Ska Maniac

Dinosaur Sounds- Catch 22

2011-02-01T22:04:00.000-06:00

Sorry guys, I have been EXTREMELY busy due to swimming and homework, but I am back and ready to post another favorite album. I have already talked about Catch 22 before, and figured I should talk about another one of their albums. Remember that you can always add my last.fm here. Enjoy!

Dinosaur Sounds:

Dinosaur Sounds is a 2003 Catch 22 album and shows the band finally emerging from the shadow of former frontman Tomas Kalnoky. The album is a radical departure from previous work; while the band maintains its trademark aggression and inquisitive nature, the topics have steered back to rock and roll staples like relationship woes and alcohol, occasionally dabbling into the dark themes that made the band so distinctive compared to its ska contemporaries. "Beguile the Time" features a brief but powerful anti-war message, while "So Cold" sounds like a salvo being fired towards Kalnoky and his new outfit, Streetlight Manifesto

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rocky"	3:23
2.	"Beguile The Time"	2:47
3.	"Wine Stained Lips"	2:46
4.	"Motown Cinderella"	2:32
5.	"Chin Up" (Pat Calpin, Catch 22, and Ryan Eldred)	3:20
6.	"Dreams of Venus"	3:07
7.	"Dripping Faucet"	3:11
8.	"Good Times" (Catch 22, Pat Kays, and Ian McKenzie)	3:06
9.	"Interlude"	0:41
10.	"So Cold"	2:57
11.	"Regression" (Catch 22, Pat Kays, and Ian McKenzie)	1:53
12.	"Chasing the Moon"	1:33
13.	"Lamont's Lament" One of my favorite songs: And as usual, The randy video of the day: Badminton is fucking hardass! See ya later!	1:50

Everthing Goes Numb- Streetlight Manifesto

2011-01-29T16:18:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, sorry for missing yesterday I was driving to a swim meet. I just finished up and thought of an album to share with you guys today. Its another album from Streetlight but it is nonetheless one of the best ska-punk albums. Remember to follow and add my Last.fm here.

All right then:

Track listing

Another album written and sung by Tomas Kalnoky, but you should be able to see the resemblance to the other albums

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Everything Went Numb"	3:29
2.	"That'll Be the Day"	4:42
3.	"Point/Counterpoint"	5:27
4.	"If and When We Rise Again"	4:19
5.	"A Better Place, a Better Time"	6:28
6.	"We Are the Few"	4:56
7.	"Failing, Flailing"	5:28
8.	"Here’s to Life"	4:41
9.	"A Moment of Silence"	5:13
10.	"A Moment of Violence"	2:00
11.	"The Saddest Song"	3:18
12.	"The Big Sleep" Allmusic says: Streetlight Manifesto's competent, lively ska-punk debut sets jittery, usually very rapid tunes to singer/guitarist Tomas Kalnoky's ultra-fast vocals. (Kalnoky also wrote all of the material and produced the record.) It's much like hearing a hardcore punk singer supported by much cheerier melodies and varied rhythms than most hardcore punk bands could muster. The lyrics, too, aren't too far afield from hardcore, with their breathless narrative thrust and pumped-up vibes of prickly despair, uncertainty, assertion of individual identity against the odds, and fleeting images of violence. In truth, the actual lyrics Kalnoky's singing are, for the above reasons, often no easier to decipher than those heard on many hardcore punk records, though they're much less grating on the ear. And though they're helpfully printed in the sleeve, he's prone to jamming many words into very little time, so that some of them have to be reproduced in such small print that they're difficult to read. The band does prove itself able to concoct a variety of rhythms and arrangements within the ska-punk format, the accelerations and decelerations adding some drama, the horns adding some spy movie-like creepiness at times, and the frequent use of minor keys distinguishing Streetlight Manifesto melodically from some of the group's competition. My favorite song from the album: All in all I think everyone who has enjoyed my previous suggestions should listen to this one. Point/counterpoint never fails to get my blood pumping and its lyrics seem to never leave my head. Thanks again! Like usual here is the random video of the day (Watch it al): Haha hope you enjoyed! See ya later!

Evildoers Beware- Mustard Plug

2011-01-28T00:29:00.002-06:00

Its the Lemon back with the daily post and today our album is going to be Evildoers Beware by Mustard plug. This album is a true classic to me and can't be passed up if you like the others albums that have been posted. Remember that you can add me on last.fm here.

Here we go then:

Allmusic review: Even though it is plagued by the sophomoric humor ("Beer Song," anyone?) that makes third-wave ska revival a frat favorite, Evildoers Beware is still an infectious party record, demonstrating that Mustard Plug have become tighter and funkier through constant touring, even if their songwriting hasn't improved dramatically.

Track listing

"Box" - 3:24
"Suburban Homesick Blues" - 3:05
"Never Be" - 2:46
"You" - 3:59
"Mendoza" - 2:48
"Go" - 2:08
"Jerry" - 3:51
"Not Again" - 3:18
"Miss Michigan" - 2:55
"Sadie May" - 3:01
"Dressed Up" - 3:00
"Beer (Song)" - 3:40

Here is one of my favorite songs: "Miss Michigan"

Thats about it for today. I already have an album for tomorrow and I have a feeling it will hit home for most of you guys. Stay tuned

As always here is the random video of the day:

See ya!

Keasby Nights- Catch 22

2011-01-26T22:27:00.000-06:00

Today I will be talking about one of the most famous albums in ska, Keasby Nights by Catch 22. It was possibly the best Pre-streetlight album in my opinion and can not got not listened too. It was a revolutionary album in ska punk and truly is a favorite of mine. Remember to add me on Last.fm here.

Here we go:

Track List:

1.	"Dear Sergio"	2:31
2.	"Sick and Sad"	2:21
3.	"Keasbey Nights"	3:02
4.	"Day in, Day Out"	3:22
5.	"Walking Away"	4:06
6.	"Giving Up, Giving In"	2:48
7.	"On & On & On"	3:14
8.	"Riding the Fourth Wave"	1:50
9.	"This One Goes Out To…"	2:35
10.	"Supernothing" (originally performed by Gimp)	2:49
11.	"9mm and a Three Piece Suit"	1:56
12.	"Kristina She Don't Know I Exist"	5:10
13.	"As the Footsteps Die Out Forever"	3:11
14.	"1234, 1234"	7:09

Original Members

Josh Ansley - bass guitar, vocals
Sean Bonner - construction
Alan Douches - mastering
Jamie Egan - co-production, trombone, flute, French horn, tin whistle, vocals
Ryan Eldred - saxophone, vocals
Grace Falconer - assistant Engineer
Chris Greer - drum kit
Kevin Gunther - trumpet, Vocals
Hillary Johnson - co-production, mixing, recording
Tomas Kalnoky - concept, guitars, music, photography, vocals, lyrics
Augusto F. Menezes - photography (Compliments of Wikipedia)

Streetlight Manifesto version

The album was also re-recorded by Streetlight Manifesto, and I personally think that both sound very similar. I have both and can't really recommend which one is better

Here is my favorite song from the album: Dear Sergio

As always I must leave you with a random video to leave, and I think that it is a good one:

Thanks guys, see ya tommorow!

Omar Linx | The most promising upcoming rapper?

2011-01-25T23:40:00.001-06:00

Not much time today guys, but I figured something was better than nothing. If you happen to be like me, then you probably love original music. I am guessing many of you enjoy some sort of rap. A lot of my audience also enjoys Dubstep. What would happen if you combined both? Omar Linx and Zeds Dead do that and more with

Out For Blood:

His fresh lyrics and sick beat really make this song, and I think he really deserves some credit. He has a mix-tape out called "A Cold Welcome" which can be downloaded for free from here. I really think this guy deserves more credit than he is getting, but I will let you decide. For more info check out his Myspace or Last.fm. A personal favorite song from ACW is his remix of Drop the World. It totally blows Lil Wayne out of the water.

As usual I leave you with a video as we part:

Have a nice Wednesday!

First Day Jitters

2011-01-24T21:02:00.005-06:00

Hey guys its The Lemon here coming at you with a new and upcoming blog "Ska Maniac". Hopefully I will be able to update this with News, Favorite albums, contests and more. This will prioritized in the Ska/Ska-Punk genre, but there will be more than just that. Feel free to send me suggestions or add me on Last.fm here. Without further ado, here we go.

Since There is not much time today I figured I would post my favorite Ska-Punk album:

Somewhere In Between: (Streetlight Manifesto)

This was the album that got me into the genre. Its fresh sound and amazing lyrics captivated me to get into the genre. Streetlight Manifesto does an amazing job and truly revolutionized Ska Punk with this one. The instruments blend together perfectly and Tomas Kalnoky does a great job with the lyrics. This is definitely a must for any entry level Ska Maniac, as many of the veterans have probably already listened to this one. As always feel free to comment your opinions and post other albums like this one.

Interested? Check out these sites for more info

http://www.streetlightmanifesto.com/

http://www.myspace.com/streetlightmanifesto

http://www.last.fm/music/Streetlight+Manifesto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streetlight_Manifesto

Thats about all for now. Hopefully I can have a more detailed post tomorrow. I leave you with this video as we part: