Welcome to “Ska, Punk, and Other Junk!” With this monthly column, I’ll highlight all of the cool things I discovered in the ska and punk scenes each month. And, because I listen to more than just those two genres, I highlight some other junk I discovered along the way too! (NOTE: Not actually junk. I just wanted to go with the rhyme). There’s so much cool music out there these days. This is my attempt to cover as much of it as possible.
Hopefully, you find your new favorite band – or at least some cool new tunes to enjoy.
Spring has officially sprung, and so have this next crop of albums to catch my ear this month. There were so many in fact, it was really hard to curate my list down to the one you’re about to read through. As always, there’s a healthy mix of new (and new to me) music to discover. I think there truly is a little something for everyone this month. I hope you enjoy reading through which bands moved me enough to share them with you, as much as I did writing about them!
Ska
Atlas & Oracle – “Fade Away (featuring Common Sense Kid)
Atlas & Oracle and The Pomps are the two bands in the ska scene today that successfully fuses new wave synth-pop with ska music. With how good both bands are, I hope this is the beginning of a new trend in ska because it’s a joy to listen to. Where Atlas and The Pomps diverge is that with The Pomps is that Atlas takes a more indie rock approach to their sound. Paired with their smooth velvet vocals, “Fade Away” is a danceable jam with a message.
The song cautions against letting your vices turn into bad habits. Sure, it’s fine that folks want to drink, but be careful. Once you lose control, your bad habits due more harm than good. Joining Atlas & Oracle this go-round is England’s Common Sense Kid, who adds a hip-hop cadence to his verse on the song. I never would have imagined seeing these two pair up, but after hearing “Fade Away,” I need more collaborations between Atlas & Oracle and CSK.
Bargain Bin Heroes – Waiting For So Long
Florida has always had amazing ska bands, and Bargain Bin Heroes is no exception. They’ve been at it for almost a decade now. While this EP came out this year, it was actually recorded before 2020. Something must have happened between now and then to delay it, but after listening to it a few times, I can happily report it was worth the report. Bargain Bin Heroes offers up a very punk-forward brand of ska punk. At times, I hear some heavy metal riffs (a portion of “Full Circle” for example).
As seems to be a theme with me lately, Bargain Bin Heroes tackle some pretty mature topics on the EP. Love, relationships, mental health, self-doubt. It’s all here. Every song is incredibly upbeat and fast, a nice juxtaposition to temper the weight of the topics the band is focusing on. Musically, Bargain Bin Heroes fit in well with the Third Wave bands that broke in the late ’90s like Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish, but I also hear some hints of Joe Strummer and Rancid in there as well, especially on “All My Friends.” Great songs from a great band. Check it out.
Buena Suerta – El Feeling, El Sueño
This might be a generalization, but in my experience, most folks avoid music that isn’t sung in their native language. I get it. You want to be able to connect with what the band is trying to say, and if you don’t understand what they’re saying that is hard. That way of thinking really cuts you off from a world of possibilities. For instance, the global ska scene is thriving and much bigger than we think it is here in America. One of the most intense scenes out there today is the Latin American ska scene. There are so many bands and they’re all just so talented. One such band is Buena Suerta from Costa Rica.
Admittedly, I have no idea what they’re saying, but my ignorance doesn’t stop my enjoyment of their debut EP one bit. They’re very ska-forward, but offer up elements of rock, punk, indie, and hip-hop. There’s really a lot going on here including call and response vocals, choruses filled with gang vocals, and some of the tightest production I’ve heard this year. Sometimes, even when you can tell a band is good, the mastering and mixing don’t do them any favors. That isn’t the case with El Feeling, El Sueño. The production value of the recording matches the quality of the players on the album, making for a quality and high-energy listening experience. If you’ve never given a band that doesn’t perform in your native language a try, I implore you to change that because you’re missing out on so much. Hell, why not start with Buena Suerte? They’re a wonderful band to step out of your comfort zone with.
Common Sense Kid – A for Effort, E for Attainment
When Common Sense Kid released Maybe This is a Midlife Crisis? in 2021, I happily included it on my Best of List for the year. I was absolutely enthralled with his music. Instead of sitting on his ass and making sourdough as most of us did, Common Sense Kid spent pandemic days learning how to make music. The EP turned out to be a proof of concept. It just so happened, that it was really good. It blended two-tone, punk, and dub music mainly, but you could tell there was the potential for more. That’s what A for Effort, E for Attainment offers. Once Common Sense Kid knew he could do it, the album is the culmination of all his influences and ability. A for Effort is Common Sense Kid when he turns super saiyan.
CSK doesn’t waste any time showing how much better he’s gotten since the EP. Within the first two songs, he’s already doing things with his music that take it to the next level. He’s taking ska punk and layering in jungle, drum and bass, and techno. Much like Eichlers is ground zero for hyper ska, I hope Common Sense Kid influences a whole new crop of bands who blend ska with electronic music.
The album contains the sarcastic wit and charm he’s known for. You can definitely tell he’s having fun with the music, even though he’s self-deprecating at times. No matter the topics of the songs, this is an album that I can picture being played at a late-night techno club. The jungle and drum and bass influence in the songs is prevalent and will make you want to dance the night away.
There’s definitely a heavy influence from bands like Dub Pistols and The Prodigy there. In fact, “What is This Techno Stuff?!” is an absolute banger.
One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Here For the Long Haul” because it’s a love song that reminds me of my wife and I. We’ve been together for over 25 years. When you’ve been together that long, there’s a certain level of comfort you obtain. This song also puts me in the mind of “Nothing With You” by Descendents. Both songs are celebrations of the folks who are together for the long haul, and they just make me feel good.
At the end of the day, I’m glad Common Sense Kid has a midlife crisis during the pandemic. If he wouldn’t, then I would never have this album.
Devon Kay & the Solutions – “Pump Fake”
Devon Kay & the Solutions have lived on the outskirts of ska since their inception. They’ve been welcomed and accepted into the ska club because they’re awesome people and share similar beliefs and aesthetics as the current crop of ska bands out there. Because they have saxophone and brass players in their band, folks just assume they’re a ska band. Up until now though, they’ve never really put out a full ska song before. That changes with “Pump Fake,” the lead single on their upcoming release on ska juggernaut Bad Time Records.
The song is 100% Solutions. It has their signature outlook on life; making complicated and difficult subjects fun and rocking. In “Pump Fake,” Devon is opining about where he is at this stage in his life, a topic I can relate to immensely, especially the part where he shouts out that he’s a long way from where he wants to be in life. I think it’s a feeling many of us can relate to, especially as we get older.
So, how are they as a ska band? Well, I wish they were releasing a full-length instead of an EP. This track is a ska punk track with an emphasis on punk. It’s got a catchy beat, a heavy breakdown with an engaging singalong chorus. It’s three minutes of frenetic energy that I found myself playing multiple times on repeat because it was such a good song.
Mustard – “Mustard Can Be Found Anywhere (featuring Mayor Mayo)”
Mustard has really taken the internet by storm. Outside of running their own music website and YouTube channel, they’ve also begun performing music. Their first single was a hip-hop track. Now, with “Mustard Can Be Found Anywhere,” Mustard dabbles in ska. If their next single is punk, Mustard could be the first featured musician in this column to hit for the cycle (opening day is near, so forgive the baseball analogy.
“Mustard Can Be Found Anywhere” is a fun ska track that blends synth and punk music. In between verses describing exactly where you can find mustard, there are whoah-oh choruses for crowd participation. Musically, when performing ska music, Mustard reminds me most of The Aquabats. Like The Aquabats, Mustard is out there to have fun and put a smile on people’s faces. Mission accomplished.
Public Serpents – The Bully Puppet
I am such a sucker for crust punk and politically-charged crack rocksteady. If the lead singer has a gravel-filled voice as well? It’s all over for me. I’m going to love the album. That’s exactly what happened with The Bully Puppet. Fronted by Choking Victim’s drummer, Skwert Gunn, Public Serpents take what was so good about Choking Victim and amplifies it. Even though there are a lot of hardcore and more aggressive sounds throughout the album, every song on this album has a strong foundation in ska music.
Some immediate highlights on the album include “When Pigs Lie” and “Not Forever.” There’s a lot of frenetic energy with both of those songs, perfectly balancing the snotty crust punk, high-intensity ska music, and hardcore. Musically, Public Serpents are what happens when you put Suicide Machines, The Clash, Operation Ivy, Blue Meanies, and Choking Victim in the same room and tell them to make an album. It’s the perfect backdrop for Skwert Gunn to sing about the various hardships and bumps along the road he’s hit on his way to redemption and prosperity.
Punk
Tired Radio – Lousy, thanks.
When I started this column, I added a contact form from an old blog I have since forgotten the password for. The good news is, I still get the form responses in my email though. I’m grateful for that because, without that form, I likely would’ve never been exposed to Tired Radio. After listening to their EP, that would’ve been a shame. Tired Radio’s form of punk is more on the melodic side with folks like Lawrence Arms, Hot Water Music, Blind Adam, and Menzingers.
It’s not all melodic punk on the EP. On songs like “Down In Flames,” Tired Radio fuse riff-laden guitar solos with more emo revival sounds. The tempo is slowed down a bit, and the music is tighter than on some of the more punk offerings. What makes the music even better on every song is the vocals from lead singer Anthony Truzzolino. He knows exactly where to add that gruff punk rock voice in all the right places to enhance each and every song. He even knows when something a little more subdued is called for, like on the EP’s closer, “Lousy, thanks.” Tired Radio is definitely a band to keep your eye on. They are going to have a bright future. I can’t wait to have that “I remember when” story when they’re selling out large halls across the country.
Sundressed – “Bad Drugs (featuring City Mouth)”
Sundressed has always been a band that had a strong focus on mental health awareness. A decade later, that conversation has become even more important than ever, especially in pandemic times. On “Bad Drugs,” lead singer Trevor Hedges peels back the curtain a bit more and tells the story of controlling his anxiety. It’s never an easy fix, and no two fixes are the same, which Hedges highlights the struggles he had getting on that right path. It’s a serious topic, layered underneath a catchy, hook-laden pop-punk anthem. There’s a bit of humor and levity on the surface of the song, but when you stop to actually listen, Trevor Hedges is using his life experience to spread a very important message about the resolve needed to treat mental health concerns.
Two Trains Left – “Lack of Sleep”
I don’t know if it’s a testament to where I am at this stage of my life, but I’m finding myself drawn more and more to bands and songs focusing on issues I find myself facing on a daily basis. Sure, I still like to use music to bring me joy, but as I get older, I’m finding that joy coming from music helps me cope with issues I’m having in my personal life. The irony is not lost on me that I’m sitting here at two o’clock in the morning writing about a 2000’s era Blink-182esque pop punk anthem about exhaustion.
It’s a song about confronting the root cause of mental exhaustion instead of relying on quick fixes. It’s not every day a pop punk track makes you really reflect on why you’re so tired all the time. This is my first time hearing Two Trains Left and I can’t wait to hear more. These Parisian pop-punkers are really great – both musically and lyrically. Instead of staying up, I guess I should take a lesson from the song and get some sleep.
Other Junk
Brandon Maxwell – “Walk Away”
If the name Brandon Maxwell sounds familiar, it might be because of his twitch channel where he streams gaming and music production. You might also recognize him as the lead singer of 2000’s ska punk band Maxwell Smart. If the name isn’t familiar though, you should definitely start paying attention now. Even though the principal players on this track come from around the Southern California ska scene, this song isn’t ska. Maxwell joins one of his former Maxwell Smart band members, as well as Tara from Half Past Two and Dan from Bite Me Bambi. All four of them stretch their wings a bit here, and offer up a heart-wrenching indie rock/emo tune with an emotional punch.
“Walk Away” is a song with a simple, yet catchy melody. This simplicity allows for the message of the song to be the hero. That’s not to say the music isn’t good. It is. I just mean that the music doesn’t overpower the song’s message. In “Walk Away,” Maxwell is processing a relationship gone sour. What were the signs? How did he miss them? Now that it’s over and he’s had time to really unpack everything, how does he want to proceed? Spoiler alert, the answer is in the song title.
Rust Ring – North to the Future
Even though Twitter continues to be a hellscape plaything for a billionaire, there are still some good things going on there. I’ve curated my feed so much that the algorithm points me to a lot of “new to me” bands each month. This month, most likely because of my love for Devon Kay & the Solutions, I learned about Rust Ring. Lead singer Joram Zbichorski splits her time between Rust Ring and playing keys for The Solutions, so it was only a matter of time before I discovered her other band. It took a few years, but it finally happened.
This four-piece emo pop band from Chicago also dabbles in shoegaze and math rock, offering up intricate guitar work, anthemic gang vocal choruses, and a lot of heart. There’s a lot going on here musically, and it’s a joy to the senses to experience the songs on North to the Future. The phrase “North to the Future” is the state motto of Alaska, where the backdrop of the album is set. The album is a concept album of sorts telling the tale of a trip to Alaska in which themes of identity and gender are juxtaposed against the transformational power that cold weather offers up. The album is heavy in theme and brings the listener right along with the band as we all travel to Alaska together. So, grab a stocking hat, gloves, coat, and some boots. It’s going to be a cold trip, but a memorable one.
Story of the Year – Tear Me To Pieces
It’s probably pretty easy to say bands like Story of the Year are benefitting from the resurgence of the 2000s post-hardcore, emo sound. I personally wouldn’t say it though because Story of the Year has been out there grinding for years, continuing to perfect their craft. With Tear Me To Pieces they continue to show just why they’re one of the best in their peer group. The album is filled with thrashy, yet melodic guitars, pounding breakdowns, and multi-layered vocals. One minute, you’ve got melodic pop-punk-style vocals. They transition into Chester Bennington-like yells, and screamo-esque choruses. There’s a lot going on with this album musically, that you can’t help but feel something. No matter how hard you try to stop it, your head will start nodding to the beats halfway through the first track, and won’t stop until the album ends.
The songs are also extremely personal. “War” touches on a relationship that has gone past sour and straight to toxic, while “Afterglow” is a more upbeat pop-punk anthem about lead singer Dan Marsala’s kids. The album covers a gamut of emotions from hope to desperation, to everything in between. It’s a very relatable album because it is an album focusing on the human experience. Life isn’t cut and dry and linear. It’s loud and messy and passionate sometimes. That’s where bands like Story of the Year fit in.
That Summer – A Place Called Home
The thing I like most about singer/songwriter projects is how sincere and intimate they feel. At their core, it’s an opportunity for the artist to wear their hearts on their sleeves. That’s exactly what Charles Rocha does with A Place Called Home. While he grew up in the punk rock world, the songs on this album are more Ben Folds than Ben Weasel. Rocha sings with a melodic voice with a hint of gravel that comes through as well. The five tracks on A Place Called Home are a great jumping-off point, as well as a taste of things to come.
While the album is autobiographical, it tells Rocha’s story in a myriad of ways. “We’ve Already Said Goodbye” is a pop/rock song that fits in with bands like Matchbox 20 and Counting Crows. “Black Jack Grin,” on the other hand suits a honky-tonk on a Friday night instead. It’s Stevie Ray Vaughn meets ZZ Top, with a splash of George Thorogood. Rocha uses a patchwork of music types to share his story of loss, time and struggles with addiction. It’s a wonderful introduction to That Summer, a band that straddles between singer/songwriter and pop/rock, without forgetting its roots in alternative and punk music.
If you want me to listen to your ska, punk, or other junk, please feel free to contact me here. You might just see yourself in a future column!