Cologne. Sunday, November 14th 2010. It is the last warm evening of the year. As I have to leave home for another night out on the streets, the thermometer of my unmarked investigation vehicle shows 18 degrees Celsius. Trying to squash some newly slipped midges on...
Along with the pic came this short and sweet notice Received the cds today, just in time for my birthday ; ) Thanks a lot! All the best Louis You're Welcome! For more details on the background to the give aways, go here. The next round...
The "Ska Album Give Away Series" at joescholes.com is really on now. For more details on the background, go here. We have our first winner: It's Louis from Reims in France. In the pot were two brilliant albums to choose from: The Slackers, "The Great Rocksteady Swindle"...
It's November 11th, one of the most important days of the year in my hometown Cologne: the start of the Carneval season. My daughters are in Kindergarten dressed up as fairies. The notorious "Kölsch" (the dialect spoken by Cologne natives) music will be heard...
Doing polls is fun. That’s what I learned last year, when I asked for votes on “The Best Album 2009”, “The Best Song 2009” and “The Best Live Band 2009”. Why not have more of that this year? Last Years’ Winners The bands that got voted most...
The party started in April 2009 – that’s when The Specials went on their 30th Anniversary Tour with sold-out shows around the UK. Gigs in Australia, Japan, the USA, Canada and festival appearances throughout Europe followed. On the way the 2Tone heroes picked up an...
Since the return of the London International Ska Festival has been announced by Sean Flowerdew the excitement cannot be bigger. More than 2800 fans on Facebook and 300 applications from bands convey a clear message. Anyone who has been into Ska for more than just...
Did I promise to tell how Mark Brennan from Link Records found out about The Braces in 1988? Then I better deliver. At the end of this text you will know even more. You will have learned the 7 steps that were necessary to get...
“What’s up with the band?” At times (in the late 1980s) I got wary of the same old question when meeting people around my hometown Krefeld. On the tram, at the chips shop or “At The Watch”, the hangout for the local subcultures and bottle...
Ska music today seems to be all about sound. Even new bands know exactly what effects they want and which equipment to use. They plug their Telecasters into their Twin Reverbs, hook up their Jazz Basses and make no mistakes. Producers like Vic Ruggiero and...