This video has been up since April, but it’s news to me- so now it’s news for you. This short interview based documentary was directed by Marie Le Claire, whose name I recognized instantly. I remember a few years ago, The Slackers announced a concert documentary and even released this trailer. I contacted Le Claire and she says that the project was never finished, and it sounds like we’ll have to settle for the short we have.
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.
No joke! TheOnion.com’s serious media wing, The AV Club, has just picked ska as the subject for the latest Gateway To Geekery. This is not the long-winded, comprehensive history of ska, that I usually link to- no. This is a cursory overview- an introduction. After all, this is the big idea behind Gateways To Geekery, to give an entry point into a densely geek-ified scene.
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.
That’s right- Everyone’s favorite Italian Ska Boss, Mr. T-Bone, is planning not one, but two more tours in the US. Here’s the details that were passed along to me…
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.
I just ran across this while sticking some links onto my latest playlist for STLSka.org- it’s a vintage video of The Fun Boy Three’s The More That I See:
Alright- you all know I love The Slackers- I’m like a Dead Head for this group. I’ve traveled far and wide to catch their shows- and I have an extensive collection of their bootlegs. On this very blog, I’ve interviewed 3 of the 6 current members. The Slackers have expressed again and again, a desire to find an online distribution model beyond MySpace. And I’ve always wanted the fellas to find a way to release more “Official Bootlegs” along the lines of their Ernesto’s albums.
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.”
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Sep 29 2009
