Help me with Ska PLEASE
 

Okay I just recently discovered Ska...I used to like the mighty mighty bosstones when I was younger but i never really knew what they were. Just today I started thinking about them and downloaded a bunch of songs, etc. I've only discovered Barenaked Ladies, Reel Big Fish, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes and Mighty Mighty Bosstones...oh yeah, and Sublime...I don't know if any of these are truely ska or whatever, but I love them and I'd really like to discover more Ska bands. So help me..and please, only recommend good bands. I don't feel like going on a hunt to see which ones are good and which ones are bad. Thanks nerds. I love you all ;)

You would probobly like catch 22, mustard plug, and big d and the kids table.

But my personal sugestions are the stubborn all stars, new york ska jazz ensamble, hepcat, slackers, skatalites, ska-dows, eastern standard time, Alton ellis, jacki opel, etc, etc, etc,

pie tasters, buck-o-nine, skankin pickle, kongo shock, the specials, blue meanies, daves big deluxe, lets go bowling, madness, the skeletones, tantra monsters, the toasters, warsaw, etc, etc.

Ive downloaded some Catch 22, Mad Caddies, Toasters and Skatalites. I tried finding Slackers and Hepcat but I couldn't find any...I'll have to go spend the money I don't have...Well thank you then.

heres a bunch of pie tasters songs
http://www.stevelaplaca.com/pie/sound.htm

oh my god i LOVE it. Thank you Fenixpunk. This band is awesome, I love em. :):)

You and All Nite Dinah have mentioned a lot of goodin's. I have to mention The Bodysnatchers as a good SkA band.

Umm the band labels don't really matter as long as you like the Music. But to answer your question , some really really good Ska bands are

South Central Skankers, Upground, A Toda Madre, Matamoscas, Chencha Berrinche

if u would like to learn more about the ska history than go here

http://encyclopedia.lockergnome.com/s/b/Ska_punk

Umm the band labels don't really matter as long as you like the Music. But to answer your question , some really really good Ska bands are

South Central Skankers, Upground, A Toda Madre, Matamoscas, Chencha Berrinche

if u would like to learn more about the ska history than go here
http://encyclopedia.lockergnome.com/s/b/Ska_punk

http://encyclopedia.lockergnome.com/s/b/Ska_punk

leftover crack is ska w/ punkrock there the ****

oi scouts are great ska/punk

other good ska/punk style bands - Operation Ivy, Against All Authority, Potshot, Slapstick, Citizen Fish, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Fishbone, the impossibles

listen to rx bandits. than you could look for the others.

Check out this thread I make quite a few suggestions and its got an abriged history of ska on it http://musicbanter.com/showthread.php?t=5639

Snuff... Old School Bod marley and the Wailers... Derrick Morgan... Mad Caddies... Long Beach Dub Allstars...pot shot... the specials...madness...agent orange... check out the old Two-Tone label releases

the toasters, the pietasters, MU330, Johnny Socko, Planet Smashers, Mustard Plug, Toots And The Maytals (There alright)
anyways i dunno if you'll like them but there the bands i like

I think its funny that you mention mustard plug then refer to Toots as just alright

Well personally i am a fan of Leftover Crack they have lil ska with punk its sweet music. i like streetlight manifesto, catch22 mad caddies

these are probably some ones you haven't heard of but theres raging hormones, and highschool football heroes. raging hormones are my favorite. they came out of my area, so thats cool.

Exactly my thoughts.

listen to the Specials, you would like them, they were on caroline records. i think:)
peace to all

Well, the Slackers and Hepcat are definitely worth paying for if you can't find it online. But anyway, if you're still considering ska, I would focus on the Skatalites and The Specials.

I Voted For Kodos

and Streetlight Manifesto.

Just about everything that's been mentioned is good. Especialy the Specials. Also try:

• The Aquabats

I'd just like to say that the Specials were DEFINITELY on TwoTone Records, in fact it was Jerry Dammers' own label.

Also for vintage TwoTone bands check out The Beat, The Selecter and Madness, also Bad Manners, although I don't think they were on TwoTone.

Also top ska-punk-hiphoppers King Prawn were quality, check out their albums "Fried in London", "Surrender To The Blender" and "Got The Thirst".

Finally you must check out original Jamaican ska like Prince Buster, Toots and the Maytals and the Skatalites.

P.S. Reel Big Fish really aint ska.

a few ska bands i like are


The Planet Smashers
catch 22
streetlight manifesto
catch it kebabs
mustard plug
leek and the bouncing uptones
the specials
Random Hand
Harijan
Adequate seven
The pietasters
The aquabats(but they aren't ska anymore)
Sonic Boom 6 (in parts)
Sublime
The skunks
The bluebeats
The allstonians
The mighty bosstones
Madness
Suburban legends
The filaments(in parts)
The assorted jellybeans

Ahhh... Something I feel qualified in to comment with some confidence.
The Specials - All 2Tone Records releases.
The Beat - Started out on 2Tone with "Tears of a Clown", then I think following releases were on Go Feet Records.
The Selecter - I think released a couple on 2Tone before continuing on Chrysalis.
Bad Manners- I don't think ever released anything on 2Tone, and can't remember what their label was.
Madness - Released "The Prince" , a tribute song to Prince Buster on 2Tone before continuing a succesful relationship with Stiff Records. I think Madness may have had some "SKA" record in the UK charts by achieving something like 15 consecutive top ten hits in a row. The only number one though was House of Fun. I think The Specials got two top spots with "too much too Young" & "Ghost Town" respectively.
The Bodysnatchers (mentioned in earlier post by Soundgardener) had some success with "Lets do Rock Steady" & "Easy Life", both on 2Tone.
The Bodysnatchers split up and became The Belle Stars on Stiff Records I think.
In relation to the thread starter these are Ska bands I would recommend although I appreciate these were all inspired by the originators of Blue Beat (think it was called that).

Try The Hippos, especialy their album Heads are Gonna Roll.

try urself some Capdown, Sonic Boom six, one man race,howards alias, misled youth all amazing ska bands .The Specials were on 2 tone but did u know it was Elvis Costello who produced the album "Specials"

definately the Slackers and if you can find it Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven

do you like Howards Alias?

i love the alias shame there spliting though :( one good ska band down

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead (ish), but it mentions Howard's Alias and I am meant to be seeing them tomorrow, on their farewell tour, I am really only going for the local support bands. Anyway, does anyone have any opinions on their music, are they any good?

Capdown :)

i havent heard streetlight manifesto im a little new to ska myself but i really like them also, madness is wonderful by the way

pst try desmond dekker he is awesome too

my son look no further than allstonians, streetlight manifesto, mustard plug, big d, super pineapples, planet smashers, bim skala bim, buck o nine, judge dread, the flatliners, and if ur cool youll love capdown.

judge dread ROFL

I Voted For Kudos, Happy and Naked, Mustard Plugg, there's a lot of really good ska bands out there. You just gotta know where to look. :)

once again ..beating me to the punch

fyi-Me First And The Gimme Gimmes arent ska

The Hippos are an AWESOME ska band. The Assorted Jelly Beans are another good ska band I believe no one has mentioned.