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. 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.
August has always been the busiest month of the year for me, both personally and professionally, but it was especially true this year. Aside from trade shows and presentations for my day job, August also commemorates my first date and wedding anniversary with my wife. This year, we celebrated 27 years as a couple – 17 of those years were married!
So, if you’re doing the math, we’re old. For our anniversary this year, we attended two of the NOFX Final Tour dates. We also hit up a local fundraiser for Punk Rock Saves Lives and Food Not Class.
With so much going on this month, my regular schedule slipped a little, but I also didn’t want to phone in my column. So, to those of you used to it being on a Monday, let me extend my sincerest apologies, and I thank you for your patience. Let’s not waste anymore of your time. Get to reading!
Ska
Age of Kid – The Moment
In the days before streaming and Napster, I bought lots of albums without having any idea what the music would sound like. If they were on a label I trusted, or if they had been mentioned by a band I liked in their album’s liner notes, I felt comfortable with the purchase. Sure, it didn’t always work out to my benefit, but more often than not, it did.
One such success story is was Coquettish. They were a Japanese ska-punk band that a friend recommended, but I only decided to listen to them because they were heavily influenced by The Suicide Machines. The recommendation was confirmed when I learned that a former member of The Suicide Machine even produced a Coquettish album.
Fast forward to August 2024, and I heard about a band named Age of Kid. They’re a 3-piece ska-punk band on the rise. When I heard they were formed by Taichi from Coquettish with the same heavy Suicide Machines influence, it was like a second generation recommendation come to life. While there are plenty of ska riffs to be had on The Moment, it’s very punk-forward, teetering on the edge between ska-punk, ska core, and heavy street punk. Age of Kid should get into your rotation ASAP. Just trust me on this – you don’t even need to check them out on streaming.
Intensified – Hang Fire
It’s been more than a decade since UK trad-ska revivalists Intensified released a new studio album. After listening to Hang Fire, the band picked up right where they left off. The music is polished, extremely danceable, and doesn’t stick with the ’60s ska sound exclusively. With a healthy dose of rocksteady and traditional reggae, the entire album is a love letter to Jamaica. When the dust settles on 2024, Hang Fire might be one of the best trad ska albums to come out this year.
Less Than Jake – “Not My Problem”
“Not My Problem” is the perfect Less Than Jake song. It’s catchy, has an anthemic chorus, and features lyrics that don’t fit the stereotypical mold of what people think ska sounds like. The tune talks about a person who has to live with the consequences of their actions. It’s a nice reminder to make sure you don’t take things for granted and to follow through with anything you say you’ll do. I really need LTJ to release a new album soon. Singles are nice appetizers, but I’m ready for the main course.
Newport Secret Six – Rising Tide
The Midwest continues to cement my opinion that the bands in this scene can go toe-to-toe with any other American region. No matter what kind of ska music you prefer, there is a band in the Midwest that will make you happy. Is organ-forward trad ska, rocksteady, and reggae your jam? Do you like it even more if the band creates cool effects and tricks with their instruments to add an eerie atmosphere? Do you like picking up on a dub influence? Then look no further. Rising Tide is all you need.
From Cincinnati Ohio, Newport Secret Six is on the fast track to no longer being a secret. About 80% of Rising Tide is instrumental, and if this music doesn’t make you start dancing, then someone might need to check your pulse. At almost 30 minutes long, the album makes me work up a sweat every single time I listen to it.
Stacked Like Pancakes – Everything Happens!
This new EP is a treat! It feels like familiar ground for Stacked Like Pancakes, but entirely new at the same time. It’s as if the band found new energy in between releases. This time around, they bring along several high-profile guests, including Devon Kay, Littlest Man Band, and Suburban Legends.
Musically, I hear plenty of traditional 3rd Wave sensibilities with some harder-edged guitar work. The title track has Forces of Evil vibes to it. Another favorite on the album, “Taylor Swift,” is a tongue-in-cheek song that addresses how many ska bands want Swift write a ska album by having the band ask her to make them famous because members are getting old. It’s a funny song, but also one that’s extremely well-crafted to boot.
Sweet Babylon – Tunes for the Naysayers
With Tunes for the Naysayers, Sweet Babylon took the name of the album to heart. They want to show their detractors exactly what they can do. The result is a collection of songs that ranges from ska to punk to reggae to dub to doo-wop to surf rock. Even though the band covers a lot of ground here, it comes together seamlessly.
The various styles feel more like a joyous celebration than an assortment of different songs. If you enjoy bands like Ballyhoo, Sublime, 311, Masked Intruder, and even Bloodhound Gang, you will dig Sweet Babylon. The album delivers an eclectic mix of songs that highlight several personal and societal situations.
The SKAMOTTS – FILMSKA
Even thought it’s hard for international bands to break in North America, The SKAMOTTS perform some of the tightest ska instrumentals in the scene today. Hailing from Japan, The SKAMOTTS deserve to be discussed in the same breath as their contemporaries like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Everyone in the band is immensely talented and deserve all the exposure and recognition possible.
With FILMSKA, The SKAMOTTS bring their jazzy ska and reggae arrangements to popular movie theme songs. Their groovy interpretations of these iconic themes will get people talking and dancing. It’s the kind of album you can listen to as background music at dinner or crank up the stereo’s volume once dinner is done to cut a rug with your partner.
While you definitely hear theme songs you’d expect to show up, the real fun happens when you hear a song you didn’t expect. Sure, the arrangements for Star Wars and Indiana Jones are great, but I was bowled over by their ska rendition of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from Armageddon or the theme song to The Never-Ending Story.
Various Artists – Master of Trumpets
When Master of Trumpets came on my radar this month, I couldn’t help but think fondly back on the 2000 Metalliska compilation from Too Hep Records. A veritable who’s who of the ska scene at the time, it showcase some lesser-known bands. This new comp from Pookout Records is structured in much the same way. Given the label is from the UK, most of the bands featured come from that country’s ska-punk scene.
If you are somehow unfamiliar with current British ska groups, Master of Trumpets is an amazing jumping off point. Powerhouse UK acts like Redeemon, Roshambo, Andy B & The World, and Sonic Boom Six combine forces with some of the best acts making music right now, including Suicide Machines, Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Dissidente, and Voodoo Glow Skulls.
The hook is that each band covers their favorite metal song. They all capture the essence of the original, while putting a ska-punk spin on it. Of the 11 tracks featured, my favorite was from a new (to me) band, as Me Me Me Now Now Now absolutely crushed their cover of Iron Maiden’s “Aces High.” That song is exactly why I love comps like this – it’s all about enjoying the music and discovering new bands.
Punk
Fat by the Gallon – Ward Stories
Dallas, Texas punk trio Fat By The Gallon is back after a six-year break. They’re on a new label and debuting their first songs written as a trio. Musically, most of the songs fall on the anthemic and driving pop-punk spectrum, but lyrically, they broach some incredibly personal topics.
On “G.I. Joe Was Full of Shit Man,” lead singer Chris Cutler laments that maybe knowing isn’t half the battle after all, a concept arising after he was diagnosed with an incurable disease. The rest of the album is just as cathartic, filled with stories, lessons, and things that make you pause to think about what the band is saying. Other highlights for me are “Change it All,” “Whiskey Breath,” and “10 Speed White Collar Blues.”
Four Year Strong – Analysis Paralysis
This is not the Four Year Strong I expected to hear when I first turned on Analysis Paralysis. The last time I listened to them, they were a poppier Sum-41 with some metal and hardcore. So, when “aftermath/afterthought” started off the new album, complete with an industrial backbone, it was clear this wasn’t the Four Year Strong from my 20s and 30s.
The hardcore influence is still present, complete with plenty of breakdowns. But the tremendous growth and maturity that’s on display throughout the album is refreshing and exciting. After multiple listens, the core of Four Year Strong becomes increasingly noticeable, but I detected a magical energy, too. When it’s all said and done, Analysis Paralysis makes a strong case for being considered the band’s best album.
Precursor – Thick & Thin
One of the things I enjoy about this column the most is the act of discovery. This month, one of my top new finds is Precursor, a melodic hardcore punk band out of Vancouver. I love the energy of ’90s hardcore punk and skate punk, especially the melodic vocals of a band like Rise Against and the non-screamy parts of Propagandhi.
Put another way, they’re like A Wilhelm Scream without the ridiculously intricate guitar solos. You can tell a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into the recording of Thick & Thin. It oozes passion. Tracks to check out here are the affirming plea for change “Don’t Throw Your Life Away,” as well as “The Golden Age.”
The Northhaven & Subtle Places – Refurbished
I heard “Happy Place” when it first came out. It was a lo-fi indie-folk lament about living life and having a happy life with someone, purposely overlooking the temporary fragility of life. On Refurbished, The Northhaven take that song, add additional musical accompaniment, and turn it into a more uptempo folk-punk song ala AJJ, Jeff Rosenstock, or The Homeless Gospel Choir. I’m used to hearing that band as a solo project, so every Northhaven offering on this split brings brand new and exciting life to their music.
On the flipside, this is my first exposure to Subtle Places. After listening to their offerings on this EP, it’s immediately understandable why the two bands are such kindred spirits. There’s a raw energy that tows the line between indie rock, folk, and punk here that fans of the aforementioned AJJ, Rosenstock, and Homeless Gospel Choir will appreciate. To round out the album, both groups share their interpretations of songs by The Front Bottoms and Bright Eyes.
The Northhaven & Subtle Places are the future for the indie-folk and folk-punk scenes. Jump in early. You won’t regret it.
Thomas Gun – Read a Book/Pick a Lock
Even though China is “allegedly” spying on me every single time I log into TikTok, I still get fed a lot of cool musicians I wouldn’t normally discover otherwise. For instance, Thomas Gun is an acoustic folk-punk artist who just released a 7-inch with two new songs. The A-side, “Read a Book,” feels more on the Harley Poe side of the folk-punk spectrum in terms of song structure, not content. “Pick a Lock” as the B-side is more of a deliberate observation about TikTok as a platform, and it’s a shorter song and leans more punk than folk. These two songs serve as a great introduction to Thomas Gun’s solo music. Bonus points that he’s from Michigan, as it warms my heart every time this column can feature a fellow Michigan resident.
Other Junk
Lumpy – S/T
Up to this point, everything I’ve heard from Lumpy would be classified as a solo project. With this new self-titled album, Lumpy’s Bryan Highhill has found himself in a new location and with a full band. It’s the first time in 14 years that Highhill didn’t handle the music himself. As a big fan of Lumpy’s solo work, you really can feel a new energy with the full band. Guitarist Nate Knutson and bass player Rocky Schulze add a more funky and dynamic element to the music.
For instance, back in 2022, Lumpy released a song called “House Plant.” It’s a mid-tempo synth rock number with heavy trumpet accompaniment. The full band took that song, recorded it for the new album, and the song now feels complete. Yes, the 2022 rendition was great, but now, I’ll only listen to it for nostalgia’s sake. “House Plant” from 2024 has become the definitive version of that song. It went from quirky synth rock to a rocking song that rivals some of They Might Be Giants best tracks. I will always love solo Lumpy, but I really hope the full band is here to stay. It’s Lumpy, supercharged.
V/A – The Kids I Used To Know
It wouldn’t be a Ska, Punk, and Other Junk column without something tied to Michigan, right? I put Thomas Gun’s 7-inch in the punk section already, but I wanted to give some attention to this comp created by Jason Kotarski featuring Singing Lungs, Jay Alan Kay, Prince Loogie, and more! These 17 songs really highlights the diversity of the bands within the Michigan DIY music scene.
The idea for The Kids I Used To Know is that it brings together the bands Kotarski grew up with in the Michigan DIY music scene who are still actively making music. These grizzled old vets are still hard at work making amazing music, and this comp is a good way to highlight them, as well as learn about some new bands. Some of my favorites include Big Life, Fernando Silverio Solis, Brick Street Soul, and Singing Lungs. There’s a little bit of everything here for all your diverse music tastes, so don’t be shy! You need to learn about some great new (to you) bands.
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! You can also reach out to me on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts.