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. Since I listen to more than just those two genres, I also 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 is officially here, and while the world around us is filled with chaos, it’s also in bloom. Even though my allergies aren’t big fans of the season, I do enjoy nature exiting its dormant period to start life anew again. I’m hopeful this reawakening can spawn other types of new growth around us as well. While I continue to wish for better things, here’s some music I discovered this month to usher me back into a more active period of the year.
Ska
Attractors – Super Big
Jam packed with nearly an hour of music, Super Big showcases the Attractors’ deep love and appreciation for ska, reggae, dub, and mento. While the album has some vocals, I believe it will be considered one of the best instrumental ska releases of 2025. Featuring a veritable who’s who of the scene, including the likes of Larry McDonald, Buford O’Sullivan, and Rich Graiko, this is big band ska jazz you can enjoy alone or dancing with the special people in your life. An absolute triumph.
Bop (Harvey) – Better Angels
Last year, Bop (Harvey) celebrated their 40th anniversary as a band. What better way to celebrate than to record a brand new album? While Better Angels came out last year on vinyl, it hit all the streaming services this month, so I’m making an executive decision and adding it to this month’s column. This dynamic album includes all the elements that make Bop (Harvey) such a unique, essential, and generational band. A lot of Michigan’s ska, reggae, and world music scene wouldn’t exist without bands like this group paving the way.
Better Angels showcases a band that has aged like an expensive bottle of fine wine. They don’t rest on their laurels or phone it in. The lyrical message is immediately urgent. From opener “Orange King” to closer “Good Trouble,” the band doesn’t hide how it feels about the state of America right now. “Orange King” is a very brass forward, in-your-face ska jam, while “Good Trouble” slows things down with a smooth reggae vibe. Two of my other favorites include “Love Will Dry Your Tears” and “Motor City Ska,” both of which have a ska jazz feel that reminds me a bit of Bop (Harvey) drummer Scott Culling’s other band, Killer Diller.
Buster Shuffle – Together
I’m a sucker for a ska band with amazing keys. Together is extremely organ-forward and full of high energy. This UK four-piece has the spirit of 2 Tone running through their DNA but with a modern ska punk spin. The result is an album that will stick around in my rotation for a very long time.
On the surface, Buster Shuffle delivers a ska punk romp that encourages dancing and singing along with the chorus. Sure, there are fun drinking and dancing songs on the album, but there are some thinkers, too. “Take a Pill” touches on our dependency on pharmaceuticals to function, for instance. There’s a lot to like with Together, especially if you like UK ska punk and organ-forward ska like Stop the Presses, Catbite, and The Gadjits.
Girth Control – Life’s Too Short Pt. II
How do you follow up a 25-track magnum opus? Well, if you’re Girth Control, you release Life’s Too Short Pt. II, which includes three remixes of songs from last year’s album, and an almost eight-minute epic. The remixes include include techno, drum n bass, dub, and reggae. I’m always a big fan of remixes that completely reinterpret songs, and the ones on this EP are about as far away from the originals as you can get.
The title track really takes you on a ride, and it could be the lead song of a musical. It tells the tale of Girth Control, a band that is doing it for the love and the community and the scene. For them, mainstream success isn’t the goal, the journey is. If success happens along the way, cool. If not, it’s okay. Pushing back on the band are the antagonists who just want them to grow up and stop wasting their time on the band. It’s an epic ska punk power ballad that only Girth Control can write.
Madison Turner – “& the days go by”
Ahead of her full-length releasing later this year on Say 10 Records, Madison Turner offers up a teaser of what to expect. The first single from the album, “& the days go by” is ska punk with a dash of power pop synth. Fans of bands like The Iron Roses, Eevie Echoes, and We Are The Union will immediately fall in love with this sound. It’s a catchy anthem about getting older and losing touch with the people in your life. Heading into my 45th year, it’s a feeling I’m experiencing more frequently than I’d like. While the inevitability of growing up can be a sad topic, Madison Turner has composed an absolute earworm. Multiple moments in this song will get stuck in your head. Maybe I’ll use this as an excuse to call one of my old buddies
The Bakesys – If At First You Don’t Succeed
Heading into their 35th anniversary as a band, UK’s The Bakesys have released If At First You Don’t Succeed. If I didn’t already know the band formed in 1990, I’d assume they were contemporaries to The Beat, The Selecter, and The Specials. They take the spirit of 2 Tone ska and marry it with early American ska revival bands like The Toasters and The Scofflaws. Highlights on the album include the title track, “Born To Be a Rude Boy,” and “What Ya Gonna Do?” Also, the two dub tracks on the album are just a joy to listen to as well.
The Boy Detective – “To The Wanton Will of a Harlot’s Hand”
As the great Yogi Berra once said, “It’s like deja vu all over again.” Here we are, the third month of the year, and Boy Detective has provided a third single. This month’s offering is “To The Wanton Will of a Harlot’s Hand,” which shows off more of the tools in the band’s tool box. The horns and guitar take center stage this go ’round. I’m getting early Less Than Jake vibes with Geridan St. Peter’s trombone playing.
Lyrically, the song tells the story of self-destruction. You see the protagonist continuing to make the wrong decisions and asking for another chance. Deep down, the main character realizes it’s a cycle that can never be broken. Instead of the rinse-and-repeat of failed relationships and self-sabotage, the only way out is to make the decision to not be here anymore. It’s a mature tune shown from the perspective of the troubled soul. This tough-but-important listen is done in a respectful manner.
The Mercurials – Tend the Fire
If The Specials and The Slackers formed a super group and made music together, it would probably sound similar to The Mercurials. The band is keeping the spirit of British 2 Tone alive today, even enlisting the services of Slackers front man Vic Ruggiero for a song.
Tend the Fire is the band’s first full-length album, and it sounds better than bands that have been at it for years. If this is what we get for their debut effort, The Mercurials should be one of the top ska bands for years to come. If you like bands like The Pietasters, The Slackers, Westbound Train, The Prizefighters, and Hepcat, I am happy to introduce you to your new favorite band. I know we’re only three months into 2025 so far, but Tend the Fire is already in the running for my favorite ska album of the year. It’s that good.
Punk
CURBSIDE – “Black & Grey”
CURBSIDE has been pretty quiet for some time now, so hearing about a new album on the way this year was welcome news. To give us a little taste, they released “Black & Grey” this month. It’s a powerful melodic skate-punk anthem filled with machine gun drumming and driving guitars. While capturing the band’s signature energy and speed, the lyrics sing about regret and heartbreak from a relationship as it ends. If this is what we should expect from the rest of CURBSIDE’s new album, we’re in good hands.
ERRTH – S/T
ERRTH’s self-titled debut will immediately give you warm feelings of ’90s melodic punk. There’s angst and emotion to spare on each track, perfectly encapsulated by fuzzy guitars, palm mutes, and gravelly orgcore vocals. Deploying duel vocalists ala Lawrence Arms and Alkaline Trio, the group creates their own sound that earns them a spot in the conversation. If you’re into bands like Face to Face, Lifetime, and Hot Water Music, then ERRTH is right up your alley. I haven’t been this excited by a debut punk album in a long time, but I can’t stop thinking about and listening to ERRTH.
Foolish Relics – “John O’Dea”
I know Foolish Relics is technically a ska band, but when you release a Celtic punk song, you get to hang out with the punk bands for the month. With “John O’Dea,” Foolish Relics add some bagpipes and rip through an uptempo track that is just pure fun. Also, this is the smoothest and polished Dino’s vocals have sounded. It’s a tribute to John O’Dea, and it’s one that I can imagine singing along to live one of these days.
Heathcliff – Postcard From a ParaHell Universe
If you’re a fan of ’90s skate punk and Tony Hawk Pro Skater, then Heathcliff needs to be on your radar. These German punks have perfected that California skate punk sound. If you’re into bands like Bad Religion, No Use For a Name, Strung Out, and Pennywise, then Heathcliff is a no-brainer for you. This new album has ten new songs and a Millencolin cover.
From the opening notes of “Mirror, Mirror, FUA!” to the end of “Keep This Light On.” Heathcliff don’t let up. The 11 tracks that make up Postcard hit hard and leave an imprint on your mind. Lots to think about throughout, which is a good thing. If you like your punk, fast, loud, and hard-hitting enough that it dabbles in a more metal-tinged punk from time to time, then Postcard From a ParaHell Universe will be right up your alley.
MDOP / Cemetery Girls – Asymmetrical Warfare
Two of the best up and coming hardcore punk bands in the Michigan hardcore scene today join forces for a split 7-inch on Indolent Records. Both bands are highly political and anti-capitalist. Their music is a match for the current unrest throughout the country these days. The aggression in the music and lyrics almost feels like pure id, making for a much-needed soundtrack to the anger and frustration so many of us feel these days. While MDOP and Cemetery Girls have different sounds, they’re both amazingly good and do a great job of showing just how diverse Michigan hardcore can be.
Real Sickies – Under a Plastic Bag
The pride of Edmonton is back with another new album. Under a Plastic Bag shows some tremendous growth for Reak Sickies. It’s filled with high energy punk rock, but also veers off into post-punk, new wave, and distorted garage rock. It’s Ramones meet Buzzcocks meets DEVO in the best way possible.
Real Sickies aren’t just ripping off the style of iconic bands. They wear their inspirations on their sleeves, but the sound is equal parts homage to the past while pursuing cutting-edge motifs. The album is one of resilience. In a land of singles and downloads, Real Sickies set out to make a complete album that highlights the entire journey of falling apart and picking up the pieces back up and thriving.
The Taxpayers – Circle Breaker
It’s been nearly a decade since The Taxpayers graced us with a full-length. After listening to Circle Breaker all month, it was worth the wait. The album captures the band’s indie folk-punk nucleus. At the same time though, it sounds nothing like anything The Taxpayers have ever recorded. Circle Breaker is an album that could only be made after a decade of living. It’s not afraid to be vulnerable.
Songs about heartbreaking sit comfortably with songs of triumph. It’s a cathartic release of a life fully lived. It’s also not afraid to shine a light on the bruises and breaks you get along the way. Circle Breaker is experimental and non-conventional, pushing boundaries like only a great punk album can do. At the end of the day, it’s a testament to life and the human spirit. No matter what life throws at you or how hard it tries to break you down, we always find a way forward.
Other Junk
Desert Object – World’s End
The Prizefighters are one of my favorite ska bands today. When I found out members Jordan Porter and Eric Whalen had a new project, I immediately gave it a listen. Their new band is Desert Object, and they just released their debut, World’s End. It’s shoegaze with plenty of fuzz and jangle-pop guitar tones. Songs like “Bellflower” have a more indie power-pop feel with plenty of melody. It’s an upbeat ode to being a slacker and I’m here for all of it. “A Watcher” is also another personal favorite from the release.
I love seeing different sides to musicians I admire. While not naturally in my wheelhouse, I’m glad I gave World’s End a chance. I really enjoyed listening to is, and it’s given me the desire to discover some other bands in the genre. It’s fun to break out of your musical shell from time to time. Let this be the permission you give yourself to try something new.
Todd Capps – “Everything Must Go”
I’ve been listening to Todd Capps for years, mostly as a member of Bad Astronaut. He’s also been a session musician for some of my favorite punk bands of the last 20+ years. With “Everything Must Go,” Capps strikes out on his own. “Everything Must Go” is the first single off his upcoming debut solo album. It’s power pop with a melodic punk edge. It’s like Ben Folds meets Scorpions with synth and an optimistic outlook.
Capps sings about letting go of everything that wrecks the hope and optimism he uses to protect himself and his loved ones. While you can argue that it’s okay to be angry and vigilant, self care is equally important. “Everything Must Go” gives you permission to take take of yourself in the most earnest way possible.
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 Instagram, BlueSky, and Facebook.