Oh man- we went all over the Ska map, last night.  Brand new stuff from Mr. T-Bone and others; Classics from Roland Alphonso, Laurel Aitken and Owen Gray; as well as few sets of NYC Ska and Reggae.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

If you missed it, you can always catch the archived stream at KDHX.org.  But hurry, archives expire after two weeks.

Artist / Song / Disk / Label / New / Request
Mr. T-Bone and Friends / Do It Right feat. King Django and The Soul Captives / Instrumental Sessions Vol 1 / Unreleased /  /
Jump With Joey / Ska Train / Swingin’ Ska Goes South Of The’ Border / Will /  /
Roland Alphonso / A Shot In The Dark / Ska Down Jamaica Way (Vol. 6) / Top Deck/Warner /  /
Da Whole Thing / 7 / At Version City / Stubborn /  /
The Clash / Stay Free (clean) / Give ‘Em Enough Rope / Epic /  /

Pistoleers / Bank Robber / This Is Rockabilly Clash / Raucous UK /  /
Slackers, The / Daddy / The Great Rocksteady Swindle / Whatevski /  /
Dr. Ring-Ding / Ruff Like A Rock Vs. Mashed Beans / Nice Again / Kingstone Records /  /

Devil’s Brigade / Gentleman Of The Road (featuring Tim Armstrong) / Devil’s Brigade / Hellcat /  /
Maddie Ruthless & The Secret Affair / Inside Out / Hold The Phone / Community Records /  /
The Dualers / Hook Or By Crook / Rhymes & Rhythms / Galley Music /  /
Scrapy / The Smart Sensation / The Smart Sensation / Phantom Sound & Vision /  /
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra / Boggies Not Dead / Stompin’ On DOWN BEAT ALLEY / Cutting Edge /  /
Suburban Rhythm / Gameshow / Suburban Rhythm / Solid Records /  /
Skankin’ Pickle / I’m In Love With A Girl Name Spike / Live / Dill/Asian Man /  /
MU330 / Tune Me Out / Oh Yeah! Live / Asian Man /  /

The Toasters / Manipulator / Ska-Boom / Moon Ska /  /
The Scofflaws / Spider On My Bed / Ska in Hi-Fi / Moon Ska /  /
New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble / Properly / Properly / Grover /  /
Selika Drake / Baby / Stubborn Records Presents Version City / Stubborn /  /
Royal Roost / Spanish Grease / Royal Family Blues / Megalith Records /  /
Mephiskapheles / Doomsday / God Bless Satan / Moon Ska /  /

Skandalous All Stars / Parking Lot / Age of Insects / Shanachie /  /
Mr. T-Bone and Friends / How About the Moon (Slackers Riddim feat Kincaid Smith and Dave Hillyard) / Instrumental Sessions Vol 1 / Unreleased /  /
Pilfers / Chawalaleng / Chawalaleng / Umvd /  /
Bim Skala Bim / Not Natural / Universal / BIB /  /
Big D & The Kids Table / Noise Complaint / Strictly Rude / Side One Dummy Recordings /  /

Chris Murray / Shades of the Same Color / Yard Sale / Unstrictly Roots /  /
Laurel Aitken / (Hey) Bartender / Street Corner – Ska Classics And Original Rude Boy Sound / Metro Music /  / Request
The Mohawks / Mony Mony / Mony Mony 7” [PM 757A] / Pama /  /
Owen Gray / Guava Jelly / Trojan Tribute To Bob Marley / Trojan /  /
Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra / skattila / Feel The Riddim! / Megalith Records /  /

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Looking back over last night’s playlist, I’m noticing that the show was surprisingly light on the Ska.   There was an extra emphasis on mento/calypso and 80′s ska, but it looks like reggae covers dominated the set.   I’ve never been silent about my love for Mento Music (Jamaica’s answer to Calypso and the forerunner to Ska and Reggae), but I was impressed by the amount of phone calls I got in support of such an old school sound.   St. Louis, I wish you would have told me about your love of Calypso sooner.

If you missed the show, you can stream the archive from KDHX.org for the next two weeks.

Willie Williams – Armageddon Time – 100% Dynamite – Soul Jazz

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Slackers – New Years Day – Holiday Show 2009 – Whatevski – [The Slackers have now covered U2, this must be the end of days]

Hepcat – Country Time – Scientific – BYO

Small Island Pride – Federation – Calypso Awakening – Smithsonian Folkways – [Small Island Pride is probably my favorite non-Jamaican Calypsonian, here's a passage from the book, The Caribbean Integration Process, that describes the subtle meaning of this very song.]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Alton Ellis – Can’t Get Used To Losing You – I’m Still In Love – Heartbeat – [You're probably more familiar with The Beat's version of this song]

Ngobo Ngobo – Blank Expression – Daily Talk – Grover

Dr. Ring-Ding – My Sound – Ram Di Dance – Moon Ska – [Here's one of those YouTubes that's not much to look at]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Boothill Foot Tappers – There’s Melody To Our Madness – Love and Affection Single – White – [Oops!  I picked out the non-ska song to play - nothing wrong with a little bluegrass on the ska show, right?  Right?]

Max Headroom & The Car “Parks” – Rhythm & Blue Beat – Don’t Panic 7″ – White – [This Max Headroom predates the more popular one by at least 5 years.]

Beat Brigade – Armageddon Beat – NY Beat! Hit and Run – Moon Ska – [Not only should you click here to learn more about The First US Ska Comp, you can also get your hands on it!]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Selecter – Missing Words (acoustic) – Unplugged for The Rude Boy Generation – Mapps Cafe Records/Ka

David Hillyard and The Rocksteady Seven – Change of Plans – Get Back Up! – Whatevski – [Brand new DHR7 is available for digi download on Whatevski]

Prince Buster – Beggers Are No Choosers – I Feel The Spirit – Fab

Mary Wells & The Steadies – My Guy – Motown Flies Jamaica Vol 2 – Jamaican Airlines – [New Zealand's version of Ska's The Limit, Go Feet Radio did an episode dedicated to JA and Motown sounds]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Toots and The Maytals – Louie Louie – This Is England OST – Commercial Marketing

The Meters – Mardi Gras Mambo – Fire On The Bayou – Sundazed Music Inc.

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Prince Buster – Day-O – Ska Lip Soul – Blue Beat – [Learn more about this song's long history]

Lord Lebby – Mama Don’t Want No Peas No Rice – Calypsos From Jamaica – Valmark – [My favorite source for info on Mento Music has an entire page dedicated to Lord Lebby]

Val Bennet – Cut Munno – Ska Lip Soul – Blue Beat – [MentoMusic.com also has a little info on this Prince Buster LP that collected Calypso and Ska on one album]

The Wigglers – Linsted Market/Day-O – Calypsos From Jamaica – Valmark

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Mealticket – Super Positive – 13 Apologies – In the Mix

The Skatalites – Ball Of Fire – Ska Authentic – Musicrama/Koch

Fun Boy Three – Our Lips Are Sealed – 3 Mixes Us 12″ – Chrysalis – [Terry Hall got silly looking in the 80's]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Desmond Dekker – Music Like Dirt – Best Of Desmond Dekker – Trojan

The Clash – Hateful – London Calling – Sony

Da Whole Thing – Banker – Tooth – Internet Release

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

One Groovy Coconut – New Wave Crashing – More Like This Than That – Ska Satellite

Pressure Cooker – Originators – Commited – Pressure Cooker

New York Citizens – Rude Girls – The Truth About The NY Citizens – Moon Ska

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Smiley Culture – Cockney Translation – The Fashion Records Story – Ras

Twizzle  and The Hot Rod All-Stars – The Graduate – 7″ Single – Torpedo Records

Vic Ruggiero – Takin Care Of Business – Something In My Blindspot – Moanin’

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[Notes]

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Alright kids, here’s the new episode of Ska’s The Limit.  Last night’s was a veritable grab bag of Jamaican styles covering 2 Tone, Early Reggae, Mento, Roots Reggae and Ska-Jazz- with a special showcase of classic and modern Skinhead Reggae from groups like The Hot Rod All-Stars, The Upsttemians and The Aggrolites.  I even threw in some Hip-Hop infused Reggae with Michael Franti and Wyclef Jean.

If you missed it, I hope you’ll click over to KDHX.org to listen online.

The Specials – Blank Expression/Man From C&A/Rudy, a Message To You – Glastonbury 2009 – NA

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Beat – Rankin Full Stop – The 2 Tone Collection – Capitol

Madness – My Girl – One Step Beyond… – Rhino – [Here's the original video for My Girl]

The Clash – Wrong ‘em Boyo – London Calling – Sony

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Jacob Miller – Tenament Yard – Rockers OST – Island – [Watch the classic Stepping Razor scene from the JA film, Rockers]

Phyllis Dillon – Perfidia – Trojan Reggae Sisters Box – Trojan

Ken Boothe – Artibella – Best of.. – Sanctuary Records – [Witness Ken Boothe's amazing voice (and wardrobe) in 1993]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Jolly Boys – Requimbine Song – Sunshine N’ Water – Rykodisc

Cool Wise Men – Miss Walker – Faith – Daiki Sound

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Michael Franti and Spearhead – Say Hey (I love you) – All Rebel Rockers – Anti* – [Check out the new video for Franti's single, Say Hey]

Flash Bazbo in a Restaurant – National Lampoon – Best of The National Lampoon Radio Show – Rhino / Wea

Wyclef Jean – Jaspora – The Carnival – Sony

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Jump With Joey – Pigeon Club – Generations United – Rykodisc

Dr. Ring-Ding – Ram Di Dance (Ska Version) – Back and Forth – Jump Up – [Get a taste of the Reggae version of this very tune]

The Rhythm Doctors – Wha’ Happen – Reggae Injection – TKO – [Learn how The Rhythm Doctors gave rise to The Aggrolites]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Aggrolites – Keep Movign On – The Aggrolites IV – HellCat*

The Upsttemians – One Two Three – Turn It Up – Upbeat* – [You gotta get to know The Upsttemians, Dirty Reggae from Madrid]

The Upsessions – Pharoh’s Last Wish, Cleopatra For A Dish – The New Heavyweight Champion – Moon Ska World

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Hot Rod All-Stars – Skinhead Moondust – Single – White – [Check out this zip-cast with a heavy lean towards the Hot Rod All-Stars]

Cool Sticky – Casa Boo Boo – Trojan Skinhead Reggae Box Set – Trojan

John Holt – Ali Baba – Moonwalk – Treasure Isle Skinhead Reggae Anthems – Heartbeat – [Here's John Holt doing Ali Baba live]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Moon Invaders – Blow Blow Blow – Movin’ and Groovin’ – Phantom Sound and Vision

New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble – More Whiskey – Skankaholics Unanimous – Moon

After Hours – Almost Like Being In Love – The Trouble With Those Guys Is… – Jump Up

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Hepcat – The Region – Push n Shove – HellCat – [Hepcat is back, here's proof]

The Slackers – Mommy – Slack In Japan – Disk Union – [The Slackers doing a few live tunes, including Mommy]

Boitovision – Big Bamboo – The Best of The Ska Parade vol 2 – AtoY – [Check out Original Calypsonian, Mighty Sparrow do the Big Bamboo inna Soca style]

Key:  Artist – Title – Album -   +=Request *=New
[Notes]

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