Ska Blah Blah

Rumor Becomes News - Specials Will Reunite

Posted on May 27th, 2008 by JJ Loy.
Categories: news.

You’ve no doubt heard the rumors buzzing around the past few months regarding a full reunion of the Two Tone legends, The Specials.  I had always heard that any Specials reunion will never be complete due to longstanding personal feuds that go back nearly 30 years.  I’ve seen Golding fronted reunions dissolve into screaming matches with the crowd;  I’ve heard unimpressive live stuff from the Special Beat, in recent years; and who could forget the train wreck that was Today’s Specials- but a full member reunion might recapture that magic of ‘79- maybe.

This video has given me a pinch of hope:

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Ted Leo Misses the Second Wave

Posted on April 2nd, 2008 by JJ Loy.
Categories: track review.

Drew Bell, fellow Creve Core Six member and champion of all things cool, sent me this 2003 Ted Leo track, informing me that the chorus was “referentialicious.”

In the song, Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone? by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Leo laments the days when popular bands sang about the injustices of the world. That’s right, those nearly-forgotten days Leo sings about are the days of the Two Tone movement.

The Lookout Records artist presents his love for 2 Tone in a decidedly un-Ska way. Which is cool because it wasn’t just about Ska, 2 Tone was about the current affairs of the time as well as dancing and fashion.

Lyrics:

it’s times like these when a neck looks for a knife,

it’s times like these when a neck looks for a knife,
a wrist for a razor, a heart is longing for bullets.
tension is high under sea and over sky.
pressure drop, people are acting foolish.

ooh - but it’s easy to see!
ooh - we could dance and be free.
ooh - to that 2-tone beat!
but it looks like it’s gone…
gangsters and clowns with a stereotyped sound
it’s coming like a ghosst town - someone always knew it.
hatred and shame, a racialist game
cycles of blame - someone sang me through it.
who? well it’s easy to see.
ooh - we could dance to be free.
ooh - to that 2-tone beat!
but it looks like it’s gone…
i asked jerry, he told terry, terry sang a song just for me,
lynvall gave a message to me,
rhoda screamed and then she asked me,
“where have all the rude boys gone?”

Links:
Ted Leo’s website
Get the track from Amazon
Listen to Sound of Young America’s Interview with Leo

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Cut the Chit Chat - 03 - Hard Edged Dub

Posted on September 11th, 2007 by JJ Loy.
Categories: cut the chit chat, dub, podcasts, video.

Maybe I’ve had the wrong impression for a long time, but I had always seen Dub Reggae as chill-out music- something to be passively and herbally enjoyed. Dub is a Weapon was the first band, that I encountered, to change the vibe from relaxing to energetic, with squealing guitars and double-time rhythms. And now, groups like Dub Trio are fulfilling this aggressive dub destiny by mixing creepy Dub FX into Bad Brains style Hard Core.

This episode brings you this sound, plus other non-traditional Dub approaches from bands like the Beastie Boys, Gotan Project, and the Drastics.

Babylon Motorhome - Big Band Vid Link
The Drastics - Al Q’runka Live Vid Link
Beastie Boys - Suco De Tangerina Vid Link
Dub Trio - Illegal Dub Vid Link
Slackerland All-Stars - Dub #1 Live
Dub is a Weapon - Unlabeled Live Track Live Vid Link
Crazy Baldhead - Controls
Gorillaz feat. Terry Hall - M1A1 Terry Hall Vid Link
Gotan Project - El Capitalismo Foraneo Vid Link
Pepper Pots - We Must Believe (Remix) Live Vid Link

Other Link of Interest:
-Archive.org has a ton of live Dub sets form many of these groups. Plus it’s free! Link (search for Dub)

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