Mopower

Will be adding to my music collection this weekend, going to some used CD stores in town. Looking for some good Ska albums, I know about Reel Big Fish, Save Farris, Buck O Nine, Less than Jake. Is this about it for the good stuff? Thanks for any advice. I really like the ones mentioned above if that helps.

pantala

Err.. sorry to say it, but none of those bands are really "good" ska. Sorry. This is the opinion of someone that went to ska/punk shows on a weekly basis at the former RKCNDY in Seattle. The ska craze rose and fell years ago, and brought several bands (such as the ones you mentioned) to popularity, but the best ska remained underground. Most of the bands on the Moon Ska NYC label are excellent, even if the label doesn't exist any more. Try to find songs by The Toasters (one of the few very popular ska bands that was good), Mephiskapheles (holds the distinction of the craziest show I've ever seen... and also the only band to ever be called back for an encore at RKCNDY), Issac Green & The Skalars, Engine 54 (the all time best underground Seattle ska band), Skavoovie & The Epitones. For a louder sound, try Skankin' Pickle.

Perhaps my favorite ska album ever is God Bless Satan by Mephiskapheles. Their followup album Maximum Perversion took a quieter, less hard-core sound, but is still a decent CD. Hard Band For Dead by The Toasters is in every ska fan's collection (who can resist their cover of the theme from Get Smart and their rendition of Flight Of The Bumblebee?). Ripe and Fat Footin', both by Skavoovie & The Epitones, are lesser known albums, but are truly awesome CDs (Subway Joe from Fat Footin' is great, as is the theme from Batman). For just fun ska, try to find a disc called Nihon Ska Dansu: From The Land Of The Rising Ska, a compliation of Japanese ska bands. Truly good for a laugh, but also quite entertaining at the same time.

All the CDs I listed above can be found nationally--there are many more good albums I would like to list, but they'd only be available in the Seattle area in some obscure CD shops.

I suggest going to a local, independent, small record store and looking for some black and white checks.. you're bound to find some local bands. Support the local music scene.. it's often better than the stuff you'd find at Tower!

Alyoshka

I'd say look around for Skankin' Pickle and maybe Let's Go Bowling for a couple that many people like.

auto

check out asian man records (asianmanrecords.com) for some good ska bands in the same vein of the bands you listed above. The label is run by the Mike Park, the very talented and all-around nice guy who fronts The Bruce Lee Band.

They are a treasure of independent music that deserves all the support they can get.

BBP

(he also used to front the great Skankin' Pickle whose cd is available on dill records)

DrRingDing

ahem... *points at his nametag*

(you might regret ever asking that question)

i am a high-end ska fan! i hosted an all ska radio show at my college...

my absolute favorite ska band is The Slackers. I couldn't recommend a band more. the best intro album to their style is "Redlight"... the slackers are about as laid back as a ska band can be without turning into reggae... very very very good!

my absolute favorite defunct ska band is Hepcat. their albums "Push'n'Shove" and "Right On Time" are some of, if not the only, the best modern rocksteady recordings. i absolutely recommend those.

for faster ska i recommend Dr. Ring-Ding *coughcough* and his albums "Dandimite" and "Ram di Dance". a lot of fun! "The Toasters" are fun as well.

for the best in 2-Tone ska, look no further than The Specials album "The Specials", or, more simply, the 2-disc collection "The 2-Tone Collection A Checkered Past"

for classic, 1960's era Jamaican ska, i recommend any of the following compilations: "This Is Ska", "This Is Ska Too", "Roots of Reggae Vol One: Ska", "Roots of Reggae Vol Two: Rocksteady".

and now i'll just make a list of "definitive" ska albums (in my book):

*Bad Manners "Heavy Petting"
Bad Manners "Lip Up Fatty"
The (English) Beat "I Just Can't Stop It"
*The Clash "London Calling"
Dr. Ring-Ding and the Senior All-Stars "Dandimite" and "Ram di Dance"
Dr. Ring-Ding and H.P. Setter "Big T'Ings"
Easy Big Fella "Eat at Joey's"
Hepcat "Hepcat", "Push 'n Shove", and "Right on Time"
Johnny Socko! "Oh, I DO Hope It's Roast Beef!"
Let's Go Bowling "Music to Bowl By" and "Mr. Twist"
Madness "Madness"
*Mephiskapheles "God Bless Satan"
*Operation Ivy "Operation Ivy"
The Paragons "My Best Girl Wears My Crown Rock Steady 1966-1968"
The Pietasters "Oolooloo"
Prince Buster "FABulous Greatest Hits"
*The Scofflaws "The Scofflaws" and "Ska in Hi-Fi"
The Skandalous Allstars "Age of Insects"
*Skankin' Pickle "The Green Album" and "Sing Along with Skankin' Pickle"
The Skatalites "Greetings from Skamania" and "Hi-Bop Ska!"
The Skatalites "Foundation Ska"
Skavoovie and the Epitones "Fat Footin'" and "Ripe"
The Slackers - ANY OF THEIR ALBUMS and you will NOT go wrong!
*Slapstick "Slapstick"
*The Specials "The Specials"
*Spring Heeled Jack "Static World View"
Stubborn All-Stars - ANY of their albums, as well
*Sublime "40 Oz to Freedom"
*The Toasters "Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down", "Thrill Me Up", "Hard Band Fe Dead" and "Dub 56"
Venice Shoreline Chris "The 4-Track Adventures of Venice Shoreline Chris"

i also recommend the following compilations:

"The 2-Tone Collection A Checkered Past"
"Freedom Sounds A Tribute to the Skatalites"
"Island 40th Volume I 1959-1964 Ska's the Limit"
"Love and Affection Ska in the Key of Love"
*"Misfits of Ska"
"Old Skool Ska"
"Roots of Reggae Vol One: Ska"
"Roots of Reggae Vol Two: Rocksteady"
"Ska Island"
"Ska United A Global Ska Sampler"
"Skarmageddon"
"This Is Ska" and "This Is Ska Too"
"Version City"

the albums with a * before them are those that you would probably be more inclined to like if you are a big Less Than Jake, Buck O Nine, et al fan.

and some would argue that i should include the Mighty Mighty Bosstones... but i am not a skacore fan, so it is not my place to make any recommendations on their music.. although "Let's Face It" does have traditional ska songs.

cheers! once again, you must check out the Slackers!
-di doctor-

*Edited to clarify list (make it less messy)

Fielding Mellish

William Shatner by The Scofflaws is the greatest song in the history of recorded music.

DrRingDing

if you like that song, you should give Johnny Socko!'s "David Hasslehoff" (from the album Full Trucker Effect) a try!
-di doctor-

Ginwen

That 2 Tone Collection is really good for late 70s/early 80s stuff.

I am by no means an expert, but I've always really enjoyed the Selector. I wish they'd release their first two albums complete on CD, but the CDs they have out aren't bad.

Edit: Just noticed that I can get their first two albums (Too Much Pressure and Celebrate the Bullet). Excellent!