# A plea to Ska fans... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2000, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836 "2000-12-22T09:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/1 "2000-12-22T09:13:49Z")
Hello all, To my great joy I’ve recently discovered the _ **Dance Hall Crashers** _. A friend mentioned to me that this type of music is called Ska. Here’s where I need your help, Ska fans. Give me some suggestions on what to listen to next. I’d really like to hear more from bands like DHC. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![FloChi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@FloChi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloChi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/2 "2000-12-22T09:25:26Z")
How about Area 7 or the Porkers (sorry Australian)? Madness are probably one of the most famous ska groups and you should be able to find them everywhere. But they are early 80’s. My working definition of Ska - punk with wind instruments. ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/3 "2000-12-22T09:44:38Z")
Hehe. Punk with wind instruments. Since DHC is my only reference, my definition would be “Punk Lite.” Come to think of it, there is some brass in there. Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll look into it. ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/4 "2000-12-22T13:21:09Z")
My humble ska band suggestions; 1. **THE SPECIALS** \* 2. Selector\* 3. go pick up the two tone 2 disk set. It’s the best old school ska.\* 4. **LESS THAN JAKE** 5. Madness\* 6. Assorted jellybeans (kind of ska) 7. skeletones 8. Bim skala bim\* 9. Lets go bowling\* 10.Op ivy 11.Toasters\* These are some great ones but there is a lot out there. I placed a \* next to ska bands considered “classic ska”. The other bands are a little harder and more punk. You will find that the classic stuff if MUCH closer to ska’s caribbean roots and not as pop-ish. The bands I boldfaced are the two that I think best represent both sides of ska. ENJOY! ---
**Author:** ![broccoli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@broccoli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/broccoli)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/5 "2000-12-22T13:39:07Z")
[my two cents] the Toasters the Toyes some of Sublime’s stuff Less Than Jake’s OLD stuff (_Pezcore_, _Losing Streak_) the Mighty Mighty Bosstones the Pietasters Rancid’s _Out come the wolves_ some of the Assorted Jelly Bean’s stuff the AQUABATS (how could you forget the ‘bats, pezpunk?) any band who puts "skankin’" in a album title [/my two cents] punk snot dead, broccoli! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/6 "2000-12-22T13:39:07Z")
Check out The Voodoo Glow Skulls. Much harder edge stuff. ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/7 "2000-12-22T13:54:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by broccoli! \* > \*\*[my two cents] > any band who puts “skankin’” in a album title > > [/my two cents] > > punk snot dead, > broccoli! > \*\* HAHAHAHA Good rule of Thumb!!! SKANKIN’ PICKLE! ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/8 "2000-12-22T14:02:55Z")
The ska of the late 70’s and early 80’s (pezpunk’s \*'s and others) was known at the time as “ska revival” or “mod ska” and was primarily out of England. Some of them had a more traditional sound (like The Specials and The Untouchables) and others were more ska-influenced pop dance music (Madness, English Beat, Bad Manners). Ska started in the late 50’s as a Caribbean take on R&B and started floating out of Jamaica in the early 60’s. Look for The Skatellites, Desmond Decker, or Toots and the Maytalls if you’re interested in seminal ska. ---
**Author:** ![Modian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Modian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/9 "2000-12-22T16:06:04Z")
What timing, Voodoo Glow Skulls came on Radio Epitaph as I opened this. 🙂 My vote also goes to VGS and Operation Ivy. And some Suicide Machines. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/10 "2000-12-22T16:06:57Z")
Sorry to hijack the thread, but has there been a ska song that got radio airplay? I see Madness listed as a ska band, was “Our House” a ska song? Like the OP I would like to listen to ska but am not sure what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Modian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Modian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/11 "2000-12-22T19:56:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Like the OP I would like to listen to ska but am not sure what it is. Mighty Mighty Bosstones maybe. Pop-Ska. Most of the stuff listed here is Punk-Ska. ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/12 "2000-12-22T20:19:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by puddleglum \* > \*\*was “Our House” a ska song? > Like the OP I would like to listen to ska but am not sure what it is. \*\* “Our House” was probably one of their less ska-ish songs. What I look for to declare a song ska is what’s sometimes called the “one drop rhythm” – kind of like quick reggae. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/13 "2000-12-22T20:32:22Z")
I’d always sort of assumed that ska developed from reggae, but I recently was told that it was actually the other way around; ska came first. Experts know the straight dope on this? deep dark secret: I love ska, but find reggae, well, pretty damn boring. Anyone else? As far as recommendations, I really don’t have any bands that haven’t already been mentioned to add. But I would like to second some of my favorites: The Specials Madness The Toasters Mighty Mighty Bosstones ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/14 "2000-12-22T20:45:34Z")
The Specials first LP would be an excellent starting point. The Selecter’s _Too Much Pressure_ is also recommended. I’m not too up on the more recent stuff (and don’t care for much of what I’ve heard), but I like Bim Skala Bim. The Now were a cool DC-based ska band in the eighties, but good luck finding any of their stuff. I love Toots and the Maytals – _The Best of Toots and the Maytals_ is a great compilation. Toots occupied a middle ground between ska and reggae. Anamorphic: Ska came first. In fact Bob Marley first gained fame as a ska musician. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalMuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@DigitalMuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalMuse)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/15 "2000-12-22T21:53:14Z")
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Mustardplug Buck O Nine Five Iron Frenzy Sublime ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/16 "2000-12-22T22:19:45Z")
Cool. Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m going to have check in to these. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/17 "2000-12-22T22:56:08Z")
WTF?!!? A thread on ska, and only one person has mentioned Desmond Decker or the Skatalites yet? Ok. I can tell you right now, ignore everyone elses’s advice. 😛 Skatalites, Desmond Decker, Specials, Bob MArley (early stuff), Selecter, HepCat (for modern classic ska, one of the best really). ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/18 "2000-12-22T23:17:34Z")
If you can get your hand on it the following is about as ska as you can get Max Romeo - Wet Dream This is a little bit naughty Judge Dread was well known for his saucy material but it was also very ska. You could try hunt down Linton Kwezi Johnson. Another to try is Prince Buster he did the original version of Al Capone - actually you can also see how rap music started in its infancy from this fella. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/19 "2000-12-23T00:43:40Z")
Just get a ska sampler CD. There are a ton of them. I recommend “American Ska-thic”, but pretty much any of them are good. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836/20 "2000-12-23T00:56:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by puddleglum \* > \*\*Sorry to hijack the thread, but has there been a ska song that got radio airplay? I see Madness listed as a ska band, was “Our House” a ska song? > Like the OP I would like to listen to ska but am not sure what it is. \*\* As **vd** mentioned, “Our House” is closer to straight pop then it is to ska. Madness had a radio hit earlier with “One Step Beyond”, which definitely had a ska beat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-plea-to-ska-fans/46836.md?page=2)