When you look at today’s Ska world, you see two major trends. New bands either go the traditional route, dig deep in the Jamaican tradition and come up with Rocksteady, Ska Jazz, Early Reggae and such. Or they mix Ska with Punk and speed it...
You may already know what Dallax said in the interview with Joe Scholes on their tour in June 2011. The text has been published in two parts here and here. The last missing part was the video report I promised earlier and am happy to...
Every time I send out the prize of a Joe Scholes Ska Album Give Away, I ask the winners to send back a photo. Of course, the winners could just walk away and say: „It’s my prize, now leave me alone.“ Others might just not have...
This is part 2 of the interview I did with Numb und Pe from Dallax at the beginning of their "Heart Storming" tour 2011 through Germany. Dallax talk about a bunch of interesting things: for example the best new Japanese Ska bands you might not...
[caption id="attachment_2422" align="alignleft" width="480" caption="The new Dallax album "Heart Storming""] [/caption] These guys from Tokyo are tougher than tough. Just a few months after a horrible earthquake hit Japan and with fears of a nuclear catastrophe still present, the Skacore masters Dallax jumped on a plane to...
I'm glad to say that the next step at joescholes.com has been taken. The first video report is online, with live scenes from the absolutely brilliant Danish Ska/Rocksteady band Babylove & The Dangos and an interview with the guys. Many thanks to my good friend Gregor (former organ...
You can find the complete interview series with Babylove & The Van Dangos at reggae-steady-ska.com. Since first hearing Babylove & The Van Dangos at the tiny Sonic Ballroom in Cologne in 2007, those guys from Denmark have been one of my Ska/Rocksteady favourites. Still a young band...
If you signed for the Joe Scholes newsletter, you have already received the following note: "Who is the UK’s best Traditional Ska band? You know the answer: Intensified. After 20 years together, the band around singer Paul E. Carter and mastermind Steve Harrington has...
[caption id="attachment_2288" align="alignleft" width="460" caption="The Hotknives at the London International Ska Festival 2011, photo: Oliver Lietz"][/caption] These lads from Brighton have always been an exceptional Ska band. From the early 1980s up to now, what set The Hotknives apart was the sheer quality of their songs....
It's already one of the big Ska releases of the year 2011: "Lunar City Groove" by Britain's best Traditional Ska band Intensified. The guys from Kent haven't been prolific in the last 20 years. But they always released top quality. My question for you today:...
