The Parrots [Brighton, U.K.] - The Parrots EP (1980)

The song "Breaking Up New Ground" might sound familiar to you if you have the 100% British Ska compilation. Prior to recording this EP the band recorded two songs for the "Vaultage 78" compilation and later recruited a female vocalist and changed the name of the band to Vol Sec and they released a four-track cassette.

The cassette is nearly impossible to find but, lucky for us, every song they ever recorded is available on CD - 19 tracks recorded as the Parrots and as Vol Sec.

1 Photography Song
2 Home Sweet Home
3 Breaking Up New Ground
4 Serious Thing




DOWNLOAD

Steppin Razor - Studio Junkies (1982)

Steppin' Razor was not a band, but a studio project of two people in Florida. This is the only album they recorded. It's a blend of ska and new wave/rock. After they recorded this album they moved to California and formed the band Steppin' Lazer who released an EP called Plain Wrap which included different versions of Follow the Leader and Seein' What I ain't Got.

1 Follow the Leader
2 Seein' What I ain't Got
3 Another Pretty Face
4 You Don't Approve of Me
5 Another Way to Live
6 I Can't Afford it
7 I Really Wanna Dance with You
8 Ready to Break
9 Yellow Lights
10 Für Elise

DOWNLOAD

Reluctant Stereotypes demo (1979)

This demo features Martyn Bates on vocals. Three of these four song were not later recorded by the Paul King version of the band.


1 Daily Excess
2 Happy as Sandboys
3 The Rev
4 The Lull

DOWNLOAD

Etch-A-Sketch [Ann Arbor Michigan]

The band Etch-A-Sketch from Ann Arbor Michigan made an impact in the American ska scene of the early 90s but, sadly, they never released anything aside from their very few appearances on compilations. They released two songs on the "Ska Takes the Great Lakes" compilation as well as the song "Too Late" on the "Death of an American Skathic" comp.

As far as I know they only got around to recording six songs in a studio. This download includes all six of those songs.

1  Hit the Ground
2 Inhibitions
3 (Spirit of) Leslie Kong
4 Too Late
5 Escape
6 Killer Bees



DOWNLOAD

The Riffs - Funny Little Fella 7" (1990)

This is being re-posted by request. It was originally posted in 2008. I have since re-ripped it and it sounds better now than the previous version I offered so, even if you downloaded it back then, I recommend you download this version. It's still not a great rip but it is better.

A - Funny Little Fella
B - Maybe Next Time

DOWNLOAD

J.J. Sparks and the City Gents - Brixton Blue Beat (1981)

1 Mama Kiss Him Good Night
2 Unity
3 I Have Got You Under My Skin
4 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
5 Sha-La-La
6 Three Nights in Lovers Town
7 Brixton Blue Beat
8 You Didn't Love Me
9 I Came Around
10 Feelings

DOWNLOAD

City Beat - Late at the Office 7" (1984)

City Beat was a "ska-inspired" band from New York City who is probably best known for their song "It's Not Up to You" from the Skaville USA compilation (volume 1 - which was originally released in 1986 as New York Beat - Hit and Run on Moon).

The band was only three guys: drummer George Parker, bassist Jon Arzt, and guitarist/lead vocalist Gopalakrishnan Varadhan. They played numerous live shows in New York in the early/mid eighties but the song from the compilation and these two songs were the only things the band ever recorded. (Unless there's a demo tape somewhere out there.) I don't know if George and Jon ever did anything else in music but Gopal went on to work with G.G. Allin of all people. He started a job in the World Trade Center in August of 2001 and he was at work on September 11th. You can read about that HERE.

A - Late at the Office
B - Rocking Mesopotamia
* - It's Not Up to You

DOWNLOAD

The Toilets [Sweden] - Hjul I Natten 7" (1982)

A - Hjul I Natten
B - One Day



DOWNLOAD

State of Emergency - State of Emergency 12" EP (1989)

This is State of Emergency's first release. They had a couple of songs on compilations and they released a 6-song 12" in 1990 called Ska-Terbrain.

A1 - Stranger
A2 - Can't Compare
B1 - Understand
B2 - Someone Like You





DOWNLOAD

Razor Blade - Pirate Station 7" (1981)

Razor Blade was a Dutch pub/glam rock band who only ever released one full-length album and this one single. The A-side is a ska song that (as far as I know) never saw a studio release. The version on this single was recorded live and it is the same version that appeared on the album Recorded Blindfolded. Both were released in 1981. The album did have one other ska-type song called 220 Volts which I have included in this download.

A - Pirate Station
B - Recorded Blindfolded
*220 Volts





DOWNLOAD

The Charlie Parkas - The Ballad of Robin Hood 7" (1980)

A - The Ballad of Robin Hood
B - Space Invaders



DOWNLOAD

The Strike [Italy] - She Remains so Alone 7" (1987)

A - She Remains so Alone

B - What D'You Say?


DOWNLOAD

The Porkers - Tired of Being Pork Hunts 7" (1990)

A - California Sun
B1 - Des's Humble Pies
B2 - Earthquakin'

DOWNLOAD

Skampler 2 (1994)

This is the second and last in the series released by Tudor Rock records. There were volumes 3 and 4 that were put out on a different Swiss label called Leech records. I don't know what the connection is and I don't have vols. 3 & 4. I got this cd because it was cheaper than the Spots 7". I don't know what the b-side sounds like and sometimes it's a hell of a gamble to pay a high price for a record when you already have one of the songs and the other one is complete shit. (The Charlie Parkas "Ballad of Robin Hood" for example.)

1 Radio Active - James Bone
2 Schlössch - I Ask Myself
3 The Peacocks - Living in a Town
4 Cadizier - Die Nachbarn
5 Les Congélateurs - Ace of Space
6 Kalles Kaviar - Stand By Me
7 Godzilla - Body Count
8 Peacestreet - El Nino de Ringo
9 Wicked - Julie
10 Hans 'N' Moses - Body
11 The Spots - Mr. Career
12 Aligaga - La Grève
13 The Ventilators - Try Me One More Time



DOWNLOAD

  Volume 1 was posted a few years ago on the Ruder Than Rude blog but if you need it:

1- The Ventilators - Blue Beat Sky
2- Nude Club - Tree
3- Les Enfants De St. Gall - Mexico
4-Lucky Hiob - Röschtiland
5- Jimmy Bastard - Looser
6- Crank - I'm A Reiser
7-The Noses - Ai,Ai,Ai
8- Free Cheese For All - Blue Beat Confrontation
9-The Peacocks - My Generation
10- Jolly And The Flytrap - Gäng-Bäng
11- Die Aeronauten - Du Wärst So Gern Dabei
12- Melk Them - I Love You
13- The Monsters - Whisky Song
14- The Ventilators - Mystification
15- Free Cheese For All - Louis Goes To The Guigoz

DOWNLOAD

RAM - Our Physics May Not Apply 7" (1982)

Of all the rare ska records from the 80s from California this has to be in the top 3 - I'm not going to tell you what the other two are because I don't have them yet but I will tell you that the rarest is probably the worst and the least rare of the three is the best one. This record falls in middle of those two.
I can't tell you anything at all about this band or if they ever released anything besides this record.

A - Our Physics May Not Apply

B - Talk to Me


DOWNLOAD

Hondo

Hondo was a British punk/reggae band from Cambridge with more emphasis on the 'reggae' than on the 'punk'. The band was lead by Paul "Ching" Hue who is still active in music today. You might know him from THIS. He is currently in the Wya band.

Here is his Facebook.

Hondo - What Do We Want? 7'' (1981)
A - What Do We Want? (We Don't Want No War)
B - Jah-Jah's Children

After their first release they contributed the song "Party" to the "Honey for Tea" compilation which featured new wave, post punk, and rock bands from Cambridge.

Hondo - "Party" (1982)


Hondo - Fallout 7" (1983)

A - Fallout
B - Can't Turn You Around

Hondo - Pretty Polly 7" (1987)

A - Pretty Polly
B - All I Have to Do is Dream


DOWNLOAD  all three 7"s and the song "Party".

The Frits - Life of Brian 7" (1988)

A - Life of Brian
B - Soultrain to Ska

The Frits just released a greatest hits compilation called "The Greatest Frits" which starts with the 7" version of "Life of Brian" but it goes straight into the song and doesn't include the intro or the b-side which was not released on any other Frits releases.

DOWNLOAD

Modulators - I Modulate (1982)

The Modulators were considered a mod band from Ohio and this is the first of two albums. To be honest I don't see how they were considered a mod band. Their music is straight-forward rock n' roll music with a very slight new wave influence.
I'm posting this record because it is rare and because they did a decent cover of  A Message To You Rudy.

1 Sex on a Regular Basis
2 Booby Trap
3 What's it Take?
4 A Message to You Rudy
5 No Good to Cry
 6 Modulate
 7 Hank Ballard Medley [Let's Go, Let's Go / Finger Poppin' Time]
8 Don't Let Go
9 Unchain My Heart (Ray Charles cover)
10 Heroes



DOWNLOAD

Šarlo Akrobata

 Šarlo Akrobata was a punk-ska band from Belgrade (formerly Yugoslavia, now Serbia). This download includes their only album Bistriji ili tuplji čovek biva kad... plus all of their songs that appeared only on the 3-band split LP Paket Aranžman . HEREs a comprehensive profile and discography.

1  Ona Se Budi
2  Oko Moje Glave
3 Mali Čovek  
4 Niko Kao Ja
5 Šarlo Je Nežan
6 Pazite Na Decu I
7 Fenomen
8 Sad Se Jasno Vidi
9 Rano Izjutra
10 Ljubavna Priča
11 Samo Ponekad 
12 Čovek
13 Bes
14 O, o, o... 
15 Problem
16 Ja Želim Jako  
17 Pazite Na Decu II

"Niko Kao Ja" (Nobody Likes Me)


"O, o, o..."



DOWNLOAD        

Naughty Rhythms - Jungle of Love 7" (1985)

A -Jungle of Love

B - Is It True


DOWNLOAD