Tag: Ska

Oneirocriticising Hot Links

Pressure Drop, Toots and the Maytals (live ska version 2004)

It’s a song about revenge, but in the form of karma: If you do bad things to innocent people, then bad things will happen to you. The title was a phrase I used to say. If someone done me wrong, rather than fight them like a warrior, I’d say: ‘The pressure’s going to drop on you.’— Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert

67.

Utopia.

After effects.

Drum rotation.

Accidental GTA.

Let it evaporate.

Playing with ants.

Stuff in your body.

Sudden realization.

Third-hand smoke?

Crusing with Zero G.

The 11th day of Xmas.

Aloka and the Monks.

Parking with a dusting.

Domesticating monkeys.

Never miss the good parts.

2025 Recap [Thompson, blog].

First get a dead tree, then light it.

Impossible Maps [via Bits & Pieces].

Magic jacket [via Everlasting Blört].

David Byrne’s Reasons to be Cheerful.

Addams’ auditions  [via Memo Of The Air].

Yeah, it’s stupid, but you’re gonna watch it anyway.

Killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and torture.

[Top image dates to June 2009, found here.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Happy New Year’s Eve 2025 – End of Year Playlist

The end of a long year deserves a playlist to bring in the new one, so here’s a compilation of tunes that tugged on my earballs in 2025. Each set is in chronological order by date of recording.

Set 1 – January, February, March & April

Set 2 – May, June, July & August

Set 3 – September, October, November & December

I omitted seasonal tunes from the Halloween and Christmas  playlists. Last year’s playlist (2024) is here, and the 2023 EoY list is here.

And one more thing:
May You Have a Happy & Prosperous New Year!

[Caveat: I don’t own the copyrights to any of these recordings. They are presented here for entertainment purposes only.]

Christmas Eve Rock


A random selection of tunes to wrap presents by.

Bonus: Previously posted Christmas tunes can be found here.

[Caveat: No copyright infringement is intended; songs posted here are for entertainment purposes only.]

Saturday Matinee – SKAyway, Krakin’ Kellys & Joe Bonamassa

SKAyway is a band from Makati, Philippines, that plays “punkSKAdelic music twisted with reggae, blues, swing and rock.”

Krakin’ Kellys is a Belgian Celtic punk pub brawl band that has generated a lot of attention since their formation in 2017 for their mix of traditional Irish tavern sounds with skate punk energy.

Joe Bonamassa‘s Merry Christmas Blues album (2013) is still free for download. Every song is a good one.

Just a few more days to get stuff wrapped and to the post office so gifts don’t arrive really late. I was thinking about doing it tomorrow, but the porch is calling. You know the drill. Noonish o’clock. There. Be.

Saturday Matinee – Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners, Lisa Mann, and Joe Hodgson

Skadeco! Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners‘ song has little connection to Dale Hawkin’s 1957 hit Suzie Q aside from the title. I like it.

Award-winning bassist, singer/songwriter Lisa Mann grew up in West Virginia, moved to Portland, Oregon.  She says the song is based on a true story, so it’s either about a boyfriend’s addictions, his a-ho buddies, or both.

From his bio: “Guitarist Joe Hodgson hails from the village of Ballymagorry in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. His music, shaped by his upbringing during The Troubles, mirrors the fierce rain and winds of the Emerald Isle. It is both sweeping and intense, boldly blending rock, blues, jazz, and Irish traditions into finely crafted instrumentals.”

On 14 June 1775, 250 years ago, the United States Army was founded.
Happy anniversary to the greatest protector of freedom and liberty in the world:“This We’ll Defend!” 

Lotta stuff to cover at porch time tomorrow. See you then and there.

Saturday Matinee – Jovin Webb, Sonny Gullage & The Melbourne Ska Orchestra

Lionel Richie once described his voice as “the sound of barbecue sauce.” Luke Bryan remarked, “I could sit and drink a lot of bourbon listening to that voice.” Louisiana blues and soul singer Jovin Webb made it to the final ten performers on the 2020 season of American Idol and moved on from there.

Singer, songwriter and keyboardist  Kevin ‘Sonny’ Gullage has earned much acclaim despite his young age (26 years old this year), and combines the sounds of New Orleans roots blues, boogiewoogie and gospel with modern styles.

The Melbourne Ska Orchestra covers a tune from the 1927 Broadway show Good News.

Been pretty busy this week. A lot of time and effort goes into pretending to be busy, and I’m definitely getting better at it. Free lessons tomorrow on the porch. See you there.

Happy New Year’s Eve 2024 – End of Year Playlist

The end of a long year deserves a playlist to bring in the new one, and just as we did a mere twelve months ago, here’s a compilation of songs that buzzed my earballs in 2024.

Set 1 – January, February, March & April

Set 2 – May, June, July & August

Set 3 – September, October, November & December

[I omitted most of the tunes from the Halloween playlist, but you can hear them all here.]

And one more thing: Happy New Year!

[Caveat: I don’t own the copyrights to any of these recordings. They are presented here for entertainment purposes only.]

Saturday Matinee – Keb’ Mo’, The Mavericks, Skatune Network, & Gwen Stefani / No Doubt

Keb’ Mo’ breaks it down and throws it back.

The Mavericks are Raúl Malo / vocals, guitar; Paul Deakin / drums; Jerry Dale McFadden / keyboards, vocals; Eddie Perez / guitar. Early jump blues piano style that morphed into ska.

One man ska band JER / Skatune Network covers Otis Redding‘s cover of Charles Brown‘s 1947 hit. The guy’s amazing.

In 2003, Gwen Stefani & No Doubt spread the Oi of the season with their cover of the Vandals.

Lemme see. Christmas Eve isn’t until Tuesday, so I still have tomorrow’s porch time to make a list and check it twice, and Monday for shopping. No sweat. Stop by tomorrow and we’ll compare lists.

Saturday Matinee – The Errol Linton Band, Aynsley Lister & Gary Clark Jr.

The Errol Linton Band plays a cool ska to reggae blues mashup, described as “funky stuff, blues with a reggae tinge and jazz flavours, Black British music with roots in Mississippi and New Orleans, Kingston and London.“

Self-taught guitarist from the UK, Aynsley Lister learned by copying the sounds of Peter Green, Albert King, Eric Clapton and Paul Kossoff. (I hear some Robyn Trower in there too).

Gary Clark Jr.‘s  influences and collaborations range from B.B. King, The Jackson 5 and Muddy Waters to Alicia Keys, Dave Grohl and Childish Gambino, and there are good reasons why he’s a four-time Grammy winner.

Only three days until The Great Election, and I expect fireworks regardless of the outcome – and not the good kind either…
In any case, the porch will be open for business as usual. See you there.

Saturday Matinee – The Fearless Flyers, Manou Gallo & The Steady 45s

The Fearless Flyers showed how to make a music video in 2018. The quartet was a spinoff / side project of funk group Vulfpeck (who recorded the quietest grooves ever on Sleepify).

Afro Groove Queen Manou Gallo is a singer, songwriter, bandleader and 5-string bass slapper from West Africa, and plays a variety of regional and world music styles.

The Steady 45s are a retro reggae / rocksteady / ska group founded in Los Angeles in 2012. I like this groove, better than the original.

Glad that the DNC finally had their party so we can get back to the important things in life, like quality porch time. See you tomorrow.