Hey hey, Friday. You're here and I'm crushing hard on your sexiness.
Not sure what I was looking for online yesterday, but somehow came across some old Specials videos on You Tube. I remember being a hardcore fan of all things ska as a mispent youth. Watching those vids now, I remember why- just look at the amazing style, the fantastically graphic album and flyer art (a visual world of black and white and maybe some pink thrown in for fun), and the party music that can lift a sagging mood any day. Just look at how these dudes dressed- skinny suits, braces, short pants, Fred Perry. Believe you me, some ska will be in full rotation today as I teeter towards the weekend. The Brits did ska better than the Americans (sorry Sublime and No Doubt fans), and my severe Anglophilia was much informed by bands like The Specials. if you listen to this music now, you realize these guys were talking about racial unity and bringing people together- a noble cause disguised by some seriously kickin' dance music. If you need a primer on such things, the bands to check out are The Specials (their self titled album, pictured here is one of my all time favorites), The English Beat, Selecter, Fun Boy Three, Madness (now rethinking the name of my dog- Suggs would have been good) and the more new wavish Gang of Four and guilty pleasure General Public. And of course let's not forget Fishbone (American), whose skankin' sounds accompanied many a college party back in the day. Loving the way these dudes dressed...looks very now somehow, doesn't it? Of course, if you're a purist you can check out the first wave of ska straight outta Jam Rock, with bands like the Skatalites and cool cats like Byron Lee. And that, my bebes, is what's up this rock steady, rude boyesque, big, big monkey man of a Friday in the MIA. All the love, kids. Blast some ska this weekend and get happy. XO
