What I found was an entire series of clips from an out-of-print Jump Up Records VHS called, Ska American Style.  I  remember the old Ska American Style cd compilation that Jump Up put out in the late 90’s, but these YouTube clips are the first I’ve heard of the VHS.

Not only does the video series show a couple of songs by DGB and The Parka Kings, it’s got great late 3rd wave acts like Skapone, The Eclectics, Gangster Fun and a few more.  This is a nice little slice of the Midwest scene from 1998.  Dig it:

Ska American Style – Part 1 – DEALS GONE BAD
Ska American Style – Part 2 – SKAPONE
Ska American Style – Part 3 – HOT STOVE JIMMY
Ska American Style – Part 4 – THE EXCEPTIONS
Ska American Style – Part 5 – THE PARKA KINGS
Ska American Style – Part 6 – THE ECLECTICS
Ska American Style – Part 7 – SUSPECT BILL
Ska American Style – Part 8 – GANGSTER FUN
Ska American Style – Part 9 – TELEGRAPH

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©Copyright 2010 Onion Inc.

You know why this makes me laugh?  Because it hurts me, and then I laugh at myself for feeling stung.

It’s called cringe humor, and I love it.

See Also:
Area Blog Kinda Likes Ska
How to Spot a Shitty Ska Band Name
Rude Boy, A Message To Your Face

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Despite being an all-dub band, Pama International aren’t a retro band, they aren’t recalling one specific time in music history.  Many of the tunes on Outernational are in the style of early reggae and rocksteady, but the end result is not the scratchy scorchers of old- this is clean and polished.  Spic and span.

Besides this impressively fresh and recognizable style Pama has developed, their lyrics are not merely an afterthought.  On Outernational, you’ll find the lyrics are still very much in touch with the political consciousness that Pama fans have grown accustomed to.  Songs like Are We Saved Yet and Question The Answer fit well with the call-for-change attitude of previous Pama cuts like Highrise and Throwaway Society.  But positivity shines through everything they do,  and ultimately Pama Outernational is an uplifting record.

I Still Love You More is easily the most obvious candidate for the standout single on Outernational.  Like many other uplifting ska tunes that have come before, it’s groovy, dance-y and fun while delivering a Keep On Keepin’ On message of perseverance.

As of yet, you can only preorder Pama Outernational from overseas websites, but a little bird told me that MusicalOcupation.com will be picking up the US distro for future Rockers Revolt releases.  So keep your eyes peeled!

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The truth is, I’m not all that sorry.  I’m still doing the Ska’s The Limit radio show, and I’ve even been podcasting for the boys over at Pressure Drop/Music Is Our Occupation.  Trust, I’m keeping busy.

Also contributing to my lag- There are just so many great Ska blogs out there, scooping me at every turn.  Perhaps I’ll start showcasing a few of these wonderful websites, in the near future.

Of course, any reader of mine has got to be hip to the one they call, Gabe Pressure and his catalog of ska podcasts, Music Is Our Occupation.  A few months ago, Gabe and I thought it would be fun to recreate the tracklist of The Slackers’ seminal record, Redlight, using tracks from my extensive live bootleg collection.  Redlight is the second album by The Slackers- but in many ways, it’s their first.

The whole sha-bang can be found over at MusicalOccupation.com- JJ Loy Presents: Redlight Redid

One last thing- When I collected these live bootlegs, I didn’t realize that I’d ever play them for the public.  While I’m all too happy to do so, I feel bad that I don’t have a single credit for any of the tapers.  I apologize.  If you are one of the tapers, or you know who the credit goes to, please let me know.

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Is it a video podcast?  An online TV show?  A collection of Reggae and Ska interviews?  I don’t know exactly, but it’s something like that.  In addition to interviews with such Reggae headliners, Owen Grey, Ras Michael and Steel Pulse- ReggaeTV also has a share of Ska coverage.

Two videos should be of particular interest to Ska Blah Blah readers, Vic Ruggiero and Chris Murray:

I love Vic’s explanation of what he sees in Ska.  Plus, he makes a few comments about his father that add an interesting follow-up to the 2001 video I posted last week.

I’m also looking forward to checking out the episodes featuring Reggae historian, Roger Steffens and Heartbeat Records’ Chris Wilson.  Keep your eyes peeled for future episodes featuring Lee Perry and Tippa Irie.

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It wasn’t long after Green Room’s first record, Hoosier Homegrown, that I started seeing this trend build steam.  In a showing of solidarity, GRR have teamed up with their Ohio counterparts and occasional collaborators, The Pinstripes, to release a killer 10″.

It’s called Midwest Soundclash, and features three songs from each band.  The Pinstripes have grown more than you’d expect since their 2008 debut latest record, The Decay- and the track Cool Whip/Hot Sauce is a stand out on this split.  However, it doesn’t get any better than GRR’s cover of Symarip’s Stay With Him.  I’ve been playing one version or another of this tune all year- this is one of those songs that stays in your brain for days and extra days.

“But,” in the words of Commander La Forge, “Don’t take my word for it…”  Stream the whole record here, for free:

Midwest Soundclash is also available as a digital download from Amazon and iTunes .

Or if you want to get the vinyl 10″ to have and to hold you can find that at Interpunk, Stubborn Records or GreenRoomRockers.com

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It really is a great video, too.  Here’s Vic in the studio talking mostly about his dad, and weighing the pros and cons of working as a musician.  There’s some great concert and rehearsal footage between the interview segments, and some faces from Slackers past.  I love getting a glimpse of their cramped rehearsal space- oh and Vic does a Mick Jagger impression.

Here it is in two parts:

Of course, none of this has anything to do with The Slackers: A Documentary by Ben Levin

Or… The Slackers Live And Direct From The Flamingo Cantina, both of which are available here.

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If Ska has never crossed your path, The AV Club recommends that you test the water with 70’s Ska- This Are Two Tone, in particular.  I don’t think I would immediately point the uninitiated straight to The Specials, but their reasons are sound.  I don’t want to sum up the piece too much, it’s not that long to begin with.

Be sure to keep scrolling for all of the comments, it’s amazing to read a wide sampling of opinions on the ever-expanding subject of ska music.  Less Than Jake fans that are more earnest than Scientologists- armchair musicologists brave enough to drop “mento” bombs- a thread dedicated to ska-pun band names- I’m telling you, the comments section is worth the visit.

The Onion’s AV Club, Gateways To Geekery: Ska

I hesitate to, but after several cringes, I’m filing this under Ska-Deprecation

-How to Spot a Shitty Ska Band Name
-More Ska-Deprecation
-Rudy’s In CT by Ansis

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Mr. T-Bone will appear with Brooklyn’s The Forthrights, for two shows this month with The Slackers:

Sept 25th SLACK-FEST @ Bowery Ballroom NYC
Sept 27th Middle east downstairs + The Slackers Boston MA

And later on, in January, you can expect Mr. T to hit up both coasts and spots between.  He even hinted that Chicago will have a date on the tour, which means that mid-westerners like myself might even get a chance to dance.

Also, keep your eyes peeled for his latest album Heroes, to be release on LP by Jump Up, and on CD by Special Potato sometime soon.

New Video from Mr. T-Bone

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Now Whatevski Records has found a solution to both of our requests.  The Slackers have released the most recent of their infamous Booze Cruise shows for download via Whatevski.  For five bucks, you get 2 sets- 25 tracks!    The Slackers get a little bit of rent money and we get a whole lot of content.  Win/win.

There are still some kinks in the download process, but Tom from Whatevski gave me a prompt response and I had the whole set with very little trouble.  The files are of a high bit rate, all zipped up in one easy package. Despite  a few mic scratches at the beginning, the overall recording is heads above even the best Slackers bootlegs.  All in all, totally worth it.

Keep your eyes peeled for more Whatevski releases of The Slackers- and Tom Whatevski says,

“The label is going to be about the live show outside of the Phish and Grateful Dead Jam scene. As long as it’s good music, and we like the band and the people in it, there’s a spot on the  Whatevski roster. I’d expect to see some more Soul/Reggae, some older NYC Hardcore classics, some indie comedy, some indie music – a spread of nicely curated stuff at a price that’s easy.”

I’m all for it.

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It features DJ Spooky, Theivery Corporation, Bunny Lee, Dub Pistols, King Jammy, Lee Perry, Ticklah, Mad Professor and many more.  But don’t take my word for it… check the trailer:

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From their new record, Heroes, here’s the brand new video:

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The episode takes a nice aproach to educating it’s uninitiated white viewers.  The producers seem to be trying to heal racial tensions in England, by celebrating Jamaica’s most identifiable cultural export, Reggae.  One guest points out that what kept Reggae off of the charts was not racism, but a lack of understanding Reggae and Jamaican culture, from the record companies’ point-of-view.

Of course, if you’re a frequent visiter to Ska Blah Blah, I imagine you need no tolerance lesson.  For you, I recomend this movie for it’s great performances and insightful interviews, from Roy Shirley and many more.

enjoy:

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I’m sad to see the JA influences diminished on Now, but in a lot of ways, this is the best work The Pepper Pots have put out.  Here’s your chance to form an opinion before you rush out to get the new record… please enjoy:

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//flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWEcIjXYN78&feature=player_embedded//

UPDATE:  NBC has taken down this vid, and any others that feature this clip.  It’s like the TV companies don’t want you to like them- congrats NBC, I don’t.  I’ve got love for Conan, but the suits need to get a better handle on viral marketing.  To make it up to you, my loyal readers, here’s the official video for Last One to Die:

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Enter the Hipster Girls. They break it down and make it easy, describing the basic Ska dance moves, distinguishing it from Annette Funicello’s Jamaican Ska, and including variations like, The Dog, The Skank, The Monkey and even a section on doing the Rocksteady.  They even provide suitable tunes to practice to.

From The Hipster Go-Go Dancers’ page:

The Hipster Go-Go Dancers performed non-suggestive, early to mid 60s, original and authentic, go-go/fad dances and are not associated with todays burlesque, strippers, erotic dancers or modern go-go. (Modern go-go dancers are erotic dancers anyway). Think music shows between 1964 and 1966 and Swinging London fashion.

The only real drawback to the site, is a lack of illustration.  There are, of course, very cute animated gifs at the top of the page… but beyond that, there isn’t a much of a visual element.  What these hipster dancer’s lack in web 2.0- they make up for in autenticity.  Absolutely fantastic!

UPDATE:  It looks like Kathy from the Hipster Go Go’s has struck out on her own.  The new home for The Original Ska Moves page can be found here.

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Westbound Train live on Ska’s The Limit – 88.1 KDHX – St. Louis

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I am proud to announce that right before they head to the venue that night, the Westbound Boys will be swinging by KDHX studios for a little Live-in-Session action.  This performance will be aired the following Sat night, on my show, Ska’s The Limit.

I’ll be putting up links to the show and the session as soon as they air- so stay tuned.  And maybe I’ll se you at the Firebird for what promises to be a killer show.

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Swing by Mojo’s MySpace and introduce your ears to this fresh sound.  The highlights include (but are not limited to) a very modern take on Rudy, A Message to You, called Rude Bwoy, a roots rock cover of The Police’s Roxanne, and a T-Pain inspired Herbsman Anthem feat. the man called, Peter Tosh.

Morgan Heritage is one of my favorite groups, from way back, and I love the new style that Mojo’s providing.  I wish that more Reggae acts would try to incorporate Ska elements into their sound.

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Swing by MN Ska.

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There’s a lot to consume in one sitting, but so far I really like the vibe over at A1.

Download the entire A1 catalog.

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You can hear three of the new tracks, With a Little Help From My Friends, She’s Leaving Home and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, by clicking here.  And here’s a little press vid they did:

UPDATE:  The folks at Easy Star just sent me this great link where you can stream this entire new album!  Stream Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band

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Sounds like they’re still amazing, even if they do play the songs fairly straightforward.

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I plan on sharing a few of my Ruggiero Bootlegs with the site’s webmaster, Spaz.  But I encourage anyone out there to share their hissy tapes with the rest of us via the bootleg section.  Nothing to share?  No worries two sets are already available for download.

As for the Discography section- I was surprised to find two Slackers songs that I had never heard before- not new mind you, this discography goes waaay back.

So who’s going to step up and make a similar page for Slackers live sets?  Hmmm… that is a good idea…

Oh! and it’s got videos.  Here’s my favorite song by Ruggiero:

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First things first, The Drastics have released another digital 7″  This time, hairstyles are the target of our favorite dub killers- in the new cut, Vibes, Love Music + Jheri Curl feat MC Zulu.  You can check it out on their MySpace page.  But you should also take a gander at their new blog, which is very pleasing to the eyes- and ears.

Next up, I’ve got a video of Dubmatix remixing John Brown’s Body, which was created by numerous animators from around the world.  John Brown’s Body is an Easy Star Records project that is getting the full remix treatment.  You can read more here.

Finally, a site that applies Dub and Remix techniques to the art of YouTubing. Thru-You.com creates music videos by chopping and splicing existing musical pieces on YouTube.  I think of it as “found dub.”  You’ll think of it as “neato.”

Click here to see What It Became on Thru-You.com

PS Sorry for any spelling mistakes this time through… my spell checker is wonky.

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…I am a skinhead girl and being in this subculture you here a lot of shit and stereotypes that just suck. Skinhead girls are supposedly all fat, butch and ugly, or so the stereotype suggests. I don’t believe this and I want to change that. You can be tough, able to care of yourself  and still be a beautiful, sexual individual. That is what this site is about and giving something that you don’t see a lot of- a skingirl proud of her sexuality and not afraid to show it.

I realized quickly that I shouldn’t be surprised that she contacted me at all- this skingirl loves Ska:

To this day Ska is my favorite music. It’s how I came in the company of Skinheads when I was a young teen. Ska can be amazingly happy or majorly depressing but it always got to my emotions. I have a tattoo around my belly button “Celebrate the Bullet” it’s a song by The Selecter. Pauline Black has the most amazing, soulful voice. I could not get over that song for a long time. “Fu Man chu” by Desmond Dekker, “One Cup of Coffee” by Bob Marley (before the reggae), all are just amazing songs. I love this genre of music.

Cadence fights racial and extreemist stereotypes that are often applied to Skinheads while also using fetish and sub culture in a non-exploitive fashion.  You can check out OiTomBoy here NSFW.

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From talking with Dan Neely about Mento music- to the discussion on Album Art on Dancin Mood- to getting word of an impending Skavoovie reunion- I’ve been bumping into Epitones all over the place, lately. Once I started connecting the dots, I got my hands on some very cool illustrations from Purins- and he’s totally down with me showing them off.

You can find more art from Ansis at Here
And more on the Skavoovie reunion Here
aaand more on Dan Neely’s ethnomusicology work Here

A comic of Ska Deprecation

Purins work for the Ska Brewery

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PBS has just released his segment featuring Studio One, Alpha Boys School, and Kingston life in general.  A few familiar faces pop up along the way.  Werman knows to evoke the name of Bob Marley early on, but he quickly opens the story up to cover many more musicians.

Great job, Marco!

FRONTLINE World – Jamaica: The Alpha Boys

Related Posts:

Guest Blogger, Marco Werman: Notes From a Sound System

Ska Online: The World Loves JA Music

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I am known as a producer of the practical type – My first production basically fell to me because I was the only member of the Scofflaws with studio experience. When it came time for us to make our first CD, I was the one who found the engineer (Bob Stander) who in turn helped me to find a studio, choose the tape, schedule the sessions – all because no one else had ever gone about it. And the main objective was to get from start to finish with our budget of about $5000. In that sense I was a producer in the old use of the term, the liaison between the technical and musical teams. I took charge of scheduling and rehearsing the band in sections, made sure the engineer knew what was wanted, made sure the musicians knew what was possible.

Rob “Bucket” Hingley was satisfied with the result, and hired me to produce “Ooolooloo” for the Pietasters. Up to this point, Moon Ska NYC had only accepted finished projects for release, but was ready to invest directly in this record. Again, the main objective was to keep the production within budget, I was not hired to impart some kind of artistic vision. To this day, my main contribution to record-making is more practical than anything else. It’s in that spirit that I hope people find this chapter useful!

1- Pre-Production

Preparing for a recording is very different from rehearsing for a show.

Choose the Songs

I learned the hard way that more than 12 songs per full-length record yields diminishing returns, artistically and technically. The average listener will enjoy 15+ songs, but it will be difficult to remember any one of them in particular. Also, the time spent producing so many songs will inevitably result in less time and energy spent on each song. For best results, choose 15 songs to prepare for the sessions – somewhere during the recording stage (hopefully sooner than later) the band should look to cut 3 songs that aren’t quite as stellar as the rest. There are some songs that will work better onstage than on a CD, which brings me to an important point: tempo changes, groove changes, dramatic pauses etc. are best left for the stage; what works well at the show may be cumbersome and stale on record, without the visual element and audience participation to complete the event. I’m not speaking of a ‘live’ record here, where the band plays all at once in the studio and is going for a live sound. I’m talking about making a dance record. Ska Music is Dance Music – continuity and pacing within as well as between songs are crucial. Choose songs with different key signatures, choose songs that either showcase the singer or the horns/soloists – you’ll find that some songs are better for soloing than others, try not to fit everything into each song. If the song is more than 4:00 long, there had better be a definite motive.

Deal With the Click Track (Metronome)

The click can be a friend, it can be an enemy. Either way, it’s best to get to know it before going near a studio. I prefer to record without a click track, I believe it can hinder the musician in the studio, already a strange environment. That said, I know some great musicians that can play along to a metronome and it sounds fresh, unhindered, breathing and groovy… you can hire them for about $1000 per day if you like! What is most important, I believe, is to Rehearse with a click track if you’re planning on recording. Find the tempo that seems to work best – Oftentimes it is not that fast tempo that really comes off at the show and gets the people going. Save the faster tempos for the stage, the difference will be well appreciated. It is harder to play a song at a slower tempo than faster, because there is a greater need for accuracy. Find a tempo that everyone in the band finds comfortable (check with the drummer and guitarist), and then set the click track to something even slower and try to get used to that. Once you allow yourself to return to the preferred tempo it will feel almost as comfortable and exciting as most animals’ favorite pastime.

Rehearse in Sections

If the recording space permits, the whole band will be able to record at once – but the focus at the beginning will be on the rhythm section, particularly the drums. Once the drums are all captured, all other instruments can be re-recorded, provided there is enough isolation between instruments (more on that in the third installment). Oftentimes there is only space for the rhythm section to record during Basic Tracking, with the lead vocalist/soloist guiding the group from the control room. It’s important that the band rehearse in separate sections, to become more aware of the focus in the studio. The rhythm section should have a couple of separate rehearsals, with the lead vocalist/instrumentalist present for reference. The horn section should also rehearse separately, with the bass player in attendance for reference. Use the ‘reference folks’ sparingly, try to get through the tune with only your section!

2- Scheduling

Of course, booking the studio time involves the budget directly. But the budget should be able to allow at least the minimum of time required for even the best-prepared group. The following is what I believe to to be the basic amount of needed time:

Recording Basic Tracks – 4 Days

Day 1 in the studio is mostly spent getting sounds. Give the engineer about 45 minutes for every microphone set up. So, with a typical drum setup of 8 mic’s, you’re already looking at about 4-6 hours before the bass player even needs to be at the studio. Always try to keep the studio free of people who aren’t needed at the time, they will benefit from this as much as the engineer! Allow another few hours for the rest of the rhythm section (while Drummie takes a well-deserved break). The evening should be spent getting some tracks recorded, getting used to the process as much as getting used to the sound of the band on playback. Make sure your headphone mix is helping you to play. As a bassist, I like to hear the kick drum and hi hat more than snare, for example.

Day 2 and 3 are spent recording as many songs as possible. The objective is to get the best performance of the drums, the rest of the rhythm section is not a priority as they can fix their tracks later. Go for as many as 3 takes of any song. If none of the drum takes are satisfactory, leave that song for the next day. Move on to the next one. When the drummer needs a break, the bassist, guitarist, keyboardist should take that time to go over the tracks that you know you’ll be using, make notes of where mistakes are, try to fix them on the spot if possible. Keep up this rate for two days, and you’ll have 12 out of 15 songs that please.

Day 4 is to make sure there are 12 ‘keepers’, and to fix parts in the rhythm section.

During this whole time the vocalist will have been recording a guide track from a separate room. Sometimes these vocal tracks prove to be the best takes, so if possible, record them well. However, don’t be afraid to use a vocal take from a simple hand mic in the control room if it’s a moving performance and especially if the rhythm section was responding to it.

Recording Overdubs and Horns – 4 days

Once the drums are all recorded, the kit should be taken down and removed to make space for overdubs and/or the horn section. At the very least, some of the drum mic’s could be useful for other instruments later.

Overdubs should be taken care of before horns – percussion, final fixes and solos from the rhythm section. That way, the horn section has as complete a sound as possible, making it easier for them to play in tune and in time. Solos should be recorded by the horns during section recording with the option to overdub afterward.

Recording Vocals/Solos – 3 Days

3 days may not seem like a lot of time to record vocals for an entire album. But the idea is that hopefully the vocalist has been finding time since day 1 to sneak in a performance here and there while everyone else is looking at the Chinese food menu or taking a break in the lounge. The vocalist and/or backing vocalists will certainly find time to record during breaks in the horn section recordings!

Editing (The New Stage of Production) XX Days

Editing is an auspicious subject. When I began recording, there were no computers in the studio. Yes I’m rather old – but still, it wasn’t that long ago. All performances were commitments; that which was recorded to tape was mixed. Now with computers, we have another stage of production – one with virtually limitless options in pitch and time processing as well as complete sound replacement for individual instruments. The amount of options can be paralyzing, many projects do not see the end of this stage!

I personally am grateful for a number of these options and now regularly make edits on the computer, whether the project was recorded to tape or not. It can be done before mix time, during mix time and in my case, both. The practical aspect is that a lot of this can be done outside a professional studio. An engineer can do it most likely from a home studio at reduced cost.

Mixing    5-6 Days

Schedule 1 day at the studio. Don’t be surprised when it takes half the day to simply set up the gear and signal paths, whether hardware or computer plug-ins. But once the first song is mixed (which normally takes longest), the engineer will have a template – whether hardware or software – for the rest of the record and all succeeding mixes will take less time. Try to get 1 to 2 mixes on that day and take them home. Spend a week listening to these mixes before returning to the studio. Everyone in the band should listen to them in as many places as possible – in your car, on your ipod, computer speakers, wherever you listen to music. Get some general comments together with the other band members and present the consensus to the mix engineer. Try to keep it general, try to think in terms of the entire record: Are the vocals loud enough/too loud? More kick drum in general? Guitars can be dirtier/cleaner? Where to put the horns? Also bear in mind you are listening to un-mastered mixes, which are normally quieter, less brilliant and more dynamic than commercial CDs.

With all of this discussed, the remaining mix days will go more smoothly. 2 to 3 songs per day average should be the goal. It can go faster, especially with ‘live’ recordings; a well-arranged and recorded song can go a long way to mixing itself.

Mastering – 1 Day + revisions

Decidedly the black art of music production, mastering can be both undervalued and overrated. This has a lot to do with the fact that, hour for hour it is the most expensive part of the production. Some feel it is imperative that the record be mastered by one of a handful of engineers responsible for most music heard on the radio today. Some feel that mastering engineers are overpriced and it is a process that can be done just as well by the mix engineer.

My opinion lies in between: I think it is absolutely crucial that there is a mastering engineer involved. And to me, more important than who is that mastering engineer, is that said engineer is NOT the mix engineer. Objectivity is the critical element in mastering a record, and I believe the project is best left in the hands and ears of an outside party.

Finding a reputable mastering engineer is as easy as finding an expensive one – But, it isn’t always that way. Try to find out who mastered your favorite records, if they are still alive/working and if so, how much they cost. When choosing your favorite records, don’t listen for cool-sounding mixes (that was the work of the mix engineer). Listen for mixes that sound great to you from any source – ipod, car stereo, dancehall, etc.

It is the mastering engineer’s responsibility to see that the sound of the record will translate consistently from system to system, environment to environment. Mastering engineers are dedicated to listening to the music as a sonic whole and to make tonal and volume adjustments to insure that the song will be clearly heard in any situation and that one song goes to the next with sonic consistency. The mastering engineer will also see that the perceived volume of the music is consistent with other commercial CDs and if possible, louder. Some engineers will go to the point of degrading the sound itself. When a song is excellent and well-performed, such sonic degradation can be overlooked. Johnny Cash’s last records serve as an example.

To prepare for the mastering session, the band must decide on the song sequence.

I prefer to save the best song for Track #2; Track #1 serves as an introduction to the record and sets up the listeners’ ears for what is to come. Think of an overture to an opera, or more commonly, the opening title sequence to a movie where the audience is still in the process of settling in. After Track #1, we have our first pause in the program, and that first pause should be followed with a strong offering.

Try to create a song list with variety in key signature, tempo and groove. Look to create an overall pace that holds the listener’s attention to the very end.

Song list in hand, the mastering engineer will set about building the record from start to finish. Once that is done, the band will again want to take the product home and listen on a variety of systems. Listen to the sound of each song, listen to the sound of the record as a whole, and listen to the spaces between the songs. With any adjustments in mind, have the engineer revise mixes, amount of time between mixes, fades and even the track sequence. It is customary for the mastering engineer to make one round of revisions included in the original price, so have all requests ready. After that, you are subject to the terms of that engineer.

And then you’re done, congratulations! You can expect two copies from the mastering session: one is for the band to copy and give out to the band members, the other is to give to the pressing plant directly, without ANY direct human contact along the way to avoid contamination. I’m only half-kidding.

To conclude with this installment, I want to briefly mention two subjects:

Drugs

In general, if one is a regular user of drugs, it may be the first inclination to stop doing these things before recording. There are two schools of thought on that; one is to do what you always do always, regardless of surroundings. The other is that, as the studio is already an unfamiliar environment, there is an opportunity here to put these things aside.

1. Tobacco – If the singer smokes tobacco regularly, there may be a thought to stop before and during the recording. Unfortunately this will usually affect the voice negatively, as a physically addicted body will be unpredictable without it’s vice. Cutting down is a good idea, but not stopping completely.

2. Marijuana – Known to relax the mental reflexes, it can either be helpful or not. Although not physically addictive, if one smokes Ganja regularly, see #1.

3. Alcohol – Known to relax the physical reflexes, I have never witnessed that as being in any way helpful in the recording studio.

If one is physically addicted to alcohol, see #1.

The Engineers

Try to make the engineers’ work as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, for your own sake!

1 – Don’t Ask Questions – walking into the control room and saying, “what are you doing?” has the same effect on an engineer as firing a starter pistol. Wait until they are in the lounge or obviously available.

2 – Don’t Gather/Chat in the Control Room. The lounge is not a convenience; it is a necessity – for the engineer! Use it.

3 – See that they get a break before 2 hours go by, plan your breaks around theirs.

4 – See that they have fresh coffee.

5 – Include their meals in the band budget.

6 – Do whatever it takes to keep them from having to get out of their chair.

7 – Do not bring plastic wrappers into the control room. If you don’t understand why, maybe it’s best you just never go into the control room.

8 – See that they have fresh coffee.

9 – Thank them for being so patient with you, whether they are or not. In the end, they will be.

10 – See that they have fresh coffee.

VR

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My guess is that most of you kind of like ska, but weren’t compelled to find a site such as mine before now.  I hope that you will find that ska is still viable and worthy of discussion as my listeners have already discovered.

Dig in, watch some videos, listen to an episode or two… and discover some new or new to you music.

Ska is a serious thing:

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Check it: Balanced Podcast

Dubmatix Homepage

Subatomic Soundsystem

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Check out the stops here.

Steve also hipped me to this Kansas City Star article about his absence from the band and his recent recruitment back into the fold.

UPDATE:  I just found out, from none other than Dave Wakeling, that the English Beat will be joining Bad Manners on this very tour.  Check The Official Beat Space for tour dates.  And thanks again, Dave and Steve for the news.

Aaaaaand… this video of Bad Manners from 1993 feat. Dave Weins from LGB and The Impalers:

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But I write to share a sublime musical experience I had in the Kingston working-class neighborhood of Rae Town. As you may know, Sound System-style street parties (with massive banks of loudspeakers that are more comfortingly bassy than ear-splittingly treble) happen pretty much every night of the week around Kingston, starting with Uptown Mondays at a shopping plaza in New Kingston with current dancehall hits, and going right through the week.

The neighborhood of Rae Town has, for the past 20 plus years there, thrown a Sunday night dance and party. The local paper the Gleaner describes it as an oldies night, and the people reflect that, sort of. There are 70 year-olds, all the way down to much younger people. Classes mix: doctors and lawyers from uptown mingle with an array of characters out of Fellini. The crowd shows up around midnight. The people slowly line up along both sides of the main street running through Rae Town, almost like a dance showdown, and everyone begins a slow groove to the music. Grillers with jerk chicken, fish and pork are common, as are sellers of ganja who wander around with small bouquets of the herb still on the stem. As the crowd builds, so does the music.

It’s the music that really drew me in that night: mostly old school reggae and dub and anything ska: “Fiddler on the Roof” ska by the Soul Brothers, “Norwegian Wood” ska by Jackie Mittoo, you name it. There was also a seductive selection of oldies like Dionne Warwick’s “Wishin and Hopin,” Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” and “A Change Is Gonna Come” (a kind of plea to the hood that crime and poverty can be licked), Dionne Warwick’s et al “That’s What Friends Are For” (a neighborhood anthem, in which the DJ dropped the sound right before the chorus, leaving the entire block singing out loud), Maxine Brown’s “Oh No Not My Baby.” And the walls of speakers sent all this great music vibrating through my bones and making me feel inspired and happy, and isn’t that what music’s supposed to do? It was the best party I’ve ever been to. I find dancehall monotonous with a capital M. And maybe Rae Town put me in a time warp, a flashback to the great old days of this music that is disconnected in many ways to the fast and furious business of dancehall. But what a great scene and sound that was last Sunday in Rae Town. It’s wonderful to be reminded that the Loudest Island in the World isn’t just about the size of the sound system. It’s also about some of the coolest music ever made and the whole world of sound that boomeranged into it.

-Marco Werman, Music Editor, PRI’s The World

Editor’s note:  I’m a big fan of all things NPR- and for world news from your NPR affiliate, there’s none better than PRI’s The World.  It is an honor to include Marco’s piece (written a few months back) in our new Guest Blogger series.  Here’s an older post I did, linking you to several of the stories Marco did from the above mentioned trip to Jamaica. Ska Online: The World Loves JA Music

-JJ

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The first of these is Victor Rice.  He was my first phone interview for the Conversations on a Revivalist Movement (even though Chris Murray got the first episode), and now he’s the first to submit for the Guest Blogging series.

Rice is going to be lending his sage-like wisdom to all the new bands that want to play ska- and they want to do it right, in a series he calls, So You’re Starting a Ska Band.  The first installment can be found in the post immediately preceding this one or by clicking here.

Keep coming back for more advice from the one, Victor Rice- and look forward to more Guest Bloggers in the very near future.  And, as always, your comments are more than welcome.

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This may sound as if I believe that the only way to make Ska music is to sound like the Skatalites. I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that – however, there are a number of guidelines that should be considered.

For one thing, tempo is all-important. Ska as a dance is very reminiscent of a popular soul dance from the same era, sometimes called the Monkey or Climb. Names and other words don’t suffice to describe the dance, so I urge anyone interested in this music to find a clip online with Jamaicans dancing the Ska in the early ’60s. It’s not essential to learn the dance, but if you’re interested in playing Ska music you’ll do well to perform at a tempo that would allow this dance to be possible. There is nothing quite like playing the Ska, in front of people dancing the Ska. For me personally, it is an invigorating feedback loop, physically and otherwise!

I realize I’m opening up a popular argument here: Is the British interpretation from the ’70s and ’80s not Ska? I prefer to make the distinction one song at a time. If the tempo is too fast to actually dance the Ska, I call it ‘Ska-influenced’ at most. The drum beat is of course important, as is the presence of upbeats in the guitar and keyboard instruments. All of these elements conspire to get the body moving in a particular way. One thing is certain, the Ska cannot be danced very quickly with any of the swing and grace originally intended.

The bass lines of Lloyd Brevett draw from two different sources, namely syncopation typical to Cuban Salsa and ‘walking’ bass lines typical to American Jazz. The bassist may be listening to the kick drum or the hi hat when making the decision where to drop the note.

Pianists should be playing the upbeat in at least one hand. Remember, if one is not contributing to the rhythm of the dance, one might be detracting from it. As with any musical situation, the actual range and voicing of chords are dependent largely on what is happening in the rest of the band. A good rule of thumb is to leave some space in the spectrum for the other players and to compliment the range and voicing of the guitar and organ – that is, go where they are not.

The organist can follow the same idea, though there are other options available. A half-time ‘bubble’ between the left and right hands- commonly heard in slower Rocksteady, ‘Skinhead Reggae’ and One Drop beats – can be just the thing to glue the piano and guitar to the drums.
The organist can reach most easily into the areas normally occupied by the horn section – melodically and supportively. However, leaving one’s hand down on the keyboard to sustain notes and chords can easily clutter the arrangement and get into the singer’s space. Proceed with care.

Guitarists should bear in mind: the most important function for the guitarist is to support the upbeat. And the most common misinterpretation is to play the upbeat with an upstroke, the result being the chord sounds from the top down. Jah Jerry, Ernest Ranglin and Lyn Taitt all played the upbeats from the lowest note to the highest – and the result is an upward motion in the chord. I believe this is crucial to keeping the beat light and uplifting.

The three things that make this a challenge for the guitarist are:

1- It’s less comfortable to play upbeats with a downstroke.
It’s a matter of physical sense. But if you have a chance to watch Devon James play with the Skatalites, for example, you will notice that he marks the downbeat with a ‘ghost downstroke’ between each upbeat, making the task twice as active and incredibly solid.

2- The top of the chord, at the end of the downstroke, is the part of the chord that cuts through the overall sound to the listener’s ear. To arrive at that part of the chord on time, the guitarist must begin the downstroke earlier than if played upstroke. Getting used to this  can be daunting but is possible with practice.

3- It is difficult to play this way at fast tempos. Therefore, if the guitarist finds it near impossible to play the Ska this way, the beat is probably too fast to dance the Ska as well. Using this technique, the guitarist will most likely be the first musician in the band to know when the tempo is too fast.

There’s another function for a second guitarist, what I call the Stick Bass. Stick Bass refers to a function, not an instrument. It refers simply to a second guitar doubling the bass line to create a transient attack that combines with the roundness of the bass. The combined sound is large but defined. The guitar can also pick a different line, contrapuntal to the bass for an added layer of percussive and melodic action.

To speak of the horn section is to speak to the arrangement of the song. The horns are literally the life breath of the beat as well as the most potentially expressive part of the band, overridden only by the singer. The function of the horns in relation to the vocal melody can be broken into two different styles- I call them the Continental and the African American Styles:

In the Continental Style(I exclude the UK since they are something of an anomaly when it comes to horns in general), the horn section uses polyphony, playing melodic arrangements in tandem with the singer, playing with or against the vocal line with supportive and counter-melodies respectively.

In the African American Style, horns exchange melodic function with the singer in a call-and-response fashion. When the singer has the tune, the horn section folds into the rhythm section by playing upbeats to support the beat.

In either case, there are two interesting areas available to the horn section – Voicing and Tuning:

The Voicing refers to the choice and spacing of notes to each player from the chord in the song.

The objective, ideally, is to get two horns to sound like three, three horns to sound like four and so on. A knowledge of the overtone series is crucial to an effective horn arrangement. A surprisingly full sound can be achieved, for example, from two horns if
(1) a reed instrument is combined with a brass instrument,
(2) an upper-range instrument is combined with a lower-range instrument i.e:
Alto Sax/Trombone, Trumpet/Tenor Sax and
(3) one horn plays the 3rd of the chord while the other plays the 7th of the chord. Interval distances of a 6th or 10th are helpful in getting a full, balanced sound with overtones that can allude to a third part.

Congratulations, you have just been given a formula to the Stax and Studio One horn sound.

Four situations should be generally avoided in horn arrangements:

1- Doubling of notes, especially in the same octave. The result is diminishing at best, three horns may sound like two, four horns like three and so on. At worst, it is not pleasing to hear because the two horns rarely if ever play exactly the same pitch. Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard would be one example of an exception. An arrangement with all horns playing the melody in unison is another exception, but that one can easily be overused.

2- Playing in the extremes of the instrument’s range. Trumpets do not need to live at the top of their range, nor trombones at the bottom of theirs. Horn instruments should be played inside their comfortable ranges. They sound better there because they were built to sound better there. Why fight it? Do not feel the need to make extra work for yourself or display technical prowess at the expense of a pleasing section sound.

3 – Playing songs in ‘natural’ key signatures. If the song was written by the guitarist or keyboardist, it may often be written in a natural key for those instruments such as C,G,D,A or E. Experiment with moving the key to Db, Ab, Eb or Bb. A general compromise will have to be found in the set between songs that favor the rhythm section or the horn section.

4 – Parallel motion. Horn instruments should avoid moving in the same direction from one chord to another, and even at the same beat. Instruments also don’t need to play the same function of each chord, the combined sound will be much more interesting if the instruments are written in the path of least resistance, providing a variety of color to each chord as the 3rd, for example, travels between horns.

For all of these reasons, horns arrangements should be created at the piano as opposed to the guitar.

The Tuning refers specifically to the horn’s ability to play truly in tune. The rhythm section is made up of tempered instruments(string bass an exception here), but the horn can make subtle adjustments in pitch at the mouthpiece – and as is done with ‘fretless’ instruments like the violin or voice, one can play the 5th of a chord slightly sharper, the major 3rd slightly flatter as actually occurs in the natural world of acoustics. This gives the horn section the chance to make a harmony sweeter and more resonant than is possible on the guitar or keyboard. When rehearsing the band, some time should be set aside – preferably separate rehearsals – for the horn section to explore the fine tuning of an arrangement. It can be helpful to have the bass player around for this.

As for vocals – the main concern should be that the key of the song is comfortable for the singer. This concern completely overrides any consideration to the horn or rhythm section, as the band must support the singer in every way possible. All musicians(including the singer) should be listening to the drummer for the rhythm and time – but at the same time, all instrumentalists should be listening to the singer for the song. As with horn arrangements, songs written on the guitar or piano should be transposed to the singer’s range in order to get the most of it.

To conclude with my first installment: these are general guidelines – rules if you will – based on historical practices. Some are decades-old, particular to the original style. Some are centuries-old. And all are artistic rules, meant to be broken!

But if one doesn’t first understand that there are always rules, there can be no conviction or pleasure in breaking them. One who breaks the rules without knowing is not doing themselves any favors.

I hope you found this interesting if not useful! Please look for my next installment, covering  technical aspects of recording…

VR

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I am.

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It’s a simple mission, but one that I support.  Within reason, anyways.  I suppose moshing is kosher at more punk leaning shows- but I know lots of ska bands that reserve a “no pit” policy everywhere they go.

They’ve got a few cool buttons and a FAQ-  but mostly CAMASS is just food for thought.

The Coalition Against Moshing At Ska Shows.

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I’m sure many of you are familiar with the vintage Jamaican label, Randy’s.  Familiar or not, this 40 minute doc is sure to school you on a few things you might not know.  I especially enjoyed the segmants where they discussed Lord Creator- and why the Chin’s chose a calypso as their Jamaican Independance release.

Lord Creator is a great old Calypsonian, who was a tremendous influence on Dr. Ring-Ding and many others.  And this documentary also features Ken Boothe, Johnny Moore, Clive Chin and many others.

There are a lot of Ska/Reggae documentaries coming out this next year- most of them on DVD.  I imagine most of those will contain an obligitory history of the various branches of JA music.  The Randy’s doc skims over many of the details of what Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae are, and focuses more on the label’s involvement in those movements.  Very well done.

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Good, then you’re all caught up to check out her new video for Into Action, this time she steps up and takes the lead.

Check it:

Here’s the original Tim Version filmed in the Hellcat style:

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Porter, got himself on Toots Hibbert’s tour bus to ask about the birth of Reggae and the current state of Jamaican Music.   Toots is quick to point out that he coined the term Reggae, and I’ve heard this many times from the man, but I’ve never gotten a satisfying answer to why the word Reggae was used in the first place, or what it really means.  What he does offer is the meaning behind the lyrics to Monkey Man, and that story makes this video worth your while:

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Of course you can read it here on Ska Blah Blah, but then you’d be missing out on interviews with Sic & Mad, Tommi Infamous and Deal’s Gone Bad.  And Pick It Up will take you back to the days of zeroxed, DIY zine’s that used to connect us all to the scene. Check it out.

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Django and his Version City and Stubborn Records institutions have fallen on some hard times and several tragedies have plagued Mr. Baker, this summer.  But on the bright side of things, it sounds like some really killer records are on their way out.  Look forward to new Sic and Mad as well as a new Victor Rice Dub record.

While your at it, go ahead and listen to the show:  Listen to Roots Rock Rebels interview with King Django

And if your still in an interview listening mood, surf over to Pressure Drop and check out Gabe’s new chat with Horrace Painter from the Specials.

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Click here to buy Why You Bad Soh from UnstrictlyRoots.com Link

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It’s clear that someone behind the story, be it host, Marco Werman, or another producer, loves Jamaican Music.  These stories didn’t cover the recent Dancehall or Reggaeton crazes- the focus is on the old school stuff.  One piece goes back to Alpha Boys School, while another finds Werman on the streets in search of Studio One.

This stuff was nothing new to me and there were a few things said that I don’t think are true- but they were definitely worth a listen if for no other reason than to hear our favorite music being characterized as a vital part of today’s musical framework.

Here’s the links:

Report on Alpha Boys School (Featuring Errol Dunkley!!)

Rise and Fall of Jamaica’s Music Scene

DJ Dice Set List – A reconstruction of an oldies Sound System party, thrown every week in Rae Town, Kingston, JA.

Geo Quiz – Largest City in Jamaica – A total freebie, from what is usually a really hard geography quiz- but with a shout out to Ska.

Related Ska Blah Blah posts (hours of listening within these links):

Dub Online: NPR profiles Reggae Ice Cream Truck

Ska Online: NPR hearts Jamaican Music

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TRUMPETER JOHNNY ‘Dizzy’ Moore, a founding member of the Skatalites band, died on Saturday at the age of 69.

Moore succumbed to cancer at a friend’s home, said musicologist.

Herbie Miller, who knew the musician for more than 30 years. Moore had been ailing for some time and was recently discharged from hospital.

Miller hailed Moore as the “most creative thinking musician of the ska period”.

Moore is the sixth member of the legendary band to die. Trombonist Don Drummond, keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, saxophonists Tommy McCook and Roland Alphonso and Jerome ‘Jah Jerry’ Hinds predeceased him.

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I’ve also been running around with my head cut off preparing for my new gig as the host of The Ska’s the Limit.  My local community radio station, 88.1 KDHX St. Louis has picked yours truely to run STL, the world’s longest running ska radio show.

It’s truely an honor- I’ve been a fan of the show since high school, and I used to tape it when I was too broke for cds. Paul Stark, the show’s host for the past 15 years, has been more than suportive in getting Ska Blah Blah attention and in helping me land the position as his replacement.

I don’t know exactly how this will affect Ska Blah Blah- community radio comes with a hefty set of rules, and I’ll have to keep Ska Blah Blah and Ska’s The Limit very separate entities.  But I have every intention of running this blog and maintaining it’s focus, bring you the best ska and reggae links on the web.

If you have liked my interviews, on Ska Blah Blah; you can count on more to follow on the new show.  I hope to get as many bands into the studio as possible.  You hear me, bands?

In addition to jjloy@skablahblah.com I can also be reached at skasthelimit@kdhx.org

Previous posts and archives of the last two weeks are available here.

Ska’s the Limit airs this Saturday night/Sunday Morning, Aug 17 at 2 AM Central Time, in the St. Louis area.  Not in the St. Louis area?  Listen live online here.

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I know the site has been wonky with Safari and Opera, lately- and I think that issue is resolved at the moment.  Please let me know if you are still having trouble viewing SkaBlahBlah.com.  A site overhaul is in the works.  Until then, here’s a complete hunk of links- everything I’ve produced for Ska Blah Blah:

Series One – Conversations on a Revivalist Movement

01.Chris Murray
02.Victor Rice
03.Dave Hillyard
04.Joey Altruda
05.Vic Ruggiero

Series Two – Cut the Chit Chat

01.New Ska
02.Skinhead Reggae
03.Hard Edged Dub
04.Ska Rap
05.Ska Demos
06.Even Newer Ska

Series Three – Small Talk

01 – Victor Axelrod
02 – Green Room Rockers
03 – Babylon Party Machine
04 – The Impalers
05 – The Aggrolites

Special Episodes

00 Field Trip to Ska Weekend ‘07
00 A Look Back at The Skatalites Middle Period

New episodes aren’t in the near future, but the blog side of Ska Blah Blah will continue to bring you lots of Ska Links and Videos.  If you haven’t already, please subscribe with your favorite feed reader.

Thank you all so much for reading the blog and listening to the podcasts, especially those of you who have really contributed by commenting on the various posts.  I encourage everyone to leave a comment or drop me a line with your thoughts on all things Ska.

Thanks,

-JJ Loy

jjloy@skablahblah.com

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