Ska’s pretty much dead

Ska-core just doesn’t really change, now does it? I mention this because the Voodoo Glow Skulls have a new album out today entitled Southern California Street Music. The case could be made that it’s like the VGS are the AC/DC of the genre: they put out the same album time and time again, but the fans keep buying them. It’s not like the albums suck – not by any means. They’re just pretty much the same thing every time: punk riffs, ska horns, a little “pick it up” every now and then, and people stay happy. It’s not quite mediocrity, but more like stasis. Nothing’s declined since their debut, but nothing’s gotten any better, either.

Although, really, to be honest – ska-punk is pretty much a static genre. It’s pretty basic. Fairly melodic, as far as punk goes, but it’s not something that’s going to be birthing any groundbreaking musical achievements any time soon. I mean, aside from forming a grindcore ska act, there’s not much new a band can do with ska and punk. And as that’s been done (they’re called Canon Law and hail from New Jersey), it appears we’re officially at an impasse.

I still like it, and I’ll be buying every new Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, and so on and so forth’s albums as they come out, but I’m done trying to find new stuff to say about bands of this ilk. Hell, I just received a new ska-punk cd in the mail the other day from a band called Victims of Circumstance that seem to be bucking the idea that nobody was making new ska-punk records except the mid-90s stalwarts. And – surprise, surprise – they’re from Florida. For whatever reason, that state and California seem to be ground zero for the ska-punk disease. They do a nice cover of Social D’s “Ball and Chain,” but that’s about it… although a country-ska act has its possibilities.

Voodoo Glow Skulls – “Fire In the Dancehall
Voodoo Glow Skulls – “The Ballad of Froggy McNasty