Monday Morning Ska

Back when I was in high school, my good friend Katie got me turned on to a lot of great music that I had no idea existed before. Old stuff from the late 60's/70's was considered First Wave (Laurel Aitken, Desmond Dekker), the Second Wave came during the late 70's/early 80's (Madness, English Beat, Bad Manners), and I caught on to it during the Third Wave in the mid-to-late 90's (Toasters, Hepcat, Less Than Jake, Mighty Mighty Bosstones). Here are a few of my favorite from all three eras. I prefer the more traditional style as opposed to those bands that fused punk with the music, but there's some pretty good stuff in that style as well. Either way, this should be a good pick-me-up for your Monday morning if you're feeling a little sluggish and need something to get you to quittin' time.

Desmond Dekker - "007 (Shanty Town)"

Laurel Aitken - "Green Banana" 

The Skatalites - "Simmer Down"

Bad Manners - "Lip Up Fatty"

The English Beat - "Mirror In The Bathroom" 

(you'll remember this one from the scene in Grosse Pointe Blank where John Cusack fights the assassin at his high school reunion)

Hepcat - "Bobby & Joe"

(fun fact: one of the lead singers played a small role in the movie "Swingers")

The Toasters - "Dub 56 (Chat Version)"

The Pietasters - "Maggie Mae"

Mephiskapheles - "Doomsday"

Madness - "One Step Beyond"

Let's Go Bowling - "Dance Some More"

NY Ska Jazz Ensemble - "Ska's The Limit"

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