Ska music reviews

When I first heard Metro Stylee on the Girls Go Ska comp. with the song Destroy (the best under 2 minute song, IMHO), I knew I had to get the album! Unfortunatly the version on this album is not the same as the Girls Go Ska, but the album is still great, I just wish it didn't have the pesky shipping delay!

Metro Stylee combines Trish's fabulous yet undefinable vocals, along with a mixture of soul, jazz, and traditional ska..including great horn lines and catchy lyrics that actually have something to say. I've seen Metro Stylee a few times and they're just as fabulous live as they sound on the CD! "Destroy" & "Evil Eyes" are among the best songs I've heard on recent Ska comps; it's like Ocean 11 and DHC meet Isaac Green & Prince Buster.If you like any of the previous artists, you'll love them...and if not, you will anyway. They have something to offer everyone.

Words cannot describe the feeling i get when i listen to my favorite band- METRO STYLEE. If u like traditional-style ska w/ female vocals and a totally groovin atmosphere, check this out! yea baby!

--crayz brad (the #1 Stylee fan in illinois!!)--

Maldita Vecindad is one of the few to have these kinds of music together Ska, punk, old rancheras, pachuco dayz tunes. It sounds all so good the street talk in Mexico and desmadre there is reminds me and takes me back to those days. It can take you from the mosh pit to your childish years.
Viva Zapata
Viva el EZLN!

Con este CD Maldita Vecindad demuestra que es el mejor grupo de rock mejicano de los �ltimos a�os. Desde su impresionante disco Baile de M�scaras, Maldita se ha consolidado como un grupo hist�rico. Canciones con diferentes estilos musicales y con una mezcla adecuada de sonidos le dan la marca a este grupazo. Absolutamente recomendable.

I was already familiar with the invigorating ska from the _El Circo_ album, but hearing Maldita's _Mostros_ astounded me with its mix of styles. We've got ska, rap, skatepunk, folklorico, and all sorts of other sounds on this album, with subject matter ranging from cool old cars to the Zapatista revolution. To top it off, the album has great artwork. Highly recommended.

Appreciation of "ska" not required to relish this one. Just the love of good, fun music.It is a wonder how the vp's at the big "M" and pop radio let these guys(& gal)slip through their greedy little digits. But keep putting out albums of this calibur and The Smooths will get theirs!Olay!

You can listen to this CD cover to cover and never get bored of it. Every song is a hit and their live show is great. They have really come a long way from their first CD.

The difference between this CD and the group's first effort (Very Own Vegas)illustrates what national tours do to enhance the end product. The first CD was good but this is fantastic! The sound is so exact and "together" I wonder why these guys aren't on TV and at the top of the charts. I'm particularly nuts about the mix presented here. Everything from smart-ass to serious as hell. You really should not miss this.

At only 7 songs, this EP, Johnny Socko's sophomore effort, shines brighter than most full-length cd's.My favorites include: Vinnie's Hooch, When The Bough Breaks, Long Live The Dead Guy, and the perennial favorite: B!tch Stole My Hat.As you can see this cd contains some adult language, but not excessively so. Be sure to pick up their latest release "Quatro". If you like Sublime or Madness, you'll enjoy this cd.

This is classic Johnny Socko. Since this cd, the band had taken a different sound. This cd is every bit of the original bands genius If you want the best of Johnny Socko - buy this cd. Joe Welch is one of the most talented musicians I have ever heard.

WOW! That's all I have to say. Johnny Socko is a great band. This cd shows how versitile a band can be. From Ska, to Polka, to even Rap-Core. These guys have everything that makes a band awesome to listen to. I highly recomend this cd, and all other Johnny Socko cds.

How can you go wrong with 28 ska and punk songs? I like how the first half of the CD is all punk and the second all ska with some Rocky sound bites to give it the punk vs. ska theme. One of my favorite CDs.

this cd is really good...especially for those of you who like Punk or Ska...or both...Longfellow, 22 JAcks,409, Jeffries Fun Club, are all good..:)

This album has some great bands, namely Lone Raspberry and Longfellow. I would really recommend going out and finding this CD.

This, king Djangos second release is just a little bit below the first realease however is still brilliant, Reason seems to concentrate on the rock reaggae side of the spectrum and precipice is one of his best tracks along with reason thats pretty good aswell but more heavy duty reggae so if your looking for some pre-eminant reggae then pick up any of king djangos releases then if you dont own any Bob Marley already then go get legend or at least i would recommened you do that. King Djangos music is more experimental on the previous more cultural album but this could be seen as a better prelude than roots would so i recommened this highly along with anything else to date by king Django.

This is a great album, and it has grown on me over time. KD displays a whole palette of sounds and tempos, from ska, to guitar-laced harder stuff, to reggae. My favorite song is a crooner called "I got a ride". Worth the price for that song alone. Looking forward to the next album.

Cannot get this out of my CD changer for 4 months now. Ska-rock-dancehall. Plus. Eclectic the way I like it - genuine, not a gratuituous stew of styles.
Mostly I like the faster tracks: "Kick it Out" is my favorite. Also, "Reason" & "LKO" (blistering). Mostly I like the songs with guitar textures.
"Never Try" is a beautiful ballad. "I Got a Ride" has the blues roots storyline of Dylan's great Cold Irons Bound.
King is confident & charming & smart with almost no preaching. I know of nothing like it.

GOD!!!! This cd is crazy!!! i love it i cant get the songs out of my head!!! No Woman No cry is great they remixed it to perfection (not that bob Marley was bad) and ego is a great song also!!! The entire cd it FILLED with great up beat ska that no one could put down!!! The kind of a mix of Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Green Day, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and a bit of great catchy punk!!! And some Offspring. If you like any of these bands this is a must have!!! I wash they would come to California so i could see them in person. I might even fly to the UK just to see them!!!

this cd is a must! i just say it, GET IT! You wont change your mind.

Room For Abuse is deffinately worth getting! a pure class band, happy and uplifting ska, just made for skanking!!! ive seen them live twice and i can recomend them to anyone. v.good

Ah, spring; Runforyerlife soon follows. This ragtag group of college students from Wheaton, IL have cooked up a cornucopia of genre-splicing ska that has you thrusting your foot (the other one is dancing) into your mouth because, when you saw the latest from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, you declared that you hated ska. But then you were converted by the cool, catlike vocals of Kelly Zouhary and the accompanying razor-sharp horns of the RFYL posse; and not since Johnny Socko have you been hypnotized by dance-hall Midwesterners who have gleaned the dark secrets of melody from such unlikely sources as high-school band and joyous 80's rock. Definitely worth your entertainment dollar if you have any vestige of interest in your waking life.

this cd rocks. i saw them live and they had so much energy. my favorite tracks are te vi, which breaks into spanish, 4 am fight song, with a raging interlude by the charming jim gibbons, and heard and not seen, a more bombastic, funkier song than no doubt's "just a girl," but with the same message that grrls rock hard.

Runforyerlife is a fairly new band on Jump Up records... the wonderful lable who brought us the adjusters and greenhouse. This band has a powerful sound sure to make you get up and dance. The passionate female vocals really set them apart from the traditional ska sound. I HIGHLY reccommend that anyone who has even a minimal interest in ska buy this album. It's sure to please.

Great album by these guys. I sure hope i still have this laying around in my house. Very nice and relaxing ska from these boys. Alex Dessert, use to be in this group, is now on the CBS show, Becker. Keep on skankin

over all great album
also look in to Monkey Man by the Toots & The Maytals not maytalls like the jerk above splled it

I wih I knew why this album is so hard to find, as the music is excellent. After a long time of searching, I bought it from an Amazon marketplace seller for about 8 bucks, the best deal I've found in a long time.

First, the problems. As my title states, the production and mixing on this album is horrible compared to their last 2 albums, or even Scientific. The overall sound is very quiet, and no matter how high you turn the bass up on your stereo, Dave Fuentes's wonderful basslines are still lost in the mix. Also, as with most Moon Ska releases, you get a catalog instead in the liner notes. Cause, let's face it, who wants lyrics or notes from the band when you can have a catalog from a defunct record label? Also, Hepcat's sound isn't as dynamic without trumpeter Kincaid Smith, who excels on each of their other albums. The two-sax horn section just doesn't work as well. To the songs:

Dance Wid Me- good way to start the album. nice uptempo song with a doo-wop sound. Greg, Deston, and Alex all lead (in that order). 10

The Secret- just as strong as Dance wid Me. beats the hell out of the version on Right on Time. more uptempo. Greg leads. 10

Hooligans- good Wailers cover. Greg leads. 9

Skavez- Dave Hillyard shines on this smooth classic latin jazz track. only one verse of lyrics, though. 10

Miss Congeniality- My favorite on the album. slow rocksteady beat with cool guitar. Deston leads. GREAT lyrics. 10

Clarence Thomas- first of three instrumentals. pretty good. 9

Prison of Love- faster and more fun than the later version. "i said a little dab'll do ya..." and "you and i sittin under a tree..." lines make the song. Greg leads. 10

Earthquake and Fire- never liked this song much. Greg and Alex lead. 8

All For You- beautiful lyrics, nice doo-wop/swing sound. Greg leads. Second favorite on the album. 10

Caravan- instrumental #2, the best. anything written by Duke Ellington deserves more than a 10.

Police Woman- nice mellow ballad. not one of the album's best, but very good. Alex shines in the lead here. 9

Same O' Same O'- another great Hillyard song. kinda swing tempo. Greg leads. 10

Train to Skaville- the final instrumental. nothing special, by Hepcat's standards. pretty good ending to the album. 9

Highly recommended to any fan of classic Jamaican music or latin jazz fan. Some fans of big band swing should also look into it.

Now I won't bash too heavily or linger too long on the vast array of negatives this group has to offer, however I feel at least the need to let you know just what you're getting into when swapping your savings for this album. This is without question an acquired taste and I haven't the slightest idea of how one would go about acquiring it. For reference, here is a short list of things I jotted down after fully committing myself, double meaning there, to give this CD 1 full spin before ridding myself of this stuff.
Times said : "Please kill me" - 38
"How much longer?" - 28
"I'm not going to make it" - 18
"How is this possible?" - 16
"What is more pointless, this music, or my listening to it?" - 4
"What kind of sick masochist am I calling upon myself to suffer through this just for the self-satisfaction it would bring?" - 0 but it was close
As you can read, I never felt more bitter or cynical after voluntarily listening to music that I can remember. The music itself is a concoction of a lot of loud, flashy, gimmicky sounds from electronic keyboards and trumpets pieced together in order to make the craziest, most unusual sound possible. To be blunt, this is reminiscent of music on Saturday morning kids show theme songs. That is not to say that removing these over-the-top elements the musicianship is bad. When they want to play their instruments in a listenable way, they show that they could make music people might enjoy. However, that is soon forgotten when you factor in the vocals and the lyrics. I guess they're trying to be funny or irreverent when writing these songs like the band They Might Be Giants, only 1 problem: they're not funny or witty in any conceivable way. There's songs about superheroes & the pizza day at school, although they just go nowhere, offer nothing humorous, use the most cornball language imaginable, and just leave you incredulous over what their motivation could be for producing this type of music. The singer's voice, however gets the nod as the most over-the-top annoying thing of them all, the most obvious unending novelty that sparks the most rage. The only song that got any pleasant reaction out of me was "I fell asleep on my arm," that has some traces of wit and mockery of Korn & Limp Bizkit, which will get them at least a star anytime because as bad as The Aquabats are, they're if nothing else making the music they want and not catering to the teen sheep of MTV. So all in all 2 stars. Hope this helps.

Killer frikkin ska album. Ive been reading the reviews and ive noticed there was nothing else to be said. But, nobody mentioned the song Worms Make Dirt. That song is epic and amazing. How they thought of a chipmunk in the center of the earth is beyond me. These guys take geeky ska to a new level. Pool Party is also another cool song. "dude just watching the dating game". The chorus is really catchy. Pizza Day is probably the best song on the album. Good, funny lyrics. So this cd is awesome so buy it.

How can you not like this CD. It's fun-filled and packed with adventure. This CD blows the top off the volcano man! What are you doing sitting here reading this review...go buy the cd!