Posted on 06/27/2021 4:37:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The evidence that we are in the midst of a ska revival is plentiful. Indie-punk phenomenon Jeff Rosenstock managed a critical hit with “Ska Dream,” a reimagining of his 2020 album “No Dream.” The genre thrives online, where the Ska Tune Network has more than 200,000 subscribers and ska cover versions rake in the views, including a version of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” by Los Angeles band the Interrupters that has 5 million and counting. This year sees the release of two major books, one a 400-page oral history of American ska and the other a spirited defense of the often-maligned genre. And with We Are the Union, there’s a band with genuine breakout potential; the group’s new album focuses on singer Reade Wolcott coming out as a trans woman.
There’s only one argument against the idea that we’re in the midst of a ska revival, and it’s a simple one — ska never went away.
The classic British ska outfits that first brought upstroke guitar playing to the Billboard charts have existed in various stages of restoration, anniversary celebration and short-lived hiatuses since the first George Bush was in the White House. Bands like Less Than Jake, Fishbone and the Slackers found varying levels of success in the ’90s and never stopped touring and never fired their horn sections. Ska disappeared from the radio in the ’90s, giving way to the much less upbeat sounds of nu-metal, but right on cue 20 or so years after that, we’re all rushing to catch up with what the rude boys, rude girls and rude non-binaries have known all along.
“I see it as a continuation. I mean, rock continues — nobody talks about rock revivals, do they?” says Pauline Black, singer of the Selecter, the British ska band that recorded the
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ska ping
What about The Specials, or Madness?
Beat you to it!
I followed two great local Philly ska bands in the nineties, Public Service and Ruder Than You. Great fun.
I was revisiting Fishbone last night on YouTube.
Ohhhhh yeah, THE ENGLISH BEAT! Forgot about them..!!!
Yes Ghost Town became the official song of the COVID Lockdown.
RIP Ranking Roger!
hey Reade , deys something hanging out yo skirt...
fishbone was a monster ban!!!
I’ve always thought of ska as a bunch of people who can’t play anything worth a crap, getting together to bug people.
Guessing I’m a bit older than author Zachary Lipez… I had just entered my teens as the 2 Tone ska revival got me on my feet— and most people had no idea who HW Bush was. They called it a revival because it had been popular decades prior and it was once again.
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