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Michelle Ska has been to a lot of ska shows. Like A LOT! So many that she's kind of famous in ska circles for being a hardcore, supportive fan. She also went through one of the most harrowing natural disasters of recent time: The 2023 Lahaina Wildfire.  We brought her on to talk about ska and give us the full story of what it was like to survive the Lahaina Wildfire.  Please consider purchasing the Black Sand Relief album to support Michelle and the People of Maui. 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week, In Defense of Ska heads outside of the United States to dive into the massive ska scene in Mexico. Joined by Jose “Deals” Olan, an experienced musician and promoter in Mexico, the crew explores the fans of the region, the massive festivals, and more. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. Olan first cut his teeth by playing saxophone in several bands, and now fronts his own group, Out of Control Army. Right around that same time he launched that project, he also booked his first big ska festival, Non Stop Ska, which drew tens of thousands of people. In addition to Olan's work, he guides In Defense of Ska through the history of the genre in Mexico. Keep up with all things In Defense of Ska and show your support by following and reviewing the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network has to offer. 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on In Defense of Ska, Jawbreaker drummer Adam Pfahler discuss his long-time love of ska, the band existing as a touchstone for future emo bands, and battling notions of selling out when touring with Nirvana. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. As far as bands go, Jawbreaker have quite the story. They've influenced a multiple generations of emo musicians, were called sellouts for signing to a major label, and played a reunion show at Riot Fest that had infinitely more people than they’d ever played to when they were an active band. One thing they’re not famous for, however, is liking ska -- but Pfahler joins In Defense of Ska to set the record straight. The drummer explains that he was not only catching various ska bands in the early '80s, but that he continues to seek out music from the genre. Then, in between conversation about burritos and how to best organize records, he details Jawbreaker's tour with Nirvana, for which they were labeled sellouts. Listen to Jawbreaker's Adam Pfahler talk about his love of ska and more in this episode of In Defense of Ska above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series. 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on In Defense of Ska, author Daniel Rachel discuss his book, Too Much Too Young -- The 2 Tone Records Story: Rude Boys, Racism and the Soundtrack of a Generation. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts. Rachel tells the story of how 2 tone spread all over the world. While many of the scene's bands were largely cult artists outside of England, they planted seeds for new, important ska scenes around the world. In celebration of how socially 2 tone's sonic and political importance, author Daniel Rachel presents an in-depth look at the genre's place in music history. You can pre-order it here. Listen to Rachel go deep on 2 Tone's fascinating history on the latest episode of In Defense of Ska, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Fans can also get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon, and don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here. 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Few American bands have had such an influence on ska music like Fishbone. This week, In Defense of Ska does their second episode on the group, this time featuring bassist Norwood Fisher. Listen to Fisher and the hosts talk about their upcoming tour with GZA, the band's career, and more in the episode below. You can also follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here. Fisher gets into the nitty-gritty of Fishbone's surreal career with moments like opening for Gallagher, hanging out with Karate Kid star William Zabka, and meeting Dave Grohl in the '80s when he was in Scream. Also discussed is the band's connection to hip-hop (including namedrop of Run DMC, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and more) and how it relates to their upcoming tour. 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this special teaser of In Defense of Ska, season 1 guest Nick Lavallee returns to tell the story of getting Manchester — his hometown — recognized as the Chicken Tender Capital of the World. Listen to the teaser, and don't forget to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of Ska wherever you get your podcasts. Learn about who invented the chicken tenders, how different they are from the way fast food/diners make them, and get the low-down on where to get some of these OG tendies. If you’d like to hear this entire Chicken Tender conversation, sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon NOW, where you'll also get other ad-free episodes with bonus content. 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. Keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Musician and composer Jeff Rosentsock and show-creator Ben Levin join In Defense of Ska to chat about the music behind Craig of the Creek. Both products of ska-punk love, the series' music skanks pretty hard, and that's no accident. The two also get into it about Rancid, ska-tastic collaborations, and dealing with stress. Listen to Ben Levin and Jeff Rosenstock chat about ska, Craig of the Creek, Rancid, and more above. You can also follow the series wherever you get your podcast, or get early and ad-free episodes by joining the IDOS Patreon. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here. 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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is the first episode of our 4th season, and it’s our first as part of the Consequence Podcast Network. So that means, we had to go big this week. We brought the one and only P-Nut on the show. That’s right, the bass player for 311. Today we talk about how 311’s journey overlapped with the rise of ska in the 90s, and how the group existed in a space adjacent to the music.  But it makes sense. The group is influenced by ska and reggae, amongst other genres of music. So, P-Nut follows us down this rabbit hole and talks about playing Bob Marley at early 311 rehearsals, playing shows with Fishbone, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Urge, Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger and No Doubt. And even headlining the ska festival Back To The Beach in 2018. We even dive headfirst into a discussion about 311’s most ska track, “I’ll Be Hear Awhile.”  Plus, we talk about The Wailers’ bassist Aston “Family Man” Barett, opening for Jay-Z, vibing to Mighty Mighty Bosstones tapes, covering Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ “Taste The Pain” at his high school talent show, and how 311 played its first official show as the opening act for Fugazi! And, P-Nut tells us all about how much he loves 100 gecs. f We also talk about his old dreadlocks, his appearance in Jordan Morris’ graphic novel Bubble, being abused by Eric Andre during the “Investigate 311” sketch, and we ask the biggest, most important question of all time: Can Jeff Rosenstock play the 311 Cruise?  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. Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of SKa wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you thought 2023 was an awesome year, get ready for 2024! In Defense of Ska is excited to announce that we have joined the Consequence Podcast Network. "Inspired by Carnes best-selling, soon-to-be-expanded book of the same name, In Defense of Ska joins the CPN in time for its fourth season. With new episodes arriving every Wednesday, the show delivers insightful conversations with ska legends, emerging artists, comedians, authors, and cultural figures who share their deep appreciation for and insight into this multifaceted genre.  Proving that ska is as vital as any other genre, the over 150 episodes in the In Defense of Ska archives have featured guests like Fred Armisen, Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, The Police’s Stewart Copeland, Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Joe Gittleman, Margaret Cho, Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace, Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon, and more." 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 be released in Oct 2024.  Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.  Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of SKa wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Nathan Gray has played music with their band Boysetsfire for decades. But only once during the band’s run did they dabble in ska (“Deja Coup”). But that has completely changed now with Nathan’s new group, The Iron Roses, a joyful punk band with heavy doses of ska and reggae. The joy in the band is purposeful, a middle finger aimed at the rise in racism, homophobia, transphobia and fascism, making ska the perfect vehicle for the band’s message.  This week we speak to Nathan and Iron Roses’ co-lead vocalist Beck Fontaine. The group released their debut, self-titled record in October 2023. They’ve already done some touring and are really excited about the band. And they have big plans for 2024. It’s a great record, and they play ska well. But the question on our minds was, where did this band—totally unconnected from the ska scene, with little history playing the genre—come from? And what motivated them to go all in on ska-punk in 2023?  We talk about Nathan’s love for The English Beat, The Specials, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear and Trojan Records skinhead reggae. Also, we talk about Becky’s history with musical theater and how that informs The Iron Roses’ unique approach to lead vocals. Plus, we learn that co-host Adam Davis was an extra in the film adaptation of Rent!  Nathan talks about the new ska bands that inspire them (We Are The Union, Catbite, Kill Lincoln), the important message in Iron Roses’ song “Old Guard,” and we learn about Nathan’s long and difficult journey in coming out as non-binary. Plus, we learn all about how Nathan spoke out against Pantera playing a music festival Boysetsfire was booked to play (due to lead singer Phil Anselmo’s history of racism). And they tell us about their long friendship and admiration for Frank Turner.  Plus, we all took a moment to discuss how much we love the film Swing Kids.  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.  Please take the time to like, review, and subscribe to In Defense of Ska wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up to date with all our series by following the Consequence Podcast Network. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Does being a ska fan inherently make someone an antifascist? While this topic gets frequently debated among ska fans, it’s important to remember that antiracism and antifascism have long been an important part of the ska scene. The 2 Tone ska bands were explicit in their stance. They came up at a time when fascism was on the rise in England, and they dealt with nazi skinheads at their shows. And the bands (mostly) didn’t shy away from confronting these nazis and putting them in their place. This battle has continued to be part of ska and punk as time has progressed.  But what does it mean to be an antifascist. And how has the battle between white supremacists and anti-fascists changed over the years? This is the central question we address in this week’s episode with Josh Fernandez, author of the new book, The Hands that Crafted the Bomb: The Making of a Lifelong Antifascist, which will be released on PM Press on February 13, 2023.  Josh started going to punk shows in Davis, CA in the late ’80s. Many Nazis invaded these shows, so he and his friends organized and fought back. He continues to oppose nazis, proud boys, Patriot Front and other far right groups in the street to this day. But the battleground is no longer punk shows. His book tells his story. The main thread is about how he was under investigation at the college he teaches at because he started an Campus Antifascist Network chapter there. He nearly lost his job. Teen Vogue even interviewed him about the experience.  We also talk about Josh’s history as a music journalist, his horrible experiences interviewing David Choe and Immortal Technique, his love for Sublime, seeing Operation Ivy back in the day, why he doesn’t think colleges are actually leftist, and he talks about how running marathons helped him quit drugs.  Plus, we learn which of his tattoos he likes the best!  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. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Patreon Exclusive Bonus Episode! And it’s the episode of episodes. You won’t want to miss it!  2023 has been an awesome year. We've had Stewart Copeland, Fred Armisen, Bill Stevenson, Rhoda Dakar, Vic Ruggiero and a bunch of other amazing people. So, to talk about our year, we brought on the great Mike Park. Additionally, we asked our editor Chris Reeves to join the conversation as well. You will gain lots of insight into our guests and hear some secret (very Behind The Curtain) information about the episodes we recorded in 2023. It’s also one of our funniest episodes!  Give it a listen and we'll see you in 2024! We have a ton of great episodes planned. And our Season 4 premiere on Jan 17 is going to be extra special for a few reasons #BigThingsHappening  To listen to this entire episode, sign up to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. 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.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy