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Writer's pictureMr P

Ska-Line A Round Up Of The Global Ska News 2nd May 2021



First up - news has to be about The Selecter's 40th anniversary reissue of Too Much Pressure which released this week and got ska back into the UK album charts. Number 1 in the vinyl album chart. We eagerly await our 3CD box set!




Coolie Ranx is a well known name in the ska world, be it fronting The Toasters or The Pilfers or his highly entertaining car sessions, Coolie is such an important part of the scene. He is trying to get 5000 followers on his Bandcamp page at https://coolieranx.bandcamp.com/releases Go give a follow and maybe buy some music?


France's Stand High Patrol and British artists Joe Yorke & Eeyun Purkins have collaborated to produce an insanely good piece of modern rocksteady entitled Quicksand on beautiful vinyl available from https://bigwax.io/collections/stand-high-records/products/quicksand



Alberta based soul and rocksteady combo Baby Boy & the Earthly Delights have their debut album Day by Day out and there is a beautiful rocksteady/reggae track which we are a bit addicted tot.


Straight outta Montreal comes The Resojets who have an eclectic mix of rocksteady, rock, jazz, blues and drop their debut album On a Higher Plane May 18th and we have picked out a more rocksteady influenced track to play you in our Featured This Week sessions. Check this track also from the album.



We were sworn to secrecy about the new Backyard Superheroes track until yesterday and what a cracking secret it is!

A super bouncy upbeat that really stands out in this mix. It's about getting completely lost in music (think we've all been there!) All Bandcamp proceeds for May/June go to supporting Asbury Park LGBTQ Health Center https://backyardsuperheroes.bandcamp.com/track/music-in-my-head



Now off to Moscow and a Russian ska/punk troupe - The Tromboners. Naturally horn heavy surf / ska style tune from their 3 track EP which released last week. Something a little different and worth seeking out.



One of the more exciting American ska/punk bands is We Are The Union who follow up their super hot 2018 album Self Care with a new album entitled Ordinary Life. What we hear is a bit more than ordinary! Bouncing horns over an upbeat rhythm section and a sound that is spearheading the US ska sound. Album releases early June on Bad Time Records.




Left Alone dropped their 6th album Checkers and Plaid - we heard The Darkness on the Ska Against Racism compilation nestled between The Busters and The Skints. With its Interrupters structure (or do The Interrupters have a Left Alone song structure...) and whetted our appetite for their new album. We have been sent a Mexican vocalled track that just oozes cool with guest vocals from Inspector's Big Javy. Out now on Smelvis / Hellcat records.



Next have The Upside (known as We Are The Upside on FB) who released (I think) their first album yesterday - an 11 track album which draws influences from ska, power pop, funk and a smidge of soul. We have chosen a track that I think you good people will like. Love the understated chorus on this. Each track has the horn section to the fore and they sound great.


Silky and Top Kat keep teasing us with titbits from their forthcoming Death of Guitar Pop album and this time with their spot on cover of Rancid's Junkie Man. Pukka Sounds is set to release in the summer.


Rhoda Dakar released her first single in ages and what a treat it is! The Bodysnatchers vocalist has recorded a beautiful rocksteady version of Morrisey's Everyday Is Like Sunday.


Continuing the rocksteady theme, Jade Tremba (Scotch Bonnets) unleashed her latest single and she is rapidly developing a quality catalogue of soulful rocksteady tunes. Fantastic stuff.


Wild Man Riddim have served us a fantastic slab of latin / jazz infused high tempo ska all the way from Norway! This may well be their first release since 2015s World Delivery and it's intense!



Check out our Bandcamp collection at https://bandcamp.com/buttondownradio

Check out the best of this year's ska vids at - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmpaxFQpPPFyuFitZ2sjNGhGiYooA-Pen

And whatever you do... KEEP SKANKING and listening to Button Down Radio


Mr P

May 2021



The Selecter Coolie Ranx Stand High Patrol Joe Yorke & Eeyun Purkins Baby Boy & the Earthly Delights The Resojets Backyard Superheroes The Tromboners We Are The Union Left Alone The Upside Death of Guitar Pop Rancid Rhoda Dakar Jade Tremba Wild Man Riddim

ENJOY!

Mr P

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