If you were to tell me when this year started that a band most people didn’t know existed before October would drop one of the best ska albums of 2020, I would’ve laughed.
Fast forward to the middle of December.
I’m not laughing anymore, because that new ska band just released one of the best ska albums of 2020.
Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, Bad Operation has only been a band since January. They originally formed to have some fun, write some music, and play one show. That was it. The pandemic had different plans, and because of that, the world now has a self-titled full-length.
New Tone – Bad Operation’s Brand of Ska Music
Bad Operation self-describes their music as New Tone, an obvious nod to the English bands like The Specials who helped give birth to the Two-Tone movement in the late ‘70s – early ‘80s. The Specials fused danceable ska music beats with the grit and energy of punk rock. On the surface, The Specials gave their fans something to dance to. Dig a little deeper though, and you’d hear their songs were really focused on topics like racism, unemployment, and tensions in Thatcher’s England.
With their brand of New Tone ska, Bad Operation follows a similar path. On the surface, Bad Operation is extremely catchy. There’s a frenetic energy to the music that will make even the most resistant person want to at least bob their head to the beat. It’s fresh, fun, and a great record to dance to. That’s just if you take the album at face value though. Bad Operation Lead singer Dominic Minix is touching on topics like social justice, transphobia, racism, and capitalism.
It may be too soon to christen Bad Operation as this generation’s Specials, but if they stay on their current path, it’s definitely not a stretch. On “Siren’s Call,” they even have a nice homage to “Ghost Town” before keyboardist/trombone player D-Ray kicks into a haunting organ piece that is reminiscent of “Ghost Town” mixed with The Blue Meanies. If you’re a fan of bands like The Meanies, The Chinkees, Green Room Rockers, or The Slackers who use keyboards and organs so prominently in their music, then Bad Operation is going to be right up your alley. D-Ray’s keyboard playing is really one of the standouts of the album.
Bad Operation May Be New, But Its Members Aren’t
The rest of Bad Operation deserve their kudos as well. For being less than a year old, they’re one of the tightest and well-produced bands I’ve heard this year. It helps that before Bad Operation, members of the band had stints in Fatter Than Albert and The Flaming Tsunamis. Guitar player Brian Pretus, who also engineered the record, spends the rest of his time in hardcore punk band PEARS. Special kudos also need to be given to Minix. While he’s a talented and experienced musician in his own right, Bad Operation is the first time he’s dipped his toes in ska. He knocked it out of the park! His voice has a soulful crooner vibe to it that pairs well with each song on the album.
Most of the album has a traditional ska sound, but there is also an undercurrent of ska punk evident throughout. When I interviewed the band recently, bass player Greg Rodrigue said they tried “to write ska-punk without the punk parts. The energy and grit of a punk band, but keep it to just the ska riffs.” They succeeded. On “Brain” for instance, it could fit perfectly on an Operation Ivy or Common Rider album.
Final Thoughts
Bad Operation’s self-titled debut has a throwback feel to it, but also sounds fresh and new at the same time. This is a release that is going to bring even more excitement to the ska scene. Ten years from now, you’ll look back and remember Bad Operation starting the New Tone movement in 2020. I can’t wait to see what’s next from them. I can’t wait to hear the music that comes from the bands they’re about to inspire. This is essential listening for any ska fan.
You can get Bad Operation’s self-titled debut on bandcamp, via Community Records, or Bad Time Records.