Ska may be a punchline to some, but to us it’s also a punchline. Still, there are some high quality ska bands that deserve notoriety, and we’re here to highlight some that you rudeboys and girls may or may not know about… If you’re aware of any of these, you have porkpie hat cred. Basically, Moon Ska Records led the pack from their inception in 1983 until 2000 when pretty much every single ska band attempted to distance themselves from the then-dreaded word by substituting upstrokes and horns with keys. It made sense at the time, but these acts were still sadly pigeonholed to many as ska or ska-adjacent so few took off and most split up. For this piece bands like The Toasters, Spring Heeled Jack, The Pietasters, and Dance Hall Crashers are disqualified from entry as they are too large to be considered underrated.
The Adjusters “Before the Revolution” (1998)
Get off of your seat and let’s start skanking to the beat: If you like your portions of ska with about a million band members, complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and deep dish pizza/casserole then boy do we have the band/album for you! Chicago, Illinois’ The Adjusters’ sophomore full-length album “Before the Revolution” is a fantastic sequel to their debut LP “The Politics of Style,” which was released on Jump Up! Records. Soul and ska make an awesome pairing just like the aforementioned The Pietasters, and The Adjusters showcase such with style and finesse! People do make the world go round, and the band’s loose roots made them a welcome addition to any ska-tinged bill. Sadly the band split in 2003, the year their third record, the gloriously named “Otis Redding Will Save America” was released.
The Allstonians “Go You!” (1994)
Boston, Massachusetts is usually known for insufferable accents and random fist fights on the street, but if you manage to namedrop their city’s ska act The Allstonians more frequently than you do global sensations The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, then “go you,” this piece is for you. If not, it’s all good, we still have a hell of a hat as a consolation prize. Like The Adjusters and so many more ska acts, The Allstonians have had many, many band members from their inception in 1992 until they closed shop shortly after Donald Trump got elected. If you only pick one song from this full-length studio album to take a gander at on Spotify, try “Mariachi Go Ska!” and help get it to 200,000 streams or multi-platinum status; as of press time, it currently sits atop their popular song list at 178,200.
The Bluebeats “Dance With Me” (1996)
Easily the album listed here with the friendliest and most welcoming title, the state of New York’s The Bluebeats, featuring the former lead singer of the yet to be mentioned The Scofflaws, Mike Drance, goes the traditional ska route in style. “Dance With Me,” The Bluebeats’ debut full-length studio album sure has a lot of songs with the word “me” in their respective titles, but somehow is endearing enough to not be narcissistic. So come on, babies, let us see your pretty smiles whilst listening to this LP… It’s difficult NOT to grin to this record so don’t get too crazy. Also, fans of fellow Moon Ska Records acts Laurel Aitken and Hepcat will truly enjoy “Dance With Me” front to back with generous sides of well pressed suits and dancing shoes.
Edna’s Goldfish “The Elements of Transition” (1999)
Long Island, New York’s Edna’s Goldfish may have had a silly name AND a CD release show without a CD present for their debut full-length studio album, “Before You Knew Better” via Moon Ska’s subsidiary label, Ska Satellite Records, but their follow-up sophomore album “The Elements of Transition” is where they really came into their own while simultaneously paying homage to the genre as the band incorporated new influences. The album’s single “Veronica Sawyer” became an anthem for the area codes 516, 631, and beyond, and even got showcased by the then-influential MTV show “120 Minutes’. Fun fact: Non-Moon Ska Records act that you love or hate, hate, Reel Big Fish paid tribute to the song quite well on their 2009 cover album “Fame, Fortune and Fornication,” which also featured RBF ska-punk versions of John Mellencamp, Van Morrison, Toots and the Maytals, and The English Beat tunes.
Memphiskapheles “God Bless Satan” (1994)
If you requested your ska multi-course dinner with a generous side of Satan, the hilariously and scarily named Memphiskapheles will make you hail below. Fronted by Andre A. “The Nubian Nightmare” Worrell, and usually containing a plethora of musicians, “God Bless Satan” tows the line at being quite critically acclaimed to dorks the world over and unknown for all others. If you caught the band rocking Irving Plaza in NYC in 1998 with ska-punk peers The Suicide Machines and Telegraph, and one of the more underrated punk bands Limp without the Bizkit, you were treated to a show that felt like heaven, but was literally created in hell. In closing, try to find a more fun and raucous ska cover than Memphiskapheles’ vivid interpretation in musical form of “The Bumblebee Tuna Song”; we are still waiting.
Ruder Than You “Horny For Ska” (1996)
Don’t judge a book by its cover or an album by its title or, uh, cover. Opening with a Black Sabbath classic is a bold move for any band in any genre, but Nittany Lions are often strong with their athletics and their blind allegiance to the now-disgraced Joe “JoePa” Paterno, so it didn’t come as THAT much of a surprise. Formed in State College, Pennsylvania, Ruder Than You relocated to Philadelphia and took the East Coast ska scene by storm for those in the know, yo, yet still managed to be considered underrated by the general public and definitely you, unless they aren’t. “Horny For Ska” also has some solid hip-hop influences for your Uncle Albert who loves Public Enemy, and that is NOT a Misskaculation; we’ll see ourselves out even though we didn’t come up with that pun.
The Scofflaws “Self-Titled” (1991)
The oldest entry listed in this piece from another Long Island band, specifically Huntington, The Scofflaws, is a fun listen front to back in self-titled glory from the year that grunge broke, and not the three-four month period that ska was on top in the mid-90s. Who would’ve thought that they’d be one of two for 1998’s Ska-Lo-Ween opening for Reel Big Fish, a band you likely hate but they freaking shred, in a Sam Ash parking lot near Roosevelt Field mall on LI? Not you! Anyway, The Scofflaws may be the biggest band listed here, but ask a casual Sublime, No Doubt, or even Goldfinger fan to name three songs from the band, and you won’t be surprised with the nil results. This is the second and last of two entries to feature vocalist Mike Drance. Party on, Mike. Party on, Drance.
Skavoovie and the Epitones “Fat Footin’” (1995)
Now we’re at the portion of this piece wherein we list the first of three bands starting with the letters “S” and “K,” even though the last entry was a cheat code with “S” and “C,” but we’ll let it slide: Massachusetts’ Skavoovie and the Epitones survived the wackiest or second wackiest band name next to Memphiskapheles in this piece, and their sophomore full-length studio album “Fat Footin’” not only contains amazing melodies, but it has an apostrophe; what more do you want? Like a lot of other acts listed above, Skavoovie and the Epitones have a large number of band members, which makes sense given their, wait for it, BIG band influences… Skavoovie and the Epitones literally buy what they’re selling! Sadly, the band had a short run from 1994, when ska was about to rise, to 1999, when it certainly fell down.
Skinnerbox “What You Can Do, What You Can’t” (1997)
If you hung out in the dredges of a pre-gentrified St. Marks Place in New York City in the mid-’90s, you already have a Skinnerbox t-shirt, but if you didn’t, we doubt that you know of the band, UNLESS you’re a hardcore King Django fan, which you aren’t. The band’s fourth full-length studio album “What You Can Do, What You Can’t” is their lone Moon Ska Records release, and our favorite from the band. If you aren’t old enough to register for the American military, or buy stupid cigarettes, we do not give you permission to view its lude/crude album cover. We know that you will comply with this request, and we respect you for doing so… Things get out of hand! Regardless of whether you’re Stubborn or not, the band had a more than solid nine year run, and we’d love to hear from them again this century.
The Skoidats “The Times” (1997)
Let’s close this out with a cool anti-racist Skinhead but non-Bonehead racist ska band, Helena, Montana’s The Skoidats! This band had the shortest run of all bands in this piece at just under two years, but definitely quite an impact for those in the know. One may not associate the state of Montana with upstrokes and checkers, but The Skoidats avoided all stereotypes for such, and their beefy multi-genre sound that appeals to both fans of The Business and The Slackers. “The Times” is an enjoyable listen despite the fact that it isn’t on streaming platforms such as Spotify, but you sleuths can find it if you work really hard. In closing, check out The Skoidats and the nine underrated acts we listed above. Ska-lom!