Tag: "Ska"

After a busy run on the Vans Warped Tour this past summer, OurStage’s very own Ballyhoo! have released a brand new video for their song, “Walk Away.” True to their well meshed reggae stylings, and blended with a little punk and pop for good measure, Ballyhoo!’s latest song is as catchy as it is lighthearted, turning the heavy subject of breakups into a lighthearted, party filled affair. Check out the video, which aired on Fuse, below.

If you like Ballyhoo! check out Ourstage artist Deadfish.

More like this:

• Exclusive Q and A: Ballyhoo! Plan To Bring Back ’90s Ska Punk
• OurStage on 8tracks: Rastafarian Anthems

The Vans Warped Tour is the one of the longest running tours in America, not to mention probably the most challenging. For about 80 days straight, 1,000+ crew members wake up at the crack of dawn every morning and work in non-stop grueling conditions late into the evening. It takes a hell of a lot of manpower and endurance to keep the well oiled Warped machine running, but many people do not realize this. That’s why Fuse decided to document this past summer’s 2012 Warped Tour for their new show Warped Roadies, in which they follow the crew—NOT the rockstars—who work their asses off every day behind the scenes to make it all happen. They are the backbone of the whole machine, without whom none of it could be possible. Click here to watch the full series premiere before it airs this Friday, December 7 at 11/10c.

More Like This:

Warped Tour Announces 2013 Tour Dates
Warped Tour Searching for 2013 Artwork
Our Final Warped Tour Recap (Part 1)

This past Friday, No Doubt released a music video for their newest single “Looking Hot” off their latest album Push And Shove, but it was immediately removed after being criticized for offending the Native American community.

According to Billboard, the video features Gwen Stefani in a “Halloween-ready Native American costume, while bassist Tony Kanal is [a] tribesman who helps the singer escape from her cowboy captors, played by Adrian Young and Tom Dumont.” Due to a large negative response from YouTube users, the band decided to pull the video, releasing an apology on their website. Whether or not a remake is in store has yet to be determined.

If you like No Doubt, then you might also like OurStage’s own The Worsties.

More Like This

“Watch This!” Wednesday: No Doubt, Craig Owens, And Green Day
Sound And Vision: No Doubt Rides Again–But Can Gwen Stefani & Co. Rise Again?
No Doubt Reveal New Album Title, ‘Push And Shove’, And First Single

Last month Ernie Ball sponsored our Punk Channel, offering a year’s supply of strings and accessories to one Grand Prize Winner. You, the fans, judged to help us find the best punk song by an OurStage artist to take home this amazing prize. So without further adieu, it is our pleasure to congratulate the winning musician, Kingnaldo with his song “I’m Mad As Hell”.  Hailing from Dallas, Ga., this Puerto Rican solo artist has years of experience writing and performing within various genres including punk, metal, hard, and alternative rock. He recently recorded at Lavish Studios in Los Angeles, Calif. with producer/musician Doug Grean (Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver, Sheryl Crow). Now Kingnaldo can rock out harder than ever and not worry about breaking a string, because OurStage and Ernie Ball got him covered. Check out his winning song “I’m Mad As Hell” below.

The late ‘70s and early ‘80s were a boom time for bands blending New Wave’s urgency and energy with the Jamaican rhythms of ska and reggae. The biggest-selling exponents of that musical merger were The Police and Men At Work, but a whole ska-rock subculture developed in England around a handful of bands working under the Two Tone banner. Two Tone was first and foremost a label, with a roster that at one time or another included The Beat, Bad Manners, The Bodysnatchers, Madness, The Selecter, and The Specials, among others, but it also evolved into a genre tag, partly due to the label’s black-and-white logo and iconography, and partly because of the groups’ commitment to actively opposing the racism that was prevalent in England at the time, through songs, benefits, and activism. The Beat (who became known in the U.S. as The English Beat due to another band’s claim on the name) were Two Tone’s poster boys, as much for their unity-boosting lyrics as for their integrated lineup, and they eventually had the biggest impact in America of any Two Tone act. Continue reading ‘Riffs, Rants and Rumors: Boxing The English Beat With Dave Wakeling’

Lately, it seems that we are hearing more and more from new and unexpected partnerships between artists of different genres. This is why, through Superlatones, we are creating our very own directory—a musical wish-list, if you will—of artists who have yet to join the collaborative bandwagon.

It’s the middle of March and once again, St. Patty’s Day is just around the corner. Luckily for us working folk, this year the anticipated holiday falls on a Saturday, which means we are free to participate in the festivities and “celebrate.” So grab a buddy, pour yourself some Guinness and let this week’s dynamic duo start up your weekend with a little Irish flair.

The Dynamic Duo:
Kíla and Streetlight Manifesto

Continue reading ‘Superlatones: Best Drinking Buddies’

Last month’s Ernie Ball punk champions The Bastard Suns labeled themselves the “heralds and protectors of southern punk rock.” With an attitude like that, you know they’re not messing around, and their OurStage profile serves as testament. With multiple Top 10 and Top 40 wins, national touring, their own record label and now the Ernie Ball Grand Prize under their belt, the Alpharetta, GA quintet is poised for big things. The guys recently received their Ernie Ball strings, ensuring their distinct blend of reggae, punk, folk and ska will continue for the next 365 days—and we’re pumped. Check out the band and their prize in the pics below.

What better way to enjoy the end of summer than by listening to an awesome band that gets its inspiration from the great outdoors?

Pureza Natural (which means something like natural purity) is the name of a Panamanian band that has been getting rave reviews from fans on OurStage.

Its members define their style as a fusion between typical African rhythms and classical Australian sounds. To us, this means they are masters at mixing different genres like ska, funk, reggae and others.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Pureza Natural is that there is a real philosophy behind their music. They describe their band as a “living organism, a child who is willing to explore the world, who sings with joy for all the beauty in human kind.”

Play Purezas’ songs on OurStage and you will understand exactly what is behind of this philosophy.  Each song aims to convey a profound ideological message. Take “Verde Aqua” a piece that mixes jazz and reggea, and talks about love and nature. We also love “Ya Pocos Quedan,” a fun piece that blends catchy rhythms with elaborated thoughts about the world.

Here on OurStage, fans seem to really dig Purezas’ music. “Verde Aqua” has been in the Top 10 and Top 40 charts, and has gotten very positive comments from both artists and fans.

If you are into fun music and deep thoughts, we are sure you’ll enjoy Pureza. ¡Provecho!

How would you describe the sunset? Is it a mix of sun and clouds? Is it a blend of colors? What if we told you that the best sunset in the world is the one that combines jazz, blues, funk, ska, rock, bossa nova and even some reggae?

Don’t believe us? Well, we are talking about Caracas Sunset, a band from Venezuela that has been getting rave reviews from Latin lovers on OurStage.

To quickly brief you on the band’s history, we will tell you that Caracas Sunset was born in 2006, when a group of friends decided to pursue their musical career dreams. A few years later, they recorded their first single and began a promotional tour in Caracas, where they scored some awesome opportunities. They had the chance to perform at the Circuito Unión Rock Show in 2009, a well-known music festival in Venezuela, and also got to share the stage with famous local bands like Desorden Publico, Los Mentas, Subsonus, Entrenos, Sonica, Los Mesoneros, AK 47, Charlie Papa, Andreazulado, La Pipa Freak, Skin, La Vida Boheme, Dame Pa’ Matala, Baroni One Time, De Khalafary’s, Bituaya and Caramelos de Cianuro among others.

In 2011, Caracas Sunset released another promotional single called  “Oye Chico”, and is currently working on producing a video clip for this song.

Awesome, right?

We think so too. If you love variety in music and a touch of Latin soul, then we are sure you will dig Caracas Sunset. Here on OurStage, you can play their song “Oye Chico” and familiarize yourself with their unique style. You’ll experience how a mixture of reggae and bossa nova can put anyone in the mood to party from dawn to dusk. Now there is a sunset we know and love. ¡Provecho!

This week’s post is bittersweet. Not only will I be writing about how my favorite member left one of my favorite bands, but this post will be the last installment of Punk On The Rocks. In a way, this is very fitting. My first real foray into blogging was a MySpace post about why I should have Scott Klopfenstein’s children (Yes, really). Scott was always my favorite member of Reel Big Fish. I can’t say for certain whether it was his sense of humor, his voice, his glasses and shaggy hair or his way with a horn, but for some reason he was the band member I felt connected with. Now that he has had an actual child (Not with me, sadly) and with Reel Big Fish is celebrating twenty years as a band, he has decided that it is time to leave behind the life of a touring musician. As a way to say thank you to him for his many years of service in the two-tone army, I have written the following tribute: The Top 5 Reasons I’ll Miss Scott Klopfenstein.

So long Scott, and thanks for all the Reel Big Fish

5. The Dashing Good Looks – Give me a man with glasses, boyish good looks and a trumpet and watch me melt like a stick of butter in a microwave.

4. The Sense Of Humor -  Scott and RBF frontman Aaron Barrett are the ska equivalent of Blink 182′s Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. Their stage banter isn’t just filler, it is part of why you came to see the show in the first place. Scott even manages to steal the show with his hilarious commentary track on Reel Big Fish’s 2003 live DVD Reel Big Fish Live At The House Of Blues – The Show Must Go Off!

3. The Harmonies -  As someone who has played in a few bands, I know how hard it is to find a person whose voice meshes perfectly with yours when you sing in harmony. Scott’s voice is a perfect foil to Aaron’s, and for me at least, their tight vocal harmonies largely define what I consider to be the Reel Big Fish sound. Sure, they’ll find someone else to sing Scott’s parts— but it just won’t be the same.

2.  “Scott’s A Dork” -Classic Reel Big Fish track “Scott’s A Dork” just won’t be the same with out Scott singing along about how he’s a dork. Will they even PLAY “Scott’s A Dork” without Scott? Will I never get to hear ” Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork Dork” again? Oh, the humanity!

1. The Lead Vocals – While Scott sang mostly backup vocals, the few instances where he would sing lead were always highlights for me. Knowing that I’ll never hear him belt “Drunk Again” live is the number one reason that I will miss Scott Klopfenstein.

What do you think about Scott Klopfenstein leaving Reel Big Fish? Let us know in the comments section!

I hope that you all enjoyed reading Punk On the Rocks as much as I enjoyed writing it. Keep your music fast and loud—Gabba Gabba Hey!