The Independent (Free subscription) | 05/09/2008
The post-punk scene of the late Seventies saw an explosion of independent labels linked to record shops. Beggars Banquet, Rough Trade and Small Wonder all started as backroom operations in London stores and respectively launched Tubeway Army, Stiff Little Fingers and The Cure.
The Daily Swarm (Free subscription) | 04/29/2008
“There are still people out there who would love to see the original Specials. They have an idea in their heads about what the original Specials are. If we can live up to that, then we should do it, if we can't, we shouldn't.” Read and comment. From thedailyswarm.com.
MilkandCookies.com (Free subscription) | 04/25/2008
Doors Of Your Heart: The Beat(The English Beat)(1981) The Beat are: Dave Blockhead, Andy Cox, Wesley Magoogan, Everett Morton, Ranking Roger, Saxa, David Steele, Dave Wakeling.
RosieBell (Free subscription) | 04/10/2008
"Phill Jupitus celebrates the phenomenon that was 2-Tone music. Thirty years ago bands such as the Specials, the Beat, Madness and the Selecter created a new sound born from a blend of punk, reggae and ska." Hear it while you can. I missed the 2 Tone bands the first time round and I’m really sorry that I did after listening to that inspiring programme last Saturday morning about the interplay of the...
Daily Express (Free subscription) | 04/10/2008
MADNESS frontman Suggs's two daughters were left cringing when their idol Gwen Stefani started rhapsodising about their father at her recent London concert.
troubled diva (Free subscription) | 03/07/2008
A heaving, happy moshpit is always a joy to behold. When the average age of that moshpit is around 45 years old (as well as being one of the largest that the Rescue Rooms has ever seen), you know you've stumbled across something very special indeed. Former Specials and Fun Boy Three front man Neville Staple is 53, and as up for it as ever. Although never exactly the creative powerhouse of either band,...
Song, by Toad (Free subscription) | 03/07/2008
No, not the novelty ska act, but yes, definitely the consummate indie smart-arses from the Wirral. I’ve been battering through new music a bit much recently, so today there will be no newness at all, just some Billy Bragg (previous post), some stuff from the brilliant HMHB and later tonight some vintage indie [...]
Business Wire (Free subscription) | 02/14/2008
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Smile Train is proud to announce the creation of the Asia-American BPO Industry Fund
Liverpool Daily Post.co.uk (Free subscription) | 01/23/2008
MUSIC: Bad Manners in concert, a ska-flavoured band from the 1970s and still going strong. Fronted by the frightening and bald-headed Buster Bloodvessel, hits includ- ed My Girl, Lip Up Fatty and Special Brew. To- night, 8pm, Pacific Road Arts Centre, Birkenhead. Tickets £14 (£15 on the door). 0151 647 0752.
Late Rounds: A Boxing Blog (Free subscription) | 01/10/2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5HrQ00IlPM Short clip of Bad Manners with Buster Bloodvessel at the Bierkeller in Bristol on Boxing Day 2007 Author: bunnylovage Keywords: Ska Bad Manners Buster Bloodvessel Bierkeller Bristol Added: January 9, 2008
icWales (Free subscription) | 12/28/2007
You will have to watch your manners at this year’s Calennig as ’80s ska band Bad Manners headline the celebrations.Frontman Buster Bloodvessel and the band will be welcoming in 2008 on the main stage at the civic centre on New Year’s Eve. Here is our guide to the bands playing the Calennig celebrations this year...
http://shuffleboil.com/feed/ (Free subscription) | 12/24/2007
Add Suggs to that list of amiable rock stars that includes Iggy Pop and Joey Ramone, people who, regardless of whether you're a fan of their music, you wouldn't mind having dinner with them. Suggs is best known as the lead singer of the British ska band Madness, who peaked in the 1980s with hits like [...]
Voyou Desoeuvre (Free subscription) | 12/11/2007
I wonder what the chances are that Girls Aloud will release “Control of the Knife” accompanied by a video featuring them all in braces and two-tone trousers? Probably not, really, all that high. It's just as well I’m busy writing a paper on the welfare state, otherwise I might have accompanied this post with a [...]
Flagman's world of flags (Free subscription) | 12/06/2007
According to the Daily Telegraph they invited an online japanese community to redesign the flag along the lines of the approach from Welsh MP Ian Lucas (see blog entry 27th November). The Welsh Dragon is pretty much unknown in Japan but the Union Flag is. This has brought forth some interesting ideas. Firstly this one: The little manga figure [...]
The Independent (Free subscription) | 12/05/2007
Nice geezers one and all, Madness occupy a unique place in the rich tapestry of British popular culture, somewhere between The Kinks' brand of whimsy and melancholy and Tommy Cooper's magician manqué act, to whom they paid homage in the video for "Night Boat to Cairo".
