Tag Archives: ska punk

(review) Penny At Work-Picked Last in Gym Class(PCT Musique)

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Penny At Work are coming from north of France and were formed in 2016. PCT Musique teamed up with them for this e.p.

There are four songs on this e.p. with lyrics being fun and the music is melodic punkrock with saxophone parts and also leaning somewhat on nineties wave of ska punkrock and it sounds awesome. I really enjoyed the nice vocal melodies, harmonies on backing vocals, uptempo faster and energetic songs that just can`t let you sitting down, they just make you pump your fist in the air, want to jump around and hug the sweaty kid in the pit next to you and sing along with the band. My favorite song on this record is definitely Cyber Ads, but others are also fantastic. Check this one out, I am eager to listen to full record in time.

https://pctmusique.bandcamp.com/album/picked-last-in-gym-class

(review) Catbite/Omnigone-Split(Bad Time Records)

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I must admit that I have never listened to Catbite prior to this record. Catbite side of record has two songs, one being cover of The Clash. I love the melody of Horizontal Aggression, Brittany˙s vocals fitting just perfectly. Catbite are more on melodic and lighter side of ska punkrock with a bit of The Interrupters touch in the songs, I couldn`t help being reminded of that band. I would love to hear more Catbite songs in the future. Omnigone are no strangers to this zine, having reviewed their full length record a while ago. These two songs, are nice, Scratch Me Up having more of a cracksteady, harsh vibe and Nothing New being more straightforward melodic ska punkrock song. Good bands, good little split record!

LESS THAN JAKE Launches Lost At Home Sessions; Proceeds Benefit MusiCares

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Ska punk luminaries LESS THAN JAKE launches its first installment of Lost At Home Sessions. Volume One “Just Like Andy” is now on sale over at Bandcamp. Those who purchase the song at the current price will automatically be entered to win a prize pack that includes an old and rare glow-in-the-dark bobblehead and some out of print vinyl. Contest entries close on May 22nd and Volume Two will be on the horizon. Also, a portion of the proceeds will benefit MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

A message from the band: “Being cooped up at home like the rest of you, we thought it would be fun to keep the creative juices flowing and see if we could make music from five separate locations. That’s right, we’ve never played these songs together. It’s kind of an experiment, but we’re gonna have fun!”

MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares‘ services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly influence the health and welfare of the music community. The Recording Academy and its affiliated charitable foundation MusiCares have established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help our peers in the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Continuing to play over 150 dates a year while also writing and recording new material has kept the band fresh in a time when “ska” has become something of a four letter word. The list of acts they have supported is staggering (Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg) while the list of bands that have supported them makes even the most hardened music industry veteran do a double take (Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Yellowcard). All the while the band has held firm to its punk rock roots and have managed to live through many musical trends simply by just being Less Than Jake.

With well over 300 releases on various labels under their belt, most would think their legacy is already in tact, but the status quo has never interested Less Than Jake. They continue to write and perform new material and have no thoughts of letting up. With the energy and exuberance of a band half its age and the determination of savvy veterans, there is seemingly no end point to this enduring and entertaining band.

LESS THAN JAKE is Chris DeMakes (vocals, guitar), Roger Lima (vocals, bass), Buddy Shaub (trombone), Peter “JR” Wasilewski (saxophone), and Matt Yonker (drums).