In Defense of Ska

Latest Episodes:

In Defense of Ska Ep 40: David McWane (Big D and the Kids Table) Oct 20, 2021

Show notes

By now, most of us know that ska wasn’t dead in the 2000s. But it was uncool. Really uncool. Bands were fleeing from the scene, and describing their sound as “Rock with horns”—anything other than “ska.” But the scene continued, fueled by the passion of dedicated fans. During this weird time, one group that did quite well was Boston’s Big D and The Kids Table, who even managed to chart on the Billboard Top Heatseekers with their excellent 2007 album Strictly Rude.

Big D formed in ’96 but didn’t release their first album, Good Luck, until 1999, which was right when ska was freefalling from mainstream culture. The group persevered during the ska-wasteland era and remains popular to this day. They are releasing their latest record, Do Your Art, on October 22nd on Side One Dummy Records. It’s their first collection of original tunes in years. We brought lead singer David McWane on to the show to talk about the album and their legacy as a not-quite-90s ska band going on two decades now.

We covered a lot of ground, including two of their best-known cover tunes: The Specials’ “Little B***h” and Propagandhi’s “Ska Sucks.” We discuss how the group drove across the country to play a show for Mike Park, in hopes that he’d sign them to Asian Man Records. (Which he did!) And we spend a fair amount of time dissecting their Strictly Rude record. We even find out about the group’s unlikely relationship with Japanese noise rock band Melt Banana. Dave also tells us a very compelling story about surviving cancer. Fortunately for him, he caught it early and is doing great.

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 39: Max Collins (Eve 6, Chevy Mustang) Oct 13, 2021

Show notes

Up until last year, alt-rock group Eve 6 was best known for their hit 1998 single, “Inside Out,” or as some people refer to it, “the heart in a blender song.” But times have changed. Now Eve 6, specifically lead singer Max Collins, is best known for taking over Twitter. It started last December when he tweeted that he was a virgin when he wrote “Inside Out.” Since then, he hasn’t stopped tweeting a chaotic mix of weird jokes, hot takes, embarrassing rock n roll stories, and leftist political rants. It’s everything a band’s Twitter account shouldn’t be. But it’s also the very thing that makes Twitter a little bit more tolerable in 2021.

And in Max’s Eve 6 tweetstorms, oftentimes ska pops up. But it has been unclear to what extent he was a fan of the genre. That is until October 7th, when he and ska band We Are The Union surprise-released a collaborative cover of Operation Ivy’s “Sound System.” It’s a brilliant version of the ska-punk classic that doesn’t veer from the joyous spirit of the original. In fact, it highlights just how good the song is. And clearly, everyone is having a lot of fun playing the song.

We were fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with Max a few months before the song was released. We asked him to predict how the song will be received. We also learned about his very real ska roots, what he thinks about #SkaTwitter, which Gorilla Biscuits song he plans to cover at Fest this year, and he dug pretty deep into his perspective on life, including a recent proclamation that he is a Christian Anarchist. And at the end of the interview, Max told us that we have been his favorite podcast he’s ever done. Take that other podcasts!

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 38: Augusta Koch (Cayetana, Gladie) Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

Augusta Koch’s first band was called The Blue Bananas, a ska band. They had a few originals and performed a Choking Victim song. They didn’t last long. She’s since gone on to play in some incredible non-ska bands like Cayetana and Gladie. And she even sang vocals for the fictitious group DUH in the horror-comedy film Uncle Peckerhead. But ska has remained important to her. During the pandemic, she found comfort in revisiting some of her favorite bands from when she was younger. RX Bandits have been a particular favorite for her.

Augusta talks with us, not just about her ska roots, but also what it’s been like for her the past couple of years, creatively and personally. We discuss a blog post she wrote about starting smoking again during the pandemic and she also tells us about Jeff Rosenstock asking her to contribute to SKA DREAM by screaming on a few tracks. We discuss the Sparks cover she made with Mike Park, and we also get into a discussion about what her favorite Mountain Goats record is. And most importantly, we try to understand why the ska scene just feels so much better to be a part of than other “cooler” scenes. We come up with a few theories.

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 37: Homer Flynn (The Residents, Cryptic Corporation) Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

Avant-garde band The Residents have spent the last five decades anonymously creating music that is at times unsettling, goofy, bizarre, and always pushes the boundaries of music. Even the very idea that The Residents are a band is up for debate. They are more of an art collective that pretends to be a band. And though they prolifically create music, they are perhaps best known for the imagery they’ve put out into the world, specifically the photo of the four band members with eyeball-heads, who are wearing fancy top hats.

But it makes sense for The Residents, who are pioneers in the realm of multimedia entertainment. The visuals are a critical element of their music. They are even music video innovators. And have always explored art in a way that challenges and often confuses their audience.

Since the identities of The Residents are unknown, we couldn’t bring them on the show. Instead, we spoke with Homer Flynn, the president of the Cryptic Corporation, and public relations for The Residents. We asked him all of our many Residents questions, like how they recorded their bizarre Eskimo album and who exactly were the offbeat individuals in their music videos? He did his best to answer them. We even threw the big question at him: Do The Residents like ska? In all the years that Homer has been speaking on behalf of The Residents, I’m pretty sure this is the first time anyone has ever asked Homer this question.

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 36: Mike Park (Asian Man Records, Skankin' Pickle, Chinkees, The Bruce Lee Band) Sep 22, 2021

Show notes

Asian Man Records will be remembered as one of the best outlets for ska-punk in the 90s, with bands like Slapstick, MU330, Slow Gherkin, Less Than Jake, and other bands that still hold up decades later. The label is the brainchild of former Skankin Pickle singer/saxophonist Mike Park. Initially, Skankin Pickle started Dill Records, as a means to release their own music, and eventually, put out the music of other great bands. It was Mike’s idea for Dill to be a serious venture, and he did much of the legwork. So when he went out on his own, of course, Asian Man Records (1996), was a big indie success.

Mike has a long, influential career as a musician and label owner, and remains active and highly respected. On today’s episode with Mike, we discuss his days with Skankin Pickle, the early releases of Dill and Asian Man, and we hear all kinds of great stories from various times in his career. Mike tells us about discovering Less Than Jake, meeting Jeff Rosenstock, and all about the time he suggested Skankin Pickle reject an offer from Restless Records in 1991! Thanks to watching a documentary of MC Hammer and getting really into Fugazi, he figured that he could do it himself much better. And he was probably right.

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 35: Kenneth Partridge (Hell of a Hat: The Rise of ’90s Ska and Swing) Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

The 90s was a weird time for mainstream music. After Nirvana and the “Grunge” scene blew up, major labels were on the prowl for the next big thing. A lot of unlikely bands and music genres had their 15 minutes of fame. Ska, of course, was one of those trends, as was the “swing revival.” We could debate whether it was good or bad that a handful of ska bands got launched into the mainstream for a few years, but regardless, the very fact that ska and swing were flavors of the month is a bizarre phenomenon worth exploring.

Kenneth Partridge, this week’s guest, has spent considerable time analyzing bands from this moment in time, like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish, No Doubt, Royal Crown Revue, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Sublime. His new book, Hell of a Hat: The Rise of 90s Ska and Swing takes an analytical approach to study why these groups blew up in the US at the time they did. Kenneth also tries to understand what the defining characteristics were of mainstream 90s ska in the US and to explain what value they hold that is unique to their time and place in culture.

It is a great read and we talk about his book at length. But before that, we ask Kenneth to defend swing, and then he offers to defend “Skaturday” (The 2-hour ska special on MTV in 1997, hosted by Carson Daly) and we also discuss some of the lesser-known bands that Kenneth grew up listening to like Thumper, Spring Heel Jack and Johnny Too Bad and the Strikeouts. And you might notice a subtle noise in the background during the interview. At the very end, we explain exactly what that sound was. So stay tuned for the entire interview!

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 34: Angelo Moore (Fishbone, Dr. Madd Vibe) Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

A couple of years before ska broke on the radio, Fishbone—who was on Columbia Records at the time—released arguably the greatest ska song of the 90s: “Unyielding Conditioning,” a beautiful tune with a deep message that challenges us to re-examine the very fabric of our shared reality, and to grapple with the forces that control us and make us miserable. In 1993, the public was not ready for this amazing tune, and would not accept ska in the mainstream until Sublime’s “Date Rape” got into heavy rotation in 1995. But can you imagine what ska’s legacy would have been if “Unyielding Conditioning” had been a hit instead?

This song came after a decade of Fishbone completely taking over the underground landscape within nearly every scene. They also released several landmark albums and had become the band everyone assumed would blow up. They were good enough, but the fact that they were so competent in all these genres worked against them as potential pop stars, even though, their secret weapon, Angelo Moore, was one of—if not—the greatest frontmen of all time. It was too much for the mainstream which preferred simple and easy to categorize.

On this episode of In Defense of Ska, we talk with the great Angelo Moore and devote some serious time breaking down the lyrics for “Unyielding Conditioning.” We also discuss several key moments in Fishbone’s history, like their wild Soul Train performance, and their bizarre cameo in the cult film Tapeheads, which starred a young John Cusack & Tim Robbins. Angelo tells us what it feels like to stage dive from a literal balcony (He did it near the beginning of the 2010 documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone). And he even tells us about his odd role in the alternate reality game, Jejun Institute, which would later inspire Jason Segal’s AMC drama Dispatches From Elsewhere.

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 33: Jessica Lipsky (It Ain't Retro: Daptone Records & The 21st-Century Soul Revolution) Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Soul music has never gone away, but different versions of it come and go. In 2007, when Sharon Jones, 51 at the time, released her third album 100 Days, 100 Nights, she reached a significant audience. That made a lot of people declare "retro" soul back. But Sharon wasn’t retro, and the story around her success was much more complex. It is tied to the record label Daptone Records and her backing band, the Dap-Kings.

The story of the label and the bands associated with them (Sharon, Charles Bradley, The Frightnrs, and Amy Winehouse who worked with the Dap-Kings on your brilliant Back to Black album) is documented in the new book It Ain't Retro: Daptone Records & The 21st-Century Soul Revolution. It is filled with amazing stories about the unlikely rise of this cool music scene.

On this episode of In Defense of Ska, we speak with the author, Jessica Lipsky. We discuss several of the great artists on Daptone, like the brilliant and haunting rock steady group The Frightnrs. We discuss Jessica’s ska roots and some of the ska articles she’s published. Two years before every major outlet declared ska back, Jessica wrote about it for Billboard. And of course, we talk about Amy Winehouse, her love for ska, and how she had plans to record some ska songs on what would have been her third record.

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 32: Ian Fidance (The Ska King of Comedy, Crank Yankers, The Last O.G.) Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Why is it that most stand-up comedians pretend that they hate ska? We all know that they’re big nerds, so why don’t they relish in their dorkiness and not put on some big show that they’re cynical, sophisticated tastemakers too intelligent for ska! Oh well, at least not every comedian is this insecure. New York-based comedian Ian Fidance—the ska king of comedy—is an unabashed lover of ska music and he wants you to know all about it.

Fortunately for us in the ska community, Ian is out there, gigging every night all over the country. He also appears in and writes for several TV shows like Crank Yankers and The Last O.G. And whenever he gets a chance, he is trying to convince his fellow comedians and TV actors to give ska a chance. And occasionally, he is successful.

On this episode of In Defense of Ska, we try to understand why the comedy world is so negative about ska. We also learn all about Ian’s old ska band and discuss why the music is so important to him. And he gives us the dirt on what Dave Attell and Nikki Glaser think about ska.

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 31: Brad Logan & John Gentile (Architects of Self-Destruction: An Oral History of Leftover Crack, F-Minus, Punknews) Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

Leftover Crack is a band of dumpster-diving, drug-abusing, cop-hating crust punks…so begins the opening section in the book Architects of Self Destruction, an oral history of the band. The story of Leftover Crack is strange—unbelievable at times—and filled with bizarre decisions, weird characters, and as the title implies, copious self-sabotage. They were also a very unique band, formed in the ashes of Choking Victim in the late 90s that mixed ska, dissonant punk rock, and angry black metal in a unique way.

As unbelievable as many of Leftover Cracks stories are, the fact that these stories are now documented in a book is almost more unbelievable. The author, or rather authors are Brad Logan, longtime guitarist in the group, and Punknews contributor John Gentile. The two collaborated on this project by interviewing a whole bunch of people and stringing together their stories and contradictory perspectives to give the reader an unfiltered view of what exactly happened…as told by those that were there.

On today’s episode, we discuss some of the stories in the book, like how Choking Victim broke up 2 days into recording their one album, how Leftover Crack wanted to name their first album Shoot the Kids At School but Hellcat Records told them no, and we also discuss the polarizing leader of the band, Scott Sturgeon.

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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