That'll Do Pig, That'll Do by A-1-Star

A-1-Star started in about 2004 in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, USA a town just outside of Pittsburgh in the wester part of the state. They played many shows with in the ska scene of Pittsburgh and broke up around 2008-ish. Like many bands listed here I don't have a lot of information to go on aside from the fact that I got to see them live along side fellow Pittsburgh area bands 24 Hour Taco Shop, The Lemmiwinks and My Cousin Walter. Some of which will end up on here at some point.

A-1-Star is: (Unfortunately I don't know who played what)
Dan
Hannah
Josh
Keith
Nick

Track listing:
1. 20 Years
2. Chika Chika (Onomatopoeia)
3. NyQuil
4. Ballad [sometimes listed as Ballad of an Idiot but was just Ballad on this release.]
5. Originality

Yar! 

Home coming and blog changes.

My time in the UK is coming to an end and back to the states I shall be heading. Hopefully once I'm back home I will be able to be a little more regular with posting here, even though at the moment it would seem I only get a little pass through traffic and not regular readers so I'm not sure anyone would notice anyhow. Also there will be some changes to the content of this blog, while I'll still be focusing on ska, I will also be adding punk and pop punk to the list. This is large and part thanks to my boyfriend who listens to a good amount of punk. Hopefully it will go over well and I'll do my best to keep this primarily a skanker's paradise. Tomorrow I should have a new post up and that will be it for at least a week if not more. Peace out and skank on!

Turn the Radio Off by Reel Big Fish

While I'm fairly certain Reel Big Fish needs no introduction I will give a summary just the same. Reel Big Fish started in 1991 and quickly became the quintessential ska-punk band of the 90s and into today. Mixing ska with punk and rock'n'roll sensibilities they made a name for themselves with fun songs that are easy to sing to. Even today a large portion of their live sets includes songs from their label debut album. By1996 they had signed to Mojo Records and were ready to release Turn the Radio Off. Their lead single and most popular song to date was Sell Out a song commenting on many peoples belief that the band themselves had sold out. Stand out tracks for this album are... the entire album I mean seriously from beginning to end I can't in all honesty pick tracks that stand out from the rest. If you somehow don't have this album or have never listened, get out from under that rock of yours!

Reel Big Fish is:
Aaron Barrett on Guitar and Vocals
Andrew Gonzales on Drums
Dan Regan on Trombone
Grant Barry on Trombone
Matt Wong on Bass
Scott Klopfenstein on Trumpet and Vocals
Tavis Werts on Trumpet


Track listing:
1. Sell Out
2. Trendy
3. Join the Club
4. She Has a Girlfriend Now (Featuring Monique Powell on Vocals)
5. Snoop Dog, Baby
6. Beer
7. 241
8. Everything Sucks
9. S.R.
10. Skatanic
11. All I Want is More
12. Nothin'
13. Say 'Ten'
14. I'll Never Be...
15. Alternative Baby
16. Secret Song (I'm Cool acoustic demo)

Yar!

Nate: As always I've added scans of my copy, unfortunately the booklet on my copy as well as many of my other cd's are in pretty bad shape. This is due to two reasons, one I mostly buy used cd's and two my younger brother (when he was little, like 6 or so) spill chocolate milk across many of my cd's. Please forgive the condition! Also on this release the booklet folded out to a large poster like sheet, I've done my best to piece it together but my scanner isn't very large.

Triple Post!

Decided to do something a bit different today and post three albums today! These are all more or less Demo type albums that either are no longer in print or were never in physical print and as such I do not own physical copies myself. Usually I try and only post things I own so that I can give you nice hi-res scans of the covers and inserts but alas that won't always be possible.

Up first we have...

Because We Care by The Forces of Evil

I've already talked about this band so I won't bother restating what has been previously said and just skip to the stand out. Angry Anthem #347 is superior to the version that appears on Friend or Foe? in every single aspect, the song is tonnes of fun especially with all the extra commentary throughout the song.

The member listing is the same as it was for Friend of Foe?.

Track listing:

1. Vague Love Song

2. My Life

3. Mistake

4. Independent

5. Angry Anthem #347

Yar!

Next up we have...

Rules of the Game by Catch 22

As with the previos album I won't go into much detail though I will give an updated member list as this was the first thing the band ever recorded and the band has seen a few member changes from this to Dinosaur Sounds. Stand out for this album is Footsteps for its sad lyrics and upbeat tempo.

Catch 22 is: (On this release.)

Chris Greer on Drums

Jamie Egan on Trombone

Josh Ansley on Bass

Kevin Gunther on Trumpet

Ryan Eldred on Saxophone

Tomas Kalnoky on Guitar and Vocals

Track listing:

1. Day in Day Out

2. I'm Better Than You

3. Sick and Sad

4. Footsteps

5. This One Goes Out To

6. Shoebox in My Closet

7. Supernothing

Yar!

And finally a new comer...

Attack of the Killer Cheese by The Hippos

The Hippos started off in Los Angeles, California, USA in 1995. Shortly there after they became one of the staples of the ska punk scene from California along side many other big names that came out of the area throughout the 90s. Over time they strayed away from the ska punk sound but remained a very talented band until there demise in 2003. This album was released the same year they started and was self-released on cassette. The stand out track on this release is The Boss for its interesting horn lines and guitar riffs.

The Hippos is:

Ariel Rechtshaid on Guitar and Vocals

Danny Rukasin on Trombone

James Bairian on Bass

Kyle Briggs on Drums

Louis Castle on Trumpet

Rich Zahniser on Trombone

Track listing:

1. Get Away

2. Asleep at the Wheel

3. Rocky Ground

4. The Boss

Yar!

Demo by Streetlight Manifesto

I'm fairly certain that Streetlight Manifesto need no introduction and I was a little hesitant to put them up here but here goes. Streetlight formed in 2002 just after Tomas Kalnoky put together another band Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution in 2001.  Taking the sounds and styles that they had forged in Bandits, Streetlight picked up where Tomas had left off with his previous band Catch 22, lean mean fast ska punk, just don't tell Tomas that. They would go on to expand their sound in later albums even further by adding styles of Jazz, Latin, and Eastern European Traditional music. All the songs on this demo were later rerecorded and refined for their debut album Everything Goes Numb. The stand out track on this album for me is Point|Counterpoint, while a much shorter version of the song it's almost a step better as it simply ends on a beautiful bass line instead of getting to long for its own good.

Streetlight Manifesto is: (On this release at least.)
Dan Ross on Bari Saxophone and Alto Saxophone
Jamie Egan on Trumpet and Trombone
Josh Ansley on Bass
Pete Sibilia on Tenor Saxophone
Stu Kamratz on Drums
Tomas Kalnoky on Guitar and Vocals

Track Listing:
1. Everything Went Numb
2. Point|Counterpoint
3. The Saddest Song
4. We Are the Few

Yar!

Orange County's Punk vs. Ska: Round One by Various Artists

There is nothing I like more than a good compilation and this one doesn't disappoint. This time we steer a little away from stickily ska with a cd that is half punk. Many of these bands have more or less dropped off the face of the planet as far as the internet is concerned, though a few have gone on to become popular or in one case a genuine legend. Since we have two genres I figured I would do my stand out tracks a little different this time. In the punk corner some of the stand outs include 22 Jacks, Ignire, and Stymie with their rousing rendition of La Bamba and in the ska corner the bands to check out are My Superhero, Pocket Lent, and the legendary Suburban Rhythm.

Track listing:

1. In the Ring by Various Artists

2. Girl in the Pit by White Kaps

3. Trust by Straight Faced

4. La Bamba by Stymie

5. Just a Waste by Drain Bramaged

6. Embrace by Ignite

7. Buzzkill by Jigsaw

8. Remember When by Mind Driver

9. Vacation by 409

10. Gillette by The Grabbers

11. Race Car Driver by Co-Dependents

12. Charles Taking Over the World by Clean-X

13. Dead Girl by 4-Gazm

14. Swallow by 22 Jacks

15. Rowena's Theme by Longfellow

16. Out for Blood by Various Artists

17. Artificial Life by Save Ferris

18. 12 by Jeffries Fan Club

19. TV Life bu Channel 6

20. Groovy Kind of Love by My Superhero

21. No Way Out by Six Feet Deep

22. Incomplete (Version) by Suburban Rhythm

23. Kids With Guns bu Low Pressure

24. Lil' Suede Shoes by Pocket Lent

25. Slingshot by The Ex-Presidents

26. Talk Show Host by Lone Raspberry

27. Why Me? by Grover's Headache

28. To a Part by Slightly Stoopid

29. Ska, Ska, Ska by Turkey Mallet

30. The Bell by Various Artists

Yar!

Oh and by the way despite putting up a good effort, ska totally wins this fight!

Myspace Recordings by Grover's Headache

A rather hard band to track any info about Grover's Headache was yet another ska band from that 90s mecca Orange County, California, USA. These are the songs featured on their Myspace page that I recorded onto my computer via Soundflower and Audacity, so forgive me if the quality isn't the greatest. If anyone has anything else by this band please get in contact as they are amazing. There was apparently an album or EP titled Ain't Frontin if a comment on their Myspace page is to be believed but I can't seem to track down anymore info. They were around from 1995 to 1999 and in some instances their name is stylized 'grovers (headache)'. Quick web searches seems to indicate that most of the members didn't do anything after this band minus a couple that were apparently in other local bands though I can't seem to confirm any of this. Stand out tracks for me are B and H for its awesome horn lines, something this band does well, and Lie Awake a soulful song about longing after a girl.

Grover's Headache is:
Alan Oakes on Guitar
Brent Seehusen on Saxophone
Cris Aparri on Flugel Horn & Trumpet & Tuba
Drew Baker on Drums
Jeff Dube on Trumpet
Mikey Hamada on Vocals & Bass Trombone
Victor Lucero on Bass

Other Members: (Being listed as I'm not sure if any of theses people were in the songs here.)
Alex Guillen on Guitar
Jason Lacoss on Trumpet
Kyle Martin on Trombone
Max Shantar on Trumpet
Rich Iwason on Pocket Trumpet


Track listing:
1. B and H
2. Teddi Bear
3. Anorexic
4. Lie Awake
5. There You Are

Yar!

Oolooloo by The Pietasters

The Pietasters started life as The Slugs in 1990 at Virginia Tech. Soon changin their name to Dancehall Crashers before ultimately settling upon The Pietasters, a reference to what some English neighbors called the heavier guys in the band. They toured in a used school bus and played dive bars around DC before being discovered by Bucket Hingley the lead singer of The Toasters and owner of the famed Moon Ska Records. Shortly there after The Pietasters were signed to Moon Ska Records and out out their second album Oolooloo. Stand out tracks on this amazing album are Tell You Why/Maggie Mae (technically two songs but are on one track.) with it's combination of slower mellow goodness and the perfect drinking song ever written and Night Before a song about sex, need I say more?

The Pietasters are:
Alan Makranzy on Tenor Sax
Carlos Linares on Trumpet
Chris Watt on Bass and Vocals
Eric Raecke on  Tenor Sax
Jeremy Roberts on Trombone
Paul T. Ackerman on Keyboard
Rob Covington on Drums
Steven Jackson on Vocals
Toby Hanson on Trumpet
Todd Eckhardt on Guitar and Vocals
Tom Goodin on Guitar and Vocals

Track Listing:
1. Something Better
2. Freak Show
3. Tell You Why / Maggie Mae
4. Same Old Song (Originally by The Four Tops)
5. Pleasure Bribe
6. Girl Take it Easy
7. Can I Change My Mind
8. Night Before
9. (Hidden Track)
10. Biblical Sense
11. Movin on Up


Yar!

Another EP? by Attaboy Skip

Attaboy Skip was a ska-punk band from Las Vegas, Nevada. I don't really know much about the background of this band as the internet seems to have forgotten about them. They were together at least by 1996 but possible before. I'm also not sure exactly when they broke up either, but many of the members have gone on to other bands. Most notably the drummer Ronnie has gone on to have a successful career with The Killers. This album was released in 1996, they also have another EP titled Size 8 that was released in 1996 and if anyone has any idea as to where one could obtain a copy I would greatly appreciate it! Stand out tracks for me are Frontline a song about not caring if the crowd at the show will like them and Ghostbusters because who the hell wouldn't want to listen to a ska punk cover of that song?

Attaboy Skip is:
Bronson Mack on Vocals
Jamal Taylor on Manually Operated Pitch Approximator (Trombone joke)
Justin Vaden on Saxophone
Lenny Buttittaa on Trumpet
Loren Jolley on Bass
Ronnie Vannucci on Drums
Shay Mehrdad on Rhythm Guitar
Ted Sablay on Lead Guitar




Track listing:
1. Frontline
2. Protecta
3. A.B.S.
4. Nine Seven Six
5. Oceanside Putt-Putt
6. Ghostbusters
20. Untitled


Note: Most sites list track 7 as being just a few seconds which is in fact the case on the cd the actual untitled track however is much longer and at track 20. I have left out the tracks in between as they are simple blank filler tracks.


Yar!


Extra Side Note: Sorry for the lack of updates the past few days. I've been having internet issues as of late and will do my best to get back on track!

Dinosaur Sounds by Catch 22

Catch 22 is probably best known for the introduction of Tomas Kalnoky on their debut album Keasbey Nights, which is generally considered their best album. While that is a great cd and I have fond memories of listening to it in high school, I find this album Dinosaur Sounds to be easily their best work. The sound is somewhere between ska punk and this awesome smooth swingin' style that just makes every song a joy to listen to. Personally I prefer the vocal deliver of Ryan Eldred to Tomas' and overall prefer the slightly slower pace to all the songs on this album. Stand out tracks on this album are Wine Stained Lips which is just a fun song and was the first song I heard of this album and Chin Up which contain some of my favourite lyrics on this album.

Catch 22 is
Chris Greer on Drums
Kevin Gunther on Trumpet and Vocals
Mike Soprano on Trombone and Vocals
Pat Calpin on Guitar
Pat Kays on Bass
Ryan Eldred on Saxophone and Vocals

Track listing:
1. Rocky
2. Beguile the Time
3. Wine Stained Lips
4. Motown Cinderella
5. Chin Up
6. Dreams of Venus
7. Dripping Faucet
8. Good Times
9. Secret Track
10. So Cold
11. Regression
12. Chasing the Moon
13. Lamont's Lament

Yar!

...Is Your Biological Father by Patent Pending

While not necessarily ska in the strictest sense, Patent Pending was at one time a ska-ish pop punk band. They formed in 2001 Mount Sinai, New York and self released a number of demos, eps and two full lengths before being signed to We Put Out Records in 2005. In 2002 the band added a sax player and wrote a handful of songs that sounded ska enough to endear them to the local ska scenes. Many of the songs on this album have appeared on previous releases as well as being re-recorded for the label debut album Save Each Other, the Whales are Doing Fine. Stand outs for me this time around are Decemberween with its beautiful lyrics about not letting the love of your life go and Cheer Up Emo Kid which is probably their most popular song and the version on this album still has the gleeful sax line that works in perfect juxtaposition to the sad tale of an emo kid.

Patent Pending is (for this release and as accurate as I can be without actually owning a copy)
Anthony Mingola on Drums
Drew Buffardi on Bass
Joe Ragosta on Guitar
Michael Ragosta on Vocals
Pat Cauchi on Saxophone

Track listing:
1. The June Spirit
2. Los Angeles
3. Decemberween
4. Tipperary
5. Sixty-Seven Dollars and No Sense
6. Bad News Bears
7. Yellow Snow
8. Cheer Up Emo Kid
9. Dying in Mt. Sinai
10. It's All on Me
11. One Less Heart to Break
12. Levittown is for Lovers

Yar!

Tightrope by Unsteady

Coming out of the San Diego ska scene Unsteady managed to blend traditional ska sounds with just about anything else you could think of. Be it rock, blues, jazz, motown, or punk Unsteady made it all swing-able, skank-able, and just plain dance-able.  Unlike other ska bands they didn't settle for the standard instrumentation but added an old Hammond organ to the mix. Stories abound of the band and friends/fans helping to move the behemoth onto the stage. They also added a whole slew of other instruments on this record including accordions, mandolins and an upright acoustic bass to name a few. Stand out tracks for me are Without You with it's fun catchy lyrics and faster tempo and What Kind of Fool? featuring Kym Klift with her sultry vocals and a cool smooth sound. Though I normally limit my stand outs to just two I have to add a third on this album. Ode to Mr. Davis has one of the jazziest ska sounds I've ever heard and is an absolute joy.

Unsteady is:
Bryan Lancaster on Guitar
John Roy on Tenor and Alto Sax and Vocals
Jon Fisher on Trumpet
Kent Graves on Drums
Kevin Scott Hewitt on Hammond and Farfisa Organ and Guitar
Nick Endres on Trombone
Paul Howland on Bass

Extra credits for this album:
Bill Riddell on Tube (17.)
Brian Vandewettering on Mandolin (17.)
Jeff Forrest on Lead Tambourine (7.)
Kym Klift on Vocals (9. and 12.)
Mert Cushman on Accordion (17.) and Vibraphone (6.)
Mike Hahn on Drums (1., 2., 4., 10., 11., 12., 13., 15., 16.)
Tom Bishop on Upright Acoustic Bass (6., 16.)
Tyler Grant on Banjo (17.)
Sabrina Ingalls on Clarinet (17.)


Track listing:
1. Martha
2. Bald Fury
3. Bad Attitude
4. The Cost
5. Kalinda
6. Gotta Dance
7. Without You
8. Rockabilly Lover
9. Sally
10. Joanna
11. Insecurity
12. What Kid of Fool?
13. Darkie Love Affair
14. Race and Reason
15. Heavy Rotation
16. Ode to Mr. Davis
17. Pimiento Loaf Gumbo

Yar!

New York Beat: Breaking and Entering Volume 2 by Various Artists

Sorry for the late post today but it works out as this is a great album for those late nights. Moon Ska Records is rather infamous for their roster, exemplifying a traditional ska sound in a time when most newcomers were associating ska with its punkier styles a-la The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the bands coming out of the OC ska scene. This compilation show cases a wide variety of styles from the old school to the jazzy to the two-tone. Stand out tracks for me are Montalvo by the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble for its smooth jazz sound combined with that traditional ska off-beat and Better Days by Edna's Goldfish because its lyrics speak to me and it makes great night city driving!

1. 2 Tone Army (Special Forces Version) by The Moon Ska Stompers
2. Man with the Golden Arms (Live) by The Scofflaws
3. Montalvo by New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble
4. New Wave Crashed by One Groovy Cocnut
5. A Fine Romance by Skinnerbox
6. Corner Boy by Metro Stylee
7. May I by Bluebeats
8. When the Snake Gets His Way by Buford O'Sullivan
9. Brushfire by Insteps
10. Bad Toupee (Live) by Mephiskapheles
11. Better Days by Edna's Goldfish
12. NYC Ska Mob - NYC Ska Mob
13. Kawaii by Pilfers
14. Pedophilia by The Slackers
15. Murder for Rent by Agent 99
16. The Train Song by Inspecter 7
17. Skinhead Train by Radiation Kings
18. Believe by Orange Street
19. Let Me in the Yard by Red Rube
20. Baldman Jump by Stubborn All-Stars
21. I'm Running Right Through the World by The Toasters
22. 2 Tone Army (Blues Reprise) by The Moon Ska Stompers (plus a hidden unlisted track)

Yar!

Friend or Foe? by The Forces of Evil

Formed as a backup band by Aaron Barrett in case Reel Big Fish went under, The Forces of Evil screamed on to the stage in 2001. The group was in essence a supper group of ska, combining members of Reel Big Fish, Jeffries Fan Club, The Scholars, and Lone Raspberry. Their sound was similar to Reel Big Fish's efforts and as such is the reason the group disbanded. The official member roster has each artist replacing their last name with 'Evil'. Stand out tracks for me are Dance the Night Away with its insane dance-ability and Maybe I'm Wrong with if only for the final line because it really is in your head that you're better off dead.

Members
Aaron (Barrett) Evil - Guitar, Lead Vocals (from Reel Big Fish)
Chris (Colonnier) Evil - Trombone (from Jeffries Fan Club)
Derek (Gibbs) Evil - Bass (from Jeffries Fan Club)
Jay (Lafayette) Evil - Trumpet (from The Scholars)
John (Christianson) Evil - Trumpet (from Reel Big Fish)
Jonny (Throop) Evil - Trombone (from Lone Rasberry)
Juston (Ferriera) Evil - Drums (from Jeffries Fan Club)

Track listing:
1. Angry Anthem
2. Go to Hell (originally by Suburban Rhythm)
3. My Life
4. Dance the Night Away (originally by Van Halen)
5. Vague Love Song
6. Hey! Woo! Yeah!
7. Mistake
8. Worst Day
9. Maybe I'm Wrong
10. Independent
11. Fight

Yar!

Ska Sucks by Various Artists

Not exactly a hard CD to get a hold of but it is my favourite. This introduced me to a good many of bands that will more likely than not be featured in this blog at some point. I took the liberty of scanning my copy although it has seen better days I'm sure. Stand out tracks on this compilation are Maggie Mae by The Pietasters and Stop Looking at Me by Unsteady.

Track Listing:
1. He Wants Me Back by Dance Hall Crashers
2. Marcus Garvey by Hepcat
3. Maggie Mae by The Pietasters
4. Skagasm by Ocean 11
5. We Go Together by Less Than Jake
6. Spy Market by Let's Go Bowling
7. Suicide (Or a Better Way) by Choking Victim
8. Stop Looking at Me by Unsteady
9. Jerry by Mustard Plug
10. Introduction to the Yellow Passion by Mephiskapheles
11. Orange Boy by The Usuals
12. Kind Of by Link 80
13. Asleep at the Wheel by The Hippos
14. Clear Color by Limp
15. Believer by Chickenpox
16. Da Strike by Millencolin
17. Hangin Out by Home Grown
18. Tune Me Out by Mu330
19. Dream Girl by Jeffries Fan Club
20. Almost Punk Enough by Slapstick
21. Oceanside Putt-Putt by Attaboy Skip
22. Ska Sucks by Against All Authority
23. Face-First! by The Impossibles
24. Share by Cousin Oliver
25. Teen Idol by RX Bandits
26. Full Trucker Effect by Johnny Socko
27. Not Your Pet by The Chinkees
28. Kick the Bucket by Liberator
29. A Day in the Life of... by Homeless Wonders
30. We Are Potshot by Potshot

YAR!