[Kithkin]

Hired Geeks? – A crazy ska band that reminds people of Mu330 only with a better singer. The first song on their [url=http://www.myspace.com/hiredgeeks]myspace[/url] isn’t very good but the other two are sick. One of the best new bands I’ve listened to in a long while.

The Scrub – A ska band out of the UK that plays fun music with really cool horn lines and good vocal play. They’ve got a local following which probably shouldn’t be a surprise. They’re confident musicians and know what they’re doing. They have a [url=http://www.myspace.com/thescrub]myspace[/url] which I’m sure is a big surprise to nobody.

Skylar – Skylar is/was a sideproject of the singer of Howard’s Alias. It’s a bit slower than Howard’s Alias, but the voice will be very familiar if you’ve ever heard HA. Where HA moved towards the rock end of things towards the end of their career, Skylar focuses on the ska. The technical ability is still obviously there though… in case you were worried. There’s even a [url=http://www.myspace.com/skylark]myspace[/url].

$up - $up is a skacore band out of the UK with some very catchy horn lines and a pretty good singer. They’re very hard to find online because of their stupid name but they have a [url=www.supsite.co.uk]website[/url] and you can download some songs off of their label’s [url=http://www.totalselloutrecords.com/]website[/url].

Aquabats – The Aquabats are a silly silly band. If you like Blink 182’s way with lyrics, you’ll probably like them. I don’t listen to them much, mostly because I hate the singer’s voice. They’re supposed to have an amazing live show. You can listen to them on their [url=http://www.myspace.com/theaquabats]myspace[/url] or [url=http://www.purevolume.com/theaquabats]purevolume[/url]

Ska P – A Spanish ska band out of… somewhere. They play some of the most entertaining music outside of the Suburban Legends. Sure, I can’t understand most of what they’re saying but the horn lines, the vocal melodies, the backing music is all so good that you can listen to it anyway. Their live album is ridiculous. Listen to some songs on this fan’s [url=http://www.myspace.com/skapdejuarez]myspace[/url]

The Rx Bandits – A prog-rock ska band. That doesn’t really make sense until you listen to them. Progress is considered a must own album up there with Big D’s Good Luck and Catch 22’s Keasby Nights. I think I like The Resignation better, but the do move a little further away from Skapunk on that album. They are a very socially conscious band and that’s reflected in the lyrics, which are about media images, drugs, corporations and education inequality. Their singer may be one of the most talented singers in the skapunk genre. They have a bunch of songs on their [url=http://www.purevolume.com/rxbandits]purevolume[/url] and their [url=http://www.myspace.com/rxbandits]myspace[/url]

Howards Alias – Howard’s Alias is a UK band that is very talented. They play a prog-rock ska along the lines of newer Rx Bandits. The singer’s voice is very unique and I love it, but my roommate doesn’t. Their first two albums are two thoroughly entertaining albums and The Chameleon Script is one of the best debut albums outside of Catch 22. You can listen to songs by going to their [/url=http://www.myspace.com/howardsalias]myspace[/url]

Sonic Boom Six – A ska-hop band from the UK. I love this band. The lyrics are unabashedly political and at least even with Streetlight Manifesto’s, if not faster. The singers are a girl and a guy and their interplay makes for a completely interesting listening experience. Sounds to Consume is a great album all the way through (though the dub tracks on the Champion Edition aren’t their best work). Listen to some songs on their [url=http://www.myspace.com/sonicboomsix]myspace[/url] or [url=http://www.purevolume.com/sonicboomsix]purevolume[/url]

A Billion Ernies – A hardcore ska band. I guess. Their new album is called Stop Calling Us Ska… so maybe they don’t want to ska. Their singer can’t scream but does anyway. When he isn’t screaming he sounds pretty damn good. The musicians are pretty talented. They have a [url=http://www.myspace.com/abillionernies]myspace[/url] and a bunch of songs on their [url=http://www.purevolume.com/abillionernies]purevolume[/url].

A Girl Named Craig – A Girl Named Craig are a very popular band and I don’t quite know why. They sound a bit like early Reel Big Fish but not quite as good. Too much rock, not enough ska. You can listen to some songs on [url=http://www.purevolume.com/agirlnamedcraig]purevolume[/url]

Adequate Seven – Not quite a ska band, but they would probably appeal to most ska fans. Big on the Funk big on the Punk and big on the Horns. They are overtly political and know how to make really catchy music. They have a [url=http://www.myspace.com/adequateseven]myspace[/url] and a [url=http://www.purevolume.com/adequateseven]purevolume[/url]

Bonkaponxz – A German band. Don’t worry though, they sing in English. They’re pretty good. They aren’t the Ska-P of Germany, but they’re more than competent. They have quick, interesting horn lines, a great vocalist, and a heavier sound than most foreign skapunk bands. You can download a few songs off of their [url=http://bopx.ch/index_1.htm]website[/url]

The Menzingers – A Ska band that is probably kind of local to me. It’s ex members of Bob and the Sagets and some other band. What’s surprising is how good they are. They call themselves indie/reggae/punk on [url=http://www.myspace.com/THEMENZINGERS]myspace[/url] and that’s pretty accurate.

The Cat Empire – An Australian Latin/Hiphop/Reggae band. If that isn’t enough to interest you, I don’t know what would be. They manage to pull it off to. There’s some ska and some jazz in there too. And some Cake influence on the singer. See for yourself on [url=http://www.myspace.com/thecatempire]myspace[/url]

Catch-It Kebabs – A UK skapunk band with a great horn section and quick lyrics. From their label’s [url=http://www.dothedog.com/bands.htm]website[/url], “The Catch-It Kebabs’ sound ranges from blazing ska/punk & peppy 2 tone to surging 3rd wave ska & sassy swingcore.” They have a [url=http://www.myspace.com/catchitkebabs]myspace[/url] where you can hear that first hand.

Daly's Gone Wrong – A skacore band that sometimes strays into emo. They are a bit too hardcore for me, but they play what they want and they are good at what they do. Their new stuff strays a bit too close to emo and doesn’t see to have much to do with ska anymore. But The Fourth Wave is a pretty good album that has a decent Big D influence. You can listen to some of their songs on their [url=http://www.myspace.com/dalysgonewrong]myspace[/url] or their [url=http://www.purevolume.com/dalysgonewrong]purevolume[/url]

Dogged Skankers – This band is a French band that I have 6 songs of and love them to death. They make extremely skankable music with a good touch of rock, catchy horn lines and a great singer. You can download one song off of whatever [url=http://doggedskankers.propagande.org/]this[/url] is. I can’t stop myself from whistling along while they play.

Dregtones – Before there was At the Drive in, there was the Dregtones. They’re an ok ska band though the EP I have is pretty poorly recorded. They had a lot of potential, though I’m guessing that if they had stuck to ska they wouldn’t have made it anywhere.

Duff Muffin – A UK skapunk band with quick licks and quick lyrics. The singer reminds me of Big D and the Kids Table though the rest of the music isn’t that complicated. Simple and solid and probably a lot of fun to see. They have a good ability to switch between quick and slow ska riffs. Listen at their [url=http://www.myspace.com/duffmuffin]myspace[/url]

Pama International – Pama International is a very chill UK ska band. They play a blend of ska, dub and reggae and know what they’re doing. The dub influence is a bit too heavy for me, but they’ll probably appeal to you if you like a bit of dub. You can listen to two full songs and two samples on their [url=http://www.myspace.com/pamainternational]myspace[/url].

Rebelation – Another UK ska/dub/reggae band. They are very rooted in first wave ska. If the Skatalites are your thing, this band will probably appeal to you. You can listen to them at their [url=http://www.myspace.com/rebelationuk]myspace[/url]

Monkey Jacket – From their website “Monkey Jacket is a Pop-Punk Screamo band from Denver, Colorado. Their hardcore influences dominate the local scene with pure pizzaz, along with pizzas.” I’ve only actually listened to the stuff on their [url=http://www.myspace.com/monkeyjacket]myspace[/url], and those are very good. They also have a lot of support from [url=http://www.21deadmonkeys.com]21deadmonkeys[/url] which is where I heard of them in the first place. They also have a [url=http://www.purevolume.com/monkeyjacket]purevolume[/url]