Marshall Doktors - The Worrying Kind 7" (1980)

Not really a ska record but more like a classic rock-n-roll record - the sort of songs that the Cramps taught you. But this is often sold as a ska record and I can see why. It does have a ska feel to it. This record was intended to be 50s style but it was put out during the dawn of the 80s so the two styles were meshed together perfectly. If you listen to the b-side first you won't get it. But, if you listen to the a-side first, and then the b-side, you'll hear the ska influence.

A - The Worrying Kind
B - O Kay!

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Just the Facts - MX Missiles EP (1985)

This was a rock/power pop band from Bangor, Maine. I don't know if this is the only thing they ever recorded but it is the only thing I know of by them.
For the Tone and Wave crowd the highlight here is their cover of "Eve of Destruction".

A1 - MX Missiles
A2 - Eve of Destruction
B - Mutension

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Heavy Manners - World War Six 7" (1979)

This is not the same Heavy Manners from Chicago. These guys were from Belgium and they released two singles that I know of. This one, and one called "That Train" with a b-side called "Barley Wine" which featured Saxa from the English Beat.

A - World War Six
B - Attention


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Jah Moon - Reggae American Style (1984)

Rare release from this California pop-reggae band.

A1 - Reggae American Style
A2 - Redd Lite Lady
B1 - I Want You
B2 - Down Babylon

"Redd Lite Lady"

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Luddy Pioneer with Joe Lewis & the Ska Kings - Ska Revival (1975)

This record was ahead of its time - the name "Ska Revival", the black and white checkers, and that unique sound a few years before Jerry Dammers and the Specials adopted these elements as their own - I would be surprised if this wasn't the spark that started the 2 Tone fire. .

1 Time Longer Than Rope
2 Housewife Choice
3 Tickle Me
4 Burning Fire
5 Mama No Fret
6 Never Never
7 Rough & Tough
8 Pretty Lou Lou
9 Blazing Fire
10 Penny Wheel
11 Elena

"Pretty Lou Lou"

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Ska News...

This T-shirt is available at Redbubble. It's from this scene from the show Portlandia. I'm sure you can expect to hear this clip on lots of upcoming ska releases for years to come. 


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Members of Rude Boy George have started a new project called Heavensbee described as The xx meets Massive Attack with lots of reggae and dub influences.
This is what they sound like:
Trilby Records' Facebook will keep you updated.

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Teenage Heart is an independent record label based out of Kansas City, MO. Founded in 2014 by filmmaker Johnny Starke and Modern Life Is War vocalist Jeffrey Eaton . Starting out as a distro for self released Reggae, Ska, and Punk records, 2015 found the label releasing it's first material on the Teenage Heart imprint.

The first release is the Kansas City band New Riddim  "Carolina/What Can I Dub?" 7"
New Riddim is also set to release a new album this year following up on 2012's "Kidnapped". Stay tuned to their official site.

The Teenage Heart Stateside Distro webstore carries exclusive, limited run, and self released vinyl records from current bands making the finest Reggae, Dub, Ska, Punk, Oi! that we can find! Stocking only limited quantities of each title the items available are always changing.


Teenage Heart


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Reggae Steady Ska has a list of ska albums released in January 2012 HERE. These are albums and do not include singles and EPs.

A couple of singles and EPs released in January 2015 are the Less Than Jake "American Idle" 7". The song "American Idle" is on the album "See the Light" but the b-side is exclusive to this single - you can hear it HERE.

Boston rock/ska/reggae band The New Limits released their debut EP "Pressure Up"

available at Bandcamp  HERE.

SOTD - Izzy Stradlin from Guns 'N Roses - Can't Hear 'Em (1992)

Heavy metal and reggae/ska don't mix very well. Sepultura did a cover of Bob Marley's "War" but they weren't even trying. David Lee Roth did try with his song "No Big 'Ting" but it didn't work too well. The popularity of third wave ska even inspired GWAR to use horns.


Before all that, and years before there was a third wave Izzy Stradlin left Guns 'N Roses to become a solo artist. His first solo album "Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds" was released in 1992 and it featured a cover of Pressure Drop which was done in a straightforward hard rock style - with a touch of reggae at the end. But then he released the 4-track Pressure Drop EP which contained the same rockin' Pressure Drop and two other rock and roll tracks but it also had a song called "Can't Hear 'Em" which was not available anywhere else and it was a complete diversion from anything else he had ever released. It sounded like this:


HERE

French Ska Ska 7" (1980)

A - Strange Ska
B - French Can Can

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Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - Ska Me Forever

RELEASED TODAY! Early versions of this album were leaked last year and posted on other blogs but those versions didn't include all tracks.

Iconic Band Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Highly-Anticipated Release of 'Ska Me Forever'

Renowned Worldwide for Explosive Live Performances, 
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra’s International Following Continues to Grow Through Extensive Global Touring

After decades of performing sold-out shows in Japan and in over 26 countries, legendary band Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra celebrates their 25th anniversary with the U.S. release of their new album, ‘Ska Me Forever” on vinyl and digital download on February 10th.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra’s 19th album boasts a dynamic blend of rock, jazz, ska and punk, and features the lead single “Wake Up!” with Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra also puts their playful and diverse spin on fan-favorite covers of Café Tacvba’s 'Eres,' Beethoven’s 'Symphony No. 9,' and the classic Mexican folksong, 'Cielito Lindo.’ Their new release 'Ska Me Forever’ marks a significant milestone for the ever-evolving band who continue to delight and surprise audiences with their music and exciting live shows.

From their beginnings in the late 1980s club scene in Japan, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra rose to fame in their native country and have taken their acclaimed live show worldwide, performing to festival audiences in Europe, the United States and Latin America, including the Warped Tour, Glastonbury, Supersonico, Coachella and Vive Latino.




You can get the real version - all 18 tracks - HERE

The Odds - Dread in My Bed 7" (1980)

A - Dread in My Bed
B - Spare Rib

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Tee-Vees - Dr. Headlove 7'' (1980)

Rare disc from this Irish band who were formerly called The Jets.

I must confess that I never attained a copy of this record myself. This rip was found somewhere online and I'm pretty good about giving credit where it's due but I completely forgot where I found it and a simple Google search isn't helping.

A - Dr. Headlove
B - War Machine




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To the original poster:  thank you, and I'm sorry!

Laurel Aitken - Sahara 7" (1986)

Laurel Aitken with Potato 5 on Gaz's Mayall's Gaz's Rockin Records label.

The song Sahara is the same version that appeared on the album - which is a totally different version than the one on The Blue Beat Years (this is the better version). The b-side is also on the album but this is a different version.

A - Sahara
B -Long Time (I've Been Watching You)



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Amazulu - Too Good to be Forgotten 12" (1986)

A - Too Good to be Forgotten (12" version)
B - Sez Who



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Undercover Festival

UNDERCOVER FESTIVAL III

18 / 19 / 20 SEPT 2015

BISLEY PAVILION nr WOKING SURREY GU24 0NY

3 PACKED DAYS OF PUNK / SKA / DUB / REGGAE / POST PUNK + SO MUCH MORE

FREE CAMPING + VERY CHEAP ACCOMMODATION ON SITE

WWW.UNDERCOVERFEST.COM

                                                             Bisley Pavilion, Nr Woking, Surrey

The South East’s truly “alternative” and “independent” festival

THE DAMNED

PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES (new addition)

UK SUBS

PENETRATION

+ so much more  

PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES announced as the headline band for Friday18^th September 2015 at Undercover Festival III.

Peter and the Test Tube Babies formed in the small town of Peacehaven (Near Brighton), in 1978 by Del Strangefish and Peter Bywaters. Due to their humorous tongue-in-cheek lyrics, they have been considered part of the Punk Pathetique subgenre. Peter and the Test Tube Babies were first featured in Sounds magazine in July 1980, and after a John Peel Radio One session, made their vinyl debut on the Brighton compilation album Vaultage 78.

Fast forward to 2015 and they are still playing live and as popular on the scene as ever.

Current Line Up

•           Vocals — Peter Bywaters

•           Guitar — Del "Strangefish" Greening

•           Bass Guitar — Paul 'H' Henrickson

•           Drums — Dave O'Brien

Not resting we have hit the ground running for 2015, we are pleased with PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES along with Saturdays headline act THE DAMNED,  for Sunday we have the UK SUBS and PENETRATION as joint headliners.

With the change to Fridays Headline Act and a few tweaks the line all bar the shouting is now complete (see Editors notes).

Early bird tickets have flown out since we announced The Damned and are now sold out.

Ticket sales compared to last year are considerably up on last year.

Weekend tickets are now £75 in advance for 56 bands which we still feel is pretty good value.

UNDERCOVER FESTIVAL set in and around the unique setting of Bisley Pavilion, Bisley Camp nr Woking Surrey, a festival venue and experience that defies all other conventions and festival templates.

UNDERCOVER FESTIVAL 3 DAY PACKED MULTI GENRE FESTIVAL OF Punk / Ska / Dub / Reggae / Post Punk

+ so much more!!!

The thing about this festival more than any other in our opinion is a melting pot of the genres, crew, the bands, the venue but last and not least the varied / fun nature of those there that made this a festival that we firmly believe no other promoter will be able to re-create.

For 2015 we are sticking with the 2 stages as the synergy between both stages was excellent.

Please note: For the avoidance of any doubt The Undercover Festival is not an open air festival - the festival will be held in 2 rooms plus other areas at the Bisley Pavilion nr Woking Surrey – undercover by nature of the music policy of this festival and undercover - well because it is....

Line Up Announced so far

Friday 18^th September

PETER AND THE  TEST TUBE BABIES

XSLF  (X STIFF LITTLE FINGERS)

SEX PISTOLS  EXPERIENCE

THE TALKS

THE BAR STOOL PREACHERS (Change of day from previous announcement)

THE PLAGUE

NO LIP

GEISTFIGHT

RAGE DC

EMERGENCY BITTER

T & THE MUGS

ARGONAUT

DEMON SMILES

SWEET JONNY

AMETHYST KISS

TBA

Punky Reggae “After show” Party with SOUNDATION and DJs Murph & Mabbs (Rude Boy Productions) 

Saturday 19^th September

THE DAMNED

CHELSEA

SPIZZENERGI

MENACE

THE RACKETEERS

DRAGSTER

BROKEN 3 WAYS (Change of day from previous announcement)

KING PUNCH

POPES OF CHILLITOWN

UK RAMONES

FIGHTING EVIL IS COOL

HEARTS UNDER FIRE

HEADSTONE HORRORS

R.E.D

SKURVI

MONKISH

KILTER

HAZARD

STRENGTH IN BLUNDERS

TBA

DIRTY UGLY PUNK MONKEYS dodgy after show party time +DJs

Sunday 20^th September

UK SUBS (Joint headline)

PENETRATION (Joint headline)

TV SMITH (The Adverts)

THE RAMONAS

DEPARTMENT S

WITCHDOKTORS

THE DEFECTS

THE PIRANHAS 

PUSSYCAT & THE DIRTY JOHNSONS

CRETIN 77

SKACIETY

PHOENIX CHROI

ARCHIVE45

SOUNDATION

SHOOTING FISH

XTRAVERTS

DEREK AND BOBS LIVE D&B TRANSMISSION

Times and stages to be announced

Line up may be subject to change at short notice

OFFICIAL SITE

GET TICKETS

 

The Set - Nothing to Lose (1981)

The Set were from Birmingham and, outside of that, I know nothing else about them.
There was a 7" version of this record that didn't include the song Situation Desperation and it had a shorter version of Nothing to Lose. (The 7" version of Nothing to Lose is included in this download.)

The back cover doesn't give much information but my copy was signed by the band so I have a few names to go off of to find more info but they're first names: Phill, Mick, and a few I can't discern. They don't help much but I appreciate one band member's signature. Apparently he's called Baz

...as far as I know this is their only release.

A - Nothing to Lose
B1 - Situation Desperation
B2 - If I Had the Chance

"Nothing to Lose 7" version"

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