Writing on the wall says that 2 Tone is having a bit of a revival happening with most of the major groups that made up the 2 Tone movement are now reformed in one way or another.  Madness has just put out a new record and a live DVD, with another new album already in the works; Bad Manners technically never broke up; The English Beat visits St. Louis on the reg.  There’s even multiple versions of 2 of 2 Tones biggest groups-  Neol Davies and Pauline Black each have their own version of A Selecter reunion touring the UK, and the newly reformed members of The Specials have their own competition from Jerry Dammers’ anti-reunion spectacle, The Spatial AKA Orchestra.  Plus, for the past few years now, everyone from new hip-hop groups to pop divas in the UK have been paying a nod to the 2 Tone sound via samples, mashups, covers and overall meta reference.

So this was the jumping off point for last night’s episode, The Legacy of 2 Tone.  If you missed the show, you can catch the archived stream of the whole sh-bang over at KDHX.org

King Hammond “The Loop” from The King And I on N.1. Records New

The Valkyrians “Rankin’ Fullstop” from High And Mighty on Pork Pie

The English Beat “Big Shot” from I Just Can’t Stop It on Go Feet

The Selecter “Return of The Selecter” from Promo on Self New – [Here's this brand new tune in a live vid fashion]

The Selecter “Missing words” from Unplugged For The Rude Boy Generation on Mapps Cafe Records/Ka – [Check out this great interview with Pauline]

Loafers “Too Late Rudy” from The Collection on Cleopatra

Skankin’ Pickle “Special Brew” from Green Album on Dill/Asian Man

Arthur Kay & the Originals “Americans” from Live in Berlin on Step-1 – [Arthur Kay's been making ska for a lot longer that I realized!  Check out his story in his own words.]

The Amnesiacs “Top Yourself” from Forget To Remember on Go Wise Recordings New

Desorden Publico “Pueblo Fantasma (Ghost Town)” from Spare Shells- Modern Interpretations of Songs Performed by the Specials on Sound

Kid British “Sunny Days” from It Was This Or Football on Mercury UK New

Floyd Lloyd & The Potato 5 “Sally Brown” from Floyd Lloyd & The Potato 5 Meet Laurel Aitken on Grover Records

Ruder Than You “The Bodysnatchers” from The 2 Tone Collection – A Checkered Past on Chrysalis – [Rude Girls Wanted]

The New Town Kings “Fire In The Hole” from Sound Of The New Town on Do The Dog

Walt Jabsco “The Liquidizer (single version)” from Walt At The Controls Featuring Andy Keys Clark on Walt Jabsco Recordings

Pama International “Question The Answer” from Pama Outernational on Rockers Revolt New

Judge Dread “Rudy (A Message To You)” from The Legendary Judge Dread Vol. 1 (King Of Rudeness) on Recall Records UK

Amy Winehouse “Hey, Little Rich Girl” from The Ska E.P. on 2 Soul Records

SWAGGA “Rude Boys” from SWAGGA Promo on self New

Mark Foggo “Bang Me Head” from Mad on V2 New

Cartoon Violence “Vauxhall Nova” from Whatever Happened To The Likely Lad? on Do The Dog

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists “I’m Looking Through You (The Beatles)” from The Ted Leo & The Pharmacists Covers Archive on Unreleased – [You can find this and tons else Ted Leo covers here.]

Smoke Like A Fish “Bankrobber” from Here’s One We Made Earlier on Do The Dog

Clash, The “The Guns Of Brixton (Live) [13 Jun 81, NYC]” from From Here To Eternity Live on Epic

The Dead 60′s “Black Sessions – 08 riot radio” from Black Sessions – Live on France Inter

Rancid “Old Friend” from …And Out Come The Wolves on Epitaph

Madness “3 Dust Devil” from The Liberty Of Norton Folgate on Lucky Seven Records New

King Hammond “Mr Easy Talk” from The King And I on N.1. Records New

The Swinging Cats “Manitovi” from The 2 Tone Collection – A Checkered Past on Chrysalis

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If you were with us, last night, you heard a plethora of various Ska sub-genres.  I was playing popular Ska styles like, Latin Ska, Acoustic Ska and Cowboy Ska- as well as little-known branch themes like, Pirate Ska and the House Music inspired, Skacid.  Check out the playlist below, and the fun links that I’ve added to them.

If you missed any or all of the show and you want to check it out, click on over to KDHX.org and have a listen.  As always, the show will be up for two weeks.

Matt Wixson – Ska’s The Limit Theme -  -

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Aquabats – Martian Girl – The Fury of The Aquabats – Time Bomb

The Slackers – Robots – Boss Harmony Sessions – Special Potato

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Dan Pothast – My Favorite Song – Eyeballs – Asian Man

Chris Murray – I Can’t Wait – NA – Live Recording

The Slackers – I’d Rather Die Happy – Peculiar – Hellcat

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Granville Williams Orchestra – Honky Tonk Ska – Trojan Ska Box – Trojan – [I've never been able to find out much about this group, other than a handful of early Ska Novelties]

The Cabrians – Bang Bang Shot – For A Few Pussies More – Redstar73

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Selecter – James Bond – BBC Sessions Live at The Paris Theatre ’79 – BBC

Bluekilla – Secret Agent Man – Ska Is Our Business – Pork Pie

The Kingpins – Beatgirl – Skarmageddon 4 – Moon Ska

Tommy McCook – Goldfinger – Tribute to Tommy – Heartbeat

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Parka Kings – Midnight Sails – Bienvendios – Jump Up!

Warsaw – Monkey Bone – Battle Ska Galactica – Invisible Mass

Deals Gone Bad – Pirates – Skarmageddon 4 – Moon Ska – [Check out this vintage video of DGB doing the Pirate thing]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Ska Cubano – Ay Caramba! – Ay Caramba! – Cumbancha

Jump With Joey – Undecided – Swingin Ska Goes South of The Boarder – Will – [If you like Latin-influenced Ska, you'd do good to check out this record right here]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Desorden Publico – Baila Mi Cha Cha Ska – Estrellas Del Caos – RADIO PIRATA

Laurel Aitken – Perfidia – Latin Ska Vol 1 – Moon Ska – [Please, please, please get to know the Godfather of Ska]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Zeda’s Beat Box – Havenu Shalom Aleichem – Seven – Self – [This St. Louis Jewish Ska and Reggae group's MySpace]

King Django – Ska Mitzvah – Roots and Culture – Stubborn

Matisyahu – Chop ‘Em Down – Live At Stubbs – Or Music

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Johnny Moore – South China Sea – Ska Down Jamaica Way Vol 7 – Top Deck/Warner Special Marketing – [Produced by Chinese-Jamaican, Justin Yap, who ran the killer Top Deck studio]

Don Drummond & The Skatalites – Chinatown – Top Deck Ska 45′s – Top Deck/Warner Special Marketing – [It's unfortunate that most of the info available on Yap is in his obituary]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

The Scofflaws – Rumanian Ska – Record of Convictions – Moon Ska

Pannonia Allstar Ska Orchestra – Skattila – Feel The Riddim! – Megalith – [I honestly cannot find a legitimate link for purchase, but a Google search brings up lot of illegal alternatives.]

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Fishbone – Ma & Pa – Truth and Soul – CBS

Mealticket – Defunct – Misconceptions – Pork and Beans

——– – ——– – ——– – ——–

Longsy D – Mental Ska – Ska Beats – [Marco On The Bass has a great post about this strange ska splinter style, Skacid or Acid House Ska]

Swagga – Rude Boys – Swagga – Self

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

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