On “Habits of the Average Degenerate,” vocalist Katie Mangiamele and company keep their brand of ska fun and full of punk energy.
Ska
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Album review: ‘First Contact’
“First Contact” by Turkey Blaster Omega — Rochester’s new ska band in town — features punchy punk songwriting and wall-to-wall horns.
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Album review: ‘Superette’
5Head ‘Superette’ Self-released facebook.com/5headmusic It’s like trying to pick your favorite child when you’ve got only one life preserver. The children in this hypothetical exercise are the 13 tracks on 5Head’s new CD “Superette.” The problem here is that I can’t pick just one. 5Head has managed to run the engine clean, despite some grit […]
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Album review: ‘It’s Going Down’
Some Ska Band ‘It’s Going Down’ Self-released someskaband.com Here’s some real ska-jump-and-jive-soul for ya, sluggo. Think The Slackers, with a smirk. With ska-meister Charles Benoit – he of the poison pen and the savage saxophone – driving the bus and producer Sam Polizzi keeping said bus from driving over the cliff, tension runs high and […]
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Album review: “Toys”
Burn It Up “Toys” Self-released burnitup.bandcamp.com Burn It Up burns it down on “Toys,” the band’s new beaucoup bombastic blast of rock ‘n’ roll. I mean, holy shit, the energy on this 10-song album is berserk. The ska lurking within Burn It Up’s previous incarnation, Mrs. Skannotto, has shifted to the afterburner — not an […]
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The ska’s the limit
Though most bands adhere to a genre — or at least get lumped in somewhere — it seems the overwhelming majority strive to be classified as having their own sound, unique from the others that crowd the road to Xanadu. However few bands achieve that autonomy. Like it or not, they are what they are […]
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ALBUM REVIEW: “Outlier”
Mrs. Skannotto “Outlier” Self-release Mrsska.com Rochester skanksters Mrs. Skannotto will keep you guessing with its new offering, “Outlier.” This band has always been much more than ska — what with its sinister punk energy, slick speed, and clever progressions. When the band does cop to a more ska-centric sound the entire band is painstakingly precise […]
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SKA: Pietasters
D.C. dancehall darlings The Pietasters are an eight-man ska-sational onslaught that has been tasting pies and igniting dance floors full of piestompers since the early 90’s. The band’s brass-tastic, flipped-beat, rhythm-driven frenzy is back-breakingly beautiful and bombastic. Don’t try to fight the urge. “All Day” is the new album, and the band’s first of new […]
