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.
With how dark life can be these days, Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. Take care of yourself. Don’t be afraid to take pictures with people. Let your friends and loved ones know you love them. If you’re struggling, I hope some of the music I chose this month offers some relief.
Ska
Big D and the Kid’s Table – “Whiplash”
It’s been almost five years since the release of Do Your Art. So the anticipation for Big D’s first single off their new album was pretty high for me. Telling the story of walking in on your girlfriend and your roommate having intimate relations and the betrayal you feel, “Whiplash” comes out swinging. It’s fast, aggressive, anthemic, and very horn-forward. It’s a powerful blast that leaves me impatient that I have to wait until June to hear the rest of the album.
Brick Street Soul – “Punk Rocks Kids” / “Unsolicited Advice”
The brainchild of Jason Kotarski (Singing Lungs, Jay Alan Kay, Prince Loogie), Brick Street Soul is a new ska band out of Western Michigan. Musically inspired by Michigan’s rock and soul pasts, as well as traditional Jamaican melodies, Brick Street Soul fits in that pocket of modern ska revival bands like The Slackers, The Pietasters, and Westbound Train. Kotarski’s soulful vocal delivery complements the songs so well. Aside from the two singles, each track has a B-Side dub version from Agent Jay (The Slackers, Crazy Baldhead) and Dub Robot.
Detroit Riddim Crew – Out of the Dark
Fresh off their recent Michigan Music Award for Best Album, Detroit Riddim Crew is back with another collection of songs that drip equal parts Detroit grit and muscle and Jamaican rhythms. On Out of the Dark, band leader Eric Abbey has assembled a tight-knit ensemble to honor and celebrate Detroit and Jamaica. This isn’t just hyperbole when I say that I can feel the blood and sweat of Detroit coursing through each track. Out of the Dark is a love letter to both locales it’s inspired by. The B side of the album also offers up dub versions of each track as well. Each of the dub tracks are amazing, but I found myself going back to “Take it Dub” multiple times.
Double Jointed – S/T
This self-titled EP from Double Jointed is one hell of a debut. First impressions are always important, and this Tennessee ska punk band spared no expense. Working with Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room, this EP is top-notch. Double Jointed falls somewhere next to The Suicide Machines on the ska spectrum. There’s more punk than ska for sure, but if you have one ska song, you’re a ska band to me. On their more punk songs, Double Jointed is led by rapid-fire drumming and melodic guitar riffs. Keep this band on your radar. I have a feeling you’ll be hearing a lot about them in the future.
Ghost Tones – Plague/Curse
Ghost Tones have that big band horn sound of The Skatalites, mixed with funky reggae vibes, and a ska revival sound. The result is a highly nuanced album that is heavy on vibes, danceable ska, and even a little raggacore. If you’re a fan of bands like The Pietasters, The Skatalites, and The Pilfers, then Ghost Tones is going to be right up your alley. They’re able to invoke the spirit of the style of music each of those bands creates and create a sound all their own.
Offend Your Friends – Almost Didn’t Make It
Combine the garage punk ethos of early Stooges, the politics of Dead Kennedys and The Clash, and the cruel world of Leftover Crack, and you’ve got Offend Your Friends. While the album sounds polished, there’s a definite rough-around-the-edges feel to the music. Covering real world topics and the politics of the day, there’s an immediate relevance coming from the lyrics. Switching from melodic singing to hardcore screaming, Offend Your Friends are one of the more dynamic ska-core bands in 2026 so far. I also really appreciate how they use their sax on the album. Oftentimes, horns get forgotten when a ska core or ska punk band shifts away from ska, but Offend Your Friends features their sax frequently, often as the melodic thread through every song.
Rocky Sullivan, Psy.D. – Nothing Bad Can Happen
I’m a big fan of nuanced political and social commentary in my music. There’s something triumphant about figuring out the implied meaning and laughing when people sing a song that criticizes their actions. Unfortunately, right now, we don’t live in a time for nuance. We need to hit people in the face with our angry protest music to make it crystal clear where we stand. Enter Rocky Sullivan, Psy.D. With an homage to the Irish group Kneecap on the EP’s cover and songs like “Orange Asshole,” “Worm Brain,” and “It’s The Fucking Guns,” Rocky Sullivan, Psy.D. isn’t leaving anything for the imagination.
Blending ska, Celtic punk, swing, big band, ’50s doo wop, and jazz, each track is as interesting musically as it is important politically. Rounding out the EP is a cover of “I Don’t Like It,” originally by The Trojans. I might not like what’s going on in America, but I love Nothing Bad Can Happen. It’s honest, aggressive, and straightforward protest music during a time when we need it most. More of this, please.
The Loyal – “Time To Fight”
Releasing on the eve of this weekend’s No Kings Protests, “Time To Fight” is the perfect battle cry and rallying point as we get closer to the midterm elections. It truly is time to fight, and complacency will be the death of us. The Loyal’s song is urgent, punchy, catchy, and instantly memorable. It’s an important call to action that has an ominous, foreboding sound thanks to the guitar and organ work. As lead singer Cara Stefanides exclaims, “A fight is justified.”
Punk
BirdCop – Class Warfare
With ten songs and just under 30 minutes, BirdCop highlights what most are ignoring about the current landscape in the United States. It’s not left vs. right. It’s a class struggle. Those in the upper class don’t want to lose their power or their money, so they manipulate the rest of us to fight amongst ourselves to distract from the real conflict in our country. BirdCop shines a light on this struggle in such a way that only a band from Minnesota can. Combining punk, hardcore, garage, fuzz, and doom metal, BirdCop is reporting from the trenches. Their music is necessary and a warning cry. If we keep ignoring the increasing class divide in our country, then horrible things will continue to happen to us.
One Of Us – State of Grace
Winnipeg really is a breeding ground for aggressive, hard-hitting bands that toe the line between metal and high-speed punk rock. Coming from a scene that spawned Comeback Kid and Propagandhi, there’s a lot of pressure to deliver. One Of Us does that in spades. State of Grace is high-speed, melodic punk rock ala Bad Religion, Strung Out, and Good Riddance. It harkens back to the glory days of Fat Wreck Chords without sounding like a nostalgia act.
Red Arrow Highway – Be Someone Better
Red Arrow Highway scratches that same itch for me that bands like The Menzingers, Spanish Love Songs, Gaslight Anthem, and Dave Hause & The Mermaid do. There’s a Midwest Americana rock feel to the music, but with a melodic punk edge. There’s a simple sincerity to the songs on Be Someone Better. The title of the album is also an overarching goal presented by the songs it contains. There’s a theme of hope and progress that is evident, even when things are bleak. No matter what’s going on in your life, Red Arrow Highway is providing the soundtrack to keep moving forward, even in chaotic times
Tired of Fighting – “Just For Me”
English emo punk trio Tired of Fighting offer up one of their most ambitious releases to date with “Just For Me.” It starts off resembling a solo singer-songwriter presentation, then morphs into an up-tempo melodic punk song. The third act of the song then brings in a church choir to finish the song most triumphantly and epically. It’s a song filled with tons of emotions, which is fitting because it’s a tribute to a very important person in singer/guitarist Nic Wood’s life.
Other Junk
Mega Infinity – Harmonic Convergence
Harmonic Convergence is Mega Infinity’s most ambitious album to date, and also their best. They’ve grown so much as a band since their last album. It also sounds like they’re more confident in who they want to be as a band as well. Not to be boxed into a single genre, their sound weaves through a kaleidoscope of influences that gel perfectly. For the uninitiated, Harmonic Convergence is what happens when you put Paramore, Coheed & Cambria, 311, and Sonic Boom Six into a blender and make a smoothie. If you’re a fan of theatrics, soul-bearing lyrics, prog rock, ska, metal, and punk, you may have just found your new favorite band.
Micah Schnabel and Vanessa Jean Speckman – The Great Degradation
Micah Schnabel and Vanessa Jean Speckman are two of the favorite lyricists right now. With songs that sit between slam poetry, spoken word performance, and guitar-driven protest music, they’re capturing an honest slice of working-class and middle-class lives. There’s no sugar coating in their music. The portraits they’re painting include all the wrinkles, scars, and blemishes of their experience, which makes their music that much more powerful. Life experience has highs and lows, which means there’s some levity on the album as well. For instance, I wasn’t expecting to hear an ode to Bushwick Bill sandwiched in between, but sure enough, it’s in there.
Plan B featuring Johnny Whitney – “War’s Coming Home”
Plan B has always been on the cutting edge of punk, industrial, electronic music, and hip hop. Their sound is abrasive, in your face, and uncompromising. On “War’s Coming Home,” Plan B teams up with Johnny Whitney (The Blood Brothers) for an unhinged protest anthem against ICE. Putting their money where their mouths are, Plan B released “War’s Coming Home” with the proceeds from the song going to the Immigrant Defense Project.
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.