Yes, I too had a Ska phase. The early/mid-’90s were overloaded with the stuff. Thankfully, by the time shitty bands like Real Big Fish and Goldfinger were all the rage, I was long gone. I got into Ska mostly through Operation Ivy and The Bosstones, but soon enough the Minneapolis Skinheads I always wanted to hang around as a teenager introduced me to more traditional bands like The Specials and The Selecter. Reggae too. Good old fashioned Skinhead Reggae and Jamaican Ska. You can’t beat it.
There were a lot of Ska shows back then and, probably, too many bands. I remember a lot of fighting as well. Everybody would be dancing and having a good time, and then suddenly people were fighting. It was pretty exciting for a teenager to witness, I’ll admit. That sort of thing would completely ruin my night now, but back then, holy shit, what fun!
I like traditional Jamaican based Ska. The Jinkies pull that off decently enough, albeit with a suburban twist. At least they’re trying. I’m into it, and I’m surprised at myself, to tell you the truth because I distinctly remember actively disliking this record at one point. Probably about 15 years ago, or whenever the aforementioned shitty wave of Ska was so goddamned popular. There’s a really great Tumblr page that simply asks Ska Or Improv? Check it out, it’s everything I hate about Ska and comedy.
Ska should be sharp and clean with lots of rude boys and rude girls dancing, not mall kids with goofy sunglasses and Hawaiian shirts. If you think that shit is Ska, put this mix on and learn something. I’d like to think that The Jinkies were hip to all of that good Jamaican Ska, but I kind of doubt it. They put out a decent record, but it certainly doesn’t get me going like the real thing does.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.