Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Podcast

Greetings! I hope you are all well. Though I don't post here often -- writing my forthcoming book "Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History" which will be published by DiWulf Publishing in 2021 has taken up much of my time the last 3 years -- I wanted to share a new project related to the book and this blog. 

This blog and all the time and research I invested into it for several years was a real labor of love. But that work and the American ska history I uncovered along the way was instrumental in helping create the blueprint for my book. 

As the book goes into production -- layout and design -- I've started an audio companion in the form of a podcast that features stories about the bands featured in the book as well as interviews with American ska and reggae musicians and influencers featured in the book. 

As the book comes closer to a publication date, I'll be sure to post more details and information here. In the meantime, for your listening pleasure, here are the first 16 episodes of the podcast. 

 Happy holidays and may 2021 bring better things for all of us!

New Heavensbee Album "We Mean Business" Released

After nearly 2 years of writing and recording, I'm excited to finally share a pre-order link for the new Heavensbee album "We Mean Business" which will be released Monday 1/27/20!  It's taken a  minute to finish because I have also been hard at work on writing Ska Boom : An Oral History About The Birth Of American Ska. 

"We Mean Business" started as a conversation. Roger Apollon and I have been making music together for a long time but we wanted to try something different. The goal was to write and record an album of ska and reggae music that reflected our shared love and appreciation for 2-Tone and what it stood for (The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat) but that would also would expand on that approach and incorporate new sounds with new voices to create something more modern. We also wanted to collaborate with singers and musicians we love and respect. And so, over nearly two years starting in 2018 we pulled together this fantastically diverse mix of incredibly talented people -- Carolyn "Honeychild" Coleman (The 1865), Dunia Best (Dubistry), Olivier Rhee (The Boilers), Robert Tierney (The NY Citizens), Jenny Whiskey (Hub City Stompers, Rude Boy George), Matt Wixson, Ruben Rios, Anthony "Juggla" Minervino (The Rudie Crew), Pamela Anderson Buckley (Rude Boy George) and Rob Gainfort (The Steadys) -- who helped to craft and create these songs about the darker side of modern life in 21st century America.

Below is a link to a Bandcamp player where you can purchase the album and also stream the first song.  I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed working on it!