Ska 4U » General http://ska4u.com Sat, 24 Jul 2010 23:18:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Everyday Fishbone http://ska4u.com/2010/07/everyday-fishbone/ http://ska4u.com/2010/07/everyday-fishbone/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 21:11:23 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/?p=2372 Looking forward to checking out the new Fishbone Documentary, Everyday Sunshine. There’s some links to some excellent reviews and articles about the movie here.

]]> http://ska4u.com/2010/07/everyday-fishbone/feed/ 0 UPTONES POST THEIR SET FOR WARPED http://ska4u.com/2010/06/uptones-post-their-set-for-warped/ http://ska4u.com/2010/06/uptones-post-their-set-for-warped/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 00:27:08 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/2010/06/uptones-post-their-set-for-warped/ Listen to the original roots of The Uptones performance for the upcoming Ska Parade‘s “Six Hours Of Ska” on the Kevin Says Stage on the 2010 Warped Tour. Here’s The Uptones’ set list for the shows. It includes some Ska classics as well as some Uptones’ originals. Check out this 8 song set:

Guns Of Navarone

The Skatalites adaptation of the theme to the film The Guns of Navarone was a Ska song that entered the UK Top 10 in 1967. This is old school, when instrumentals were the big thing. The Skatalites are the real deal. Ska started here:

Radiation Boy

This song is wonderful scary. It makes the same sense now then when Eric Din wrote it in 1983. Here’s a live version from Santa Cruz, just after the band reformed in 2002. Like The Specials, the music is topical and has remained in The Uptones set to this day.

Ghost Town

The Specials were the next generation after The Skatalites in the Ska calendar. Their song, Ghost Town was a #1 hit in the U.K. in 1981. These guys were styling and political, and they set the tone for the 2Tone movement. They also created the trombone standard that’s been a part of Ska ever since. The Uptones were being dreamed up around 1981-’82, and The Specials were a very big influence. When The Uptones recently reformed, trombonist Jeanne Geiger was their first recruit. You’ll see why at the show.

Skanking Fool

When The Uptones reformed in 2002, everyone told them “Ska was Dead.” The Uptones were needed to help resuscitate this wonderful musical style. Moose wrote this killer song, and Emily Jayne will sing it at the show. Here’s the version that Moose sings.

Bad Reputation

The Uptones welcome their newest member, Emily Jayne. There’s always been some punk in Ska’s recent History. This song has been waiting for Emily and The Uptones Horns. Check out Joan Jett‘s original version.

Not From Here

Everybody has experienced that feeling of not belonging. Paul Jackson’s song “Not From Here” is all about that. Here’s the version Paul, Eric, and Ben recorded when they were a 4 piece band waiting to reform The Uptones.

Get Out Of My Way

Punk, Ska, and Political, this song reflects The Uptones take on the crazy early 1980s. The first Ska band in West Coast at the time, they influenced a lot of the music to follow from Berkeley, California. “Get Out Of My Way” has also been recorded by Rancid. Listen closely and you can hear Tim Armstrong introducing the band at Gilman St.

Check out Rancid‘s rad version of this song.

Too Much Pressure

by The Selecter!

Here’s another one of the 2 Tone bands the world should know about, The Selecter. They were popular when The Uptones were forming. Their song “Too Much Pressure” rages with Ska angst. This live version is from “Dance Craze” ~ the definitive documentary on the British Two-Tone ska wave, another key influence on The Uptones.

Skank you very much!

]]> http://ska4u.com/2010/06/uptones-post-their-set-for-warped/feed/ 0 THE SKA PARADE 20th ANNIVERSARY WITH 6 HOURS OF SKA! @ VANS WARPED TOUR http://ska4u.com/2010/05/ska-parade-20th-aniversary-6-hours-of-ska-warped/ http://ska4u.com/2010/05/ska-parade-20th-aniversary-6-hours-of-ska-warped/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 20:30:44 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/?p=2329 Tazy Philips’ Ska Parade has been promoting and championing ska music and ska bands for two (count ‘em!) two whole decades. This ska doggie will be there, celebrating with Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Uptones, Knock-Out, Gogo 13, Monkey, The Impalers, The Skank Agents and more. This event takes place on the Kevin Says Stage @ the Vans Warped Tour in California. Tickets and venue info here. Big poster file here so u can print for yr wall. Buster sez don’t miss!

]]> http://ska4u.com/2010/05/ska-parade-20th-aniversary-6-hours-of-ska-warped/feed/ 0 Welcome.. http://ska4u.com/2010/02/welcome-to-ska4u/ http://ska4u.com/2010/02/welcome-to-ska4u/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:49:21 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/?p=1826 ..to Ska 4U, our outpost on the Interweb for love of all things ska. Thanks for the emails with ska band links, keep ‘em comin’ to buster at ska4u dot com. More soon.

]]> http://ska4u.com/2010/02/welcome-to-ska4u/feed/ 0 The Specials Lynval Golding Talks About Lily Allen http://ska4u.com/2009/10/the-specials-lynval-golding-talks-about-lily-allen/ http://ska4u.com/2009/10/the-specials-lynval-golding-talks-about-lily-allen/#comments Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:26:45 +0000 Cynthia http://ska4u.com/?p=1611 The Specials’ guitarist explains why Lily Allen played a big part in the band re-forming, in The Guardian UK.

]]> http://ska4u.com/2009/10/the-specials-lynval-golding-talks-about-lily-allen/feed/ 0 Unkle Fun’s Ska Sundayz http://ska4u.com/2009/09/unkle-funs-ska-sundayz/ http://ska4u.com/2009/09/unkle-funs-ska-sundayz/#comments Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:11:34 +0000 unklefun http://ska4u.com/?p=1319
COME OUT COME OUT! to Unkle Fun’s Rude Boy Rude Girl Social. This is an exploration into Jamaican music From Ska, Rocksteady & Early Reggae and 2-Tone.

EVERY SUNDAY @
HOTSY TOTSY CLUB
601 San Pablo Avenue
Albany, CA
21 & up / No Cover!!!!!!

http://www.otit.org
http://www.hotsytotsyclub.com

Nightly drink specials and enjoy your Last Supper at our Taco Truck.

]]> http://ska4u.com/2009/09/unkle-funs-ska-sundayz/feed/ 0 Sweet Summer Sounds of The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies http://ska4u.com/2009/08/sweet-summer-sounds-of-the-cherry-poppin-daddies/ http://ska4u.com/2009/08/sweet-summer-sounds-of-the-cherry-poppin-daddies/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:30:33 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/?p=1347 Before Sublime (and all the bands after that seem to squeeze juicy ska reggae dub vibes from the California surf and sun!) The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies were cookin’ up some sunshine of their own in the rainy northwest town of Eugene, Oregon. Their name was a sort of deliberate confrontation with the hyper-PC reality of their surroundings, and it worked, garnering them plenty of controversy, critique, and, well, packed houses full of sweaty happy dancers! Here’s a taste of their musically sophisticated work – a charming song with epic reggae horns and panoramic vocal harmonies.

SusquehannaThe Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
“Blood Orange Sun” (mp3)
from “Susquehanna”
(Space Age Bachelor Pad)

More On This Album

The Daddies had a hit in the late 90′s with Zoot Suit Riot, which was more swing than ska, thereby annoying some of their ska fans even as they hit the big time. They just released a full-on ska CD, Skaboy JFK: The Skankin’ Hits of the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies taking the skankin-est tracks from their 20 year+ career and serving ‘em up on one album. The ode to closing time pick-up fiasco/tragicomedy, “2:29” is up as a free mp3 at AlternativeAddiction. Check it – excellent song and yes it’s ska, my puppies!

This has been, Buster The Ska Doggie, signing off.  More band features coming soon. Oh hey, thanks for the sweet emails this summer – I will get to all of them! It’s just that the weather is so nice I can’t seem to stay inside the dog house =) Woof for now


]]> http://ska4u.com/2009/08/sweet-summer-sounds-of-the-cherry-poppin-daddies/feed/ 0 Love and respect to Sister Davies http://ska4u.com/2009/08/love-and-respect-to-sister-davies/ http://ska4u.com/2009/08/love-and-respect-to-sister-davies/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:31:03 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/?p=1332 Here’s a nice article about Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, the nun who fostered ska, rocksteady and reggae. One of the unsung heroes of Jamaican music, she ran the music program at the Alpha School for wayward boys in Kingston, famous for the seemingly endless list of brilliant musical stars it produced. Found this on the SF Vintage Reggae Society blog (which has a GR8 music stream!) from a post at BayAreaSka. Buster loves teh Internets.

]]> http://ska4u.com/2009/08/love-and-respect-to-sister-davies/feed/ 0 Ska Shrine Becomes Immortalized By the U.S. Postal Service. http://ska4u.com/2009/08/ska-shrine-becomes-immortalized-by-the-us-postal-service/ http://ska4u.com/2009/08/ska-shrine-becomes-immortalized-by-the-us-postal-service/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:53:24 +0000 Buster the Ska Doggie http://ska4u.com/?p=1273 Yes, it’s true! The U.S. Post Office has authorized a postage stamp memorializing the Ska Shrine. And yes, you can buy these new issued stamps and help spread the word about Ska.

]]> http://ska4u.com/2009/08/ska-shrine-becomes-immortalized-by-the-us-postal-service/feed/ 0 Moose Goes Postal 4 Ska! http://ska4u.com/2009/08/moose-goes-postal-4-ska/ http://ska4u.com/2009/08/moose-goes-postal-4-ska/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:06:49 +0000 Eric Din http://ska4u.com/?p=1286 Musashi “Moose” Lethridge, Uptones guitarist and builder of the world’s first Ska Shrine, recently demonstrated Proper Shrine Use and Etiquette, to help publicize the Ska Shrine Ska4Ever Postage Stamp. On hand to witness the first Solo Ska Shrine Skankfest, were Official Ska Shrine Videographer Jake Small, and assistant Shrine builder and Ska Music DJ Eric Din.

After a solemn entrance, Moose called out tracks from the Uptones’ Skankin’ Foolz Unite CD and suddenly went into an all out skanking frenzy. His gravity-defying moves tested the physical limits of the Shrine, but it held together in all its two-tone glory even at skanking speeds of Mach 2 and beyond. Several spectators who got too close had to be carried out on stretchers, giggling uncontrollably.

Proud Ska Shrine architect Matthew King Kaufman also witnessed the events, describing them as “uncanny” and “paranormal.”

Afterward, we all sat cross-legged around the shrine, wrote letters to friends around the globe, and proudly sent them off using Official Ska Shrine Ska4Ever Postage Stamps. We encourage you to purchase a sheet of these beautiful, self-adhesive stamps, to help spread the word about Ska Music and the Ska Shrine, far and wide.

The Uptones are all very grateful to Moose, for his exskaordinary and inspiring efforts to spread Ska Music and make the world a better place.

Skank you very much.

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