Reviews | Boston Ska (dot) net

Review: Rancid’s “Honor Is All We Know”

November 1, 2014 by Alex Chiasson

Rancid go back to the basics for their eighth studio album.

REVIEW: The Snails – Songs From The Hydrogen Jukebox Vol. 1+2

May 22, 2014 by Alex Chiasson

Philly ska act The Snails release the first of two planned double-EPs called Songs From The Hydrogen Jukebox Vol. 1+2

REVIEW: The Aquabats Save The Paradise Rock Club from Attack!

May 12, 2014 by Jacob Wake Up!

We thoroughly enjoyed The Aquabats’ family-friendly show at Paradise Rock Club last Thursday. You’ll never guess who appeared on stage with the band

LISTEN: Todd Fausnacht and the Well Whiskey Wind Whistlers’ Self Titled Album

April 18, 2014 by Alex Chiasson

The lead singer/guitarist of the great Philadelphia ska group The Snails has released a new album under the name Todd Fausnacht and the Well Whiskey Wind Whistlers.

REVIEW: “The Perils of Basement Culture,” from Folk-Punk/Ska Super-Group Meracula

April 17, 2014 by Alex Chiasson

Featuring members of FORT! The Band and The Takeaways, Meracula is made up of veterans of the Boston basement culture.
Upon first listening, this band clearly put in the effort to make their energetic and interesting live show translate on record

REVIEW: The Takeaways Release Folk-Tinged Ska/Punk Album “The City”

April 16, 2014March 16, 2014 by Alex Chiasson

The Takeaways | The City | Album Artwork

In the current Boston ska scene, third-wave ska-punk holds a considerable market share. It is becoming increasingly apparent that a band has to hold their own in terms of both energy and songwriting.

Review: Sammy Kay and the East Los 3 – “Love Letters”

April 6, 2014February 2, 2014 by Jacob Wake Up!

Sammy Kay and the East Los 3
“Love Letters”
2013, Big Tunes / Panic State Records / Whatevski Records
RIYL: Westbound Train, The Slackers, JR Thomas, Tom Waits

The title “Love Letters” conjures up images and ideas of a romantic time and space. When was the last time you put pen to paper to express your love, going through through six drafts before you got the words just right? Sure those moments being lovestruck were exhausting in their own right, but they were inherently fun. There’s a special kind of perseverant energy that goes into that kind of love. The kind we need because we’re all so jaded. That’s the aesthetic of this record, the first full length from solo artist Sammy Kay released October 29, 2013.

Photos and Video from Voodoo Glow Skulls Chaotic Middle East Performance

February 2, 2014October 8, 2013 by Jacob Wake Up!

voodoo glow skulls at middle east jacobwakeup flickr

An intimate yet fierce crowd turned out Friday night for Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Toasters, Left Alone, and The Pomps. Singer Alex Stern of The Pomps opened began their set by thanking the crowd for not going to see Streetlight Manifesto at House of Blues. They played a very tight set of their new wave-inflected pop/ska. They were joined by Jr. Thomas from Minneapolis for two songs and noted they’d be backing him for a set at the Midway Cafe Saturday night (I was unable to make it to that show). Left Alone followed with a really tight set of their Rancid-inspired punk, ska, and rockabilly. The bassist alternated between an electric and upright bass which really made them stand out for the night.

Documentary Captures Brooklyn Rocksteady Scene

July 7, 2015July 28, 2013 by Jacob Wake Up!

This is an excerpt of a post I originally published on my personal blog. While it’s got nothing to do with the Boston Ska scene, the Brooklyn Rocksteady documentary covers the scene I was a part of before I moved to Boston. No scene lives in a vacuum. I’m also incredibly proud to have been a part of it and wanted to share it.

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Bosstones Pack the Boston Common; Globe Names Bosstones Most Boston Band

October 16, 2016July 27, 2013 by Jacob Wake Up!

green bosstones boston common — You taggin your photos bro?

It was like nothing I’d ever seen. Rumor has it there were 40,000 people there to see the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the Boston Common last Saturday, a finally to the inaugural Outside the Box Festival. Someone on stage took a pretty impressive photo of the crowd and it’s just a sea of Bostonians.