In Defense of Ska

After the '90s, skacore got a lot heavier. One of the reasons for this was Sussex, New Jersey band Folly, who took the heaviest elements of hardcore, metalcore and mixed it with ska. They also did so in a way that emphasized the genres similarities, as opposed to their differences. Though the band struggled to find a significant audience in the 2000s, they would find that years after they broke up, not only did they have an obvious impact on newer, younger bands, but they suddenly fit in with this scene in a way unlike when they were a heavy touring, active band.

This week, we talk to Folly members Arben Colaku and Jon Tummillo. We discuss the band's history, their unique philosophy to songwriting and talk about what it's been like for them years after their initial breakup in 2008. We also talk about what a big influence Converge was on them, and conclude that, therefore, Converge played an important role on the development of ska!

We also discuss Anthony Fantano name-dropping the group when he interviewed me, Folly signing to Triple Crown Records, local DIY shows at The Phone Booth, and how "Hey!" by The Suicide Machines was a life-changing song for the group.

We talk about how they turned disastrous shows into fun adventures. We also break down some of their songs, and we talk about a time they ate so many meatballs before a show in Connecticut that they had to play with the meat sweats.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon!

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
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John DeDomenici has played the bass in many bands. But most notably Jeff Rosenstock's solo band and Bomb the Music Industry. He also played a whole variety of instruments in Arrogant Sons of Bitches.

Today, we bring on John and throw every random and obscure question we can think at him. We talk about catching Covid in England, getting his own dressing room at the Gaslight Anthem Jersey show, drunkenly cutting his hand trying to open a bottle of wine, and joining Chris Gethard at Fest in a Smiths cover band.

We also talk about green-screening his bass performance to Late Night With Seth Meyers, the time he almost joined Every Time I Die, and why he likes to listen to a punishing amount of 311 and Metallica cover songs.

Plus he even tells us about the time in 2004 he did live sound for Donald Trump. Spoiler Alert, Trump was not a good guy.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon!

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This month, Grand Rapids’ Mustard Plug celebrates 30 years of playing ska-punk. Though they often get associated with the late ’90s “third-wave” ska-punk boom, there is so much more to the group. We aimed to explore this in our interview with lead singer Dave Kirchgessner and guitarist Colin Clive.

For starters, before ska was on the tongue of MTV VJs, Mustard Plug was blowing minds in their hometown with their blend of punk rock and ska. And to top that off, they brought a bunch of out-of-town ska bands like Skankin Pickle and Let’s Go Bowling to Grand Rapids before anyone in their midwest town had heard of them.

During the late 90s, Mustard Plug nearly scored a hit with their cover of The Verve Pipe’s “The Freshman,” but ended up staying in the indie category on Hopeless Records. During the 2000s, when ska was declared dead, Dave started the “Ska is Dead” tour, proving that ska was in fact not dead. The band even released one of their best albums during this era, the political In Black and White.

Even today, as a new crop of ska bands revive the genre, Mustard Plug has seamlessly blended into the scene. At this year’s Fest, they shared the stage with a whole bunch of Bad Time Records bands. New bands and Mustard Plug.

We discuss this important history and also touch on some other fun stuff like opening for Weird Al, getting in food fights with Green Day, and just how much mustard they poured on Craig DeYoung’s face for the Big Daddy Multitude album cover shoot.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon!

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

When ska band Sad Snack recorded a ska version of The Mountain Goats' beloved "No Children," Mountain Goats singer-songwriter John Darnielle got so excited, that he invited the group to open for them at their San Francisco show. It was all hands on deck for Ska No Children. And during Sad Snack's performance, John and other members of the group got on stage and skanked. It was clear that it wasn't his first time skanking.

And indeed, he went to many ska shows and skanked during his formative years in Southern California, even though he was an artsy goth kid that made fun of the ska kids. Now as an adult, he can admit that he has a particular love for classic Jamaican ska and the 2 Tone bands like The Selecter, The Specials, Madness and The English Beat.

On this episode, we talk about all things ska with John Darnielle. He compares Lee "Scratch" Perry to Tolstoy, he explains why The Specials' "Ghost Town" is one of the greatest songs of all time, and he tells us about the "Fuck Art, Let's Dance" buttons that all the ska kids at his high school would wear.

But we talk about so much more, including Propagandhi, pro-wrestling, "Superman" by Goldfinger, Desmond Dekker, King Tubby's sound system, the beauty of heavy metal and why everyone wrongfully associates ska with horns.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon!

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Chris Gethard Show was supposed to start like normal, but the audience had their own idea. They shouted "Eat More Butts" at Chris to a degree that he couldn't start his show. The musical guest, Jeff Rosenstock, even gave them a musical accompaniment. For 15 minutes, the show descended into madness. But Chris also didn't fight it because he knew that this would be great TV. Having grown up in the DIY punk scene, he was aware that this type of chaos was where a show's best moments would be.

Today, we speak to Chris Gethard about his punk roots. His first show ever was in a Jersey church basement with all local bands. His 2nd was in a friend's backyard. A young, Less Than Jake was also on the bill. Less Than Jake became Chris's favorite band for a while. During this time, he also saw Slapstick, Skankin' Pickle, Mephiskapheles, Catch 22, and was a fan of other ska bands like Mustard Plug and MU330.

We also talk about Chris's recent experience hitching a ride with Catbite. He also talks about bringing on Take Today to play his live "New Jersey is the World" show a few times. (He loves, "Do You Still Hate Me?," their Jawbreaker cover and their ska song, SKAdiving.). He talks about his recent interview with Bigger Thomas singer Roger Apollon. And we also talk about his passion for all things New Jersey...he tells us where we can get REAL Italian Ice!

Plus Chris tells us how surreal it was recently to see Jeff Rosenstock play a huge show opening for Gaslight Anthem.

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon!

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

Support In Defense of Ska by checking out StubHub: https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/DLXVmMB
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy