Tone and Wave: November 2023

Sunday, November 26, 2023

The Worms / Blinking Underdogs

I think it's well known by now that Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron from the Star Wars Movies) was in a few ska/punk bands in the late 90s/early 2000s.

Some of these are my own rips and scans but some were found online.

I think that, by now, everything in this post can already be found somewhere else online. I should have made this post years ago but for the few of you who don't have these recordings already - here they are in a single download.

The most well known and well discussed band was The Worms. They only had one legitimate release but before that they put out a demo tape called "Live Bait" that I don't think was actually live.

The Worms - Live Bait (1996)

1 Problems

2 Spit

3 Wanna Be

4 Lynn

5 Mr. Giant

6 The Girl I Love

The Worms - Fish Fry (1997)

1 My Unity

2 Freight Train

3 Remember Me

4 Love Me on Your Way Out the Door

5 No Way Out

6 In My Head

7 Everybody Dance

8 I'm a Creep

9 I Am Not OK

10 Virus

11 War

12 The Girl I Love

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After The Worms Oscar Hernandez (Oscar Isaac) moved on to start his own band The Blinking Underdogs. They were more punk than ska but the ska sound and the horns were ever present.

They released 2 CDs but before they put those CDs out they had 2 demo tapes. The first one "Timestamps" from 1999 was included in its entirety on their CD "Last Words". The exact same recordings. But their second demo tape was not on any of their other recordings.

The Blinking Underdogs - One Day demo tape (2000)

1 I Can't Go On, I Go On

2 One Day

3 Take Everything

4 Through My Window

5 Take it Back

6 Rise Up

The Blinking Underdogs - Last Words (2001)

1 Days Gone By

2 Salvation

3 Jimmy Jolopo

4 Away

5 Acceptance

6 Trailer Park

7 Lost Words

8 Once

9 Blue Alisha

10 Blame

11 Misery

12 Untitled

The Blinking Underdogs - Champagne Anarchy (2001)

1 Against the Sun

2 Desolation Road

3 Scatter

4 I Can't Go On, I Go On

5 Somewhere in Between

6 Subsonic Love Child

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Saturday, November 25, 2023

First 8 [Germany]

First 8 - Some Help (1999)

1 That Doesn't Suit Me at All

2 Your Abuse

3 Commander Keen

4 Indiscretion

5 210

First 8 - Nothing in Common (2001)

1 Nothing in Common

2 Right or Wrong, My Country?

3 Interlude

4 No Idea

5 My Friends

6 Are You Scared?

7 You

8 We Know

9 May 13th

10 Why do We?

11 Between the Lines

12 Take it or Leave it

13 Another Working Day

14 This World

15 Rainy Day

16 Bonus Track

First 8 - Crossroads (2004)

1 Crossroads

2 Time-Out

3 The Qusetion

4 Three Kibgs

5 Ready Fire...Aim

6 Set Your Goals

7 @ Our X-Pense

8 What's the System?

9 I Can't Figure it Out

10 Beat Called Off

11 Mr. Hiob's Story

12 Thoughts and Doubts

13 Snowboard Girl

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Ska Vendors - Vendor's Stew (2006)

1 Vendor's Stew

2 Everyday Joe

3 B.L.T.

4 Hoodlum Nightcaps

5 Pay for Your Crime

6 Oil in My Lamp

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Superheroes - Local Superheroes (1994)

1 Superhero

2 nimals

3 I Said, She Said

4 This Time

5 This Town

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Rude Boy - Shut Up and Dance (1998)

This band is also from Canada but they are unrelated to the band from the previous post. These guys were from Ottawa and they did release an EP in 2001 called "Four on the Floor" which I do not have.

1 Somebody Someday

2 Sally Brown

3 G'Wan Wit Ya

4 Superspy*

5 Ska Father

6 Bang Bang

7 War-Ska

8 Sorry

9 Happy

10 Detroit Ska City

11 Out of My Head

12 Gimme Gimme

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

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*(not a cover of the Save Ferris song)

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EDIT: I mentioned the EP because I do not have it. I should have mentioned that they had another album called "2". I have a copy of "2" that I downloaded from the intertubes back in the days but I never had a physical copy so I didn't post it. I posted this because I have it and the rips and scans are my own. If anybody wants me to post the files I have from the second album just leave a comment and I'll post it.

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Silent Q - 1983 demo tape

Silent Q was a ska band from Ottawa, Canada who started out as a band called Al's Garage. They never recorded anything aside from this demo tape which was recorded at the end of the band's short but promising life.

There may be only one single copy of this tape that exists. It was ripped by the band's drummer Anthony Chhangur in 2009. The sound quality is not great but this is probably the only recorded proof of this band's existence.

The band was:

Norm Berketa - guitar/vocals

Anthony Chhangur - drums

Paul Seale - guitar/vocals

Fred Hackett - bass

Steven Bird - bass (when Fred left the band)

Greg Friend - keyboard/vocals

Silent Q were vocal about being inspired by the band Pushkins.

Silent Q - 1983 demo tape

1 Logical Patterns

2 Look Back on Your Life

3 Talking

4 Youth in Asia

5 Sabotage

6 Captivity

7 Jump and Dance

8 The Boys in the Neighborhood

9 Cruising the Autobahn

10 Bad Apples

11 Mind Jump

12 Rumour Fuse

13 Way of Life

14 Nobody Takes Me Any Higher

15 Observations (From the Planet Mars)

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

If you appreciate lost recordings of old Canadian ska bands you should check out Randy Conrad's YouTube Channel. He was the keyboardist/trombone player for the Canadian band Rude Boy who released one single in the early 80s. The band was fronted by Count Steve formerly of The Villains. They had a 4 song demo tape and they released a 7" in 1982 called "Someone Elses' Car" (not on Discogs).

The band was made up of members from an earlier female-fronted band (lead singer called herself Edie Amin) called Current Situation. I don't think Current Situation had any official releases but there are some great live recordings.

Start with THIS VIDEO and then check out his other videos. Lots of great lost ska in this channel.

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Militant Red - And Then a Voice... 12" (1981)

This was the second release by Nik Townend after The Akrylykz broke up.

The first is THIS ONE.

A - And Then a Voice...

B - Kick it Up

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Birkenstocks - Demos (1998 - 1999)

I previously posted The Birkenstocks' first two demos HERE. As it turns out they did have two other demo tapes which Rikard has gifted us. The previously mentioned "songs that aren't available anywhere else" were from the third tape. The 4th demo might be completely new to you.

The Birkenstocks - Third Demo (1998)

1 Don't Mention the Stone

2 She's Not a Lady

3 Rhythm of My Strings

4 Prosperous Lad (Version Two)

5 Ten Dollars for Your Wife

The Birkenstocks - Fourth and Final Demo (1999)

1 Greenwich Super Midnight

2 Sugar Sugar

3 Johnny Groove A Go Go

4 Watt Was His Name

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

...Thank you Rikard!!

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Pushkins [Canada]

Pushkins - Pushkins EP (1983)

1 One Way Flight

2 The Walk Home

3 Just Dancing

Pushkins - Pushkins (unreleased EP 1984)

1 UIC

2 Sometimes

3 My One

Pushkins - ...Inviting & Invading (1985)

1 Shoot You, Shoot Me

2 Romantic Zone

3 Scissorman

4 Buzzard Bait

5 I Said

6 Pain Bank

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Pete Bamboo

Pete Bamboo was a ska band from Schaffhausen, Switzerland who existed between 2002 - 2016.

Pete Bamboo - Welcome (2006)

1 I Saw a Light

2 Anyway

3 Capitolismo

4 Gutenachtmusik

5 In Your Hands

6 Katerzeit

7 Little Sunshine

Pete Bamboo - Fasten Your Seatbelt (2007)

1 Take-Off

2 Here We Go Again

3 Baila Cariño

4 Little Prince's Kingdom

5 Save My Soul

6 Saturday Moonlight

7 Gutenachtmusik Part II

Pete Bamboo - Burns Like Onions (2012)

1 Rose Marleen

2 Esperanza

3 Apple Pie

4 Choo Choo Train

5 Lonely

6 Why Don't You Wake Up?

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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25 Liars - Blind 7" (1997)

Punk-ska from New Jersey.

1 Blind

2 Burning Sound

3 Keep Your Head Up

4 Something Better Happen

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Sunday, November 12, 2023

Velveteens

Velveteens - Viva (1999)

1 Fred Garvey

2 Le Telephone

3 Dr. Moriarty

4 Wasted with the Cooper

5 Intermission

6 Yak Farm

7 Port Authority

8 Bitter

9 Roger's Girl

Velveteens - The Art of Compromise (2000)

1 Lady Camaro

2 Walk of Shame

3 Armageddon at Lucky World

4 Back to N.Y. C.

5 Green & Yellow

6 Sweet Dreams of Beetlejuice

7 Beach

8 Spartak the Banker

9 Tongue Sandwich

10 Sunnertime

11 Pangolin

12 Magnet Man

13 Valentine

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Brazzaville [Sweden]

Introducing Brazzaville (1996)

1 Kaiser Man

2 Shut Up Train (Shut Up)

3 Battery Thinkers

4 Candlelight Dinner

5 Rock Me Baby

Brazzaville - The Girl is Allright (1998)

1 Flick It

2 Do U Like It?

3 MoonBoot Baby

4 Baby (You Got Me Down)

5 Great Women

6 FireGirl

7 Boom Boom

8 Be Whippy

9 Electricity

10 Goodbye Girl

11 Grindboy

12 Doin' it Again

Brazzaville started out as an alternative rock band called Tongue Gongue who recorded three demo tapes. The first two tapes were alternative music. The third one was ska. Then Tongue Gongue changed their name to Brazzaville and became a full-time ska band.

I included Tongue Gongue's third demo in this download. You can find their first two demo tapes on THIS YOUTUBE PAGE.

Tongue Gongue- Tongue (1995 demo tape)

1 Shut Up Train (Shut Up)

2 Great Women

3 Hej (I Love You, Let´s Go Stealin´)

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

...

3 Ball Combo [New Mexico]

This was a ska-punk band from New Mexico. I know the CD is available on Soundcloud and I'll admit that I respectfully stole the tape from Punk Guy's YouTube post but the CD is my own rip and the scans are my own.

3 Ball Combo - Skabrones Locos (1997)

1 Panzon Fire

2 Cold Slitha

3 Seco Boy Skank

4 Why

5 Punk Song

6 Chump Change

7 Glasses

8 Pedo Boy Bus

9 El Molacho Crunch

10 Porn Star Holiday

11 Priorities

12 Mentiras

13 Frustrations

3 Ball Combo - Porn Star Holiday (1996 demo tape)

1 Seco Boy Skank

2 Pornstar Holiday

3 Pedo Boy Bus

4 Glasses

5 Runnin'-N-Jumpin'

6 Mentiras

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

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Friday, November 10, 2023

Engine 54 (Germany)

Engine 54 - 54-95 (1995)

1 Engine 54

2 Fight Too Much

3 Skyloving

4 Ouh Poo Pah Doo

5 Soon You'll be Gone

6 No Duty No Love

7 Hypocrites

8 Why Bier?

9 I'm a Fool

10 Hound Dog

11 Here I Am

12 Jumping the Gun

13 Big 5

14 You Took My Love

15 Simmer Down

16 Reggae Stuff

Engine 54 - No Means No 7" (1998)

1 No Means No

2 Everything Crash

3 No Means No (version)

Engine 54 - Tribute (2002)

1 Grazing in the Grass

2 Archy Wah Wah

3 Stop Making Love Beside Me

4 Stay Away

5 African Beat

6 You're No Good

7 Breakfast Table

8 Rub Up Push Up

9 Love to Call You Babe

10 Rockin' Good Way

11 Problems

12 Traffic Jams

13 The Tide is High

Engine 54 - Non-Album Tracks

* A Rest

* Pied Piper

* Upside Down

* Tenderness

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

...

Microskapic / Microscopic

This was a third wave Christian* ska punk band from Tennessee. They used the name "Microskapic" on their first release but then changed their name to "Microscopic" for their second release.

Microskapic - Scraping the Culture... (1998)

1 Boss Man

2 Can't Wait

3 Red Balloon

4 Damascus Ave

5 Face to Face

6 Pipeline

7 Fade Away

8 13 O'Clock

9 Simple Gift

10 Polka for Danny

Microscopic - Blind to See (1999)

1 Island Boy

2 Too Much Time

3 Resistance is Futile

4 Night and Day

5 Miles Away

6 WEST on 40

7 Celebration Song

8 Jehova-Jireh

9 No Separation

10 Red Balloon Reprise

11 Don't Feel Sorry for Yourself

12 Hobropog

13 The Mighty One of Israel

14 What's Chad Doing?

15 Problems in Space

DOWNLOAD from MEGA

DOWNLOAD from Pixeldrain

* I've mentioned plenty of times before that I'm no fan of Christian ska music but this band has less "I love Jesus" per minute than most other Christian ska bands. This is an actual respectable ska band with intelligent and original songwriting talent and not every single song is based on their beliefs. This really is just a great ska band.