It's another great week for ska, and here's a roundup of some new songs (and one album) out this week that we highly recommend checking out.
Flying Raccoon Suit - "Toss and Turn"
Flying Raccoon Suit's anticipated new album Afterglow officially arrives March 19, though you can hear it sooner if you back it on Kickstarter, and here's one last single before its release. As we've said before, this is a genre-defying ska album, and this song shows off a much different side of FRS than the previous singles. It starts off slow and jazz-influenced, before speeding up to infectious mid-tempo ska. Read our interview with FRS for more.
Sgt. SCAG vs Hans Gruber and the Die Hards
New Haven ska-punk vets Sgt. Scag have been at it since the '90s, and Hans Gruber and the Die Hards are a great newer ska-punk band from Austin, and they've just teamed up for a new split, with one song by the former and two by the latter. They may come from different generations of ska-punk, but they both have a fast, fiery approach to the genre and this whole split rips.
ORESKABAND - "つくしい男"
Japan's ORESKABAND have been making addictive power-poppy ska-punk for over 15 years, and they've just returned with a new song that's as immediately catchy and fresh as they've ever been.
Catbite have given a ska rework to "Sneaky Feelings" off the 1977 debut album by Elvis Costello. Elvis has his own history with ska (he produced The Specials' debut album and has released some of his own ska too) and Catbite's original music frequently veers towards '70s power pop, so it's no surprise that this cover works perfectly. Catbite also revealed some news about their anticipated sophomore album in a new interview this week.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "I Don't Believe In Anything"
It's been over 30 years since The Mighty Mighty Bosstones helped pioneer ska-core as we know it, and they remain lifers of the genre who consistently know how to churn out timeless, anthemic songs. "I Don't Believe In Anything" is no exception. It's off their upcoming 11th album When God Was Great, which will be their first for Tim Armstrong's Epitaph imprint Hellcat Records, and which Tim co-produced with longtime Bosstones collaborator Ted Hutt.
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - SKA=ALMIGHTY
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra have been blending ska, jazz, punk, and much more since the '90s, and they continue to sound shockingly fresh. Whether you've been following their career for decades, or this is your introduction to the band, SKA=ALMIGHTY is not to miss. Stream it and watch a new video from the album:
Not a new song but Kill Lincoln are doing their livestream event tonight (3/5) at 9 PM ET with acoustic performances, special guests, and more. You can watch at the YouTube embed below. Kill Lincoln also recently put out a third pressing of their excellent 2020 album Can't Complain on some gorgeous vinyl variants, and since today is a Bandcamp Friday, it'd be a good day to pick up a copy at Bandcamp.
Oh and one last thing, ska-punks We Are The Union contributed a punk cover of OK Go's "Here It Goes Again" to the new Gossip Girl covers benefit comp.
For more ska:
* Ska is thriving right now. Here’s a look at the DIY scene that’s keeping it alive
* The Year In Ska & Ska-Punk: Albums, EPs & Singles not to miss from 2020
