I know a lot of you are dialing up SkaBlahBlah for the first time, thanks to a kindly post on BoingBoing.net from my new pal, Shawn Connally.
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.
Boing Boing, a collection of wonderful things, has an irregular series of videos that they call BB TV. Xeni Jardin is the usual host, but BB’s music coverage is done by Russell Porter.
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:
I am pleased to announce that the newest issue of Make Magazine will feature a small article by yours truly. While the article has nothing to do with Ska music, I did get a nice plug for the web site at the end.
It is an honor, not just to be published by the legitimate press, but because of the publishers and editors in particular. I’ve been a reader and sympathizer with the BoingBoing.net kids since I first picked up The Happy Mutant Handbook in 1996. It was a surprise when Boinger, Mark Frauenfelder answered my email about magicians and patent law, but it blew my mind when he asked me to write about it in Make.
Make is a kind of How-To/DIY mag, for the digital age. It’s published by O’Reilly Media, who also put out Craft and The Missing Manual series of books. I could not have hoped for a cooler group of people to be associated with.
I just ran across this great article from Wired Magazine, my favorite Tech and Tech Culture periodical. Writer Scott Thill, draws a clear line from the birth of Dub Version and Reggae covers to our current Mash-Up culture. This connection is evidenced by Trojan Records 40th Anniversary, and their recent compilations.
“A host of musical all-stars — from reggae pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry to Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and Super Furry Animals bassist Guto Pryce — have put together collections of classic Trojan tracks showcasing the indelible impact reggae has made on hip-hop, rock and electronic music over the last four decades.
Certainly, the genre’s cutting-edge production techniques and intoxicant-friendly island vibe have earned it the highest respect among producers, musicians and DJs. But it is the reggae producers’ penchant for turning out remixes and cover versions of popular songs that has left the biggest impression on today’s share-alike digital culture.
The spirit of the Sound System is alive and well as evidenced by Aurelito and Shakespeare’s tricked out, 1960’s era ice cream truck. Instead of selling Bomb Pops and poorly designed sherbet on a stick, these LA DJ’s sling cds and spin vinyl for the neighborhood kids.
Get the whole story from this 2004 Day to Day segment. Link
Fans of my favorite blog, Boing Boing, might recognize the name in this story’s byline is that of the host of Boing Boing TV, Xeni Jardin. Not only does she have the hottest voice to regularly grace NPR, but she is easily the foxiest of all the BB.net editors. But we love her for her mind, of course. She brings a unique perspective to tech journalism by focusing on the cultural side of science. Yes, I’m a Ska Geek, but I’m also a Geek Geek.
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Jan 12 2009
