Ska punk

Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. Ska-core (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 Tone and ska with hardcore punk. Ska punk tends to feature brass instruments, especially horns such as trumpets, trombones and woodwind instruments like saxophones, making the genre distinct from other forms of punk rock. It is closely tied to third wave ska which reached its zenith in the mid 1990s.

Not to be confused with Skate punk.
Ska punk
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 1970s, United Kingdom
Subgenres
Fusion genres
Crack rock steady[1]
Other topics
Reggae rock

Before ska punk began, many ska bands and punk rock bands performed on the same bills together and performed to the same audiences. Some music groups from the late 1970s and early 1980s, such as the Clash, the Deadbeats, the Specials, the Beat, and Madness fused characteristics of punk rock and ska, but many of these were either punk bands playing an occasional ska-flavored song, or are usually considered 2-Tone ska bands who played faster songs with a punk attitude. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, ska-punk enjoyed its greatest success, heralded by bands such as Fishbone, Dance Hall Crashers, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Citizen Fish, Sublime, the Porkers, Mad Caddies, Culture Shock, Operation Ivy, Less Than Jake, and Reel Big Fish.

Ska punk had significant mainstream success in the middle-to-late 1990s, with many bands topping pop and rock music charts. The best selling ska punk record of the era was No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom, which was certified diamond by the RIAA in 1999 and was certified diamond by Music Canada in 1997. By the early 2000s, many of the bands in ska punk had broken up, and the genre lost mainstream appeal, though it continued to have underground popularity and featured a revival in the late 2010s with bands like The Interrupters returning to chart success, when their song "She's Kerosene" reached the top-5 on alternative and rock music charts in Canada and the U.S.

Characteristics

Ska punk combines ska music with punk rock music.[2] Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk that blends ska with hardcore punk.[3] Early ska punk combined both 2 Tone and ska with hardcore punk.[4] Ska punk often features wind instruments, especially horns[5] such as saxophones, trombones[6] and trumpets, making the genre distinct from other forms of punk rock. It is similar to traditional Jamaican ska, but faster and heavier.[5]

History

Predecessors and early development (Late 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s)
Ska punk band Operation Ivy performing live at 924 Gilman Street in 1988

Before ska punk started, many ska bands and punk rock bands performed on the same bills together and appealed to the same audiences.[7] A ska revival occurred simultaneously around the beginning of British punk rock and the near-simultaneous rebirth of the late 1970s British mod and skinhead movements.[8] During the late 1970s and early 1980s in United Kingdom, many punk rock bands mixed punk rock with ska influences. Pioneering punk rock band the Clash incorporated influences from ska alongside a range of other genres on their seminal 1979 post-punk album London Calling.[9] Songs like 1978's "Kill The Hippies" by the Deadbeats prominently featured horns, although there are no ska elements. Other British bands that were influenced by both punk rock and ska included the Specials, the Beat and Madness. With both films like the 1981 documentary film Dance Craze and supportive radio stations like Los Angeles, California's KROQ, ska crossed the Atlantic.[8] Many early ska punk bands mixed 2 Tone with hardcore punk. During the 1980s, ska punk was underground. However, Fishbone, one of the earliest ska punk bands, achieved moderate success.[4] Other ska punk bands from the 1980s and early 1990s include Mr. Bungle,[10][11] Operation Ivy,[12] Culture Shock,[13] Voodoo Glow Skulls,[14] the Porkers,[15] Sublime,[16] Citizen Fish,[17] The Mighty Mighty Bosstones,[18] The Suicide Machines, MU330 and Dance Hall Crashers.[19]

Ska punk band No Doubt performing in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States.
Ska punk band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones performing in 2008

Mainstream success (Mid–late 1990s)

Ska punk broke into the mainstream in the mid-1990s with bands such as Sublime, No Doubt, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Less Than Jake and Rancid all achieving mainstream success. Sublime's song "Date Rape" became a hit on major California alternative rock radio stations.[20] However, Sublime did not reach its peak of popularity until 1996 with the release of the band's 1996 self-titled album, which was certified 5x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1999.[21] Because of Sublime's popularity, the band's album 40oz. to Freedom was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA in 2005.[22]

Another ska punk band that achieved mainstream success during the mid-late 1990s was No Doubt. No Doubt's 1995 album Tragic Kingdom was certified diamond by the RIAA in 1999[23] and was certified diamond by Music Canada in 1997.[24] Tragic Kingdom sold at least 16,000,000 copies worldwide.[25] Rancid's song "Time Bomb" peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart[26] and the band's 1995 album ...And Out Come the Wolves was certified platinum by the RIAA.[27] Reel Big Fish's album Turn the Radio Off, which was released in August 1996, was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1997.[28] Reel Big Fish's song "Sell Out" peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.[29] Goldfinger's song "Here in Your Bedroom" peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.[30] The Mighty Mighty Bosstones achieved mainstream success in 1997; their song "The Impression That I Get" peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart,[31] number 19 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart,[32] and number 17 on the Adult Pop Songs chart.[33] Also, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' song "The Rascal King" peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart.[31] The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' album Let's Face It, which was released in March 1997, was certified platinum by the RIAA in September 1997.[34] In 2000, Billboard wrote that according to Nielsen SoundScan, Let's Face It sold 1,700,000 copies.[35] Smash Mouth's 1997 album Fush Yu Mang was certified 2x platinum in 1999.[36]

Decline (2000s-early 2010s) and revival (late 2010s-present)

Ska and reggae influenced rock music retreated to niche status by the first decade of the 2000s, with many major acts, such as The Mighty Mighty Bosstones taking an extended hiatus, and chart success eluded most bands of the genre. Some acts continued to produce such music through the decade, spearheaded by groups from Southern California (the home of ska-punk pioneers Sublime) such as Slightly Stoopid, Long Beach Shortbus, Long Beach Dub Allstars, and Tribal Seeds. Goldfinger released "The Knife" in 2017 and does sporadic one-off shows and short tours a few times each year. In 2017, Less Than Jake released their "Sound The Alarm" EP and continue to tour internationally. In 2018, Reel Big Fish released "Life Sucks... Let's Dance" and continue to tour, with Aaron Barrett being the only remaining original member of the band. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones would reform and continue to use their former popularity to promote the genre, hosting their Hometown Throwdown concert series each December. In 2018, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones released "While We're at It" and continue to tour internationally. Between 2017 and 2018, Fishbone reunited with most of their original lineup and continue to tour regularly. Chart success returned in 2018, when The Interrupters scored a minor hit with their song "She's Kerosene", that peaked at #4 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and #1 on the RPM Canadian rock/alternative chart.[37] Detroit ska punk outfit The Suicide Machines released a new album titled "Revolution Spring", released in March 2020 on Fat Wreck Chords. The Planet Smashers released "Too Much Information" on Stomp Records in 2019 and continue to play shows in the U.S. and Canada. Mustard Plug from Grand Rapids, Michigan continues to tour and put out new music as well. Furthermore, the duo 100 gecs incorporated ska punk elements into their 2019 song "stupid horse" from the album 1000 Gecs.[38]

Detroit-based ska punk band, We Are The Union released "Self Care" in 2018[39] and tour frequently. Their trombone player, Jeremy Hunter, has their own YouTube channel called Ska Tune Network, originally being an "intentionally bad ska cover" song cover of Feliz Navida titled "Feliz NaviSKA" posted to Facebook,[40] this where they post ska and ska punk covers of a multitude of different songs ranging from video game soundtracks[41][42][43] and cartoon theme songs[44] to pop punk[45] and more.[40][46] The channel has a significant international following online and has released multiple albums of the songs.[47][48][49] Buck-O-Nine released a new album titled: "Fundaymental" in 2019. Other bands that continue to tour and put out music on a regular basis include: Kill Lincoln, Omnigone, Catbite, Big D and the Kids Table, Five Iron Frenzy, Pilfers, Mad Caddies, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Bad Operation, and Mike Park's The Bruce Lee Band.

See also

References

Citations
  1. GENTILE, JOHN. "Sonic Reducer: Crack Rock Steady". Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  2. "Ska Revival". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  3. Drozdowski, Ted (May 2000). "United Colors of Beantown". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 81. p. 47. Cut for cut, Pay Attention is another step in songwriting evolution for the once-plaid-clad architects of the fusion of punk rock and Afro-Caribbean dance music known as skacore.
  4. "Ska-Punk". AllMusic.
  5. Cooper, Ryan. "The Subgenres of Punk Rock". About.com.
  6. Walker 2016, p. 74.
  7. Marciniak 2015, p. xxxiii.
  8. Diehl 2013, p. 46.
  9. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Ska punk at AllMusic. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  10. "Review: Mr. Bungle Astound and Antagonize at First Show in Nearly 20 Years". Revolvermag.com. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  11. Torreano, Bradley. "Bowl of Chiley - Mr. Bungle: Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  12. "Operation Ivy | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  13. Sacher, Andrew (July 6, 2016). "Culture Shock released their first album in 27 years, touring with World/Inferno". BrooklynVegan.
  14. Bush, John. "Voodoo Glow Skulls | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  15. Anderson, Rick. "Grunt! - The Porkers". AllMusic.
  16. Blakinger, Keri (February 22, 2016). "Six Sublime songs that maintain relevance today". NY Daily News.
  17. "Citizen Fish | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  18. "The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  19. Ankeny, Jason. "Dance Hall Crashers | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  20. Diehl2013, p. 47.
  21. "American album certifications – Sublime – Sublime". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  22. "American album certifications – Sublime – 40 Ounces to Freedom". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  23. "American album certifications – No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  24. "Canadian album certifications – No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom". Music Canada. August 15, 1997.
  25. Van Meter, Jonathan (April 2004). "The First Lady of Rock". Vogue. New York. 194 (4). ISSN 0042-8000. OCLC 1769261.
  26. "Rancid - Chart history". Billboard.
  27. "American album certifications – Rancid – ...And Out Come the Wolves". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  28. "American album certifications – Reel Big Fish – Turn the Radio Off". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  29. "Reel Big Fish - Chart history". Billboard.
  30. "Goldfinger - Chart history". Billboard.
  31. "The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Chart history (Radio Songs)". Billboard.
  32. "The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Chart history (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  33. "The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Chart history (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  34. "American album certifications – The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Let's Face It". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  35. Mays, Raqiyah (April 29, 2000). "Mighty Bosstones 'Pay Attention' On Island/Def Jam Set". Billboard. Vol. 112 no. 18. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510.
  36. "American album certifications – Smash Mouth – Fush Yu Mang". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  37. Payne, Chris. "Meet The Interrupters, the First Female-Fronted Ska Band With an Alternative Radio Hit Since No Doubt". Billboard. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  38. Bote, Joshua (December 13, 2019). "No Album Left Behind: 100 gecs' 1000 gecs". Paste. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  39. "Wannabe Reviews We Are The Union's 'Self Care' - Glide Magazine". Retrieved January 21, 2021 – via Glide Magazine.
  40. Ochoa, John. "This Person Is Determined to Make a Ska Version of Every Song, Ever". Vice. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  41. "Here's the Animal Crossing: New Horizons ska cover you needed". Retrieved January 21, 2021 – via venturebeat.com.
  42. Gurwin, Gabe. "An Undertale Fan Is Turning The Soundtrack Into A Ska Album". Retrieved January 21, 2021 – via GameSpot.
  43. "Hyrule Temple - (SSB: Melee) Ska Cover". YouTube. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  44. "Cartoons!". YouTube. Retrieved Jan 29, 2020.
  45. "SKA goes POP PUNK". YouTube. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  46. Dunn, Thom (April 29, 2020). "What if the Mighty Mighty Bosstones changed genre every 15 seconds". Retrieved January 21, 2021 – via boingboing.net.
  47. "Skatune Network teams with Counter Intuitive for covers album (stream a track)". Retrieved January 21, 2021 – via BrooklynVegan.
  48. "Pick It the Fuck Up - album by Skatune Network". Retrieved December 7, 2020 – via Spotify.
  49. "Ska Goes Emo, Vol. 1 - album by Skatune Network". Retrieved December 7, 2020 – via Spotify.

Bibliography
  • Walker, Matt (2016). Gainesville Punk: A History of Bands & Music. Arcadia Publishing.
  • Diehl, Matt (2013). My So-Called Punk: Green Day, Fall Out Boy, The Distillers, Bad Religion---How Neo-Punk Stage-Dived into the Mainstream. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 9781466853065.
  • Marciniak, Marta (2015). Transnational Punk Communities in Poland: From Nihilism to Nothing Outside Punk. Lexington Books. ISBN 9781498501583.
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