I first learned about Tape Girl (Beth Rivera) because of Discord. For some reason, ska Facebook is a toxic landscape, so as a joke to something Skatune Network said, I made a ska discord channel. I didn’t really think much of it because I really had no idea how to use Discord, but somehow it began to gain traction. The next thing I know, I met Chris Reeves from Ska Punk International, and he graciously helped me with the server. It was really him who turned my joke into a welcoming community of like-minded folks. It was there where I was first introduced to Tape Girl. She was gearing up for an appearance on the Megawave Valentine’s Stream, so I started looking into her brand of laptop ska and was blown away. I, of course, watched the stream, and the rest is history.
Fast forward almost a year, and Tape Girl is everywhere. From releasing her own music, to appearing on comps (including the latest from Bad Time Records), to collaborations. I can’t remember if I’ve said this publicly or not, but if not, I will now. I truly think Tape Girl is the future of ska music. With all sincerity, this is just the beginning for her. I won’t be the least bit surprised when she’s a modern ska icon in the next five to ten years.
One of Tape Girl’s collaborations in the past year was with power pop artist Peach Rings
Rivera recently teamed up with the mastermind behind Peach Rings, Ramona Barton. Together, they worked on two songs. Rivera played bass on “deadname” and vocals on “transgenderification beam.”
When listening to Peach Rings, I’m immediately reminded of bands like PUP, Weezer, and Jeff Rosenstock. Catchy powerpop, distortion, thought-provoking lyrics, and beautiful melodies. Like Tape Girl, Peach Rings does most of her music in her room on a laptop. Add the fact that both artists are super talented, them teaming up is a match made in pandemic quarantine heaven. Sure, it would be nice to get them in the same room to collaborate, but technology has advanced so much these days, that what they’re able to do now sounds amazing.
With “My Boy (Twin Fantasy),” Tape Girl and Peach Rings have released their first ska collaboration
The first time both artists worked together, the songs were more in the power pop arena. This time, it’s ska’s time to shine. Their first ska collaboration is a cover of Car Seat Headrest’s “My Boy (Twin Fantasy).” The cover starts off with a more lo-fi pop feel, with ska starting to infuse itself more and more as the song goes on. You’ll hear chiptune ska, a dash of rocksteady, and then a climax that includes some fast-paced ska punk. Kmoy even shows up on the track to lay down some organ as the intensity builds. It’s a beautifully layered showcase of how talented Tape Girl, Peach Rings, and Kmoy truly are. This is the kind of performance that leaves you yearning for more because you just want to see what the performers have up their sleeves next. At least, that’s how I felt after listening to it …. and then starting the track over to listen to it again.