Last year, Chris Reeves, founder of Ska Punk International, had an idea. Having lost his mother to cancer, he wanted to find a way to both honor her, and raise money for charity. The desire to do both of those things spawned a compilation album called Songs For Moms, Volume One. The comp featured 15 of the best up and coming ska punk bands in the scene. The album released last year and ended up raising $1600 for Prevent Cancer Foundation. Aside from the money raised, another positive side effect of the comp were the amount of people spoke up about their own experiences with losing loved ones to cancer. The compilation helped them find a new way to remember their family members.
Fast Forward One Year
A year has passed since Volume One, and since Reeves had such a positive experience working on it, this week sees the release of Ska For Moms, Volume 2. Like last year, the album features 15 brand new covers of songs that Moms would like. There are a few returning artists from the first go round, but most of the bands featured are brand new to the series. You’ll see a healthy mix of bands you know, and bands you don’t know … yet. Not only are you getting 15 fun ska punk covers, but you’re also going to learn about the ska punk bands that are bubbling just under the surface, ready to explode onto the national scene.
To celebrate the release, we’re premiering a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” as interpreted by Eevie Echoes
Eevie Echoes is a relative newcomer to the ska scene. With most of her music falling under the punk umbrella, hearing an acoustic ska rendition of a Michael Jackson song is an unexpected treat. If this is a taste of what is to come, I hope Eevie Echoes continues to make ska music.
This cover feels like a mash-up of ’90s alternative and ska that puts me in the mind of folks like Chris Murray, Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, Spacehog, and even a dash of Sublime for good measure. It’s a feel-good, up tempo cover that will just put a smile on your face as you sing along. I also want to call out the mixing and mastering work from Beth Rivera (AKA Tape Girl). If Tape Girl or Eevie Echoes are reading this, please work together more.
You can pre-order Songs For Moms, Volume 2 on the Ska Punk International Bandcamp Page.
It’s a great compilation for a great cause. Take a listen. You might even find your new favorite band.
