Every good superhero needs an origin story. Before Andy Baker teamed up with the world to create the most ambitious ska album of 2021, he was sowing those seeds as a member of Upbeat Allstars. Formed in 2011, Upbeat Allstars were a bright star that burned out too soon.
While the band didn’t get much play outside of the UK, they were a force to be reckoned with in their home country. They only put out one proper release, Wake Up!, which is a shame because the band was ahead of their time. I’d be willing to bet if Wake Up! came out within the last couple of years, it would be tops on many year end lists. Musically, it’s an energetic representation of how good ska punk can be. If you’re a fan of bands like The Suicide Machines, Save Ferris, Bite Me Bambi, and Dancehall Crashers, then you need to listen to this album.
You may be asking yourself why I’m bringing up an album that is almost a decade old. One that never got a proper release in the United States. Well, it’s because Chris Reeves from Ska Punk International has reached into the world ska time capsule and unearthed it for today’s ska fan. Wake Up! is the first in a line of hidden gems Reeves has been mining for. If the quality of his first release pulled from the vault is any indication, we’re all in for a treat as he expands.
Ahead of the album’s re-release on Ska Punk International Records, which releases on August 17th, Upbeat Allstars’ own Andy Baker stopped by again for the second time this year. This time around, he’s been put in the hot seat to share his favorite, overrated, and underrated albums.
Favorite Album
“The Suicide Machines’ Destruction By Definition album has held this spot ever since the first time I heard it. Not one track is a skipper, and I genuinely wore out both the CD and the cassette I had of this album in whatever cars I had in my twenties! Musically, it’s the closest album I could describe as being a bit of me. The energy, the polished rawness, it had a huge influence on me as a musician and songwriter within ska punk. It’s lightspeed controlled chaos at its finest, and it’s a glue between myself and lot of my friends too, so it means the world, quite literally. Oh man, I’ve made a world pun, and we’re like three sentences in. I can’t apologize enough!”
Overrated Album
“This is kind of hard, because I really do try and like everything, as I know how much effort goes into making an album. So, there was a band back in my youth over here in the UK called Symposium that sort of rose up when they had one of their tracks, “Fairweather Friend,” chart over here. They were a pretty live, raucous and noisy band, and had this 8-track mini album out which, whilst a bit lyrically naff in places, was just fire and showed so much potential for an explosive band, I was pretty hooked!”
“So when they had a full length, brand new album on the cards, I was literally counting the days until it was released. And oh man, was it weak. All the energy had gone, and it was just a plain old indie record, nothing special at all (actually, there’s a song on it with the lyrics “I’m nothing special,” Ha! But anyway, their live show remained pretty lively, but this album said nothing to me sadly.”
Underrated Album
“There are SO, SO many albums that deserve this spot, especially in the punk/ska world. I’m trying to think if I go UK or abroad, but one really does stand out. I don’t know if they did better over there, but Edna’s Goldfish. That album, Elements Of Transition. It’s a beautiful piece of work, and Brian’s vocal on that album is just utterly sublime. I didn’t know anyone over here that was in to them back when I used to put the CD on in my car, but I always thought they deserved bigger things. Whilst it’s a more mellow album than I’d typically go for when the ska/punk mood is taking me, it still gets you tapping your fingers and singing along. It’s just such a unique sound that they had.”
“Hey, does anyone reading this know Brian? I need that lovely voice on a future Andy B & The World release!”
Upbeat Allstars Links: Facebook, YouTube, Album Purchase Link
Andy B and the World Links: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram