One of the first ska bands to really pop off on the radio in the '90s was a humble little act called Goldfinger. Bolstered by hits like "Here in Your Bedroom" and "Superman," the band became one of the best-known projects in the scene. This week on In Defense of Ska, Goldfinger frontman John Feldmann joins the podcast to chat about the band's history, legacy, and more. Listen now.

Feldmann runs through the history of Goldfinger, from the early days to singing with Mojo Records to penning radio hits. He touches on the band's workhorse mentality, playing 385 shows within one year, and the many bands he's produced for (like The Used, 311, Avril Lavigne, Blink-182, Good Charlotte, and 5 Seconds of Summer).

Listen to Goldfinger's John Feldmann all of this and more, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Also be sure to enter for your chance to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out this entry form, following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. The contest ends September 9th, so don't miss out!

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Enter to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out our entry form (https://bit.ly/supernovaska), following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. There will be winners selected from each entry method and the contest ends September 9th, so hurry and enter now for your chance to win!

Ska might seem like a somewhat insular scene, but in reality, many non-ska musicians have a deep appreciation for the genre. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, the crew examines the ska roots of Peal Jam’s Eddie Vedder, as well as the metal band Ice Nine Kills. Even better, Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas joins in on the fun! Listen now.

Both Vedder and Ice Nine Kills have recently released songs that expose their love for ska music; Vedder covered The English Beat's "Save It for Later" (which appeared in Season 3 of The Bear) and Ice Nine Kill dropped a ska-infused cover of "Walking on Sunshine," for which they enlisted the help of Reel Big Fish.

Also joining the conversation this week is author Marc Wasserman, who gives insight into how Vedder's history intersects with ska music. Listen to all of both his and Charnas' insight!

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Did you know that some of our friends are also podcasters? For this month’s bonus episode, we wanted to bring on the fine folks from the Bothering The Band podcast. Their format is this: They bring on musicians and comedians and then proceed to BOTHER them with weird and silly questions. It’s a lot of fun. They’ve even had host, Aaron Carnes on one episode. So, we brought on Ryan and Abby and then BOTHERED them with our own weird and silly questions. 

Sign up to the IDOS Patreon to listen to the entire episode. 

Then, follow the series wherever you get your podcast and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

You can also support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Beloved Australian comedian Aaron Gocs has appeared in the Netflix film The Merger, hosted videos for Vice and appeared in numerous Australian TV shows. But his roots are punk and ska.

He discovered the music from Mighty Mighty Bosstones' hit single, "The Impression That I Get," but soon learned about local ska bands. His first-ever show was Melbourne-based punk (and sometimes ska) band The Living End and local Brisbane ska group Wiseacre. But soon, after diving into the music, he discovered Less Than Jake, who became his all-time favorite band. And he would follow them all over Australia when they'd visit, even if that meant he would get any sleep.

Today we speak with Aaron Gocs about ska, Australia, and where these two worlds meet. We talk about Warped Tour's first venture to Australia in 1998, Aaron's favorite local ska program (Ska Trek, every Thursday at 8p!), why he's retired his skanking boots (And semi-retired from stage-diving), and his deep love for The Mountain Goats.

We also discuss several Australian ska bands like The Resignators, The Porkers, Area-7, Allniters, and Strange Tenants. He explains what a "stitch-up" is to us. Plus we discuss some unique Australian food and animals. Cane Toads, anyone? 

We also find out what Mr. Bean had to do with Aaron getting kicked off of Twitter! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The Slackers formed in New York in 1991. The band, fronted by Vic Ruggiero, played a bit of everything. But eventually, Vic realized that they needed to focus, and suggested they stick with the ska and reggae tunes and drop the other stuff. It suited the band. Though The Slackers signed with Moon Ska and then Hellcat Records, they were always a smaller band during the 90s Ska Boom. That changed in the 2000s when ska became a dirty word and many of the bands broke up or changed their sound. The Slackers carried on and became ska scene leaders. And they continue to be so in 2023.

Today we speak with Slackers frontman/keyboardist Vic Ruggiero. We go deep into Slackers' history and talk about their early years, the long journey to signing to Hellcat and we break down the song "Statehouse" from their new album. (Though the song dates back to 1998. Rancid played an early version of it called "Wrongful Suspicion" on their Life Won't Wait Album.

Vic also fills us in on the short-lived Silencers project he had with Tim Armstrong, and even tells us why he quit Tim's other band, Transplants, after "only 10 seconds." Plus Vic tells us about the time he met The Wu-Tang Clan, which was one of the funniest stories ever told on this podcast. Not to mention, we even circle back to an early episode of this podcast and get Vic's memories of playing The Crack Shack in Tuba City. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Austrian ska-metal band Russkaja came to the US for the first time in 2022 and opened for Flogging Molly. Every night on that tour, they blew tons of minds. The band, who formed in 2005, is a blend of many influences. They mix intense metal with ska, polka and Russian folk music. They sing in multiple languages and have members from Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Russian and Austria.

The group is well-known in Austria. They are the house band for the comedy show Willkommen Österreich. And they have several albums out on Napalm Records. Their latest, Turbo Polka Party, releases on February 3. 

Today, we speak with Russkaja's guitarist/songwriter Engel Mayr. We talk about the band's history and the Ska/Balkan music scene they emerged from (And outlasted). We talk about their biggest song, "Energia" (2013) and the excellent video that they made for it. And Engel even tells us which songs he wanted to cover for the new album but didn't get to. (Hint it's Psy's "Gangnam Style" and ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man.") 

Plus Engel tells us how the band addressed Russia's war in Ukraine while they toured the US--it started a week before they came over! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Is 2023 the year ska comes back? Oh I know, you've heard that one before. But it does seem like there's some great things happening in ska in 2023, and we thought we'd talk to one of the leaders of the new ska scene (JER of Skatune Network and We Are The Union!) about what this all means for the future of ska!

To listen to the entire episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Supernova International Ska Festival started in 2013 as a house show that got so big, it was moved to a local brewery. Though it took a few years before it got the name Supernova, and that first show wasn't even a festival; just a kick-ass show with Chris Murray and King Django.

Every year, Supernova has grown. 2023 is looking to be the biggest and best version of the festival to date with acts from all over the world like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Fishbone, The Dualers, Don Letts, Stranger Cole, The Planet Smashers, Catbite, Out Of Control Army, and so much more.

Today we talk about all things Supernova with co-founder Tim Receveur (He founded the festival with his wife April) and creative director Mike DeMatteo. We talk about the festival's history and dig into what people can expect at this year's festival. We also chat about some fun stories from Supernova's previous festivals. And there are plenty of fun stories there!

We talk about Derrick Morgan's epic 2017 performance, 2020's quarantine edition (fundraiser for Alpha Boys School), and how Taylor Morden managed to film several interviews for Pick It Up - Ska In The 90s at the festival in 2018 during a storm. We also talk about Hepcat playing the festival (Their first east coast concert in decades!), the creation of the Rude Girl Revue and Tim lets us know how he managed to get Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra to headline this year's festival. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Actor John Ross Bowie is best known for playing Barry Kripke on the hit TV show Big Bang Theory as well as Jimmy DiMeo on Speechless. But when he sat down to write his memoir, No Job For A Man (released in 2022), he focused a lot more pages to his formative shows going to punk, hardcore and ska bands in New York's vibrant live music scene than he did being on the set of these hit shows.

Today, we speak with John and he surprises us with quite a few details about New York's ska scene in the 80s. We talk about seeing CBGB ska matinees, The Toasters, New York Citizens, The Boilers, Second Step and Bigger Thomas. And John also tells us about going to college in Ithaca in the early 90s, where he interviewed several musicians on his radio show, including Joe Gittleman of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Marc Wasserman and Robert Apollon Jr. of Bigger Thomas.

We also talk about his band, Egghead meeting One Eye Open on the road, his love for The Ramones, The Dickies and The Toy Dolls, the hyper-specific and bizarre hardcore subgenre known as Krishnacore, and why Chris Gethard insists that John is his comedy mentor. 

And most importantly, John gives me advice on how to record the audio book for In Defense of Ska. Thanks for the pointers, John! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in May 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Indie rock band Minus The Bear created a unique sound that blended a multitude of genres: math rock, emo, pop, prog, and yes, ska. Well, at least, the bass lines were informed by ska and reggae. Bassist Cory Murchy grew up obsessed with ska music. And when it came time to write interesting and moving bass lines, he often drew inspiration from the bass masters in reggae and ska bands. Besides, who plays bass better than ska and reggae bass players?

Today, Cory joins us to talk about the secret ska influence of Minus The Bear. We break a few songs that lean the heaviest into ska territory ("My Time," Memphis & 53rd," "Pachuca Sunrise"), and we also talk about Cory's ska formative years growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He even discusses his high school ska band, Soulskats.

We talk about the impact seeing Mealticket live had on Cory, we discuss a few of the key New Mexico DIY spaces, and we talk about the Seattle indie rock scene that Cory joined when he got a little older (and its connection to Animal Chin)! We find out why Suicide Squeeze's David Dickenson has a "Cory Murchy" tattoo and we learn what ska tattoo Cory has on his body. 

And during the interview, Cory casually drops a huge reveal on us. His mom used to babysit Kurt Cobain! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

While still quite young and headstrong, Sammy Kay dove headfirst into the ska scene, doing touring work for The Skatalites, King Django, The Slackers and Westbound Train. He later played in trad ska/rocksteady group The Forthrights and then fronted his own group (featuring future members of Catbite): Sammy Kay and The Fast Four. In that time, he accumulated a lot of stories! 

Today we bring on Sammy to hear his tales. And he has quite the tales. He tells us about living with Vic Ruggiero, how he juggled working for so many bands at once, and how he helped to build a ska/rocksteady revival scene in Brooklyn in the late 2000s/early 2010s. 

Sammy gets deep and personal and talks about how he dealt with his addiction and how difficult that was. You don't want to miss this episode! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in May 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

World/Inferno Friendship Society was not a ska band. However, their punk cabaret sound was similar in spirit and they played with a fair amount of ska bands. They even toured with Blue Meanies and The Independents. Accordion/Keyboardist Franz Nicolay WAS a ska fan. When he moved to New York in the 90s, he saw many brilliant ska shows at The Wetlands. Later when joined indie rock group The Hold Steady, and continued to love the music wholeheartedly.

Today, we talk to punk rock's number-one accordionist, Franz Nicolay. He explains why he once sent In Defense of Ska a message to inform us that he NEVER renounced ska. He tells us about discovering ska in the 90s and seeing many Moon Ska bands perform in New York. He also tells us many unhinged World/Inferno stories from the road. And he tells us what the other members of The Hold Steady REALLY think about ska!

We also discuss Franz's excellent novel, Someone Should Pay For Your Pain, and he tells us why he often thinks about the unglamorous side of being a touring musician. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in October 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

We've released over 100 episode of In Defense of Ska! For this month's bonus episode, we recap our first 100 episodes with our number one fan, Mike Park! 

Mike offers his opinions on episodes, we figure out which guests talked about Mike Park and which DID NOT. And if you listen long enough, Mike offers his email and specific instructions for YOU to follow!

To listen to the full episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This week, In Defense of Ska becomes Song Exploder... or, rather, SKA Exploder. The Kilograms' Sammy Kay and Joe Gittleman (also of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones) join the hosts to dissect songs from their respective catalogues. Listen now.

Firstly, the gang breaks down Gittleman’s song "Chores," which is taken from his brand new solo album Hold Up. Then, the group launches into a discussion about Kay's "How Fast to Run," which comes from his upcoming album July 1960. Finally, the two give a peek into The Kilograms' "Can't Be Beat."

Elsewhere, Kay and Gittleman talk about the benefit compilation for Michelle Ska, the influence of the people of Maui, and their relation to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. There's also discussion of what makes a perfect song, with Magnetic Fields’ “Papa Was a Rodeo” and Cher’s “Believe" being tossed up as examples.

Listen to Joe Gittleman (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) & Sammy Kay (The Kilograms) talk about all this In Defense of Ska podcast. Then, follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

You can also support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The Uptones made big decisions--spontaneously. This is how guitarist Eric Din describes the group's career. Formed in 1981 in Berkeley, California as young teenagers in love with all things 2 Tone ska, The Uptones took the bay area by storm IMMEDIATELY with packed shows with lines out the door. They got their songs into heavy rotation on the radio by walking into the station and handing the DJs their demo recordings! But the band could never land a contract. Some of that could have been due to how quickly they were willing to completely shift gears and not be predictable.

By 1987 the band called it quits, but reunited in 1989 at Gilman and then in 1990 for the Earth Day ska festival. The next time they played was in 2002, effectively missing the entire Third Wave US Ska boom. 

Today we talk to two members of The Uptones: Eric Din (Guitarist) and Paul Jackson (Trumpet, Keys) They tell us the important influence they got from repeated views of Dance Craze at UC Theatre in Berkeley (With copious out-of-control dancing), as well as getting to see English Beat in their prime. They tell us about opening for the big names in New Wave at the time: R.E.M., Oingo Boingo, UB40, The Go-Go's, Madness and Billy Idol. And they tell us about the time Fishbone showed up at their rehearsal space to hang out. 

Eric and Paul also tell us about working with Rancid in the 90s. Eric co-wrote a handful of songs with Tim Armstrong, and Paul Jackson played the organ on "Time Bomb." Yes, that's his solo you've heard a thousand times on the radio. They also tell us how a young Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy) used to stage dive at Uptones shows in the 80s.

All of this is a part of the ups and downs of the bay area's very first ska band, The Uptones. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Walt Jabsco, the iconic dancing ska guy logo that came to symbolize the Specials and 2 Tone ska, was inspired by a photo of Peter Tosh from his '60s ska years. The Beat Girl, which the English Beat created as a logo for their band (though also came to symbolize 2 Tone ska) was inspired by a photo of a woman dancing with Prince Buster in 1964. Very little was known about the woman in this photo. Recently, Joanna Wallace, long-time ska fan and operator of Miss Upsetter Designs decided to learn more about Brigitte Bond, the woman in the photo. She dug in deep for 5 months and created a 30-minute documentary (Blue Beat Baby) of her findings.

Joanna discovered a lot! Her research revealed Brigitte to be a transgender bluebeat singer, dancer, actor and stripper. And Joanna found a handful of movies Brigitte acted, that she danced all over the world, that she was briefly engaged to Sir John Waller and that she even harassed Billy Graham when he came to the UK. All of this is discussed in Blue Beat Baby.

Joanna's film (and our conversation with Joanna) also sheds light on the London Soho scene in the mid-60s and how ska developed in the UK in general. We talk about the Flamenco Jazz Club, Prince Buster's role in spreading ska globally and we even try to understand the difference between "ska" and "bluebeat."

You can watch Blue Beat Baby here!

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Metal-heads know that Kyle Shutt is a shredder. It's clear in his band, The Sword's music. Even non-metal-heads that played Guitar Hero knows that he can shred, and have likely played along to his guitar licks on "Freya." But Kyle also has ska roots. At age 15, he played trombone in the Hobbs, New Mexico Christian ska band Ten Betty Zane. When he was 17, he took a 24 greyhound bus ride to see Blue Meanies play a free show in Chicago. And in Austin, he was part of the Blue Meanies (And MU330) street team. 

On Oct 20, 2022, Kyle's two decade-long group, The Sword, broke up. For his first post-Sword interview, he did what all non-ska bands should do; he chatted about ska with us. Listen as we discuss Kyle's ska roots, break down the hundreds of metal subgenres, talk about meeting Anthony Bourdain during the No Reservations Austin episode, and discuss how he turned Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon into DOOM side of the Moon. 

We talk about how the metal scene differs from the ska and punk scenes, dish about Nickelback, Dead Milkmen, Zebrahead and Lit, he tells us about singing about poop with his daughter on the Dirty Restaurant of Death side project, and Kyle tells us what it was like to invent an entirely new metal subgenre: Shitgrind. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

John DeDomenici has played the bass in many bands. But most notably Jeff Rosenstock's solo band and Bomb the Music Industry. He also played a whole variety of instruments in Arrogant Sons of Bitches.

Today, we bring on John and throw every random and obscure question we can think at him. We talk about catching Covid in England, getting his own dressing room at the Gaslight Anthem Jersey show, drunkenly cutting his hand trying to open a bottle of wine, and joining Chris Gethard at Fest in a Smiths cover band. 

We also talk about green-screening his bass performance to Late Night With Seth Meyers, the time he almost joined Every Time I Die, and why he likes to listen to a punishing amount of 311 and Metallica cover songs. 

Plus he even tells us about the time in 2004 he did live sound for Donald Trump. Spoiler Alert, Trump was not a good guy. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

"Everything I do is out of necessity," Jay Vance tells us. He grew frustrated playing with Blue Meanies, then Skankin Pickle, and realized that the only way he was going to have a successful band with longevity is if he no longer played with other humans. So he built his own band called Captured! By Robots, where he is the only human member and the rest are robots.

Today, Jay tells us about the early days of Blue Meanies (He founded the band!), his year in Skankin Pickle (As their third bassist!), and the weirdest band to ever exist: Captured! By Robots. he spills all the details and rants angrily about the evils of the music industry in the process.

He also talks about his love for rocksteady, his hatred of ska, the role he may or may not have had in Skankin' Pickle bassist Mike Mattingly getting kicked out of the band, and the many unusual TV appearances Captured! By Robots made in its early days. He also says why he will never do America's Got Talent, no matter how many times they invite him.

Plus Jay explains what a dildo unicorn is and why he's tripping balls.

Here is a link to the rocksteady mix Jay mentioned during the interview

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

For November's BONUS episode we talk about Fest. Specifically how it became SO ska. To do that, we speak with the man that books most of the Bad Time Records bands AND got Against All Authority to reunite: Brent Friedman 

To listen, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The Aggrolites have zero ska songs. Sure they play with a lot of ska bands, but their genre is REGGAE, specifically "Dirty Reggae." That means it was influenced by late 60s skinhead reggae, and given a modern, aggressive punk rock edge. The band formed in 2002, immediately appealing to the hardcore skinhead and rudeboy crowd. But in 2007, when they appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba (And performed the E.K. Bunch's classic reggae song "Banana") they gained a much wider audience. 

Today, we tell the story of The Aggrolites with singer Jesse Wagner and keyboardist Roger Rivas. We talk about the vibrant traditional ska scene they emerged from, and how they formed out of a Derrick Morgan recording project that was never released. We talk in-depth about the first three records and learn how the band went from recording spontaneous jams to thought-out (and sometimes experimental) songs. 

We talk about the group getting signed to Hellcat and backing Tim Armstrong on his debut solo album, "A Poet's Life" (The session included an Alkaline Trio cover that was released separately). We also talk about how rough it was opening for Dropkick Murphys on tour. We get into the group's style, which has a lot more in common with punk than reggae or ska. And we discuss how, even though they play reggae music, they don't fit into the reggae scene. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Five days after Ryan Seaman graduated from high school, he hit the road. His gig: drumming for The Eyeliners on Warped Tour 2002. This was just the beginning for Ryan. He'd go on to play in Fairview, Falling In Reverse, I Am Ghost, and I Don't Know How By They Found Me. That last band played Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel. But before any of this, Ryan was a ska-punk kid going to as many shows in Salt Lake City, Utah as he possibly could.

On today's episode, we chat with Ryan about his SLC ska-punk scene years. He tells us how transformative Green Day's Dookie was for him, discovering The Stereo in 1999, road managing The Aquabats in 2019, and how a Link 80 show at Area 51 was one of the greatest shows he saw in his life. 

We also talk about the movie SLC Punk, The Used, and Adam tells us about the time he saw Mr. Bungle in Utah. We also discuss Utah ska bands, including Insatiable, Sturgeon General, My Man Friday, Stretch Armstrong, Hospital Food and The Knockouts. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The Chris Gethard Show was supposed to start like normal, but the audience had their own idea. They shouted "Eat More Butts" at Chris to a degree that he couldn't start his show. The musical guest, Jeff Rosenstock, even gave them a musical accompaniment. For 15 minutes, the show descended into madness. But Chris also didn't fight it because he knew that this would be great TV. Having grown up in the DIY punk scene, he was aware that this type of chaos was where a show's best moments would be.

Today, we speak to Chris Gethard about his punk roots. His first show ever was in a Jersey church basement with all local bands. His 2nd was in a friend's backyard. A young, Less Than Jake was also on the bill. Less Than Jake became Chris's favorite band for a while. During this time, he also saw Slapstick, Skankin' Pickle, Mephiskapheles, Catch 22, and was a fan of other ska bands like Mustard Plug and MU330.

We also talk about Chris's recent experience hitching a ride with Catbite. He also talks about bringing on Take Today to play his live "New Jersey is the World" show a few times. (He loves, "Do You Still Hate Me?," their Jawbreaker cover and their ska song, SKAdiving.). He talks about his recent interview with Bigger Thomas singer Roger Apollon. And we also talk about his passion for all things New Jersey...he tells us where we can get REAL Italian Ice!

Plus Chris tells us how surreal it was recently to see Jeff Rosenstock play a huge show opening for Gaslight Anthem. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

New York's Stop The Presses were all set to hit the road hard in March 2020. The day they scheduled to leave, New York went into lockdown. So instead, they hunkered down and made an excellent pandemic record, Got It, released on September 29 on Jump Up Records. The group showcases their uniquely dreamy and washy ska-pop sound, rooted in an aesthetic that takes its vibe from the 1960s-1980s, in all its reverb and space echo-y goodness.

On today's episode, we interview three members of Stop The Presses, and get deep into their history, first starting in the primarily Spanish-speaking town of Hialeah, Florida in 2010 to their elaborate Halloween-themed shows (One year it evolved into a complete theatrical production called "It's Pronounced Nuclear") to relocating to New York in 2015. Once in the Big Apple, they locked in a new lineup and started working with Agent Jay of The Slackers to produce Money In The Bank (2019) and Got It (2022)

We also discuss their three separate RVs, the Cuban roots of The Skatalites, the touring game that gave them their new album cover, and we break down their fantastic cover of Bikini Kill's "Rebel Girl" (Complete with a Dolly Parton "9 to 5" introduction) 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This week on In Defense of Ska, Frank Turner joins in to discuss growing up with UK skacore, finding a balance between his punkier and folkier tendencies, and his new album Undefeated. Listen now.

The English artist joins the In Defense of Ska crew to chat about both his presence in punk circles and singer-songwriter circles. He also, of course, gives his take on ska -- and as it turns out, he has quite a lot of thoughts on the genre!

He then details what it was like going to skacore shows in the 2000s, his experience touring with Interrupters, and NOFX covering his song "Thatcher Fucks the Kids." Elsewhere, the artist and performer dives into his new album Undefeated, loving Converge, and the worst shows he's ever played.

Listen to Frank Turner talk about on the In Defense of Ska podcast. Then, follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

You can also support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

For October's Patreon exclusive bonus episode, we talk about SKA BAND NAMES. You know, that thing that everyone makes fun of. Well, over here at In Defense of Ska, we decided it was time to have an impartial evaluation of every major ska band's name. 

We brought on our editor, Chris Reeves for this conversation. And we even judge our own band names too, just to be fair. 

Sign up to the IDOS Patreon to listen! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

In 1995, promoter Kevin Lyman launched The Warped Tour. The first year's lineup was an eclectic mix of bands from the 90s (including No Doubt and Sublime). In subsequent years, it gained a reputation as a punk rock festival, though the lineups always remained diverse. And ska was always a component, even during the 2000s and 2010s. Some years, Lyman booked a bunch of ska bands. 1998 included The Specials, Hepcat, Pietasters, Skavoovie and the Epitones, and more.

On today's episode, we talk to Lyman about his ska roots and discuss how important ska was to The Warped Tour. We talk about the time in the 80s he toured with The Untouchables, and we discuss how he booked Fishbone in the early 80s at rented halls. We also talk about some of the lesser-known ska bands that played the festival in the 2000s, like Oreskaband, Go Jimmy Go, Westbound Train, Stacked Like Pancakes and Sonic Boom Six.

We also talk about Warped Tour's most attended year, 2005, when Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance played as they were exploding on MTV. He tells us about the BBQ bands, and he reveals whether he knowingly allowed Jeff Rosenstock's old band, ASOB, to sneak on to Warped Tour or if he was blissfully unaware. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

In 2006, Boston ska band Westbound Train played the Summer of Ska tour, followed by the Fall of Ska tour. Between the two tours, they played with Suburban Legends, Big D & The Kids Table, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto--all ska-punk bands. Westbound Train plays traditional ska, rocksteady and early reggae, with a hint of soul.

The group, which formed in 2001 in Boston, has always been a ska band out of time. Not only did they form after the 90s ska boom, but they were often alone on an island, the only band on a bill playing overtly 60s-influenced ska. And somehow became one of the most popular US ska bands to form after the 90s. Now, the group just surprise-dropped their first record in 13 years, called Dedication. Lead singer Obi Fernandez sat down with us to talk about the new album and the band's history.

We talk about their formation at Berklee College of Music and learn that one of their classmates, comedian Eric André roadied for the band (when he wasn't putting on strange shows at All Asia Bar.) Obi also tells us the influential role that country music plays on all Westbound Train songs. And he tells us how Bucket let him use The Toasters touring van to move to college.

We also discuss their time on Warped tour 2009, how the Mighty Mighty Bosstones gave the group their first big shot, and how they rushed the recording of their sophomore album Five to Two in order to have something to show Tim Armstrong in hopes of getting signed to Hellcat (Which they did). 

Obi also tells us why the band ended shortly after that Warped Tour run when they were seemingly at the height of their popularity. He also tells us what it took to get the band back together again. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Gogol Bordello plays a mix of different genres (Punk, Romani folk, Latin rock, polka), though hints of ska can be found all over their songs. Frontman Eugene Hütz calls it "ska without doing ska" and says he almost doesn't think about the ska elements since he sees ska as so closely linked to punk music. 

But on Gogol Bordello's latest album, Solidaritine, the ska elements are more overt than ever before. The reason: their new drummer Korey "Kingston" Horn has an impressive ska resume (Aggrolites, Tim Armstrong, See Spot, Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra, Rhythm Doctors) and we all know that the heart of ska is in those drum beats. 

Today we talk to the legend, Eugene Hutz about Gogol Bordello's relationship with ska. We also talk a lot about Ukraine--Eugene is a Ukrainian political refugee and has done much to support them against Russia's attack, including playing a recent secret show for Ukrainian troops at an undisclosed location. We also talk about his childhood growing up in Kyiv and going to super DIY punk shows and trading tapes with other local punks. Some favorites include Dead Kennedys, Devo, The Selecter, P.I.L., Bad Manners, Murphy's Law, The Specials, G.B.H.

On this episode, we also talk about the immigrant experience that often comes up in Gogol Bordello's lyrics. It is often the product of necessity through displacement or economics. Eugene has talked at length about the idea of worldwide citizenship, so he squares this ideal with the global issue of anti-immigrant sentiments that have increased in recent years. 

Of course, we talk a lot about interesting music too including Sonic youth, Mano Negra, Russkaja, Cuatro Pesos de Propina and The Specials. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The Matches played catchy pop-punk in the 2000s, a time when catchy pop-punk bands could be top 40 pop stars. They worked their asses off, were courted by major labels, but never reached pop stardom. Though the band did mean a lot to a ton of people. They built community around their music and made sincere connections with their fans. And they have ska roots. 

The band formed in 1997 as The Locals. Inspired by Rancid, they originally played a blend of punk rock and ska-punk. They also looked up to fellow east bay band Link 80. And in fact, even went to high school with Link 80's original guitarist Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. The Locals even played Link 80s final show! 

Today we talk to The Matches' lead singer/guitarist Shawn Harris about the bands roots and dig into several stories throughout the band's career. We discuss their years building a scene at East Bay venue iMusicast, where bands like My Chemical Romance, Zebrahead and RX Bandits would play on tour. We also talk about The Matches first major tour--which was with Reel Big Fish. Shawn tells us about two mind-blowing shows from that tour. 

We also talk about why Gilman would never book the band, what is was like working with some famous producers (Tim Armstrong, John Feldmann), how The Locals ended up touring in Bosnia while they were still in high school, and Shawn talks a bit about his new life as a children's book cartoonist, book author and Dave Eggers collaborator. Shawn even tells us about the time he sneaked a peak into Dave's CD collection to see what kind of music he listened to. And it was exactly the bands you think it was! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

The first official In Defense of Ska tour was a huge success. We traveled along the west coast with Mustard Plug, Buck-O-Nine and Omnigone. Aaron Carnes opened the show with a reading from his book, In Defense of Ska. We got to meet many of YOU wonderful people and dance to SKA music every night!

We also kept an audio diary of the tour. Listen now! But THIS is just a teaser. If you'd like to hear the entire episode, sign up to our Patreon. It is quite the JOURNEY! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

After the '90s, skacore got a lot heavier. One of the reasons for this was Sussex, New Jersey band Folly, who took the heaviest elements of hardcore, metalcore and mixed it with ska. They also did so in a way that emphasized the genres similarities, as opposed to their differences. Though the band struggled to find a significant audience in the 2000s, they would find that years after they broke up, not only did they have an obvious impact on newer, younger bands, but they suddenly fit in with this scene in a way unlike when they were a heavy touring, active band.

This week, we talk to Folly members Arben Colaku and Jon Tummillo. We discuss the band's history, their unique philosophy to songwriting and talk about what it's been like for them years after their initial breakup in 2008. We also talk about what a big influence Converge was on them, and conclude that, therefore, Converge played an important role on the development of ska!

We also discuss Anthony Fantano name-dropping the group when he interviewed me, Folly signing to Triple Crown Records, local DIY shows at The Phone Booth, and how "Hey!" by The Suicide Machines was a life-changing song for the group. 

We talk about how they turned disastrous shows into fun adventures. We also break down some of their songs, and we talk about a time they ate so many meatballs before a show in Connecticut that they had to play with the meat sweats. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Toronto, Canada had a raging ska scene in the mid-2000s. It included ska bands like Hebrew School Dropouts, Suzy Jacuzzi and the Hottubs, and Five Across The Eye. It also included PUP singer Stefan Babcock's former ska band Stop Drop N Skank. But there was one band, The Flatliners, who would go on to sign to Fat Wreck Chords and make a name for themselves in the punk scene. But when they started, they played intense ska-punk. A brutal, aggressive mix of Suicide Machines, Kid Dynamite, Against All Authority and Voodoo Glow Skulls.

Today we bring on Flatliners lead singer Chris Cresswell to talk about his early ska years, which includes the brilliant 2005 Stomp Records album Destroy To Create, a favorite among some of their fans that want The Flatliners to bring back the ska.

We discuss iconic Toronto venue, Big Bop which fostered this scene by hosting multiple all ages shows every week. We also talk about how Steve Foote from Big D and the Kids Table helped get the band signed, The many ska tours that The Flatliners did (Catch 22, Suicide Machines, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake), and how OG Flatliners ska fans always "Spill Your Guts" at shows. 

We also find out if it was Fat Mike that asked the band to stop playing ska! You won't believe what Chris has to say about that! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew ravaged South Florida. Prior to the hurricane, bassist Danny Lore was playing in the punk band Grover Snatch. But the hurricane caused some members to move away. Rather than replace them, he decided to start a new ska influenced punk band: Against All Authority. For months they practiced acoustically--there was no power in South Miami for a while. And as the band got going, they booked their own shows at the Kitchen Club in Coconut Grove. No one else would. Besides, being punk meant being an active participant in the scene.

Today we talk to three members of South Florida political punk-ska band Against All Authority, whose records Destroy What Destroys You and All Fall Down are absolute classics. We walk through their entire entire career, get to the bottom of just what makes these guys tick, and find out why punk and ska are so important to them. 

We talk about 80s punk venue Cameo Theater (Same club that Cannibal Corpse played in the Ace Ventura Pet Detective), early rejected band names, their 1968 school bus that broke down at least 10 times on tour, and their legal battles with American Automobile Association. 

We also discuss issues with their labels, why they broke up in 2007 and what led to them reforming 15 years later. They also tell us a bizarre story that involves killer monkeys that escaped from a nearby laboratory! 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Comedian Turner Sparks has a new comedy album out on September 30th. It's called Double Happiness. And yes, it's no coincidence that it is literally the same title as Slow Gherkin's debut album. Turner was a huge ska fan growing up. And he wanted his record's title to give a wink to the ska scene.

In fact, not only did he attend wild ska shows in Sacramento at Capitol Garage, BoJangles, El Dorado Saloon, and the Crest Theater, but he also had his own band: Fat Kids On Mopeds. Oh and one of the bands that he idolized was Link 80. He kind of thinks co-host Adam Davis is a big deal.

And we go deep into Sacramento lore on this episode, with copious discussion of comedians Keith Lowell Jensen and Johnny Taylor Jr, some love for local group Lesdystics, and Turner points out just how much ska was in the Sacramento-based film Lady Bird. How did I miss that?

We also discuss Turner's time running a Mr. Softee ice cream truck empire in China, his recent trip to El Salvador to find out if in fact the country really is run on bitcoin or not (For a potential "Lost In America" TV episode), how politically polarizing stand-up comedy has become, and his brief time running the Sacramento Anti-Racist Action chapter--at the age of 17! Oh, we also talk about how he became friends with SKAmedian Ian Fidance. It had something to do with the hardcore band H20. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Believe it or not, back in the late '90s, Christian ska was all the rage. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, the hosts tap into their inner musicologists and explore the bands, sounds, and culture of such a movement. Listen now.

The gang takes a look at the 'big three' of Christian ska, examining the likes of Five Iron Frenzy, The Supertones, and The Insyderz. They also dial in on the Supertones' sophomore record, The Supertones Strike Back, which went on quite a commercial run at the time of its release.

Elsewhere, the hosts chat with two people who were there to witness the rise and fall of Christian ska: Jordan Morris (of Jordan, Jesse, Go) and Kevin T. Porter (of Good Christian Fun). The duo discuss the music, television shows, and legacy of the niche micro-genre, as well as anti-masturbation songs and Katy Perry’s Christian (and ska) roots.

Listen to Jordan Morris and Kevin T. Porter talk about Christian Ska on the In Defense of Ska podcast. Then, follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

You can also support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Lots of comedians love to make fun of ska. And TV shows are now required to have at least ONE ska joke per season! But what do comedians that ACTUALLY LIKE ska think of all these ska jokes? We brought on the two MOST SKA comedians out there right now! And both have been on the podcast before: Brandie Posey and Ian Fidance. Now listen to them AT THE SAME TIME! 

This is only a teaser. To hear the entire episode, sign up for our Patreon

Do it now! What are you waiting for? Don't you want to support SKA?

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Victor Rice studied music at Manhattan School of Music intending to be a New York City session bass player. That is until he got talked into joining The Scofflaws in 1988. From that point forward, he became immersed in the world of ska. In fact, after doing a fantastic job producing The Scofflaws' first album, Bucket started hiring him to produce Moon Ska albums. He produced Skavoovie and The Epitones' Ripe, The Pietasters' Oolooloo, The Slackers' Better Late Than Never and The Adjusters' Before The Revolution.

Today we speak to Victor Rice about his time in The Scofflaws, producing Moon Ska albums, and playing bass in the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. But we also cover his time at King Django's studio Version City, where he and Agent Jay (The Slackers), worked on many a brilliant album like Rocker T's Nicer By The Hour. And we also devote some time to talking about dub techniques and dub history, as Victor has become a master of the genre. His dub name is Strikkly Vikkly.

We also talk about Victor's TWO Latin Grammys, some of his work with The Skatalites, what it's like to stay at European squat houses, why he moved to Brazil in 2002, and what it was like to do a dub remix of Hepcat's From Outta Nowhere album. We also talk about Victor's four solo albums: At Version City (1999), In America (2003), Smoke (2017), and Drink (2020)

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Earlier this year Vi Viana released her first ska song in years. The song, "Burning The Bridge," (by her band Gutless) is a serious song about coping with trauma and abuse and features Jer on horns. One of the reasons she wrote the song was to push back on people's (false) idea that ska is silly music.

Vi has been a fan of ska since she was a child. She was born and raised in northeast Brazil. Her mom introduced her to the music via The Specials and Brazilian bands like Os Paralamas do Sucesso. At 10, her family moved to Miami and she got into bands like Aquabats and Less Than Jake. But eventually, she would discover a great local scene at the Talent Farm.

On today's episode with Vi, we discuss ska in Brazil (Abraskadabra, O Leopardo, Móveis Coloniais de Acaju), Jer's early ska band "Funkman's Inferno," why she sings in English and Portuguese (and how Less Than Jake's Vinnie Fiorello suggested she do it!), and we talk about the brilliant community on Ska Twitter, and new artists like Kmoy, Tapegirl, We Are The Union, Best of the Worst, Half Past Two, Catbite and Eichlers. 

We also discuss how her music was influenced by her identity as a Brazilian, an immigrant and a queer person. Oh, and we even mention her old ska-punk band Sluggage. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

In the 80s, when Horacio Blanco was only 14 years old, a friend showed him a poorly dubbed cassette of The Specials' debut album. Even though it was hard to make out, when "A Message To You, Rudy" came on, his mind was blown. What is this music? In no time, he and his friends vowed to show everyone they knew in their hometown of Caracas, Venezuela ska music. First in the form of minitecas (mobile sound systems) and then form their newly formed band, Desorden Público, which would become Venezuela's first ska band ever. 

By the late 80s, Desorden Público would get signed to CBS and later Columbia Records and score some massive hits in their country, like "Allá Cayó" and "Valle de Balas," great dance-pop songs that also had a strong political message. Desorden Público would be part of a movement of massive bands in Latin America that incorporated ska into their music, that included Los Fabulosos Cadillacs (Argentina) and Os Paralamas Do Sucesso (Brazil).

On today's episode, we speak with Horacio, who tells us the story of Desorden Público, whose name is a commentary on the repressive Venezuelan police they grew up with. He tells us how he set about spreading the word of ska to other Venezuelans, how he brought US ska bands to his country (The Toasters, Bim Skala Bim, NY Ska-Jazz Ensemble, The Slackers), and how surprised he was that Desorden Público was able to create hit singles with such bluntly political lyrics. 

He also talks about collaborating with ska bands from all over the world, from Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra to Neville Staple (The Specials) to Angelo Moore (Fishbone). We also talk about how Venezuela's economy crashing affected the music community, and he tells us what it was like to work with La Orquesta Sinfonica. 

Shout out to Mari Wendler for helping with translation. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

In the late '90s, a new ska-punk scene was bubbling up in the UK that would last until the mid-2000s. This scene would be defined by groups like Capdown, Sonic Boom Six, Adequate Seven, Five Knuckle and the record label Household Name Records. One of the earliest groups to form in this scene was a band from Derby called Lightyear--and they were the craziest groups from this scene. 

Defined by copious on (and off) stage nudity, Morris dancing, pantomime horses and never-ending pranks and shenanigans, Lightyear took cathartic songs ska-punk songs about depression, drug addiction and domestic abuse and created a wild stage production that always left the audience confused and elated. 

On today's episode, we speak with Lightyear's lead singer (and lead instigator) Chas Palmer-Williams. He tells us how getting bullied as a child led to him getting naked as often as possible. He gives us the low-down on a popular hobby, "puppetry of the penis," and he waxes nostalgic about his days at the Victoria Inn. 

Chas also lists about the US bands that Lightyear tormented (Mustard Plug, Link 80, Slow Gherkin, and Laura Stevenson to name a few), he talks about the Household Records documentary he started (And the problems he's faced), we learn about his new business Hawkr, and most importantly, he tells us the full Ice-T story, one that involves a pantomime horse crashing Body Count's set at Reading Festival where "Ice-T was not amused." 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Jake Matter thought it was a good idea to start tweeting at celebrities to see if they liked ska or not. Surprisingly, quite a few answered. While most said yes, some did not, like Converge, who told him "Fuck No!" This exchange went viral and earned the Ska or Nah Twitter account 3,000 new followers in under 8 hours, and an article in Loudwire. 

Several of the people that Ska Or Nah has tweeted at have been on this very podcast, and their responses have served as part of our research for the episodes, including Ted Leo, Max Collins (Eve 6), Laura Jane Grace, John Darnielle (Mountain Goats), Elliot Babin (Touche Amore) and Arizona Ice Tea. 

Today we talk to Jake about Ska or Nah, his skacore band Grey Matter and why he thinks nu metal deserves to be defended. He tells us about the personal importance of tweeting at Tony Hawk and Rivers Cuomo, what it was like to release a record on Bad Time Records just before the pandemic, how amazing it was to play at this year's Stoopfest in Lansing, Michigan, and the many influences of his eclectic band, Grey Matter: La Dispute, Parquet Courts, Ceremony, We Are The Union, Blue Meanies, Flaming Tsunamis, and Fatter Than Albert.

He also tweets at two celebrities during the interview (Melissa Villasenor, Bill Clinton). But do they respond before the episode is finished? Listen and find out!

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

On this special BONUS episode, we chat with a trio of punk podcasters: Greg Soden (Unscripted Moments: A podcast about Propagandhi), Cheska Colombo (On The Impossible Pod), David Anthony (As You Were: A podcast about Alkaline Trio) 

To listen to the entire episode, sign up for the In Defense of Ska Patreon at www.patreon.com/indefenseofska

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Folk-punk duo AJJ was playing Mama Buzz Cafe in Oakland when they were approached by a guy named Skylar Suorez who was angling for some free records. Skylar told the Phoenix group that he worked at Asian Man Records. The group was excited at the prospect of being on the same label that released groups like Ten In The Swear Jar, Shinobu and copious ska albums. Shortly after, Asian Man signed them. 

On this episode, we bring on Sean and Ben from AJJ and dissect their ska roots. Ben is a much bigger fan of the genre and even played some ska in an early band called Free Delivery. While Sean admits he clowned on ska in high school (The entire golf team at his school listened to Christian ska!). However, we find out that he sang lead vocals on the ska song "ABCs" (with Mike Park and Jeff Rosenstock). He also performed at an "In Defense of Ska" event at Sojo's Donuts in Mesa, Arizona, and told the audience he was "ska-adjacent." 

On today's episode, we talk about all of Ben's favorite 90s and 2 Tone ska bands, how AJJ and Blue Meanies are similar, which ska bands AJJ has played with, and which grocery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma, AJJ once did a show at. 

We also talk about AJJ's AV Club Undercover show where they mashed up songs by Talking Heads, Neil Young, Wheatus and more. We discuss Mike Park telling the group that they were too big for Asian Man--but no other label was interested in them, and we talk at length about Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, who opened for AJJ last year. And we beg him to be a guest on the podcast. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Dunia Best was a member of the very first incarnation of The Slackers. And after she left the band, she took a song she'd hope would be a Slackers song, "Walk," and started playing it acoustically. A friend suggested she could start her own band. That band, Agent 99 (1993-1995) played all over New York with No Commercial Value (Scott Sturgeon's first band), The Slackers, as well as punk and funk bands. 

Though Agent 99 was short-lived, many great musicians came through, like Ara Babajian (The Slackers, Leftover Crack), Alec Baillie (Leftover Crack), Jayson Nugent (The Slackers), and perhaps the most famous of all: Dunia's brother Ahmed Best, who would go on to play Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequels. 

On today's episode, we talk to Dunia about her time in Agent 99 and the Slackers, but also get into newer projects like Brave New Girl, Dubistry, Rude Girl Revue and Dunia and Aram, who just released their debut LP called Bedfellows. 

We also talk about Dunia's non-ska influences (Steely Dan, Sade, Joni Mitchell), mind-numbing data-entry jobs, the trials of teaching music, and how being a fitness instructor doesn't pay a living wage. We also discuss the Fierce Pussy Fest and the formation of Riot Grrrls (Agent 99 was there!), and Dunia's deep friendship with Ari Up from The Slits. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Recently, comedian Jon Daly noticed there was a cruise line with some 90s ska bands as its entertainment. It got him thinking...what if ska came back, and it was from a ska cruise. This silly thought inspired him to write the song, "Bring Back Ska," which is featured on his new musical comedy album, Ding Dong Delicious. 

This isn't Jon's only run-in with ska. He also played Skaat, the lead singer of Skaffirmative Action, on the TV show Those Who Can't. His band is played by members of The Aquabats, and Jon crams as many ska puns into every one of his scenes as is humanly possible. So with all of this in mind, we invited Jon on the show to talk about ska. 

Jon, it turns out, doesn't have an encyclopedia knowledge of the genre, though he "knows enough about ska to make fun of it." We have a good time discussing Skankin' Pickle, Operation Ivy, Sublime, No Doubt, Fishbone, Hepcat, The Specials, Madness and Buck-O-Nine. But we also talk about lots of non-ska artists, including Kenny G, Billy Joel, Man Man, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Led Zeppelin. 

During the conversation, we also talk about why Captain hats are creepy, how the movie Swingers impacted people's perception of ska, Sublime conspiracy theories, which band is the most Nu-Metal, his arch-nemesis John Daly--the golfer, and which band needs to record a ska song NOW. (Hint: It's Shannon and the Clams) 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

This week on In Defense of Ska, Russian trad ska band Lollypop Lorry discuss covering Keith & Ken, collaborating with Inspector, and the Russian ska scene. Listen to the full chat.

Formed in 2008, Lollypop Lorry are a Russian ska act that just played their biggest show ever... in Mexico. Suffice to say, it's been an interesting ride from their humble beginnings to finding international success. Luckily, guitarist Ivan Gogolin and drummer Simon Shiriaev are here to break the whole tale down.

The two band members also touch on their love for Jamaican ska, their viral cover of Keith & Ken's "I Won't Let You Go," and collaborating with the likes of Inspector and Out of Control Army. They also launch into the inner workings of the Russian ska scene, shouting out other bands that deserve their flowers.

Listen to Lollypop Lorry on the In Defense of Ska podcast. Then, follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

You can also support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition will be released in Oct 2024.

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Earlier this year, when New Jersey ska band Awful Waffle decided to reunite for the Ska Mom Memorial show, they needed a drummer. So they called up School Drugs frontman Josh Jurk to see if he'd fill those shoes. He was reluctant to play ska drums--he didn't have a lot of experience. But paying tribute to Leslie Brown (ie Ska Mom) was important to him so he said yes.

Today we talk with Josh, whose ska credits also include playing bass on one Best of the Worst tour, starring in the Slapstick-themed scene of the horror film Uncle Peckerhead, and going to a lot of ska shows at DIY venues like Pine Lake Park Log Cabin in Jersey (Which his mom booked out!)

He talk about the time he saw iPod era Bomb The Music Industry at Pine Lake Park Log Cabin, how TikTok celebrity Grav Master Hash became Awful Waffle's hype man, and we go into detail about the ska mom memorial show, which also featured Hub City Stompers, Catbite and Sammy Kay. 

We also discuss his pre-screaming vocal routines, why he decided to manage his depression through therapy, and he tells about the time he showed up to a venue on tour to find a metalcore band lifting hella weights in preparation for their show. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

What's it like to be raised by a ska parent? We ask co-host Adam Davis' kids and find out. Give a listen to this month's bonus episode with Thomas and James Davis. This is only a teaser though. If you want to hear the entire episode, sign up for our Patreon. You will have access to the entire episode and a bunch of additional Patreon-exclusive content. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Comedian Brandie Posey has been evangelizing about ska as long as people have been listening to her speak. In fact, some of her earliest comedy influences came from watching Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake goof around during their shows. The comedian, who is celebrating her 14th year in comedy, regularly performs at Fest, co-hosts the popular Lady to Lady podcast, and has an album out on cassette called Opinion Cave.

On today's episode we discuss Ronald Reggae, the ska playlist she made for comedian Jackie Kashian, why ska musicians are similar to comedians, and the time she got to open for Against Me and The Interrupters, and what it was like to be one of the only non-musicians to be interviewed in Pick It Up - Ska in the '90s. 

Brandie lists several non-ska things that are ska, like Andrew W.K., The rhino scene in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and those 12 foot skeletons from Home Depot. But most importantly, we try to figure out who is the ultimate ska comedian: Her or Ian Fidance. 

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon! 

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.