In Defense of Ska Ep 191: Dunia & Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks, Agent 99, Stomp, Brave New Girl, Dubistry)

While the late 2000s wasn't exactly a booming time for the genre of ska, the 2009 ska-injected song "The Gigantic Robot Kills" was able to leave its mark. This week on In Defense of Ska, the podcast welcomes nerdcore rapper MC Lars to talk about the story behind the song, his history with the genre, and more."The Gigantic Robot Kills" was the product of numerous musical collaborations. MC Lars talks about all of the folks that were involved in the construction of this song, from the featured artists Suburban Legends and MC Bat Commander to the demo that was originally created with Wheatus. He also touches on the involvement of Wesley Willis, as well as the unbelievable time he got to work on a song with "Weird" Al.Music, particularly ska music, has been a large part of MC Lars' life for a long time. The rapper talks about the many artists that he has seen in concert that have inspired him, including Fall Out Boy and Less Than Jake. He even got to see co-host Adam Davis' old band Link 80 in concert when he was in high school.Then, MC Lars lets some of his hot takes rip, including his thoughts on mainstream emo and whether Hot Topic could be considered punk rock.Listen to MC Lars' conversation, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Earlier this year, while FIDLAR were on stage opening for Oliver Tree in Philadelphia, lead singer/guitarist Zac Carper told the crowd, “I think we are becoming a Ska band.” It’s an ongoing joke, but one rooted in a dash of truth. This week, we bring Zac on the show to understand just how much ska shaped his musicality. Zac comes from Hawaii, a state that loves ska and reggae. Zac tells us what it’s like to grow up around so much “Jawaiian” music. He says he even writes a lot of FIDLAR songs on the ukulele and generally starts out giving them a ska or reggae groove. We talk about his early punk years and learn which ska bands he got to see in Hawaii. We break down a few FIDLAR songs. One was inspired by Fishbone. Another by The Impossibles. Which songs, you ask? You’ll have to listen to find out. But in addition to all that, we talk at length about his Sublime tattoo. Both he and The Frights’ singer Mikey Carnevale have matching Sublime tattoos. We also talk about Jonah Ray, Dune Rats, and a weird hyperska song Zac collaborated on with Kamiyada+.Listen to Zac Carper's conversation, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

With their debut album having just dropped on September 20th, The Calamatix are hoping to make a name for themselves in the contemporary ska scene. This week on In Defense of Ska, the podcast welcomes The Calamatix's lead singer, Raylin Joy, to talk about the band's new self-titled album, her many songwriting sessions with Tim Armstrong, and more. Listen now.Joy talks about her music history, and how she originally began her work in pop music in 2016. She mentions how she began writing the songs for this album in 2016 and how they were originally meant to just be a fun side hobby. However, the songs grew to be more meaningful, leading her to her polishing them and help found The Calamatix in 2022.Mental health is also a topic of discussion, as Joy talks about how it has impacted her career and writing. She talks about how she sees The Calamatix as a product of her experience with depression. Joy also mentions how she believes that music styles like ska and reggae have a sort of healing power, which is a large part of her love for this music.Listen to Hyman's conversation, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the current era of ska music, Kill Lincoln have established themselves as one of the leading figures. This week on In Defense of Ska, the podcast welcomes Kill Linoln's trombonist Ume to talk about joining the group, the band's upcoming album No Normal, and more. Listen now.Ume tells the story about how he discovered ska when he was in Japan and how he has felt connected to this genre ever since. He also talks about some of the previous ska bands he has been in, from his own band Cutie Pi to the cover band Party Like It's.... Then, Ume discusses his journey to America, along with some of his favorite American ska bands.When on stage (and sometimes on the crowd), Ume is certainly someone that grabs a lot of attention. On the podcast, he talks about some of his wildest on-stage stunts. Ume also chats about his trombone-playing techniques during these exciting shows and what it was like to play a trombone on a bar.Listen to the full episode with Kill Lincoln's Ume.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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Thanks in part to hit songs like "Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu" and "My Girl Lollipop," Bad Manners were one of the most notable groups to come from the '80s ska revival in Britain. This week on In Defense of Ska, the podcast welcomes Bad Manners founding member and trumpet player Paul Hyman to talk about the history of the group, British ska music, and more. Listen now.An original member of Bad Members, Hyman tells stories of the band's origins and rise. He touches on finally breaking into the UK Singles Charts, meeting bandmates in school, and Bad Members' reputation as "backstreet weirdos." He then discusses the artists he took particular inspiration from, like Genesis, J. Geils Band, Van Morrison, and Monty Python.Hyman also talks about his feelings on Bad Manners being labeled a “novelty band,” as well as how they got banned from Italian television and their connection to The Beatles. All of which leads to the story of the end of his tenure with the group.Listen to Hyman's conversation, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On this special bonus episode of In Defense of Ska, hosts Adam Davis and Aaron Carnes run a panel about the new documentary film This Is New Tone. Davis had hosted a showing of the movie, which chronicles the 2023 Catbite / We Are the Union / Kill Lincoln tour, and the convention that followed saw contributions from Eichlers (Hyperska superstar) and Jorge Lucero (All-star Bad Time Records record packer). Hear a preview of the recording now. You can also listen to the entire conversation by signing up to the In Defense of Ska 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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on In Defense of Ska, Dunia Best returns alongside her brother Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar Binks in the Star Wars prequel films (!!). Listen to their conversation and learn about the Ska Wars.Dunia had previously joined the podcast in 2022 to chat about her '90s ska band Agent 99, her time in The Slackers, and her current projects like Rude Girl Revue and Aram. This time, she's brought back up in the form of her brother Ahmed, who in addition to playing Jar Jar Binks, is something of a ska musician himself.Ahmed frequently filled in on drums for Agent 99, played in the group The Jazzhole, and even backed artists like Jeff Buckley and The Fugees. Such gigs led him to Stomp, which eventually landed him an audition to join the Star Wars universe. The rest, as they say, is history (from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away).Together, Dunia and Ahmed Best chat about their upbringing, share stories from the '90s, and more. Listen to the two's conversation, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

One of the first ska bands to really pop off on the radio in the '90s was a humble little act called Goldfinger. Bolstered by hits like "Here in Your Bedroom" and "Superman," the band became one of the best-known projects in the scene. This week on In Defense of Ska, Goldfinger frontman John Feldmann joins the podcast to chat about the band's history, legacy, and more. Listen now.Feldmann runs through the history of Goldfinger, from the early days to singing with Mojo Records to penning radio hits. He touches on the band's workhorse mentality, playing 385 shows within one year, and the many bands he's produced for (like The Used, 311, Avril Lavigne, Blink-182, Good Charlotte, and 5 Seconds of Summer).Listen to Goldfinger's John Feldmann all of this and more, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Also be sure to enter for your chance to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out this entry form, following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. The contest ends September 9th, so don't miss out!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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Enter to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out our entry form (https://bit.ly/supernovaska), following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. There will be winners selected from each entry method and the contest ends September 9th, so hurry and enter now for your chance to win!Ska might seem like a somewhat insular scene, but in reality, many non-ska musicians have a deep appreciation for the genre. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, the crew examines the ska roots of Peal Jam’s Eddie Vedder, as well as the metal band Ice Nine Kills. Even better, Ice Nine Kills frontman Spencer Charnas joins in on the fun! Listen now.Both Vedder and Ice Nine Kills have recently released songs that expose their love for ska music; Vedder covered The English Beat's "Save It for Later" (which appeared in Season 3 of The Bear) and Ice Nine Kill dropped a ska-infused cover of "Walking on Sunshine," for which they enlisted the help of Reel Big Fish.Also joining the conversation this week is author Marc Wasserman, who gives insight into how Vedder's history intersects with ska music. Listen to all of both his and Charnas' insight!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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Enter to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out our entry form (https://bit.ly/supernovaska), following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. There will be winners selected from each entry method and the contest ends September 9th, so hurry and enter now for your chance to win!On this episode of In Defense of Ska, Skavoovie & The Epitones' Jon Natchez joins the crew to talk about jazz-infused ska, reuniting for their first show in almost a quarter century, and playing with the likes of The War on Drugs and Father John Misty, among others. Listen now.Natchez launches into the history of Skavoovie & The Epitones, who were one of the more unique ska acts of the '90s. It was an unusual, beautiful mix, and one that they'll be bringing to the stage for the first time in 24 years at Supernova Ska Festival 2024.Elsewhere, Natchez talks about his successful career as a hired musician, backing up indie rock bands like The War on Drugs, Beirut, Phosphorescent, Father John Misty, and Passion Pit. He also touches on Isaac Green, signing to Moon Records, working with producer Victor Rice, and getting to meet Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.Listen to Jon Natchez for more above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. 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/DLXVmMBAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy