Four years ago, New Orleans ska punk band Joystick blessed us with Sinceriously, and we’ve been waiting for the follow-up ever since. Thankfully, that wait comes to an end this Spring. In April, Joystick teams up with both Stomp Records and Bad Time Records to release their new album, I Can’t Take It Anymore. The album is filled with 15 soon to be ska punk classics. Blending blistering skate punk and hardcore with ska music like no one else can, Joystick’s new album getting recorded is one of a few good things to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To promote the vinyl pre-order, Joystick recently released the first single off the album. It starts off with heavy horns, and transitions into Duck’s rapid fire vocals. If you’re a fan of bands like Big D & The Kid’s Table, Descendents, and PEARS, then Joystick, and their new single, will be right up your alley. It has a great blend of punk, ska, and “whoah-oh” gang vocals. It’s a song that you just have to move to. When shows come back, it’s going to be a crowd pleaser for sure.
Ahead of the new album’s release, Joystick bass player Clay Aleman took a stab at the classic BGM “Favorite, Overrated, Underrated” feature, but gave it a little ska twist. So, without further ado, check out Clay’s favorite ska album below, as well as ones he thinks are overrated and underrated.
Favorite Album
“Bomb The Music Industry!, SCRAMBLES. This really goes to all BTMI! records; I just chose the one that has a little of everything Jeff does. I know some people would say this isn’t a ska band, but they have more ska songs than not, so I’m going with it. I love this band, and I own all of their records, except the Adults repress that’s coming soon. SCRAMBLES is so good. Clever lyrics, large variety of instrumentation, and a blend of punk, indie and ska that works so well.”
Overrated Album
“Streetlight Manifesto, The Hands That Thieve. Am I the only one who is completely underwhelmed by this record? Their first two records are sooooooo good, and it’s hard to revisit this one when I could just revisit the others. The songs lack energy and a lot of the lyrics are awkward and corny. Tracks like “Three of Us” and “The Littlest Things” are awesome. The rest are decent, but I can’t help to think it feels like a B-sides record for Somewhere in the Between, only it took seven years to get it. I see people online praising it as their best work, and it truly confuses me.”
Underrated Album
“The Last Slice, Underground. It’s hard to find a ska band that isn’t underrated…it’s ska. But this is the one that pops in my head. This should be a well-known 2-Tone classic. Sadly, they broke up shortly after releasing this, so if never really had a chance. I’ve never really been into more classic sounding ska, and always leaned more to the punk side of it, but this album pulls me in every time. It is unbelievably catchy and if you like ska and haven’t listened to this yet, do it now!”
Other Underrated Ska Albums
- Stuck Lucky, Possum Soul
- The Holophonics, Phantom Arrival
- The Fad, Kill Punk Rock Stars