Like many people I know, I came across ska music through the genre of punk. I had listened to punk for many years, especially rancid, nofx and op ivy, all bands that had ska influenced punk songs. When “give em the boot I” came out, I was given a taste of the trad-ska style and was amazed. I had no idea that traditional ska was so refined, swingy and jazz-oriented until I heard “Watch This” by my favorite band The Slackers. After this I was hooked and became obsessed with the roots of ska, listening to skatalites, desmond dekker, prince buster, etc, becoming less interested in ska/punk. Personally, as I matured, I just grew out of skapunk altogether. Unfortunately, it is easy to play bad ska and there are a lot of bands that don’t take the time to get it right; distorted guitars and cheasy marching band style horn sections. It is because of these bands that leaves many people to have a negative association of “ska”. Lots of people think ska is this weird music played by punks that like horns. I recently took my girlfriend to see the slackers play live and she was totally blown away. She had no idea ska could sound like that after hearing many skapunk bands with shotty musicianship. I am glad that there are so many great bands today that are keeping the groovy, jazzy, 60’s jamaican sound alive. Thanks for listening and peace.
Bassman

I’m in a beginning ska/punk band in St. Louis called Skagway, and what we do has been greatly influenced by both trad ska and ska/punk. We don’t expect to gain the favor of many trad ska fans, because our music has more of a “ska influenced punk” feel. However to say that trad ska overpowers ska/punk is ridiculous.

I’m a firm believer that trad ska and ska/punk can and should coexist. I’m a fan of both, perhaps leaning more toward ska/punk, but it all depends on what kind of mood I’m in. If I’m excited, pissed, or ecstatic, ska/punk has that energy and that kick that I need to match whatever I’m going through. If I’m feeling mellow, groovy, relaxed, or I need to be inspired, the groovy offbeat of first and second wave is just what I need. It all depends on how I feel…

I’ll agree that most ska/punk these days doesn’t hold much of a candle to the original ska/punk from the mid 90’s, but it’s all still pretty good stuff. Everyone rags on Big D’s “Strictly Rude” album but I love it! If that makes me immature and juvenile for loving the energy and the kick of their music, then okay…I’m immature and juvenile, but I know what I as well as thousands of other skanks/punks from across the globe love. I don’t think anyone can make the argument that ska/punk can be denied.

I’m not saying, nor do I believe that trad ska has a power over ska/punk or vice-verse. For me, they are two styles of the same message that get listened to depending on the mood I’m in. Both are great, held to the same stature as two genres or sub-genres or whatever of music in my heart. .

Long live ska!
Dave

I’m in a punk “band” that has what i would call strongly ska-influenced, though you may think otherwise if you listen to the stuff on my profile.

we’re 21 and 22; we were raised on green day and blink-182 and other shitty pop punk. so when we realized what ska was, it was the bosstones, NOFX (when they felt like it, of course), and reel big fish. more recently, we’ve got into the modern “scene”—or lack thereof—in the Midwest, catching tours as they come through. Bomb the Music Industry!, Streetlight Manifesto, newer bands like the Heat Machine and the Magnificents (both very small dive bands.)

but at the same time, we’re delving into revival/old school sounds. Go, Jimmy, Go; Deal’s Gone Bad; Slackers; hitting the Specials and the Skatelites for the real roots.

As an aside, i have noticed that most ska/punk shows are very…all-ages oriented. but i still skank/mosh harder than all those young bucks.

in closing, though we may be a punk band that may never actually write a “real” ska song, you can tell we listen to and love the gammut. and i believe that an appreciation for it all is all you need, but if you love something that much more, go for it.

What I find to be a bit of an oddity, is the lack of “classic” third wave style ska bands; the “bridge” between trad and ska-punk. There seems to be no new bands forming in the vein of The Toasters, Bim Skala Bim, King Apparatus, Dance Hall Crashers, The Planet Smashers, etc. Trad and ska-punk can be fantastic when done right, but here’s hoping for a resurgence of this type of ska!!

There ARE still punk bands who show respect to the older stuff, though. Rancid obviously knows their way around the Jamaican sound. I would even say that, as punk- and hardcore-oriented as they are, Leftover Crack is more of the same. Hell, they’d better get it right, because they share a drummer with the Slackers anyway. The Fad are a ska-punk band coming up who follows in those traditions as well. Their sound owes as much to 2-Tone ska as it does to early hardcore punk. I would say Bomb Town and Hub City Stompers both demonstrate a solid knowledge of ska and reggae, while presenting it in a punk rock fashion.

Like I said, I can’t dismiss ska-punk at all. It just seems to be the trend that fewer and fewer ska-punk are coming up with sounds that are both new and faithful, and that people are turning to the bands with the more classic sound to hear earnest tunes, good players, and something to shake their ass to.

I’m not sure that I agree that punk-ska is for those under 21. (I’m 36). I think it’s if you can handle the aggressive beat, rather than a more smoother one.

From a marketing standpoint, I lean towards traditional ska over ska-punk because roots ska appeals to a larger audience, whereas ska-punk seems to be the domain of the Under 21 crowd. And therein lies the paradox.

Ska-punk is seen as the gateway to a later appreciation of roots ska. Bucket Hingley seems to be keenly aware of this, which is why his Ska Circus and 3 Floors of Ska shows offer a mix of both ska-punk and roots ska acts.