View Full Version : Long Live The Slackers!
Davey
04-09-2004, 03:08 PM
Yeah, who don't like some good ska on a friday afternoon to get your weekend groove on. Been listening a lot to <i>The Question</i> lately, one of my favorites from the last few years. What a fine CD. 1998 was the year and it's filled out with 19 solid songs, not really a skipper in the bunch. And if you listen to many ska or reggae collections, you know that is not usually the case. These guys are the best traditional ska band out there, no doubt. Yeah, that's a little tiny pun there at the end ;)
So anyway, today I'm saying to myself, "Hey Dumbo, how come you ain't got no more Slackers?", and I answer to myself, "Duh, I don't know, good question", and so I went out and got me some more Slackers and now all is more cool. Picked up <i>Close My Eyes</i> from last year and it's terrific! Solid as a rock. Different than <i>The Question</i>, a little more downbeat. And so now it's time for a beer and some more slacking off. Life is good. Also grabbed the new Electrelane. Film at 11. Happy Easter.....and don't eat the purple eggs your kids find in the yard (edit: or the green eggs either, but the ham is mmm mmm good....as long as it isn't green).
<a href=http://ska.about.com/library/1998/aa101698.htm>Long Live The Slackers!</a>
Davey
04-11-2004, 11:25 AM
OK, I'll admit I'm a little disappointed that I got no responses to this post - or most of the others, for that matter, but I thought ska music had a bigger following than some of the indie stuff I usually post about. But no biggie - I'm honestly not whining. Really. But I am listening to The Slackers on a beautiful Easter Sunday after a nice run and a shower and just poppped the top on a Grolsch that doesn't really live up to the "premium lager" billing on the label and thinking to myself, ya know, the Slackers do sound an awful lot like the English Beat (or just the Beat for our UK friends) in many ways. Not like a copy, but just in style and substance. Very nice music for an afternoon listening with some friends and some beer (except I need to go get some better beer, that's quite clear :)). So I decided to type in "slackers english beat" in the Google toolbar to see what would pop up, and this cute little review thingie from Ink Blot came up. Thought some of you might enjoy it because it's pretty much right on the groove about what I was just saying about the Slackers :)
http://www.inkblotmagazine.com/COC_VII.htm
Stone
04-11-2004, 01:48 PM
I have the Slackers' debut album, Better Late Than Never, which is really damn good, but I haven't heard any of their other albums. The first one is, I'd say, somewhere in between traditional (1st wave) ska and the second wave stuff like the English Beat. Which of theirs do you have and which one should I get next?
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc700/c744/c744027d6ce.jpg
Stone
<font color=red size=-3><b>N O W P L A Y I N G</b></font>
<img src="http://electroculturemagazine.com/forum/templates/subSilver/images/cddisc.gif" border="0" align="left"> <font size="-3">Cruel Story of Youth - <b>s/t</b></font>
Davey
04-11-2004, 03:54 PM
Which of theirs do you have and which one should I get next?
But don't you think that's a cute story?
Hehehe, I know what a pity response is.......but just in case you are being sincere, I only have the two CDs that I mentioned in the post. I like them both but The Question is the one that I've had for 5 or so years and the one I would wholeheartedly recommend to one who loves ska.
Thanks for the response. I'll do the same for you ;)
PS for Slackers newbies: they do have a lot of MP3 at their site theslackers.com and I have used a couple songs on comps like the RPM Happy 40th Birthday thing and my September Days comp.
Gresh
04-11-2004, 05:48 PM
Don't know much about ska - though I do dig the Specials (does that count?) Anyway - The Electrelane disk is in heavy rotation in me brand new Ipod - great stuff as is some Life Without Buildings which is incredible (I noticed you mention them in another post as well as Ambulance LTD - which I belive, ahem, I was the first to report here) - that said - I am willing to take a flyer on your musical suggestions and will seek out some Slackers music.
On a funny coincidence note - I too had a Grolsch this weekend - saw it in the supermarket and thought - "funny, I haven't noticed Grolsch in years" and bought a six pack.
On a bummer note - I went to Life Without Buildings web site and apparently they are officially broken up.
Davey
04-11-2004, 09:25 PM
Don't know much about ska - though I do dig the Specials (does that count?) Anyway - The Electrelane disk is in heavy rotation in me brand new Ipod - great stuff as is some Life Without Buildings which is incredible (I noticed you mention them in another post as well as Ambulance LTD - which I belive, ahem, I was the first to report here) - that said - I am willing to take a flyer on your musical suggestions and will seek out some Slackers music.
On a funny coincidence note - I too had a Grolsch this weekend - saw it in the supermarket and thought - "funny, I haven't noticed Grolsch in years" and bought a six pack.
On a bummer note - I went to Life Without Buildings web site and apparently they are officially broken up.
Yeah, the Specials were the best. Lots of great tunes. If you like that sound, you'll definitely dig on others like the English Beat if you don't know them and the Slackers.
That Electrelane is in heavy rotation here too. Pretty cool. Hard to describe since they do go through a few styles, but usually retains that Velvet Underground rhythm sound like the Feelies. And later, Life Without Buildings. Electrelane mixes in some of the sound that I love about Blonde Redhead too. Gives it a little bit of a fractured sound. Some very cool influences. Someday I'm gonna put together the comp I keep meaning to do of all the bands I love that are descended from some aspect of the Velvet Underground. Like all those I just mentioned along with Galaxie 500 and Luna and Bedhead and Yo La Tengo and David Kilgour and Spiritualized and all the others. Sometimes it seems like VU descendants is almost all I listen to. Maybe make it a group effort. Be a fun comp but probably hard to edit it down :)
That Ambulance Ltd was a good sounding album. I skipped through a few songs looking for the clunkers but it seemed pretty solid. Only listened for a few minutes though. Do you think it's pretty solid? Nice vocal harmonies and lots of guitar.
Stone
04-12-2004, 05:19 AM
Here are a couple more recent ska albums that I really like, that aren't ska-core:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd000/d096/d0964171nw1.jpg
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc900/c963/c96329899l4.jpg
The Hepcat album is more in the vein of traditional ska, while the Pietasters stuff throws some soul and R&B into the mix. The Pietasters album has a few real clunkers, but has some great stuff on it.
I'm surprised there isn't more ska love around here, especially 2nd wave stuff. It's tough to beat that first Specials album, but here's another one that's great:
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre600/e606/e606946ys12.jpg
Davey
04-12-2004, 09:25 AM
Here are a couple more recent ska albums that I really like, that aren't ska-core:
The Hepcat album is more in the vein of traditional ska, while the Pietasters stuff throws some soul and R&B into the mix. The Pietasters album has a few real clunkers, but has some great stuff on it.
Hey, thanks for the recs. I've heard a lot about the Hepcats but don't think I've actually heard them. And of course Madness did rule back in those 2 Tone days. Great band. I just saw that the first Specials album was remastered a couple years ago. I have a CD singles collection I picked up used a long time ago and it sounds kind of crappy. Hope they made some improvements besides the usual remaster practice of EQ, No-Noise and compression. The vinyl I have of that first one always sounded pretty good. I also have the LP of their late 90s "reunion" <i>Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent!</i> but it's not really that good and I didn't realize it wasn't quite the same band until I had already bought it. Not bad, just not very good. Kind of a cool cover, though :)
Ya know, that Electrelane disc is very cool. I keep listening to it. One of the things that really strikes (and impresses) me about it is the mastering. Most of the CDs you buy nowadays, even the indie stuff that doesn't really have a chance at mainstream radio play, is just horribly compressed, with nearly zero dynamic range. Average level almost the same as peak. The new Modest Mouse CD is a good example. Love the music but awful recording and/or mastering on most of it. But it <i>was</i> designed for radio play so I wasn't really that surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. But this Electelane disc is great. Just the direct opposite. You really have to crank up the volume, just like in the "old days". Average levels come out in the 50% to 60% range with peaks up above 90% when you analyze it. Lots of dynamic range. Recorded by Steve Albini and mastered at Abbey Road by Steve Rooke, two of the good guys. What a great team. Hats off and kudos to all involved on this one. I read they also teamed up on the Austrian band Valina's second LP, Vagabond, after opening for Albini's Shellac in Europe. In fact, some have described Valina as a combo of Shellac and Slint, but maybe a little more commercial. Sounds like something I need to check out more. http://forums.audioreview.com/images/icons/icon3.gif
Oh yeah, another thing I like about about Electrelane - how can you resist a lovely girl playing guitar in a Ramones shirt :)
http://www.electrelane.com/site2/gfx/uploads/miatwo.jpg
Oh yeah, and "Take the Bit Between Your Teeth" flat out rocks!
<i>I know you had it hard
I know you had it hard
I know you had it hard and you wanted to tell me
That you're the man
That you're the man
That you're the man, you've got all of the answers
I don't think you do
Turn it up yeah yeah…</i>
Stone
04-12-2004, 01:08 PM
I also have the LP of their late 90s "reunion" <i>Guilty 'Til Proved Innocent!</i> but it's not really that good and I didn't realize it wasn't quite the same band until I had already bought it. Not bad, just not very good. Kind of a cool cover, though :)
I have that one too, and I don't think I've listened to it since about the first month I got it. Pretty disappointing, especially when compared to their early stuff.
Ya know, that Electrelane disc is very cool. I keep listening to it. One of the things that really strikes (and impresses) me about it is the mastering. Most of the CDs you buy nowadays, even the indie stuff that doesn't really have a chance at mainstream radio play, is just horribly compressed, with nearly zero dynamic range. Average level almost the same as peak. The new Modest Mouse CD is a good example. Love the music but awful recording and/or mastering on most of it. But it <i>was</i> designed for radio play so I wasn't really that surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised. But this Electelane disc is great. Just the direct opposite. You really have to crank up the volume, just like in the "old days". Average levels come out in the 50% to 60% range with peaks up above 90% when you analyze it. Lots of dynamic range. Recorded by Steve Albini and mastered at Abbey Road by Steve Rooke, two of the good guys. What a great team. Hats off and kudos to all involved on this one. I read they also teamed up on the Austrian band Valina's second LP, Vagabond, after opening for Albini's Shellac in Europe. In fact, some have described Valina as a combo of Shellac and Slint, but maybe a little more commercial. Sounds like something I need to check out more. http://forums.audioreview.com/images/icons/icon3.gif
Unfortunately, most of my listening to the Electrelane disc has been in the car. I'll have to give a listen on my system at home, since I'll have some free time soon. I've never heard of Valina - I'll have to read up on them.
Oh yeah, another thing I like about about Electrelane - how can you resist a lovely girl playing guitar in a Ramones shirt :)
http://www.electrelane.com/site2/gfx/uploads/miatwo.jpg
Definitely irresistable. More women should be cool like that. I searched for more pics of Electrelane, in hopes of finding similar pics to the one you posted, but struck out.
Okay, I really didn't have anything of substance to say, but I'm in a "hurry up and wait" situation here with some time to kill, so I thought I'd eat up some bandwidth.
Stone
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