Canadian new wave band. I think this is their only release. There are 4 great new wave tracks on here, but the first two songs could be considered ska.
1 (This is) Sydney Town
2 Wake Up to Me
3 When it's Over
4 No Safety in Numbers
5 Parade of the Sensible
6 Youth Anthem
Riff Regan was the vocalist for the punk band London. He went solo in the early 80s and released a few singles. A few of them had a bit of the ska influence. This is the only one I have - so far.
The Specials released their first single in July 1979 which is considered the spark that caused the ska-punk fire. Though they get credit with being the ones to make it more well known they were not the only ones to mix punk and new wave with ska and reggae. Aside from Arthur Kay having already released records with the 2 Tone sound before the Specials, The Slits, United Balls, and Plastic Bertrand were incorporating ska into their music as were many bands in the UK and throughout Europe.
But in the US there were a few bands playing reggae and those that were were not mixing it with punk or new wave. Not yet anyway. But in California in 1978 there was a band called The Offs.
They mixed their punk music with r&b, soul, reggae, dub, and even German experimental music.
They later moved from the West Coast to New York but continued going back frequently to play shows in San Francisco and L.A.
Here's just about everything they ever recorded before lead vocalist Don Vinil died in New York in 1983.
"624803 / Johnny Too Bad" 7"
"Zero Degrees / Everyone's a Bigot" 7"
"I've Got the Handle" alt. version from a 415 Records Compilation
"My World / You Fascinate Me" 7"
3 tracks from a live compilation called "Can You Hear me? - Music From the Deaf Club"
"The Offs First Record" (Their first, last, and only full length. The cover was designed by famed New York artist Basquiat and the original was sold on eBay IN 2008. I don't remember what it sold for but it wasn't much.)
1 You Fascinate Me
2 Cool Down
3 True Story
4 Why Boy
5 Body Hesitation
6 I've Got the Handle
7 One More Shot
8 Bye Bye Baby
This live show is actually a compilation of 3 live shows:
There are 20 tracks. The song "624803" was recorded July 5, 1980 and the songs "100 Dollar Limosine", "Johnny Too Bad", and the 2 Lou Reed covers "Sweet Jane", and "Heroin" were recorded March 1, 1980.
R.E.M. released their second album Reckoning in 1984 and Harborcoat is the first song on that album. It was not a ska song but it did have that familiar ska upstroke guitar in a few places.
Anytime the band played Harborcoat live it had more of the ska feel to it than the version on the album does...especially in 1984-1985:
When their first album Murmur was re-released on CD in 2008 it included a live version of Harborcoat that showcased the ska sound.
Although it is not a straighforward ska song (I don't think R.E.M. ever did one - please prove me wrong), it is a great song and the best version I found of it was from a show from the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago from 1984:
This download includes 3 versions of Harborcoat - the 1984 Aragon Ballroom version, the live version from the Murmur deluxe edition, and the album version from Reckoning - for comparison (there are many more versions out there and I have a lot of them).
A few of my 'all time favorite songs ever' (there are a million of them) are R.E.M. songs. -Feeling Gravity's Pull, etc. ...but I won't bore you with that. What I will do is tell you that, while Murmur is considered to be their first album, there was an EP in 1983 called Chronic Town which is included in this download, just because. (Carnival of sorts (Box Cars) is one of my aforementioned 'all time favorite songs ever').
Here's a rarity from New York from 1979. The band didn't list their real names on the record sleeve so it's hard to determine who they really are. I'm pretty sure that this is the only recording released by them under this name.
You might know the song Hire High School Girls from the Dirt Records compilation Dirt Compilation Volume 1 (which I do not have.....damnit), but it's not only the A-side with the slight ska influence, but the B-side has it as well. The A-side is good, but I like the B better.
A - Hire High School Girls
B - Out of the Frying Pan (Into the Eighties)*
Ansel Collins - Dub Voltage
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DC Production EP 2024 FLAC
6 new instrumentals featuring the melodica
Highly Bless
Irie Blessings
Jam Master
Ital Stew
Moving On
Mountain Top
Musick that Needed Work: N - Night Glitter
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As I've stated before when I reopened this can of worms --- 2015 --- at the
time I opened a folder (always a dangerous act) I had labeled: "Musick that
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Bo Diddley "Big Bad Bo" 1974
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Having tried everything else in his search for a new sound, Bo moved into a
jazz vein on this record, and the results are not bad, but not they're not
real...
BITCH AND ANIMAL What's That Smell? 1999
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*Discogs*
Queercore/folk punk
Bitch & Animal Biography by MacKenzie Wilson
The funky-folk duo Bitch & Animal came together in the late '90s. Bitch
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Impact - Foodstamp (1996)
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This was sold to me as a punk-ska CD but it's not punk at all and there is
only one ska song that doesn't remain ska all the way through.
This is a fun...
Mission -- The Last Detail (1983, Frantic)
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Not to be confused with the British Mission U.K. (in fact, this
Maryland-based quartet may have been responsible for forcing them to graft
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Whirlpool - Demos 1991
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*WHIRLPOOL*
Demos
1991 Food Records
Notes :
Band formed by Colin Murray "Gem" Archer, Jeff "Jay" Walker, and ex Primal
Scream drummer Gavin Skinner....
Modcast #559: And Away We Go
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And away we go with a new modcast packed with new music, and a few choice
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*Listen Now Download*
Lunchbox...
The Burpas - Fat Man (1981)
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b/w - Dummies
A nice mix of Ska & New Wave on the only release from this Cardiff 5 piece
(1980-81)
*Caroline Limmer* (Voc)
*Matthew Mars-Jones* (Guitar)...
ANGELIC UPSTARTS - @ London/Polytechnic 25.06.1981
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After a long time, I'm back in this theater for a short time and first: all
re-upp requests are fixed. I hope I can devote more passion to blogging
again...
Espiando en los 80's Vol 10
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1-Urban Blight - U Must Be
2-Dan Hartman - Pick It Up
3-Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons - Tighten Up
4-Roberto Jacketti & The Scooters - Why Don't You C...
Jimmy Cliff - The Power And The Glory 1983 FLAC
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*O Primeiro e Ultimo*
Depois de 14 anos chega ao fim a jornada deste blog. E eu escolhi o
primeiro album de Reggae que meu pai me presenteou quando eu ti...
# 569 Ricky & the Spitfires - Rock'n'roll singer
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Side a: Rock'n'roll singer
Side b: It's against the rules
DK 1978
Very fine powerpop record by this South African R'n'R group. It was
released on a danish...
Yo SĂ Le Brinco - Desgracias, Gracias (2022)
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“Somos una banda de punk rock originarios de leon gto. Decidimos hacer la
banda en tiempos pandemicos con el pretexto de poder salir del encierro y
distra...
Bandcamp Friday
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Hey everyone
It's Bandcamp Friday so I just wanted to mention a couple of links. There
are some great deals today with all profits going direct to the ...
NARROW VIEWS
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ESTADOS UNIDOS
Banda Hardcore Punk Oi! de Pensilvania, Estados Unidos.
2017- Out of Control EP
01- Brainwashed Liberals
02- Red, White, & Blue
03- ...