Ska Blah Blah » video

Don’t Skank Unless You Mean It

JJ Loy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:52:32 +0000

They’re being mean again! Sure, this scathing 3rd Wave Ska parody from CollegeHumor.com is about 12 years too late, but it’s my job to cover it when anyone is picking on Ska. What’s sad is that this is still the image the world has when they think about Ska- if they even ever think about Ska to begin with.

Please don’t get upset with me for posting more Ska Deprecation. I don’t think a lot of the points they make are all that apt anymore- but like the Ras Trent thing from last year, I think this video is good medicine for the scene. Besides, I’d wager the songwriters, Patrick Cassels and Scott Hallam were drawing from some personal ska experiences to craft such a put down to the ska-punk sound.

Alright, here’s Too Much Brass:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

New Video from Mr. T-Bone

JJ Loy — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:24:10 +0000

I’ve been playing the hell out of the latest release from Mr. T-Bone and The Young Lions on my radio show, Ska’s The Limit. I especially enjoy, The President of The Republic of Bananas- so I’m pretty happy with the band’s decision to make it their new single.

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

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvPzVwoAhSk]

Roots Online: The Aquarius Reggae Documentary

JJ Loy — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:22:51 +0000

Here’s something I just got hipped to, through a clip Maddie Ruthless recently posted to FaceBook. The clip in question turned out to be just a small piece of a Reggae documentary from a 70′s UK entertainment news program. I can’t find much information on the show itself, which was called Aquarius. However, I was able to track down the episode, in it’s entirety.

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:

[flash http://www.veoh.com/videos/v8886018K3MB2Bb]

[flash http://www.veoh.com/videos/v889077QpWP3Kag]

Update: Rancid on Conan

JJ Loy — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:01:58 +0000

I don’t know what I’m most excited about- the new Rancid album, Let the Dominoes Fall, or Conan O’Brien’s new gig as the host of The Tonight Show. Good thing I don’t have to choose, here’s the best of both worlds:

//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:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErLZaItKFaY]

Ska Online: Bootlegs by Vic at VicRuggiero.com

JJ Loy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:35:49 +0000

I’m very impressed by the look and content of the new blog, VicRuggiero.com. Far superior to the MySpace blogs the band keep themselves, this new site features a complete discography, a bootleg trading area, as well as Vic’s original esoteric MySpace posts. And fear not, although Ruggiero does not run the site himself, it has the Vic seal of approval.

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:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-O7MOw4XGk&e]

Dub Online: A Big Day For Dub

JJ Loy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:59:10 +0000

Well if you’re in the mood for Dub then I’ve got the links for ya:

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.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAOVAzGoPfU]

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.

Aquabats To Be A Cartoon.

JJ Loy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:13:12 +0000

Maybe you’ve seen them battle evil bands, like Mephiskapheles, in live rock operas. Or maybe you’ve seen them appear on Yo Gabba Gabba from time to time. But are you ready to experience The Aquabats as a fully animated cable adventure show?

I am.

History Of Randy’s Documentary

JJ Loy — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:09:42 +0000

Here’s another great find from Lawless over at DancinMood.com.

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.

Skye Sweetnam Rides The Aggro Riddim

JJ Loy — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:06:15 +0000

Remember last year’s Tim Armstrong solo record, A Poet’s Life? Remember it was backed by The Aggrolites? Remember that hot track, Into Action, featured Sky Sweetnam on background vocals?

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:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erFMIk2OXHM]

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

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfgvqras9wk]

Toots and The Maytals on Boing Boing TV

JJ Loy — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:14:04 +0000

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:

[flash http://cdn.episodic.com/player/EpisodicPlayer.swf?config=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.episodic.com%2Fshows%2F21%2F252%2F10%2Fconfig.xml]

Adorable New Video from Chris Murray Combo

JJ Loy — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:46:38 +0000

Right on the heals of thier new release, Why You Bad Soh, The Chris Murray Combo drops an awesome new video. Love Flame features the Combo as puppets from the neck down and the effect is hilarious and adorable.

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

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhA8MBP-vqY]

New Video from Black Cat Zoot

JJ Loy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:51:43 +0000

Not brand new- but new enough. This is one of the nicest looking videos I’ve ever seen come out of the scene- it features a heavy dose of Dr. Ring-Ding and a lot of motion controll camera work. Check it:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN9DcEEBc6Y]

Winehouse Does The Ska

JJ Loy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 20:25:09 +0000

Earlier this year, I followed a link to an underdeveloped MySpace page that boasted some Specials covers by the retro-licous, Amy Winehouse. These not-so-impressive tracks were obviously demos and weren’t worth repeated listenings- let alone an official release. That’s why I wasn’t in too big of a hurry to check out what’s been described as her Ska EP, when I read about it here and here.

Man, was I wrong. Winehouse’s versions of Monkey Man, Hey Little Rich Girl, You’re Wondering Now and Cupid are clean and polished- spic and span. Cupid is done as an upbeat Reggae tune while the others are arranged a lot like the Specials’ versions, but Winhouse’s vocal flourishes save the tracks from feeling unnecesarry.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gk3VI5f-SY]

But the tracks from iTunes from the Back to Black B-Sides Collection

Or if you want The Ska EP for Free.

Rude Boy for President

JJ Loy — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:35:11 +0000

I can’t find any evidence that the future President of the US enjoys Reggae or Island music, but Jamaica is behind him anyways. I can’t say that I really enjoy any of the songs for the various candidates- and I know they aren’t all meant to be enjoyed, some of them are jokes- but I’m impressed that Reggae hasn’t missed the train on the most socially conscious hopeful in decades.

Obama embodies many of the ideals espoused in Reggae Music. His calls for drastic reform, an end to the war, transparency in the government, and support and compassion for the least of us is decidedly anti-Babylon.

Here’s a big roundup of Obama themed music videos- some Reggae, one calypso tune from the legendary Mighty Sparrow, and one that has nothing to do Ska or Reggae but is simply irresistible.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxn9jhypHfo]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fV2-l0UskA]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=529VBEvnXu8]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRlKGvUBHVE]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSalB09uzM]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPLtotzqH0M]

Rumor Becomes News – Specials Will Reunite

JJ Loy — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:25:06 +0000

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:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O5ytIxiSUE]

Vic Online – Full Live Set on YouTube

JJ Loy — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:01:55 +0000

These vids were recorded a little over a year ago, at The Elbow Room, but they are new to me. Maybe they’re new to you too. This set is automatically better than your average Ruggiero live video set, in that you can actually hear the music and see the artist. This is Vic in full One-Man-Band mode, playing mostly stuff from his solo songbook, and a little bit from The Slackers’ cannon. Please enjoy: Link to The Entire Set

Here’s a sample from the set in question, California:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0PHD0gyeG4]

Bonus! Not from the Elbow Room set- but what a great performance:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CjAHETCV7w]

Ska Blah Blah: Small Talk Episode 02 – Green Room Rockers

JJ Loy — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:27:26 +0000

If you’ve been following the scene this past year- If you read blogs like this or Musical Occupation- If you lurk around forums like Dancin’ Mood or Chatty Mouth- then you’ve surely heard the buzz surrounding Indiana’s own, Green Room Rockers.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8cU8Hpp034]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FExZGzpmm8E]

I talked with Green Room Rocker Mark about acoustic Ska, the Mid-West scene and the formation of his band.

Ska Online: Desirable DVDs Abound

JJ Loy — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:13:49 +0000

My last post pointed you to an upcoming Rocksteady documentary, but that is far from the only interesting documentary coming down the pike. Here’s three other projects with accompanying trailers:

Legends of Ska: The Movie

This one looks to be a similar idea as the Rocksteady doc- get all the heavy hitters from around the world, film a concert, record some music, and shoot some interviews.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfb1GVYfv_A]

The Birth of Ska in Britain

Here we have a doc that will cover the migration of Jamaican music to the UK, featuring Duke Vin, Count Suckle, and Daddy Vego, to name a few.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mPyMb0I4Y0]

The Skatalites – Live in Sao Paulo

Here’s one I mentioned a few months ago. Victor Rice and the folks at Radiola Records have put together a live presentation of this not-so-original line-up. Release date is as soon as April 7.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hbq-726HDg]

Tommy McCook Interview on YouTube

JJ Loy — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:08:56 +0000

Here’s a cool little vid from the 70′s or early 80′s, where Mr. McCook covers his early career and plays a few of his Skatalites compositions. My favorite part is how seriously he shoos away the noisy kids from the back yard- you really get a sense of how important it is to McCook to put his story on record. His story covers a lot of familiar ground, but it’s fun to see the man speak and play live.

This is only a partial clip, if anyone has leads to the full presentation I’ll add it to this post.

[flash http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=-4NdBA3bv6A]

DJ Wade and The Skalars Reviseted

JJ Loy — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:30:18 +0000

I ran across this mixtape podcast and the DJ’s name immediately struck me as familiar. After digging a little deeper, I found that the man in question, DJ Wade, was a Ska and Reggae jockey for a St. Louis college radio station, and toured with the STL’s own Isaac Green and The Skalars. You might also recognize his name from his dub version of the Skalar’s Don’t Count, which appeared on the Bang Soundtrack.

His podcasts are literally mixtapes, which he made in 1995- ripped, encoded and organized by side. They lean towards Roots Reggae, Dub and Dancehall, and he knows a lot about where his various riddims come from. Link to DJ Wade’s Reggae Mixtapes

If you aren’t familiar with the Skalars (or it’s earlier incarnation, Isaac Green and the…) then hot tail it over to Amazon for a cheap used copy of either of their albums. They were the best local Ska band during my youth, and raised the bar considerably for the marching-band turned-ska-band wannabes that flooded the STL scene in the 90′s.

However, their tempos were often too fast to be considered First Wave revivalists, like their colleagues in Cali, Jump With Joey and Ocean 11. Still, their lack of power chords and abandonment of any punk elements set them apart from the Ska-Rockers that shared their bill. They weren’t doing the Big Band-Ska thing, but there were some Swing elements to their approach. Many of their songs could be considered Rocksteady, but bursts of tempo changes and heavy horn solos prevent them from being strictly so.

They were college kids who, while trying to figure out how to play this music got signed to Moon and hit the ground running. The resulting sound was completely unique, Rootsy Ska played on the banks of the Mississippi in the last years of the 20th Century.

Link to Keep on Keepin’ on With IGATS (a documentary of the Skalars tour of the West Coast)

Links to The Skalars YouTube videos presented by 3rd Wave TV clip 1 clip 2

Link to The Skalars video for the single, High School

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQkSILlj_fU]

New Dub Trio

JJ Loy — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:40:20 +0000

The word from Dub Trio is that their new album, Another Sound is Dying, is in stores today! I haven’t yet gotten my hands on a copy, but the last album was such a surprise to me, and their sound is so fresh; I’m sure I’ll go ape shit for it.

Here’s a couple of extended live videos from WoozyFly.com

VIDEOS REMOVED

Ruggiero Interviewed for Music With Soul Records

JJ Loy — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:50:21 +0000

I just got hip to an eight-part interview with Vic Ruggiero from his last trip to the Netherlands. The series of vids is credited to Music With Soul Records, but I can’t find any information on them what-so-ever. What I can tell you is that the host of the interviews, Alex, does a great job despite a slight language barrier. It’s Vic relaxed and happy- playing his guitar and talking about music and family. There’s even a little insight into a few Slackers songs.

Links:

So I need to give a shout out to my listeners in Holland! Like my new pal Baldy84, who’s music collection covers current European Ska, Mid-West US Ska, and tons of classic compilations. So thanks not only for the tracks but for pointing out another place where I have a few subscribers.

And thanks to Chris for leading me to these videos.

New Aggro Video!

JJ Loy — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:03:28 +0000

Oh man, this post might make me late for work- but the world has to witness this hot new Aggrolites video. Reggae Hit LA, is the title track off of their latest record, and the video represents it’s spirit by featuring a who’s who of great LA Ska, Reggae and Punk musicians. And the whole thing is dedicated to Dave Fuentes who passed away earlier this year.

The Aggrolites – Reggae Hit L.A.

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Secret Victor Rice DVD

JJ Loy — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:36:16 +0000

If you would be so kind as to remember the second episode of Conversations on a Revivalist Movement, you’d recall Victor Rice describing the mechanics of bringing studio Dub into a live venue. He also mentioned that a DVD was being produced to feature his live performance.

This has generated more inquiries than almost any other topic. Kids from all over the world have written me, trying to track down this DVD for themselves. Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. The Good: The DVD is done. The Bad: it’s not for sale, Victor uses it for promotion not profit. More Good: I have a copy, and it’s rad.

I understand Mr. Rice’s decision to not give the live show an official release; the camera is static for half of the show, and Victor’s face is obscured by shadows, almost completely. This is not the type of DVD to make a big splash at Tower Records- there’s no interviews or guest appearences, no clever editing or new release tie-ins. This is what it is: Victor Rice at the sound board, running reel-to-reels of his production work and Dubifying every beat.

And who wants marketability anyways. This is the mysterious Guru of Jamaican Revivalism giving us a glimpse of his process. Lee Perry and Mad Professor would do everything they could to keep their signature Dub techniques a secret, but Rice allows us behind the mixer to see how Dub gets done. And it is absolutely amazing.

I predict that this DVD will become what so many Ska and Reggae videos have already, a hard to find cult masterpiece. All of the ingredients are there.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/6KKvnIvDcvw]

PS Do not ask me for a copy, it’s not mine to give.

Marley explains the Jamaican Music styles

JJ Loy — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 07:27:11 +0000

I know you know the difference, and you know that I know the difference, but if you know someone that doesn’t- you should show them this video.

It’s Bob Marley off-handedly clarifying the beats that differentiate Ska, Reggae, and Rocksteady, in a ’70′s interview.

[flash http://www.5min.com/Embeded/7915/]

Ska Online: YouTube Rocks the Doctor

JJ Loy — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:15:28 +0000

Dr. Ring-Ding has never been one to shy away from any style. I was first introduced to the Doctor when he was burning up the scene by combining The Senior All-Stars’ Traditional Ska sounds with his own Dancehall-style chatting. Since that time, I’ve witnessed Ring-Ding move into several revivalist arenas- from Lord Creator inspired Mento to 80′s style Dancehall. I’ve even played you a track of his recently, that fits into the category of Ska Rap.

Now, we find Dr. Ring-Ding exploring a more Rock persona here in a couple of YouTube videos:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/7tB724BBjBg]

Ska Online: Free Slackers Concert

JJ Loy — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:56:52 +0000

FabChannel.com is yet another streaming video site to come along and take advantage of the broadband boom. However, you won’t find user-uploaded content or the latest music video. What you will find is free concerts- complete, clean-sounding, well shot concerts.

They also appear to have some degree of good taste, as evidenced by the inclusion of a live performance from The Slackers. Eighteen Slackers tracks from a 2006 show in Melkweg, Amsterdam, were digitized and streamed all for your online enjoyment.

Swing over to FabChannel.com to check out all the site has to offer, or click here to be taken to The Slackers show directly. Here’s a little preview of what to expect:

[flash http://www.fabchannel.com/embed/player.swf?ap=artist.the_slackers]

Ska Online: New Yo Gabba Gabba Video

JJ Loy — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:02:00 +0000

This is the song I’ve been waiting for, since I first heard about Yo Gabba. It’s Alex from Hepcat singing with GOGO13, in an animated segment about cleaning you’re room, aptly titled, Pick It Up. Check out the apparent love of Two-Tone culture- from Rude Boy Dad, Skinhead Son and Beat Girl Daughter to Go Feet t-shirts and spinning Mod Targets.

I’ve seen dead links to this for a while now, but this is the first active one I’ve found.

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL-R47vp2XQ]

Yo Gabba is the best ska on cable since USA’s Up All Night: New Years Ska Dance Party or maybe that one time when Mtv played Mephiskapheles.

Ska Online: Bedouin Soundclash

JJ Loy — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:18:00 +0000

I’m not sure everyone’s opinion on Bedouin Soundclash; I’m a little conflicted, myself. The first time I heard them, I was very turned off by their clean, radio-friendly sound. I gave their brand new record, Street Gospels, a shot and ended up liking a couple of tracks, which lead me back to Sounding a Mosaic, their penultimate album. While the vocals still remind me of the whiney boy hipsters that are popular in the current indie scene, the songs and rhythms come from a very rootsy place. I gotta say, they’re winning me over more and more.

Here’s an online live concert by AOL Music Canada Link (not a direct link, choose Bedouin Soundclash from the list of bands. A GoogleVid search Link Some of my favorites:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/2-lg1fa_MGQ]

[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/dCdWUjdLRJI]

Bedouin Soundclash Official Links: Website MySpace Wiki page Amazon List

Cut the Chit Chat – 03 – Hard Edged Dub

JJ Loy — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:59:00 +0000

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)

Ska Hits Nick Jr!

JJ Loy — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:43:00 +0000

Wow, that happened faster than expected. Both The Aggrolites and The Aquabats have already made appearances on the new psychedelic kids show, Yo Gabba Gabba!

I’ve already written up a bit about Yo Gabba Gabba, which you can read here, but I wanted to post these two clips:

[flash http://xml.truveo.com/eb/i/1927411374/a/58ef677afb89fc040e3dec6de7dd6c26/p/1]
AQUABATS VIDEO REMOVED

It’s crazy how little the Aggrolites had to clean up the Banana song, to make it kid friendly. Everybody like it!

Yo Gabba Gabba!

JJ Loy — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:23:00 +0000

Oh my goodness! This is one of the strangest/most exciting new shows to come down the development pipe in quite some time:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/ggrOcBWqHiU]

It’s called Yo Gabba Gabba! and it premieres on NickJr. on Aug 20. It’s a kids show, naturally, but it seems to have enough musical and psychedelic elements to keep the grown-ups paying attention. Guests like Elijah Wood and Biz Markie, along with the design styles of such artists as Kid Robot and Paul Frank, should lend Yo Gabba Gabba a high degree of production value. Here’s an official description:

Yo Gabba Gabba! is a fun live-action program for young children ages 1 and up. Join our host DJ Lance Rock as he introduces us to friendly toy monsters in a magical land full of music, dance, colorful cartoons and simple life lessons that will get you and your children up off the floor to learn and dance along.

So, why am I posting about this on a Ska Blah Blah? Well, not only is the show created and run by the Jacobs Bros (Christian and Parker of The Aquabats and GoGo13 fame) but scheduled musical guests include The Aggrolites, Mark Mothersbaugh, The Aquabats, GoGo13 and Alex Desert. Other (non-scene musicians) include Smoosh, Sean Kingston, Rahzel, and The Shins.

YGG song, Party in my Tummy, feat.
a very Don Hertzfeldt style of animation,
though I doubt that it his actual work:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9PqjMSNfkU]

Links of Interest:-Offical Yo Gabba Gabba! site
-YGG MySpace
-YGG Music MySpace (lots of songs)
-Nick Jr.’s official Yo Gabba Gabba page (you know? for kids. Iron-ons, masks, and activiteis)
-Yo Blogga Blogga (the shows production blog)
-YGG at IMDb
-YGG on YouTube

Ska Online: Story of Jamaican Music Documentary

JJ Loy — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 06:02:00 +0000

A few years back, the BBC made a great documentary, Reggae: The Story of Jamaican Music. It was fantastic, covering the birth of Ska during Jamaica’s independence and all the way up to Dance Hall.

I was most interested in the first episode which dealt mostly with the early ska days. The film takes us to the Alpha Boys School, and introduces us to the nun that helped raise the Skatalites, as well as many other notable Jamaican musicians. The cameras travel down the neighborhoods of Kingston where the original studios and clubs have been left to rot. We hear from likes of Lord Creator, and the then Prime Minister of Jamaica, before the film follows ska’s path to the UK, where we are privy to interviews with UB40, Paul Simonon, and many others.

If you have friends that need a good primer on Jamaican Roots music, I highly recomend this show. My only complaint is that the narrator states outright that Ska is Jamaica’s first type of music, even though the guests anecdotally refer to both Mento and Nyahbinghi in the interviews.

Here now, is the first episode of this great series, broken into four parts (as per Daily Motion rules)

UPDATE 05/10/08: DailyMotion is not cooperating with my embed plugin, but the links are still active:

P.S. DailyMotion is a great site. They let you upload longer segments than YouTube, and I love the way they display their tags, making the more popular tags more prominent than the others. Try searching for obvious tags: Ska, Reggae, or your favorite band. But given their constant embedding issues and increasingly limited content, I don’t really advocate the site any longer.

Ska Oddity: Ska vs Acid House and Hip Hop

JJ Loy — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 19:32:00 +0000

Here’s another Rarity/Oddity from the archives of Soul Seek. The album I downloaded was called Ska Rap, although I can’t find any evidence of this compilation having existed at all. The individual artists are easy to find with a quick Google search, but most of what’s available are in vinyl singles. In fact, from the sound of the mp3′s, I’d say the album itself is a vinyl rip.

It seems that in the late 1980′s, while Acid House was blowing up, several DJ’s attempted to add a little ska influence into the mix. The result is very silly as is most house and techno from that era. But it’s very catchy in places, and recognizing familiar hooks is always fun for me. You can also hear how the ground is being laid for Jungle and Drum & Bass which would dominate the scene, 10 years later. A couple of the DJ’s featured on the Ska Rap album would go on to change their names and become huge in the Jungle world.

Some of the Tracks:
MP3′s REMOVED

Videos of Interst:

Longsy D’s static video, This is Ska:

VIDEO REMOVED

Wyclef Jean and the Rock lay down some Ska Rap:

[flash http://www.youtube.com/v/Vmv--UJ3eJM]

I’m not posting this as an endorsement of this music. I’m a big believer that Ska can mix well with almost any kind of music, but this is an interesting failure.

I have some more Ska Rap/Ska Electronica tracks that I will post in the near future, so check back. Also, if anyone has more info on these DJ’s or the music, I’d love to hear from you.

Tim Armstrong: A Step in the Right Direction

JJ Loy — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:38:00 +0000

Tim Armstrong has always given nods to Jamaican Music, from Operation Ivy, thru Dance Hall Crashers, and all the way up to Rancid and the Transplants. But he’s always kept his sound on the Punk side of things, relegating the Ska and Reggae to a mere influential role.

It took a band like The Aggrolites to help Armstrong realize his Reggae dreams. This Hellcat team-up has just released, A Poet’s Life, evidence that Armstrong is capable of making the big leap from Ska influenced Punk to Punk influenced Reggae. The Aggro’s hard rhythms and grease bubbling organ are a nice compliment to Tim’s, mouth-full-of-marbles vocals.

The CD itself comes with a ton of music videos, they made one for every track.
- Buy A Poet’s Life from Amazon

I found a few of the above mentioned videos on YouTube:
- Hold On
- Translator
- Take This City
- Inner City Violence
- Among the Dead
- Oh No
- Cold Blooded

And while I’m on a recommendation roll, don’t forget to check out The Aggrolites new (Armstrong Free) album, Reggae Hit LA.
- Buy Reggae Hit LA from Amazon

Links of Interest:
- A collection of officially recorded Rancid Live Sets – dead link
- A video of The Aggrolites Live in the Studio

05 – Vic Ruggiero – Conversations on a Revivalist Movement

JJ Loy — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:34:00 +0000

Being the band leader, songwriter, keyboard player, and vocalist of The Slackers, Vic Ruggiero is a very busy man. But he took an hour out of his schedule to talk to me in this, the final episode of the series.

Vic picks up where Joey Altruda left off, last episode, talking about working within a genre’s parameters. And Ruggiero also answers my many questions about his lyrics and the various themes that appear in them. In doing so, he represents the connection between American and Jamaican Roots Music. All this plus Vic’s take on fate, collective thought, and Os Mutantes.

You’ll also hear lot’s of live music from The Slackers, as well as New Vic Solo Stuff.

Links of Interest:

-The Slackers live sets on Archive.Org
- The Slackers merch page
- Ruggiero’s MySpace with Downloadable tracks for Free and for Fee
- JupUp Records sells Vic’s Japanese Solo Record, Hamburguru
- Vic and The Slackers on NPR
- And On Austin Radio