The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer ("Bosstone") Ben Carr remained constant members. The band's final line-up also included drummer Joe Sirois, saxophonist Leon Silva, guitarist Lawrence Katz, keyboardist John Goetchius, and trombonist Chris Rhodes.
Fishbone is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1979, the band plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary, the group gained a sizable cult following".
The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records.
The Selecter is an English 2 tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979.
Save Ferris is an American ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California, United States. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1995, the band began to perform underground venues in Southern California. In 1996, the band won a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band and a contract with Epic Records. Their album It Means Everything from 1997 was their first full-length album. By 1999, the band moved from ska-pop into pop-punk. After a hiatus, in 2017, Save Ferris released the Checkered Past EP.
Devil's Night Out is the debut studio album by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released in 1990 by Taang! Records. It was one of the first albums to mix ska and hardcore punk.
Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records and SideOneDummy. The band has been noted for its strict DIY work ethic, such as engineering, producing, and releasing their own albums and videos and self-promotion of their own shows.
Let's Go Bowling is an American third wave ska band hailing from Fresno, California. Since the band's inception in the year 1986, the band's traditional ska style, barbershop harmonies, wisely crafted instrumentals, and its frantic live performances, helped set the standard for dress and culture for West Coast Ska, which in turn, set the groundwork for the Third Wave Movement in 1995.
Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington, Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music.
The Pietasters are an American eight-piece ska/soul band from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.
Spring Heeled Jack is a third wave ska band based out of New Haven, Connecticut. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Ron Ragona and drummer Dave Karcich in 1991. After a short breakup, Ragona and Karcich reformed the band with a new lineup. This lineup went on to record two albums before announcing a hiatus in 2000. While the band members moved on to perform in several new bands, their intention was to play the occasional reunion show. This plan would never come to fruition as a cerebral aneurysm would be cause for Karcich's death in 2002. In 2015, several band members returned to reform the band full-time. A third studio album, Sound Salvation, followed in 2017.
Byron Lee and the Dragonaires are a Jamaican ska, calypso and soca band. The band played a crucial pioneering role in bringing Caribbean music to the world. Byron Lee died on 4 November 2008, after suffering from cancer for a sustained period.
Victor "Vic" Ruggiero, is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in reggae, blues, ska and rocksteady bands since the early 1990s, including The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers. He has also performed with punk rock band Rancid, both live and in the studio. He has released four solo acoustic albums and continues to tour and record worldwide. Ruggiero is known primarily as a singer and organist, although he also plays piano, bass, banjo, cigar box guitar, guitar, harmonica and percussion.
Lloyd Parks is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.
The Allniters are a Sydney-based Australian ska pop band, founded in 1980. Original line-up was Ted Ayers on sax, Dave Bebb on drums, Stuart Crysell on guitar, Martin Fabok on guitar, Peter Hill-Travis on vocals, Graham Hood on bass guitar, Brett Pattinson on vocals and Mark Taylor on keyboards. Numerous changes occurred in band members with Fabok, Hill-Travis and Pattinson common to almost all line-ups.
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, on their first single "Simmer Down." They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since.
John "JG" Goetchius is an American keyboardist, best known for his work with Boston ska-core band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Beshara were a British reggae band from Moseley and Washwood Heath, Birmingham, that formed in 1976. The band are most notable for their 1981 lovers rock hit "Men Cry Too", which reached number 2 in the British reggae charts. Although known for their lovers rock singles, they were also very capable of recording roots reggae. This can be heard in the hymnal recording, "Glory Glory".
The SKAndalous All-Stars are an American ska band, composed of members of The Slackers, the Skatalites, Mephiskapheles, the Stubborn All-Stars, Agent 99, Ruder Than You, Sic & Mad, The Excalibur, Cocktaillica, The Hurtin' Buckaroos, Living Colour, Perfect Thyroid, the Cycle Sluts from Hell, and The Klezmatics, and is led by Slackers frontman Vic Ruggiero. Considered one of the first ska supergroups, the Skandalous All Stars built their reputation on ska and reggae stylized versions of popular rock and pop tunes. Their first two albums—Hit Me, released in 1997, and Punk Steady, released the following year—included dance-inspiring interpretations of songs by the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Blondie, Patti Smith, the Ramones, Kiss, Nirvana, Radiohead, Stevie Wonder, and White Zombie. With their third album, The Age of Insects, released in 1999, the group began focusing on the original songs of keyboardist and vocalist Ruggiero.
The Fabulous Five Inc. is a reggae and soca band formed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Over a 45-year career, they have released 26 albums, had many number 1 hits in Jamaica, and were the featured musicians on Johnny Nash's platinum album I Can See Clearly Now.
