in part a tribute to Mathew Bishop, the man that introduced him to ska (he'd died from a mountain climbing accident two years earlier), and it was Dane's final college assignment. If the festival made money, he passed. If it didn't, he failed.

The first year of the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival was a big success. Dane booked Chris Murray, The Scofflaws, King Django, and a reunion show for local favorites, Pressure Cooker. But the following year, ska died in Victoria, and attendance dropped. But Dane kept the festival going anyway, even paying out of pocket to do so.

He kept the Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival going no matter how popular (or unpopular) ska was. And he even expanded the festival to include acts rooted in ska and reggae. It's the longest-running ska festival in North America. Guests over the years have included Fishbone, Less Than Jake, The Wailers, Ozomatli, The Real McKenzies, The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Mos Def, Neville Staple, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Itals, Ky-Mani Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Dr. Ring Ding, and Larry and His Flask.

The festival celebrates its 23rd year on June 22-26, 2022. We sit down with Dane to learn more about the festival's history, why he's so in love with ska, and get a glimpse of Victoria's local ska scene with groups like The Bombasts, Pressure Cooker, One Drop and Grossbuster.

Tickets can be purchased at https://victoriaskafest.ca

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 72: John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats, The Extra Lens, The Comedians, The Bloody Hawaiians) Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

When ska band Sad Snack recorded a ska version of The Mountain Goats' beloved "No Children," Mountain Goats singer-songwriter John Darnielle got so excited, that he invited the group to open for them at their San Francisco show. It was all hands on deck for Ska No Children. And during Sad Snack's performance, John and other members of the group got on stage and skanked. It was clear that it wasn't his first time skanking.

And indeed, he went to many ska shows and skanked during his formative years in Southern California, even though he was an artsy goth kid that made fun of the ska kids. Now as an adult, he can admit that he has a particular love for classic Jamaican ska and the 2 Tone bands like The Selecter, The Specials, Madness and The English Beat.

On this episode, we talk about all things ska with John Darnielle. He compares Lee "Scratch" Perry to Tolstoy, he explains why The Specials' "Ghost Town" is one of the greatest songs of all time, and he tells us about the "Fuck Art, Let's Dance" buttons that all the ska kids at his high school would wear.

But we talk about so much more, including Propagandhi, pro-wrestling, "Superman" by Goldfinger, Desmond Dekker, King Tubby's sound system, the beauty of heavy metal and why everyone wrongfully associates ska with horns.

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 71: Bruce Lee Band (Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock) May 25, 2022

Show notes

During Skankin' Pickle's run, Mike Park had so many songs, he tapped Less Than Jake to record an album with him. He called it The Bruce Lee Band. This record was released in 1995. A decade later, The Bruce Lee Band returned with Beautiful World, this time backed by RX Bandits.

But then, nearly a decade later, The Bruce Lee Band became a solid group with Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock, Dan Potthast and Kevin Higuchi (Though Mike Huguenor was involved in the two 2014 records). They've put out several releases. Last year they released the excellent EP Division in the Heartland. And on May 27th, they will release their full-length, One Step Forward. Two Steps Back--incredible, passionate and at times angry ska-punk.

On today's episode, we talk with two members of The Bruce Lee Band: Mike Park and Jeff Rosenstock. We discuss the two's origin story--Jeff's old band Arrogant Sons of Bitches tried to play at an event Mike threw at the Oakland A's parking lot, but Mike said no. We talk about the role Chris Candy played in the two becoming friends. And we talk about the mid-to-late-2000s era at Asian Man Records, where Mike had a vibrant selection of amazing punk bands like Bomb The Music Industry, AJJ, Lemuria and Shinobu.

We also discuss how drummer Kevin Higuchi went from San Jose bar band drummer to joining The Bruce Lee Band and Jeff Rosenstock's band, Mike Park smoking weed with Alkaline Trio, and the infamous Skankin' Pickle reunion shows in Japan. And of course, we dig deep into The Bruce Lee Band's excellent catalog.

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

In Defense of Ska Behind The Curtain: Live Shows During Covid May 20, 2022

Show notes

On May 13, Adam performed a killer set inside the Ivy Room in Albany, CA, main support for Voodoo Glow Skulls. He brought me up on stage to dance for the duration of one song (The only time I was mask-free inside the venue). The next day I found out I was exposed to Covid a few days earlier.

On this very special episode, I take a Covid test and read the results LIVE as they come in. Also Adam and I talk about the Voodoo show show and the complexities of playing live music in the era of Covid.

To listen, sign up for our Patreon

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 70: Blue Meanies (Billy Spunke, Sean Dolan) May 18, 2022

Show notes

In the late '90s, someone asked Blink-182's Tom DeLonge if he wanted to go see The Blue Meanies perform. Both bands happened to be in Australia at the same time. His response: "Are they still scaring kids?" The answer was obviously yes, so Tom passed.

The Blue Meanies formed in 1989 in Carbondale, Illinois by Jay Vance, who would later start the avant-garde project Captured By Robots. The Blue Meanies started as a Fishbone-style party band, but when they relocated to Chicago a few years later, the group evolved into one of the most menacing bands in the 90s ska scene. And many kids were scared, especially when the Meanies opened for bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and Goldfinger.

On this episode, we dig deep into Blue Meanies' history and talk about their early years playing the famous Lost Cross House in Carbondale. We talk about a very special show at The Outhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, where they met MU330 and Skankin' Pickle. We also talk about Billy's couple year period after Kiss Your Ass Goodbye that he lived in New Orleans, the Full Throttle years, where they rehearsed in an abandoned grocery store in Chicago, the Ska Against Racism and Plea For Peace tours, their Post-Wave MCA album signing, and a song the band wrote for the Troma film Sucker.

Bill also talks about two big influences on him: Tom Waits and Nick Cave.

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 69: Pook (Pookout Records, Beat the Red Light, Redeemon, Lightyear, The Filaments) May 11, 2022

Show notes

There was a big ska revival in the UK from around 2000 to 2005. Pook was playing music back then, but when the scene started to crater, he kept on playing. He would even fully realize his vision of combining extreme metal with ska, which you can hear in his groups Beat The Red Light and Redeemon. We're talking Sepultura and Lamb of God style metal mixed with ska.

Pook also runs a record label called Pookout Records. It started as a means to distribute records into the UK but has since become a proper record label and he's worked with bands like Andy B and the World, Filthy Militia, Glory Hunters and Roshambo.

On today's episode, we chat with Pook about his many bands, which also includes The Filaments and Lightyear. He tells us about recording "Send In The Clowns" with Beat The Red Light and finally realizing his metaliSKA vision, hearing The Best of the Worst and finding kindred spirits across the pond, and the warm up techniques he does before screaming. Big face, little face, big face, little face.

He also tells us the infamous Lightyear story that involves Ice-T's band Body Count and the band dressing up in a horse outfit. They were told, "Ice-T is not amused."

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

In Defense of Ska Ep 68: Coolie Ranx (Pilfers, The Toasters, Grand Theft Auto IV) May 04, 2022

Show notes

In the early '90s, Coolie Ranx had his eyes set on being a dancehall star. That is until a friend dared him to audition to be The Toasters' new vocalist. He got the gig, and off to Europe he went (Though, a little uncomfortable with the Mohawk, spike-studded punks that came to these shows). He quit Toasters, but eventually came back and joined the group just before they did the Skavoovee tour, along with The Special Beat, The Selecter, and The Skatalites. At the time, Coolie was so entrenched in the dancehall world, he wasn't even familiar with any of these groups--even The Skatalites

That would change. After recording two studio albums with The Toasters (Dub 56, Hard Band For Dead), he quit the group and started Pilfers, a unique '90s ska band that mixed elements of rock, hardcore, reggae, dancehall, pop and punk. Coolie called their genre "raggacore," and the description was apt. There weren't other groups at the time that sounded like them.

On this episode, we talk to Coolie about his musical music. We talk about the 2000s UK ska-punk scene (King Prawn, Sonic Boom Six) that sounded a lot more like Pilfers than the 90s US ska scene did. We break down some Pilfers songs, like "Generation," and we all admire Coolie's amazing impression of Rob "Bucket" Hingely. We also talk about Coolie's new solo album, Days Gone By, which you should purchase immediately.

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected