rescuing musical virtue in distress.
As soon as its sassy ska groove comes into earshot, Who Calls? takes me back to my youth, coming of age, as I did, in the shadow of the British Two-Tone movement of the late seventies, its exotic and earthy tones working their way into my very DNA and quenching my musical thirst. But that... Continue Reading →
It goes without saying, although it may just be my limited knowledge of such things, but whenever an album emerges from the Swindon vicinity with a broadly ska-o-centic sound, there will be some connection to champion of that scene, Erin Bardwell. And so it is that Million Miles Away comes courtesy of his Pop-A-Top label,... Continue Reading →
Lockdown has had, and continues to have, a marked effect on all of us. Some have used this time to count their blessings, others to pull together, many have welcomed this forced hibernation and others have even raged and ranted against their perceived loss of liberty. All of this is equally true of the artistic... Continue Reading →
The man himself describes this little side-project from his usual musical activities, using the wonderfully self-deprecating words, “ mid-life crisis.” If it is, he should have more. Many more. And before you all get up in arms defending his long and admirable back catalogue and dedication to the ska-wars and the ongoing reggae rebellion, I’m... Continue Reading →
The idea of Mexican ska might seem like an unusual concept to the less broad minded western music fan but when you think about it, such a close neighbour to ska’s Caribbean breeding ground is exactly where you would expect it to easily migrate to. And just as the ska that came to Britain through... Continue Reading →
Being that this year marks the 40th anniversary of both The Specials and 2Tone Records, Working Hard Everyday is a perfectly timed release. But more than that, with Neville and his band considered to be some of the hardest working musicians on the live circuit today, the theme of the song is also spot on.... Continue Reading →
It seems to me, admittedly a non-expert in the genre, that reggae and ska, like many other genres (punk and rock music, I’m looking at you) are very good at looking back at their glory days rather than attempting to write their own bright new future. Yes, music of Caribbean origin has already contributed so... Continue Reading →
If Two-Tone was the perfect storm of the imported Jamaican ska and reggae sounds and the punk spirit and wild energy that was fermenting in British inner cities in the late 70's then Rude Rebels is nothing short of a continuation of that story. Far from being a nostalgic look back it is a glorious... Continue Reading →
I have to admit that as a new name to hit the review pile I was more than pleasantly surprised at Slightly Stoopid’s latest, and ninth, album. Always one to judge books by covers (hey, we all do it) and on this occasion the music by the band name, I was relived when what emanated... Continue Reading →
Having already won me over with previous release Shadows In The Mind's Eye and proven that there is room for a modern take on the much maligned concept album without it having to carry all of the musical baggage of previous eras, A Friend in Old Sol really underlines that point. For A Friend in... Continue Reading →
The Amber Bugs don’t care about sticking to musical genres, stylistic demarkations, current trends or what any of you lot out there think of them! The Amber Bugs just throw all their favourite sounds into the mixing pot and then pour out a brilliant sound clash, one that uses ska licks and reggae bass lines... Continue Reading →
Certain genres of music are, quite stereotypically, associated with certain themes. Punk and reggae with political issues, rock with escapist high drama, folk with history and traditions and ska, and its UK offspring two-tone, often with social commentary, civil rights and unity. So gathering the great and good of ska, rocksteady and reggae to record... Continue Reading →
It’s fair to say that it is hard to fault the choices this Bradford band makes. Cool band name, intriguing album title, interesting artwork…I like them even before the virtual needle hits the metaphorical groove…man, I miss the old days. But once inside, musically they follow the same smart way of doing things. Hard-edged... Continue Reading →
Right from the first few bars of the titular opening track, The Tribe set out a stall of street soul vibes, dance grooves, funky back beats and ska guitar lines. But more than that there is a sunshine warmth and party-driven nature to the music that they make. The ska, hip-hop and reggae references that... Continue Reading →
Not all music needs to push forward and storm the barricades; some is content to celebrate a past time, place or attitude. Reginald Road do just that. It’s 1977, punk is reaching escape velocity from its inner city breeding ground but with no permitted platform available punks are taking refuge in reggae clubs and street... Continue Reading →
As the fairly short-lived link between ska and reggae music, Rock Steady often gets over looked, especially once you move away from its Jamaican home base. Whilst in the UK the former was revived and reimagined by a host of two-tone revival bands in the late seventies, such as The Beat and The Specials and... Continue Reading →