The fifth session of 23min of Ska started on August 15th, 2013 and ended son January 23rd, 2014. Following the “hilarious” tradition started in the first session, all episode titles have five words.
Session Five
It’s Time to… Start Again! : August 15th, 2013
Wow, I really dug back in to my stash for this one! A lot of these tracks are ones that I just couldn’t believe that I hadn’t played yet on the show! Sure, maybe it is a little too ’90s, but don’t act like you don’t enjoy it!
Just Talkin’ ’bout My Demographic : September 5th, 2013
In the late ’90s, into the twenty-first century, the idols & press darlings were the faceless DJs, pop stars, girl & boy bands. It’s not to say that I’m not a techno/disco/pop lover (I mean, come on, I keep it (barely) undercover) but mostly I wanted some personality and that’s what the ska and ska/punk scene gave me in my music. But, what was popular loomed large and to become party to that constituted a huge infraction to your street cred and cost you major punk rock points, that would be selling out. Not to say that some bands of the ska/punk variety never enjoyed some mainstream success, but it didn’t last long before they were cast down like Icarus on their wings of checkered wax, to once again hang out with the rest of us. Thankfully, no not too many noses were turned up about that fact from either side of the stage. So here’s to selling out, why it is no good, what to do about it, and why it never really mattered in the first place!
Five by Five, Mother Bitches : September 12th, 2013
I won’t lie, this episode was a bear to put together. A lot of the original song choices weren’t working together, the episode came out too short, switched out some songs, rearranged a few songs, the episode came out too long, switched a few more songs and BANG! the episode is done.
Stars Disappear, One by One : September 19th, 2013
Time runs out for the best of us. The most we can do is get out into the world and enjoy it! Some of the bands in this episode are long gone, other have held on for a crazy amount of time! Go see the latter as soon as you can before they become the former. Seriously, everyone, stop complaining about the world and get out in it, it is rewarding, and think of all the stories you can tell later on in life. No one looks back in life and wishes they would’ve done less.
Silver Scarabs Got to Go : September 26th, 2013
I guess this episode is pretty self explanatory. Do I really need to post more? I’ve been collecting songs for this one since the first few months of 23min of Ska back in 2010. I hope it all hangs together well for you guys and you all enjoy it.
Fruit doesn’t Fall too Far : October 3rd, 2013
Well, look at this awesome bit of ska excitement I have for you all today! This episode here, is, well, it sure is something! A lot of great songs, that’s for sure. Bands from all over. It’s good. This episode came together fast… way too fast, for a while, I was doubting if it was any good, but I checked and checked over the last week, and by golly, it is! This is one I really hope that you enjoy as much as I do because it was a fun one to put together! Also, this is the 100th episode!
It Leads Up to This : October 10th, 2013
Yeah, I was in the mood for some 2Tone bands, which then lead me into a listening session of other more traditional ska bands from the era I like to call “before I got into the ska music”. One of the things about ska is that it has so much riches in it, a lot of people focus on the early days with what was coming out of Jamaica, and some even on the British bands of the late ’70s/early ’80s, but there seems to be a lack of love for the late ’80s/early ’90s ska that isn’t ska/punk. As everything else that has to do w/ ska music, I still need to learn a lot more about it! I hope that mixing that sound along w/ some of the UK’s top acts doesn’t offend your listening sensibilities.
the Doom Sayers Say “Doom!” : October 17th, 2013
What is going on listeners, all you fine fine purveyors of great music, as I can tell because you listen to this podcast, what is up? I hope you enjoy this latest episode delving into ska music from around the world. This episode, more than others, was comprised of songs that I just couldn’t get out of my head or stop thinking about. So yeah, all are top tracks, no filler, so get ready to get down.
…and the Horsemen Shall Ride : October 31st, 2013
The night is getting longer, as well as getting colder out. This is the turning point, there’s just a few more weeks of outdoor time before you only leave you living space for transport to work, food or music. No more frolicking in nature for most of you, and if there is, not for very long. This is the time to grab a warm cider, step outside and enjoy it while you can, much like everything else, it is fleeting, so grab it now!
Up into the Great Night : November 7th, 2013
It is all about having great nights lately! Last weekend I drove about a hour to go see a great band play (the Shifters in case you were wondering) and it was a blast to finally meet them in person and see them play. Just the other night I went out with my wife for our 2nd anniversary and (as expected) it was great as well. All day long we all slave away at our day job just waiting to get to the night, which offers freedom and fun if we aren’t too wiped out to take advantage of them. I implore you to fight that tired and weary state and get out there and enjoy some epic nights!
You Gotta Bust it Up! : November 14th, 2013
You can’t sit idle. You have to go out and make a difference in this world. Don’t apologize for the fact that the way to creation is always destruction. Get out there and tear down what doesn’t work and build it up with something better. At least add something positive to this mess. This is the world, and it is cold and harsh and violent, and sometimes you have to react in a like manner. Then again, I never said you had to be such a serious sour puss about it. This podcast is one of the small things I do on a weekly basis to try and make the world a tad easier to take for myself and anyone who cares to listen. Destroy then rebuild or just add, but don’t sit and watch the world pass you by.
Keep All Your Secrets Undercover : November 21st, 2013
When building yourself up, don’t forget to keep part of yourself to yourself. Your ego is only scaffolding that eventually needs to be removed so you can shine, but you can’t give everything away. We all need our secrets. We need that little part of us to keep inside our heads that makes us, well, ourselves. Remember that, remember your core, what defines you, it isn’t anything that external, and it is hard to explain, but don’t lose it. That being said… here’s a bunch of cover songs for you! Yay! And yeah, two Operation Ivy covers, so what, they’re both good, deal with it.
Never Go Back Home Again : November 28th, 2013
When I first moved away from the area I grew up it I made it a point to not go back for a visit too soon. Not that I didn’t like the area, in fact I loved it, but I knew I’d never get used to LA if I didn’t give it a fair shake. When I did go home, well, I found it lacking. The thing is, Peoria didn’t change all that much, but I did, my friends and family did. It took me a bit to get my head around it. It wasn’t just a geographical location I was missing, but also a temporal location. Peoria, IL 1999 – 2005 isn’t a place I can visit or point to on a map. Sure, I can find and go to the place I called home, but I can’t go back there w/o a flux capacitor. Ultimately that’s a good thing. Memories are as good as gold in the end, be thankful for the fact that you have any good ones at all. It’s never the location, it is what you do w/ the time that you are there that counts.
Always Double Down on Eleven : December 5th, 2013
There are certain facts in life. The sun always rises from the East, never drink OJ after brushing your teeth, and most of all, you always double down on eleven (not to mention, always split on eights). Most other advice in life isn’t worth the time it takes to comprehend the words others have spoken, but those 3 (4) hold fast. Don’t doubt them, and use these facts to go forth and conqueror the world.
Maybe Try Bucking the System : December 12th, 2013
Tradition is great, but sometimes it can strangle you and hold you back. You need to know when “this is how it is, how it was & how it will be” is to be heeded and when it needs to be neglected. It’s a big distinction and will help you well in life once you know the difference. As always, good luck out there in the world, it can be a horrible place when oppression is afoot.
Turn Your World Upside Down : December 19th, 2013
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t listen to enough ska from around the world. I’m mostly fixated on Southern California and the American Midwest. I’ve gotten a bit better at finding bands from Canada and the UK, but I still feel as if I need more of a worldly view. So, in that fashion I went out and dedicated a full episode to Australian ska music. In the end, good music is good music no matter where you come from, but a small highlight like this is worth it every now and again.
Post Christmas Coma and Depression : December 16th, 2013
Two things are on tap for today, either you still have the day off to lounge around and treat your hangover & overstuffed tummy right, or you’re back in the office. I’m one of the latter, so right now I’m basically staving off being resentful of capitalism. This episode will get me through it.
Happy No Year, You Cynics! : January 2nd, 2014
Here we are again at the start of a brand new year. Once again setting out to try and do better by ourselves. I resolve to keep making a weekly ska podcast, so I hope that that is OK with all of you. Is it? Kick ass, I knew it would be!
WARNING! Parental Advisory / Explicit Content : January 9th, 2014
Swearing, it is as old and American as anything else I’ve ever encountered. Sure, the English, Scottish and Irish are more free with their swearing, and the Australians have elevated cussing to a higher art form, but there’s just something about American culture that makes American swearing so interesting to me. I only really remember my pops dropping the F-bomb twice while I was a kid, and that didn’t happen until I was well into high school. The first time was when he couldn’t find his hammers when we were installing new windows on the house. It is such a legend that my little brother does an impression so accurate that you’d think you’re right back in the middle of a hot Midwestern day and the old man has lost his patience with his goofball sons again. When ever Pops hears my brother do the impression he turns red with laughter. That’s what inspired this episode, good ole, hardworkin’, Midwest American swearing! OK, fine, not all these acts are American, and only one is from the Midwest, but you know what I don’t give a single one of, right?
Five Points on a Star : January 16th, 2014
Here’s another week of great ska and ska/punk music for all ya’ll! As always I hope you enjoy it! It’s been a rough week for me, and I’m just glad that this episode of great songs from great artists came together so simply and easily so that I could keep this podcast on time! The title for this one, it means nothing. Sorry about that. The episode is a winner, but this description is not. Wait… I can feel it, I can feel the cosmos!
Exit Through the Gift Shop : January 23rd, 2014
Four years ago today I debuted the first episode of 23min of Ska. I had been involved in a weekly (sometimes twice weekly) podcast with my wife since ’08 and had gotten a real handle on the ins and outs of doing a podcast. I had wanted to do a ska podcast a few times, but was never sure what I really wanted to do. An interview show? A DJed radio like show? Me and a friend talking about ska music, sharing stories and playing some music in between? I was also tossing around the idea of doing a music mixtape project/podcast based on the LA subway system w/ each color line representing a genre, but abandoned that due to its insane nature. Also because I knew that would never take hold anywhere. Then I was just like “Oh hell, I’ll do my ska podcast like that plan, plus it’ll be easier, because I won’t have to know average times between red line stops for episode times!” How foolish, because as soon as I was getting started on the first episode I was ready to saddle myself w/ a time constraint anyway. At first it was going to be 15min of Ska, and it was going to be monthly. I thought I could keep up at that pace while still doing my other podcast. As I put it together I realized that 15 minutes would be too short for a monthly show. So I upped it to 23min and decided that new episodes should drop on the 23rd of each month. After I’d posted the first one, I decided that I’d been hasty, and that there should be two episodes a month, on the 11th and the 23rd. That would also equal 23 episodes a year (provided I always took Jan. 11th off). That sat well with me. After the first year I launched the facebook page and removed a lot of my personal info from my blog and made it the official 23min of Ska website. I also added interviews at the top of each month. This way I was still getting 23 episodes of music a year. Somewhere along that year I found that the idea of a show that updates on the 1st, 11th and 23rd of the month got confusing for regular listeners and a lot of them thought that the show was released each Thursday for some reason. So starting in 2012 the show went weekly w/ interviews, 2 regular music episodes a month and 1 special music episode a month landing on Thursday morning. In my idiotic mind the special (and sometimes bonus if there was a 5th week) episodes didn’t count to the 23 song cycle. I’m an idiot, I don’t think anyone noticed my stupid numbering system. Which brings us to last year, this is when I figured I was all “Eff it! No one notices that an official session of 23min of Ska is 23 episodes! I’ll just go weekly, and the episodes that don’t count (All ’60s ska eps, the occasional interview, guest mixers, May Mix Tapes) will be obvious, and won’t be tied to the calendar.” So here, on the 4th anniversary of the show and the 5th set of 23 episodes is coming to an end. That’s far too much insight into what I think about when I’m doing this show, but for my brand of crazy it needs to be there. I’ve met wonderful ska fans and bands while doing this, heck I even launched a record label! Thanks to all you wonderful listeners, and tell all your ska loving friends!
23min of Ska 