Yardbeat - Straight From Yard (For fans of New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals)

(picture taken from their homepage, which hasn't been updated since 1999... I like the MS Paint Frame).

Flash back to 2003. I was a college freshman when my college radio station was cleaning out their inventory and had a "free bin" mostly filled with pop/emo/alternative rock crap. I was sifting through the CDs, and was starting to feel hopeless about finding something redeeming when I stumbled upon Yardbeat's "Straight From Yard". The cover looked like a ska album, could this be something I like? Oh yes.

Yardbeat is a straight up ska band with some jazz influences. Coming from Jamaica and playing mostly instrumental songs, "Straight From Yard" provides the perfect background music if just laying out on the beach or some straight summer chillings.

MP3:
Yardbeat - Fortune Teller
Yardbeat - Intruder

More Straight Chillin:
Hub City Stompers - Blood Sweat and Beers
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Ruder Than You - Big Step
The Slackers - Self Medication

Buy:
Beatville Records

Aaaand We're Back (A Mix)

So, it's been a week since I've last posted since I was out of town on vacation! I meant to put up a "Gone Fishing" Post, but things were so hectic here (went to bed at 4 am, had to leave for flight for 6 am).

Anyways, I headed down to the US Virgin Island of St. Thomas, and my god, do I want to move there. Bonus: any place who's pop music on every radio station is reggae is ok in my book!

MP3:
Aus Rotten - ...And Now Back To Our Programming
Bouncing Souls - We're Coming Back
MU330 - Vacation

More sweet mixes for when we're gone:
Memorial Day Weekend Mix
I Went To Graduation And All I Got Was My Camera Stolen
Good God, I'm Going To Die
The Top 5 Punk Band Names
Scenester 101: 9 Easy Steps To Become a Skinhead
A Mix For Warm Weather And The Beach
A "Save The Planet" Mix

Buy:
Interpunk

Big D and the Kids Table - Fluent In Stroll (Brand Freaking New Album!)

Big D and the Kids Table has been one of my favorite ska-punk bands for the longest time now, and one I've seen more times than I can keep track of. While initially I wasn't a huge fan of Strictly Rude (and posted about it), the album eventually grew on me. Where older albums like Good Luck were straight ska-punk, Strictly Rude was a straight up ska/reggae/dub album, Fluent In Stroll simply has ska undertones. Wait. What?

Yes. You read that last sentence correctly: Big D's latest album isn't a ska album. Released on 7/7/2009, Fluent in Stroll is definitely the product of Big D experimenting with different styles including blues, jazz, funk, mariachi, lounge, etc. While some of the songs are ska songs that feel like they could be off of Strictly Rude (Chin Up, Boy!), most of the songs ska influences are subtle.

Big D also introduced a new call-response style female vocals that are reminiscent of The Soviettes or the B-52s. While it works in most songs (Doped Up Dollies), there are some where they feel completely out of place. I was also surprised by the complete lack of punk. There aren't and ska-punk jams on here at all, or any noticeable punk influences.

The lyrical content is a bit different too. No longer are there songs about passing out on shag carpets or lighthearted songs about turtles and frisbee. Instead, about 90% of the songs are straight up love songs, or encouraging friends that they will too be in love one day.

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Fluent In Stroll yet. The songs aren't bad by any means, but they seem to lack the energy that Big D and the Kids Table is famous for. While I don't hate the album, I honestly don't see this one in my regular rotation often.

Mp3:
Big D and the Kids Table - Doped Up Dollies On A One Way Ticket To Blood

Fluent In Housewive Articles:
Taj Motel Trio - Life of the Party
Big D - Strictly Rude
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Ruder Than You - Big Step
The Slackers - Self Medication

Buy:
Side One Dummy

Terror - Lowest of the Low EP (For fans of Madball, Death Before Dishonor, Throwdown)

I usually hate tough guy hardcore/metalcore, but for some reason, I've dug Terror's "Lowest of the Low" EP ever since it came out in 2003. Coming from Los Angeles, Terror incorporates enough thrash elements and keeps chunky breakdowns to a bare minimum, keeping me interested.

Don't get me wrong, Terror fans are still dicks. When I've gotten into a some scuffles with people at shows (usually because they think it's morally acceptable to intentionally punch girls in the face...) 85% of the time, the douche in question is wearing a Terror shirt. But don't judge a book by it's cover, and don't judge a band by it's fans, Terror knows how to shred more than any other metal-core band out there.

MP3:
Terror - Better Off Without You

More Face Ripping Hardcore:
Teen Idles - Minor Disturbance (Ian Mackaye's original Band)
Ceremony - Still Nothing Moves You
Paint It Black - Amnesia (New EP!)

Buy:
Trustkill

Hub City Stompers - Blood, Sweat and Beers (For fans of The Toasters, Westbound Train, Symarip)

Over the past few years, NJ's skinhead ska band Hub City Stompers have gained a respectable sized following across the country. However, I was surprised to learn that many fans aren't familiar with their first album, "Blood, Sweat and Beers".

Somewhere between "Blood, Sweat and Beers" and "Dirty Jersey", Hub City Stompers had a complete line-up change, and the music on BSB is noticeably different. For one, the songs on their first album are a lot more horn oriented and seem a bit slower pace than Dirty Jersey or Mass Appeal.

The lyrics are often humorous and violent: take Chatterbox for example. A song about people who talk shit on the internet, but are cowards in real life: "You're dealing with a person not a screen/I'll double back slash your throat, and delete your fucking spleen". Genius. If you've never heard of Hub City Stompers (shame on you!), Blood Sweat and Beers is a good album to start with.

MP3:
Hub City Stompers - Little Julie Swastika

Blood, Sweat, and Housewives:
Hub City Stompers - Ska Ska Black Sheep
Ruder Than You - Big Step
The Slackers - Self Medication

Buy:
Megalith Records