“Far From Home” is the first new, original track released from Chicago’s Deal’s Gone Bad, since their critically acclained 2007 album, “The Ramblers.” Side A is their original soul scorcher, “Far From Home”. Side B is their own rocksteady version of an Otis Redding classic, “These Arms of Mine”. The band recorded both tracks in their own Windy City recording studio, and self released the 7” vinyl version in a limited edition of 500.
WIN PRIZES WHILE HELPING SAVE THE GULF!
The Oil Spill:
We are doing what we can to spread the word about this man-made ecological disaster that has adversely effected this place we call home. We could use your help.
Starting on April 20th, 2010, 205.8 million gallons of crude oil leaked into…
REBLOG PLEASE. This is important.
Yo, a couple weeks ago, the full lineup of Block Party ‘11 was announced and, as you can see, it’s awesome. Now, I realize that not everyone can make it down to New Orleans for that weekend (even if you are interested in doing so, go here for info on who’s going from MI and travel options.) but it’d be great if you supported the event and, as per usual, Community Records in general. Clicking on the image above takes you to the Kickstarter page they’ve set up for the event and you can get yourself tickets, DVDs of the event and other cool stuff that will help them out.
If last year was any indication at all, you’ll want at least a DVD if you like any of the bands, it’s well worth the dough.
Event info:
APRIL 16TH at THE BIG TOP
1638 CLIO ST in NEW ORLEANS
Touring:
Rx Bandits
We Are The Union
Forthrights
Stuck Lucky
A Billion Ernies
Murphy’s Kids
Matt Wixson
Informant
Pericles
The Best Of The Worst
Green Room Rockers
Locals:
Fatter Than Albert
Caddywhompus
Marathon
Samurai Deli
Chatty Cathies
The Rooks
Joystick
The Lollies
Sun Hotel
Stereohype
noon to midnight. all ages. $20 at the door. $17 in advance
Click HERE to purchase advance tickets online.
Advance tickets will also be available at Hey! Cafe
(4332 Magazine St.)\
In 2004, The Ska Is Dead Tour was created to help reinvigorate a genre and a scene that was much loved by its fans, but often dismissed by the mainstream media. The first tour brought together bands on the forefront of the genre (Big D, Catch 22, Mustard Plug, The Planet Smashers), and proved that ska was very much still alive.
Since that initial spark, Ska is Dead has organized hundreds of shows in North America, Europe, and Australia, involving some of the best bands in the genre, (Streetlight Manifesto, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Bomb the Music Industry, The Toasters, etc.) Ska is Dead has gone on to release a CD compilation on Asian Man records, a 7” record series and co-sponsored the East Coast “Ska Massive” and “Skanksgiving” events
In 2011 The Ska is Dead tour continues this tradition by sponsoring the Young Guns 2011 Tour. The Young Guns tour spotlights the best of the new generation of bands including Detroit’s We Are the Union and New York City’s The Forthrights and will be teaming up on select dates with the best up and coming bands in the American scene, including Nashville’s Stuck Lucky (4/15-4/22),Boston’s Brunt of It (4/23-4/28), NYC’s The Fad (4/19-4/27), and Indiana’s Green Room Rockers (4/13 & 5/1) among others
Wed. April 13 – Indianapolis, IN – The Hoosier Dome
Thurs. April 14 – Cincinnati, OH - TBA
Fri. April 15 – Nashville, TN – The Muse
Sat. April 16 – New Orleans, LA – Block Party 2011
Sun. April 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
Mon. April 18 – Columbia, SC – New Brooklyn Tavern
Tues. April 19 Norfolk, VA – Jewish Mother
Wed. April 20 – Richmond, VA – The Canal Club
Thurs. April 21 Philadelphia, PA – The Ox
Fri. April 22 – Garden City, NY – Ethical Humanist Center
Sat. April 23 (1pm) – Boston, MA – Middle East
Sat. April 23 (6pm) – Hamden, CT – The Space
Tues. April 26 – Bethpage, NY – Mr. Beery’s
Weds. April 27 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
Thurs. April 28 – Syracuse, NY – Funk N’ Waffles
Fri. April 29 – Cleveland, OH – TBA
Sat. April 30 – Lansing, MI – Mac’s Bar
Sun. May 1 – Chicago, IL – TBA
For more information please visit:
Mustard Plug’s “Big Daddy Multitude” Digital Re-Release
Mustard Plug’s first official release on CD format, Big Daddy Multitude, came out in 1993 - well before Ska became a household word, but after Mustard Plug had spawned a large Midwest following. Originally released on lead singer Dave Kirchgessner’s Dashiki Clout Records, it was soon picked up by Ska powerhouse Moon Ska Records. With Moon’s distribution, Mustard Plug found an international audience ready for Ska to explode. Soon after the release of Big Daddy Multitude, the Plug began to tour nationally and amassed a solid fanbase coast to coast.
On Big Daddy Mulitude, the band had developed a better understanding of writing and playing since their first self released cassette, Skapocalypse Now! The songs were cohesive, catchy and great to skank to. Some tracks were released on compilations and quickly became “hits” in the still underground Ska scene. After the unfortunate demise of Moon Ska Records, this CD was re-released on Hopeless Records in May of 2001.
In 2010, Big Daddy Multitude has been re-released digitally with 4 tracks from the 1995 “Beer Song” 7” sessions. These tracks were the last tracks the band recorded before signing to Hopeless Records. They feature the “Big Daddy” line up, including the stellar horn section of Mark Petz on sax, Bob Engelsman on trombone and Craig DeYoung on alto sax. Several songs from this session, including the “Beer Song,” were re-recorded for the band’s breakthrough record “Evildoers Beware,” but these original self-produced versions have been unavailable for several years. They represent a moment in the band’s career, when Mustard Plug had congealed their own unique sound, taking in influences from Two Tone Ska, Oi, bubble gum pop, and Socal Punk and creating the Mustard Plug sound that fans would know them by for many years to come.
So I don’t really update this very much anymore, obviously. So, here’s an even better source for ska news, Ska Massive! Check it out, check the forums if you aren’t getting enough local Michigan ska info (shows are always up-to-date there) and don’t check this as much unless you like seeing the same post sitting at the top for months.
Upcoming shows (not all ska)!
Big ups to Cory from the forums/Sparks/the real world for compiling this!
July 15 (Thursday) - Royal Oak (Club 309) - CBJ, Staple Salute, Explicit Bombers, Take a Hint, A.T.G.
July 17 (Saturday) - Grand Rapids (Billy’s Lounge) - Vic Ruggiero, Chris Murray, The Forthrights, Deals Gone Bad
July 18 (Sunday) - Ann Arbor (Blind Pig) - Vic Ruggiero, Chris Murray, The Forthrights, 1592, Matt Wixson
July 22 (Thursday) - Rochester (The Factory) - Still Rings True, Seized Up, Piece of Mind, My Alumni
July 24 (Saturday) - Detroit (St. Andrew’s Hall) - The Suicide Machines, We Are The Union, Bill Bondsmen, The Code, Wreak Havoc
July 24 (Saturday) - Detroit (The Shelter (St. Andrew’s Hall)) - A.T.G., All My Blood, H8 Inc.
July 25 (Sunday) - Lansing (Mac’s Bar) - Bomb The Music Industry, Take a Hint, A Name for Ourselves
July 29 (Thursday) - Rochester (The Factory) - Paranoia Dance Party, The Best of the Worst, Take a Hint, Sparks, Due North
July 31 (Saturday) - Royal Oak (Club 309) - Fatter Than Albert, A Billion Ernies, Stuck Lucky, Seized Up, Take a Hint, Matt Wixson
August 1 (Sunday) - Troy (Cory’s Basement) - Fatter Than Albert, A Billion Ernies, Stuck Lucky, The Best of the Worst, Sparks
August 2 (Monday) - Grand Rapids (The DAAC) - Fatter Than Albert, A Billion Ernies, Stuck Lucky, A Name for Ourselves, Matt Wixson
August 5 (Thursday) - Ann Arbor (BTB Cantina) - 1952, Unlikely Alibi
August 6 (Friday) - Grand Rapids (Jukes Bar) - Unlikely Alibi, The Redlights, 1592
August 7 (Saturday) - Detroit (Magic Stick) - Frank Turner, William Elliott Whitmore
August 7 (Saturday) - Romeo (Static Age) - We Are The Union, Hostage Calm, Sunlight Ascending, Headlight Over Hills
August 7 (Saturday) - Ann Arbor (Blind Pig) - Against the Grain, BootKnife, Duppy a Jamba, Taking on the World, Arrogant Bastards, Poncho Villa’s Skull
August 10 (Tuesday) - Rochester (The Factory) - This Is A Stick Up, Seized Up, A.T.G., A Name for Ourselves, Core Rotten
August 14 (Saturday) - Southgate (The Modern Exchange) - Ziptacular, Granola Add Bacon, Hometown Heroes
August 15 (Sunday) - Royal Oak (Club 309) - 2 Tone Runts, Car Full of Midgets, Take A Hint, Clear Blue Ska
*August 21 (Saturday) - Hamtramck (Bohemian National Home) - Hub City Stompers
August 27 (Friday) - Detroit (St. Andrew’s Hall) - Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Flatliners, Teenage Bottlerocket
*Mentioned in Subborn Records newsletter, no other information known.
Kenny was kind enough to start up and operate a MI Ska facebook fan page for MI Ska. It’s more thorough than the blog is these days (school and whatnot, I’ll likely be more active this summer and I’ll have a review of the ABE/Matt Wixson’s Flying Circus/Take A Hint/Gunday Monday/Seized Up show in a week or two). So “like” Michigan Ska. Besides that and this obnoxious image, not much is going on in MI Ska, just amazing shows and Treehouse Rivals getting back together. On a ska-related note, I had the privilege of going down to New Orleans for the Community Records Block Party and that was excellent and I highly recommend people support the bands on there.
As always, everyone is welcome to contribute if it’s constructive, relevant and well done.
We Are The Union - Great Leaps Forward is now up for presale! Official release date is March 30th! Click the picture to go to the Paper+Plastick store to see the different pre-sale packages and order this ish.
ALSO: Record Release Show - 4/3/10 at the Metal Frat in Ann Arbor, 907 lincoln st
ann arbor MI 48104. Price TBA. ft. Hellmouth, The A-Gang, City Yards and Matt Wixson.
A Couple of Upcoming Shows!
I haven’t the time to compile all of them but here are a couple key ones you must go to:
TONIGHT: Flatliners/WATU/Snips at Mac’s at 6pm.
Friday: 
^ BIG DEAL. You will be quite remiss if you don’t attend this, it will be great.
Come out and support two out-of-state acts and, while you’re at it, Michigan’s newest ska-ish band, featuring exmembers of Treehouse Rivals!
And, for those who want to be really hardcore, the Specials in Toronto in mid April
And April 23rd: A Billion Ernies (California Hardcore Indie Ska Awesomeness), Gunday Monday, Take A Hint, Matt Wixson, Seized Up (Jimmy and Dan from Forty Lashes side pop punk project)+ an Aaron Hibbert solo set. At the Factory in Rochester for $5
For other shows/better details, check out forum.michiganska.com
