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.
Back when I could actually afford to buy comics each month, I would always get excited about the summer crossover events and the annual special issues that typically dropped around that time. Those issues were incredibly memorable and were always packed to the gills with stories and sub plots, and special one shots. They were double the price (which was still not bad back then) and double the fun. That’s what this month’s column is like. There’s a lot to chew on, but you’ll be glad you did.
Ska
Lady Ybor – “Tsunami Boy”
Jacksonville, FL’s Lady Ybor drops a track about resilience and perseverance with “Tsunami Boy.” The track features a powerful trumpet line throughout, reggae / dub breakdowns, and a catchy modern ska punk beat. It’s a track that will inspire you to push through when times get tough.
Omnigone – Turn Up The Fear
This time around, Omnigone added Frank Piegaro to the group, and his influence is heard immediately. Turn Up The Fear has a sharper edge and tighter melodies, leveling up the band’s output. It’s melodic ska punk with a classic hardcore sound. The way Piegaro and bass player Barry Krippene play off each other is also a chef’s kiss.
Lyrically, Omnigone never shies away from expressing their social and political opinions. Turn Up The Fear is angrier and more biting, but still hopeful. The band always has at least one track on each album that inspires me like no other, and this time it’s “Empathy.” Maybe if more of us use empathy to fight against all the horrible things going on in the world, we could get on the same page.
Rat Grenade – After The Riot
Toronto’s Rat Grenade blends Lookout-era Green Day, college radio garage rock, and ska for their sound. After The Riot is raw and rough around the edges in all the right ways. Their songs are catchy, fun, and infectious. “Die Young” and “Better Days” are highlights for me.
Remnant Collective – I See You Everywhere
If you’re someone who was bummed when Still Alive hung it up, then Remnant Collective is for you. What started as a Still Alive side project is now a full-fledged collective of musicians that came together to have fun and create some kick-ass music. The featured players include members of The Lawrence Arms, The Suicide Machines, Kill Lincoln, Stuck Lucky, and Redeemon. The result is a ten-track album that is a fully realized ska punk gem, with a lot to dig into. It’s a joy to hear these songs.
St. Thomas Boys Academy – S.T.B.A.
S.T.B.A. combines recent digital single releases from Michigan ska punks St. Thomas Boys Academy with even newer songs on one release. For the uninitiated, sounds like Dropkick Murphys if they were a ska punk band mixed with The Suicide Machines. They’ve got plenty of working class anthems and pub sing-alongs. While the band shines most with their live show, the record captures the fun, excitement, and rowdiness of Detroit’s Eastside.
Something To Do – “Hocus Pocus Brain”
Fast, frenetic, and filled with powerful horns, “Hocus Pocus Brain” will wake the dead and get them dancing right along with the living. With catchy lyrics and some call and response, this is a perfect crowd participation ska punk song.
Space Monkey Mafia + Anita Velveeta – Weed Will Turn You Gay
This team-up delivers a frenetic hyperska EP that is as aggressive socially and politically regarding its lyrics as in your face musically. I also hear chiptune, amazing horn solos, punk, and EDM breakdowns. The folks working on this album really went for it, and the result is dynamic, intoxicating, and engaging.
The Family Business LTD – “Floorburner”
I feel an obligation to include anything two members of Operation Ivy collaborate on, so here we are. The Family Business LTD is a new band with members of RAT BOY, The Ordinary Boys, and The English Beat. I don’t know how involved Jesse Michaels and Tim Armstrong will be with the project, but they’re at least on the band’s debut single. It’s a high energy dance song that falls in line somewhere in between Common Rider and The English Beat.
The Gosh Darnits – Big Britches and Chipwiches
The Gosh Darnits gives off the same type of energy to me as a band like Grim Luck. Big Britches and Chipwiches is a decade in the making. The brainchild of Josh Huggins and Shawn Berkompas, this DIY duo has created a manic, chaotic circus of an album. At times it’s dark and brooding, while other times it’s melodramatic and grandiose. Basically, it’s an unpredictable ska punk listen that needs to be experienced and enjoyed.
The Guilty Parties – “(In)Famous”
A pretty clear (at least to me) takedown of social media content creators and influencers, “(In)Famous” looks at the amount of people just trying to be famous these days. Opining that no one is famous when everyone is “famous,” The Guilty Parties ask if chasing fame is really worth it. There’s a cost to fame, both explicit and hidden. Lots of great messaging and thought-provoking material, it doesn’t hurt that it sounds like a supergroup consisting of Living Colour and Fishbone.
The Hellas – S/T
Hailing from the East Bay, The Hellas add heaps of NorCal vibes and influences to their music. The result is a ska punk album that isn’t afraid to include all cultural elements of their scene. You can hear Dead Kennedys as much as ska, reggae, soul, and even cumbia. A melting pot of musical styles that’s definitely inspired by their peers, that’s only the foundation. The Hellas push all the boundaries to create a sound that is hard to put in a neat little package.
The Kittyhawks – “Hold Your Fire”
Driven by a powerful horn section that is destined to become an earworm, “Hold Your Fire” is as serious as it is danceable. The song takes aim at the destructive forces in our lives, helping to resist the pull of self-destruction while working on reclaiming who you once were. The ska rhythms sit front and center throughout, thanks to a catchy, melodic bass line. It’s also nice touch when The Kittyhawks shift things up towards the end of the song with more of a hard rock guitar breakdown as the outro.
The Skariginals – Get Out of Your Head
California’s The Skariginals released 35 minutes of self-care with Get Out Of Your Head. It’s an album that asks you to get out of your head, get out of your own way, and experience life to the fullest, no matter the consequences. The band blends equal parts The Hippos, RX Bandits, and Sublime. It’s a refreshingly inspiring palate cleanser to the doom scrolling we all tend to do on a daily basis.
UNFUNFAIR – GOBZ OF WAR!
UNFUNFAIR came out of nowhere for me this month. I was scanning Bandcamp for new releases and the cover of this album caught my attention enough for me to give it a spin. I’m so glad I did. This album is an absolute riot in the best way possible. It’s scratches so many itches for me – skacore, dark fantasy, musicals, RPGs, concept albums, and chaotic energy. The tunes are as dark and mischievous as the goblins they’re portraying, complete with folk, polka, opera, and gypsy punk. It’s as if Hans Gruber and the Die Hards made an album with Grim Luck, Gogol Bordello, and GWAR. Yes, it’s that awesome.
Punk
Apes of the State – Nothing Makes Sense Anymore
Nothing Makes Sense Anymore might be Apes of the State at their most outspoken. The anthems, folk punk ballads, and songs are highly political and militant. “Fascists Only Speak Violence” opines that fascists won’t listen to words or kindness, so it might be time to speak their language. The album expresses a lot of the frustrations that exist in the world today in relation to the ongoing class struggles. It’s not all leftist polemics though. Songs like “Happy Birthday” show a more heartbreaking and personal tone as well. All in, Nothing Makes Sense Anymore is a call to action for the oppressed and frustrated.
Caitlin Edwards – Skeletons and Flamingos
Following up her 2024 EP, Caitlin Edwards has released her first full-length. The songs are tight, structured with sharp and witty lyrics and melodic power pop punk melodies. There’s a personal slant to the songs, but also a rebellious one as well. The result is an album that challenges the patriarchy and the status quo, while also calling for change and personal advancement. I always think of the Chicagoland area as one of the hubs for amazing power pop punk, and with Skeletons and Flamingos, Caitlin Edwards makes a strong case for Chicago to keep that crown.
Captain Chucke & The Cadillac South – Tiny Towns
The spirit of folk punk is alive and well throughout each song on Tiny Towns, even if things often fall more on the folk side. Captain Chucke is a a story teller with his music in the same vein as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, and Tim Barry. The songs offer up a slice of rural life much like Don Ray Pollock does with his fiction. I feel like I know and relate to the experiences covered on this EP. Each track has something special about it, but “Autistic Weirdo” and “It’ll Be Alright” have stuck with me since the first time I listened to them.
Friends In Real Life – New Practices
Fronted by Pat The Bunny, New Practices is the second album by Friends in Real Life. Filled with Pat’s clever wordplay and observations of the world we live in, you can hear an underlying layer of hope embedded into most of the songs. The band also features Pat’s brother and father, so the tightness and closeness you can sense in the music is not only because the trio are amazing musicians, but because they’re family. Part folk punk, part pop, part hip-hop, New Practices is an amazing evolution for a musician who has made his career doing things his way. Whether you’re new to Pat the Bunny or you’re an old fan from the Wignut Dishwashers Union or Ramshackle Glory days, the music is a treat.
Moonraker – “Umbrage”
Examining the concepts of “forgive and forget” and “revenge is a dish best served cold,” Moonraker delivers a powerful song. It reminds you that it’s not required to forgive someone who wrongs you. “Umbrage” is fast and melodic, giving off a message that is definitely thought-provoking.
Sweet Gloom – No Love Lost
Sweet Gloom’s follow up to 2023’s Reverie is a little less polished and a bit more rough around the edges. The crooner punk vocals are still there, but this time around, it’s more Iggy and the Stooges and less Cheap Trick. I really love the new direction the band has taken with their sound. The fuzz and distortion make No Love Lost a great listen.
Thousand Oaks – Extinct
A truly multi-national band, Thousand Oaks plays that melodic hardcore skate punk that fans of Propagandhi and A Wilhelm Scream would adore. Powered by the sort of aggressive machine gun drumming that you might hear from a metal band, Extinct pack a political punch with messages of individualism and self-reliance. Frankly, with how fast the drumming is, I’m surprised the guitar and bass can keep up, but the harmonies and melodies are extremely tight.
Wild Spark – The Defiance of Joy
The Defiance of Joy is the perfect title for this album and encapsulates how I think we win against fascism. If the oppressors succeed and suck the joy from our lives, it becomes easier for them to sink their teeth in like a diseased tick. If we keep our humanity and spirit, we keep our will to fight.
This is the underlying message with Wild Spark’s album. Don’t let fear dictate your life. Take care of yourself, your community, your friends, your family. The Defiance of Joy is everything I love about what I think the punk rock ethos should be. It’s loud, abrasive, in your face, and filled with love and compassion. Clocking in at just under 15 minutes, it’s also is filled with the spirit of ’80s punk and hardcore. Essential listening and an extremely important message.
Other Junk
Ava Kash – Echoes of the Mind
Echoes of the Mind is a kaleidoscopic view into the mind of Ava Kash. Highly personal and emotional, there are songs about battling depression and bullying, for example. The instrumental at the end of the EP really showcases Ava’s guitar playing ability. The entire record gives off dream pop hazy shoegaze vibes with a dash of ’90s Mazzy Star.
Geranium Red – A Wake
“Now that I’m older, I’ve grown colder” is such a killer opening line. It’s from first track from Geranium Red’s new EP, A Wake. Their lyrics evoke vivid imagery, while the music is just as clever, offering up engaging and dynamic instrumentation. Blending emo with alternative rock, college rock, and even some hardcore breakdowns, Geranium Red is too talented and diverse to be pigeonholed into a specific genre. At the end of the day, the band will make you feel something, which is the best thing a group of musicians can do. For the ska fans out there, “Glass Raccoon” features some of the folks in The Boy Detective, and Seth from TBD plays bass and sings in Geranium Red, too.
Matt Wixson – Resistor
As Matt Wixson’s musical discography expands, so does his vulnerability. The songs here are a full spectrum of styles. From hyper pop to electro pop to folk and hip-hop, Resistor gives hints of Oliver Tree, Eichlers, 100 Gecs, and Matt & Kim, which is a 180 from what folks have come to expect from his music. The music is highly autobiographical and almost therapeutic, I would imagine. His pain is our gain, because these songs are catchy as hell.
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.