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.
As far as I’m considered, October is one of the best months of the year. Between fall weather being in full effect, the increase in my intake of comfort food, Halloween, and scary movies, you really can’t get much better. However, it’s hard to be in the spirit of the season when it feels like you’re living a real-life horror flick each and every day.
That’s not stopping me though. October’s celebrations are the best, and I refuse to let anything get in my way. While there aren’t as many spooky new releases this October, I still found a couple to sprinkle in. Happy Halloween!
Ska
Blue Tone Stompers – Look Up!
I’m absolutely in love with this album. This quartet from Eastern France masterfully embodies the best of traditional ska, rocksteady, and reggae. There’s also an element of R&B and jazz as well. With how big their sound is, I was shocked to find out Blue Tone Stompers only had four members. Between the amazing solos and skankable rhythms are the smooth, velvety vocals that remind me of a cross between Louis Armstrong and Louis Prima. The album is a triumph, a must-listen for folks who prefer a more classic ska sound.
Joker’s Republic – The Hand You’ve Been Dealt
I’m going to be blunt: The Hand You’ve Been Dealt is one of the best albums of the year. I’ve been following Joker’s Republic for the last few years, and after I heard Necessary Evil, I knew it was only a matter of time before they blew up. In the last three years, they’ve just gotten better as songwriters, musicians, and as a band.
Like their previous album, this one was recorded and produced by Roger Lima from Less Than Jake, and he knocked it out of the park. The songs are tight, catchy, and memorable. This album should eventually be talked about in the same breath as classics like Losing Streak and Keasbey Nights. It’s one hell of a breakout record that everyone needs to hear, not just ska punk fans. It’s angry, vulnerable, thoughtful, and inspiring. No need to skip around to the singles either, this one is a start to finish listen guaranteed.
Lab Rats – Dr. Skankenstein
Just in time for Halloween, Lab Rats serve up a three-song EP filled with spooky fun. The title track has a trad ska feel, making it perfect for a Halloween playlist. It puts me in the mind of “Monster Mash” mixed with Vincent Price – eerie, nostalgic, and fun. “Monster Mosh,” on the other hand, is pure ska punk energy. Giving nods to other classics like “Weekend in LA” and “Ghost Town,” the song finds the band teaming up with Van Helsing to take out the monsters causing havoc in the pit.
The Chains – “California Sun”
I discovered The Chains last year, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Hailing from Denmark, they’re one of the best bands in the world when it comes to honoring and preserving that original trad ska, rocksteady, and reggae sound. On last year’s full-length, they covered Rancid’s “Poison,” turning into an organ-fueled masterpiece. This year, they’re back with the classic surf rock hit, “California Sun.” Yes, you hear plenty of reverb surf guitar, but again, the organ is the star. This might be sacrilege, but from now on, I will listen to this version instead of the original from The Rivieras.
The Pandemics – Youthful Exuberance
For the last 15 years, The Pandemics have been one of the staples of the New York ska scene. They’ve played countless shows and really honed their craft. This new album starts off with a ska punk bang, urging everyone to let go and enjoy life. The next track, “Reject, Reset, Repeat,” dominates with a killer bass line and a catchy chorus. It also asks you to look at your life and how you interact with the world, and make changes as needed. It’s a nice little anti-commercialism anthem that is perfect for our current timeline.
One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Killing Time,” a fast-paced and manic ska song that gives me hints of Mephiskapheles. The band also covers “Holiday in Cambodia” by turning the punk classic on its side and adding one rippin’ sax solo. The album then wraps up with some masterful dub remixes from Agent Jay and Matt Wixson.
Underneath the Lookout – “Daydream”
With each single, Underneath the Lookout shows off just a little bit more of their skills, while also leaving me anticipating more music. Eventually, we’ll get a full-length, but until then, we get “Daydream.” It’s a mostly instrumental tune with a whimsically esoteric groove. While heavy with dub and reggae, the track also offers up a bit of new wave jazz, too.
Various Artists – Femme: Her Anthem
Based in the UK, The Specialized Project is a musical non-profit that supports several charities a year. One way they raise funds is through the release of various comps on Bandcamp, like this month’s Femme: Her Anthem. The theme of the album is ska interpretations of prolific female songwriters.
Spanning multiple generations and genres of songwriting, Femme: Her Anthem is equal parts ambitious and inspirational. The song selections are just absolutely iconic, and the bands covering the songs are a veritable who’s who in ska music. With 63 tracks in all, this comp literally has something for everyone, and it’s a great way to discover some new bands. Plus, downloading it from Bandcamp goes to a great cause. It’s a win-win all around.
WIPEOUT – “BLUR”
WIPEOUT is a relatively new ska punk band from the Detroit area, and they’ve finally released their first single. “BLUR” immediately gives off early No Doubt vibes with a harder ska punk edge. The musicianship is extremely tight, thanks to great horn lines, multiple tempo changes, and some pretty heavy guitar riffs. This is a great first introduction to the world. Now we need more.
Punk
ALTARBOY – “Rave From The Grave”
Philly’s ALTARBOY is relatively new to the scene, but you couldn’t tell it by listening to them. Their latest single, “Rave From The Grave,” is the perfect song for spooky season. It immediately reminds me of a more pop punk version of Alkaline Trio from the Asian Man Records era mixed with the campy horror of The Cramps.
Bad Mary – “Time Warp”
Rocky Horror Picture Show is the delightfully quirky cult classic that evokes the campiness I love about the Halloween season. It’s filled with iconic and bombastic performances on the stage and in the music. Honestly, I’d be worried to cover any of the songs, as there’s a lot to live up to with those songs. Thankfully, Bad Mary’s “Time Warp,” is one of the best Rocky Horror covers I’ve ever heard. They capture the spirit and energy of the song perfectly. It’s hard rocking, playfully menacing, and fits perfectly in with the midnight showing culture of the movie. Well done!
Endless Mike and the Beagle Club – The Forest is the Trees
Sometimes, you listen to a band and wish you had just a fraction of their talent. One of those bands for me is Endless Mike and the Beagle Club. They’re a thinking person’s punk band. Their poetic and meaningful lyrics paint pictures and tell stories of being part of something bigger than oneself.
Backing the singer songwriter nucleus is a multi-instrument punk rock band that dabbles in everything from punk to cowpunk to folk punk to country to protest music. Mike Miller is a gem of a human being and might just be one of the more underrated lyricists in punk rock and independent music. If you want to expand your definition of what punk rock could be, start with listening to The Forest is the Trees.
Everybody’s Worried About Owen – I Love the Red Trail!
The older I get, the more I appreciate solo acoustic folk punk. For me, there’s something special about the intimacy and emotion that burst forth through the singer’s guitar and vocals. In the case of Owen Trawick, they create vulnerable and relatable music as Everybody’s Worried About Owen. While folk punk is the engine here, there’s also a clear emo influence here as well. The result is carefully crafted songs filled with raw emotion, heartbreak, and storytelling.
The tunes are also extremely catchy and addictive. They make me want to be in the crowd at a packed club singing my heart out along with Owen and all my new friends. I can already picture “Smoking Filter,” “Hydroplaning,” and “Banyon Drive” will sound live, so Owen needs to visit Michigan immediately.
Screwface (PR) – $hak3w31ght
If you’ve got nine minutes free in your day, fill it with Screwface (PR)’s new EP, $hak3w31ght. It’s thrash meets hardcore punk meets Tenacious D and Steel Panther. The riffs are heavy, the drums shift between normal pace to machine gun in an instant, and there are absolutely epic face-melting guitar solos too. The intense music is complemented by satirical and hysterical lyrics. There’s plenty of pop culture references and absurdity including songs about favorite kinds of pizza, shakeweights, and tacos. This EP is a fun, and wild, ride.
Tamarack Daydream / Johnny Deeper and the Ghost of Pete Seeger – Circle Kirks
Tamarack Daydream and Johnny Deeper keep the spirit of protest singers like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie alive. Inspired by recent events in our current antagonistic political climate, Circle Kirks features two tracks created with charity in mind. Using the upswell of conversation surrounding Charlie Kirk’s death, the two singers created a non-profit split CD to raise funds for the National Mass Shooting Victims Fund. By the name of the album, it’s pretty clear the main topic of the tracks. When you listen to “The Day That Yahtzee Died,” you’ll even hear an homage to the Chumbawumba protest song that shares a similar name.
The Carolyn – Pyramid Scheme of Grief
Pyramid Scheme of Grief doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it also leaves you wanting more. Clocking in at under 19 minutes, The Carolyn blasts out 11 tracks filled with urgent punk sensibility. It might be the soundtrack to my midlife crisis. That sounds like a bad thing, but it really isn’t.
It’s rare to find a band that feels equal parts punk as fuck and therapeutic. This is the album I needed to hear in 2025, and I’m so thankful for it. This Atlanta trio creates bursts of sonic melody that are relatable to people having a really hard time with the cards life has dealt them. Pyramid Scheme of Grief is my pep talk on those challenging days because sometimes, all you want is to feel seen.
Jukebox Romantics – This One Looks Cool
Jukebox Romantics fall on the more melodic side of punk rock. Blending pop punk with skate punk, good old fashioned rock, and a dash of emo, This One Looks Cool scratches several itches. Musically, the album is like Blink-182 meets The Bouncing Souls meets The Menzingers meets Alkaline Trio. There’s a sincerity in the lyrics, which are filled with plenty of heart, relatable ideas, and above all, fun. Two of the album’s highlights for me include “She’s On The Run” and “March 24, 1984.”
Other Junk
Social Cinema – Don’t Get Lost
Don’t Get Lost blasts through the speakers with an infectious mix of chunky riffs, synth, ’90s alternative, hypnotic drumming, and hooks for days. Even at its loudest, the album boasts a cool factor that is undeniable. There’s a sincerity in each song that makes them approachable and instantly catchy.
Social Cinema performs the kind of pop music that will immediately elicit toe tapping, head nodding, and the desire to learn the choruses as soon as possible to sing along. Don’t Get Lost feels as an album from a band that has been around forever and has finally hit their stride – except that this is their full-length debut. I can’t even imagine what they’ll do to top Don’t Get Lost, but I can’t wait to hear that one too!
The Goods – Don’t Spoil The Fun
Don’t Spoil The Fun is pure power pop perfection. The Goods channel the likes of Teenage Fanclub and Matthew Sweet with the melodies of mid-sixties pop and rock. The album is a love story at its heart, exploring love, connections, and meaning. It’s sincere, honest, and empathetic. Even when touching on tougher subjects like breakups and mental health, frontman Rob Good and company treat the subjects with grace. There’s a lot to really hone in on with Good’s lyrics. But if you don’t have the spoons right now, the music itself is catchy and filled with a brightness that’s desperately needed these days.
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, TikTok, and Facebook.