Slackfest, the annual event presented by The Slackers hit Reggie’s Rock Club recently. Dying Scene was on the floor at the S. State Street venue. The ska fest was a night of joyful noise featuring plenty of the subgenre’s signature horns. The Slackers, the iconic NYC ska group, once again provided an energetic capper to […]
Slackfest, the annual event presented by The Slackers hit Reggie’s Rock Club recently. Dying Scene was on the floor at the S. State Street venue. The ska fest was a night of joyful noise featuring plenty of the subgenre’s signature horns.
The Slackers, the iconic NYC ska group, once again provided an energetic capper to the weekend’s festivities. It was a dynamic set with trombonist and singer Glen Pine out front and center with an especially animated performance. The band is playing out west for the next couple of weeks before heading back to its native east coast. Don’t slack on catching a set (yes I know that was lame. But the band is everything opposite of that).
Eastern Standard Time, from Washington DC, led by the smoothly charismatic Unikue Peace on vocals and percussion. It was a lively set and the perfect penultimate one to the headliner.
Los Vicios de Papá, out of Chicago, performs its music in Spanish. I once was more fluent in the language than I am now. No matter, it was a high-powered performance combining Latin ska, reggae, and Cumbia. Los Vicios de Papá had the crowd stomping on the venue’s concrete floor in the very best way.
Lady Hatchet, aka Kristin Forbes, kicked off the night with a fun set. Dunia Best joined her for several songs which upped the already entertaining level a notch. This is the first time I have seen them perform. It was also the first time I have seen performers literally dancing as they set up and take down their gear before and after their set. I look forward to seeing both parts of these musicians’ performances in the future.
Please see more photos from the 6th Annual Slackfest night 2 below. Thanks and Cheers!
Dying Scene was at one of the final stops of the 2023 Bad Time Records Tour in Chicago at the Bottom Lounge, and boy was it a ska party for the ages! This show featured We Are The Union, Kill Lincoln, Catbite and J. Navarro & The Traitors…plus an epic ska-riffic on stage dance party […]
Dying Scene was at one of the final stops of the 2023 Bad Time Records Tour in Chicago at the Bottom Lounge, and boy was it a ska party for the ages! This show featured We Are The Union, Kill Lincoln, Catbite and J. Navarro & The Traitors…plus an epic ska-riffic on stage dance party to conclude the night.
Another sweet treat on this tour is the forthcoming documentary This Is New Tone that followed the entire Bad Time Records Tour. Here is the synopsis of the film:
“’THIS IS NEW TONE’ will be a concert film and documentary centered around the 2023 Bad Time Records Tour, featuring We Are The Union, Catbite, Kill Lincoln, BAD OPERATION, Omnigone, J. Navarro & The Traitors, and more. Much in the spirit of the film “Dance Craze”, the film will primarily center on multi-camera live performances from throughout the tour, but will also document the the bands and crew as they embark on this full-US venture. Featuring interviews from current band members, scene veterans, new fans, and ska legends, the film will also attempt to examine the current state of the modern ska punk scene, how it fits into the broader arc of ska’s history, and try to discover if the perceived “resurgence” is accurate or inflated. With many of the Bad Time Records bands rapidly growing, now is the perfect time to document the trajectory of the bands and the impact of the community.
The modern ska scene has never been captured in this way, and one of the main goals of the film is to make the live show experience accessible to those who are not able to attend the tour or shows in general. We will attempt to make the film as immersive as possible, to show the full scope of the high energy live experience and community aspect that one can find at one of these shows, while also giving a better picture of what the bands are like as people on and off stage. Bad Time Records is a completely DIY effort, and we aim to show that anyone can build up their own scene or collective and accomplish something significant without the support of major labels or corporations.
In the process of making the film, we will have a camera and sound crew documenting all 22 dates of the 2023 Bad Time Records tour. Hours of interview footage has already been captured, and the majority of the remaining filming will take place during the tour in March, June, and July of 2023. We are currently aiming for a December 2023 release of the film.”
A Kickstarter for the film has been launched and features tons of cool rewards. Make note to see this film when it releases!
Kill Lincoln brought their infectious energy next, including their own hype-man that danced the entire night.
We Are The Union released Ordinary Life on June 4th, 2021. Their song “Boys Will Be Girls” is incredibly catchy.
Closing out the night was the infamous Catbite. They recently released a cover with Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem of “Yes It’s True” by The Slackers. You can listen here! Also consider buying the vinyl from Bad Time Records; all proceeds support Play On Philly, an organization the helps underserved youth in Philadelphia get music education.
Did you miss out on the Bad Time Records Tour? Not to worry- you can catch these artists back on the road soon (including Catbite touring with Anti-Flag and Bouncing Souls!!). Check out the rest of the photos below!
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is a weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. And it seems like I say this every week, but I think […]
Greetings, and welcome to the Dying Scene Record Radar. If it’s your first time here, thank you for joining us! This is a weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl; new releases, reissues… you name it, we’ve probably got it. And it seems like I say this every week, but I think this is actually the biggest installment of the Record Radar so far. It’s fucking yuuuuugeee!!! Kick off your shoes, pull up a chair, crack open a cold one, and break out those wallets, because it’s go time. Let’s get into it!
Alright, lots of NOFX shit this week. Too much, honestly. Up first is this new variant of Eating Lamb (otherwise known as Heavy Petting Zoo). They pressed 2,000 copies(!!!) on “Ruby/Baby Blue” colored vinyl. Grab a copy here.
Epitaph also made 2,000 of these “Apple/Baby Blue” colored Pump Up the Valuum LPs, which you can purchase here. Boy oh boy are they milking you NOFX variant collectors, or what?
More NOFX!!! A few months ago, these 3xLP live records for the band’s final shows in Barcelona and Austria were announced. The art and color variants for these have finally been revealed… so I guess if you were on the fence about paying for live albums that haven’t been recorded yet, maybe this will sway you? Yes? No? Maybe so? I don’t know. Buy ’em here (Barcelona record) and here (Austria record).
Alright, from this point forward, no more NOFX. I pinky promise. Hey, look! It’s the Mad Caddies. You guys like the Mad Caddies, right? 2001’s Rock the Plank gets its first-ever colored vinyl release. Fat repressed it on black vinyl, too, if you don’t care about colors but want this record. Get yours here, they’re going fast.
If you haven’t heard of The Mopes, the band was fronted by Dan Vapid and also included his Screeching Weasel / Queers bandmates Jughead, B-Face, and Dan Lumley. Lookout! Records released their debut EP Lowdown, Two-Bit Sidewinder! on CD in 1998. 25 years later, Radiation Records is releasing it on vinyl for the first time. Pre-order here if you’re in Europe / Sounds Rad is distributing the record in the US, you can call “dibs” on it here.
Radiation Records is also releasing a 25th anniversary reissue of Italian pop-punk band Retarded’s debut LP. If you’re into Ramonescore, these guys are pretty fuckin’ tight and they’re still kicking. And just look at that color variant! Get the record here.
There certainly isn’t a shortage of reissues and repressings this week. Osker‘s debut album Treatment 5 gets its first new pressing in over 20 years thanks to our Spanish friends La Agonía de Vivir. Colored vinyl already sold out, but you can still get it on black wax here.
Here’s another one from La Agonía de Vivir: 22 Jacks’ debut album Uncle Bob gets released on vinyl for the first time, 25 years after it was brought into this god forsaken world. Steve Soto and Scott Shiflett played in this band, in case you weren’t aware. Buy the record here!
We covered this earlier in the week, but maybe you missed it so I’ll circle back. ALL’s 1998 classic Mass Nerder is getting a 25th Anniversary reissue. There’s a shitload of retailer-specific color variants, so I’ll just direct you to this post where I’ve aggregated links to all the places you can get all of them.
And since we’re already on the subject, have you pre-ordered the new NOT record? I did! These guys started a band for the sole purpose of writing songs that sound like ALL / Descendents songs that haven’t been written yet. And yes, it is as fun as it sounds. Their debut album Stop the World is out April 14th on Wiretap Records, Brassneck Records, and Waterslide Records. Check out the awesome new single “Alien” below and pre-order the LP here (US) or here (UK).
The Briefs‘ sophomore album Off the Charts is getting a 20th Anniversary(?) reissue. It’s been remastered and has two bonus tracks tacked on the B-Side. There are three color variants and they’re all pretty limited. You can get your hands on all of them here.
We Are The Union‘s 2018 LP Self Care is back in print thanks to the friendly people at Bad Time Records. There are a few variants of this one – BTR has some on their webstore and there’s another one that’s only available on Bandcamp. There’s also a “Royal Blue” indie variant / band version; not sure where you’re gonna find that one.
And putting a bow on this week’s massive Record Radar is a new pressing of NYC ska legends The Slackers‘ 1998 album The Question from the fine folks at Pirates Press Records. They pressed 1,000 copies on “Electric Blue & Doublemint Galaxy” colored vinyl, and another thousand on black wax. And I gotta say, $25.99 for a double LP in this economy is a pretty fuckin’ good deal, too. Get it here.
RECORD OF THE WEEK!!!
This week’s Record of the Week comes from a newer band that I’ve been really stoked on lately. Winnipeg skate punks One of Us caught me by surprise with their incredible debut album back in January. It seems like a lot of other people like it as much as I do, because the first pressing sold out really fast. The good news for those who slept on this record is that Melodic Punk Style recognized the demand and is issuing a second pressing of this beast. Check it out below and pre-order the LP here.
And that’s all, folks! Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, leave us a comment below, or send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs. See ya next week!
Wanna catch up on all of our Record Radar posts? Click here and you’ll be taken to a page with all the past entries in the column. Magic!
The Slackers returned to Reggie’s to headline a bill which included their local friends in The Crombies, plus The Operator, and Highball Holiday. The Slackers, Chicago favorites from New York City, once again treated their fans to a rousing performance. Vic Ruggiero, Glen Pine, Jay Nugent, Dave Hillyard, Ara Babajian, and Marcus Geard tore through […]
The Slackers returned to Reggie’s to headline a bill which included their local friends in The Crombies, plus The Operator, and Highball Holiday.
The Slackers, Chicago favorites from New York City, once again treated their fans to a rousing performance. Vic Ruggiero, Glen Pine, Jay Nugent, Dave Hillyard, Ara Babajian, and Marcus Geard tore through a setlist including “Fried Chicken/Mary, Mary,” “And I Wonder,” “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya,” “I Still Love You,” and “Wasted Days.” Per usual, The Slackers brought to the Windy City a lively and fun experience.
When The Slackers hit Chicago, many fans may guess correctly that The Crombies will be on the same bill. The two groups have a tight bond in more than one way. Three members of The Crombies (Mike Park, Dave Simon, and Karl Gustafson) are also past or present members of Deal’s Gone Bad. Some of their DGB bandmates and some of The Slackers members have formed Deal’s Gone Slack. It’s an indirect secondary connection but still should not be dismissed outright.
As for the Chicago’s very popular rocksteady outfit, the above mentioned members, along with bandmates Karl Gustafson, Matt Meuzelaar, and Kevin Lustrup blasted through their set which included “Hooligans,” “Staring At Rude Boys,” “Plastic Gangsters,” and “Levi Stubbs’ Tears.” The Crombies also performed its great cover of a song from my favorite band, The Clash: “English Civil War.” Each member has a very distinct onstage presence but it all adds to a cohesive unit. When you go to a show with The Crombies on the bill you are pretty much guaranteed a good time.
The Operators, a ska unit out Indianapolis, Indiana, came big, loud and rowdy. I loved it and so did the crowd. The group kicked the crowd into bouts of frenzied skanking. The Operators members – Brandon Sanders, Gregg Manfredi, Drew Darby, Heath Schlatter, Brittany Brummfield, Cristian Requilme, Sarah Harwood, Dave Grove, jammed through “Better Off Alone,” “Convicted Man,” “Catfished,” “Ease Your Mind,” and “Cards On The Table.” The latter two are Mr. Kingpin songs.
They were also joined on stage by Jon E. Bravo aka Mr. Kingpin, for “Lightening In A Bottle.” The Operators hit the bullseye with this set.
Highball Holiday switched on the show with a boisterous set. Shahanna McKinney Baldon led the bad through a solid set including “Siblings,” “Speedway,” “Why?,” “Skinhead Girls,” and “Welfare.”
Highball Holiday ended the set with a booming rendition of “Ignorance,” The band showed why they’re Milwaukee ska legends. It is wonderful to see a band enjoying themselves onstage as appeared to be the case here.
See below for more photos. Thanks!
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Mike Park performing with the Crombies on November 11, 2022. His bandmate, Dave Simon, is also a gan of the sport, and and ardent Arsenal FC fan. Photo by Meredith Goldberg
Philadelphia-area ska festival This Is Not Croydon Fest has announced the lineup for its 2023 installment, taking place on April 22nd at Broken Goblet Brewing in Bensalem, PA. The festival headlined by the legendary Fishbone will also feature newly reunited Florida ska-core veterans Against All Authority, The Slackers, and Catch 22, among others. Head over […]
Philadelphia-area ska festival This Is Not Croydon Fest has announced the lineup for its 2023 installment, taking place on April 22nd at Broken Goblet Brewing in Bensalem, PA. The festival headlined by the legendary Fishbone will also feature newly reunited Florida ska-core veterans Against All Authority, The Slackers, and Catch 22, among others.
Head over to This Is Not Croydon Fest’s website for additional details and tickets.
This is the second festival performance Against All Authority has announced since ending their 15 year hiatus. Last weekend the band made their return to the stage at The Fest in Gainesville, FL (check out some video from that show below).
Hello, and welcome to the latest installment of the Dying Scene Record Radar! If it’s your first time joining us, this is a weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl. So kick off your shoes, grab a few beers, and break out those wallets, because it’s time to run through this week’s […]
Hello, and welcome to the latest installment of the Dying Scene Record Radar! If it’s your first time joining us, this is a weekly column where we cover all things punk rock vinyl. So kick off your shoes, grab a few beers, and break out those wallets, because it’s time to run through this week’s new releases and reissues. Let’s get into it!
Super exclusive amazing world premiere breaking news top secret confidential information holy fucking shit!!!!!!!!
We’re getting out the gate fast this week, folks! Epitaph has been on a tear lately with reissues of their classic releases, and I have it on good authority that next in line is NOFX‘s So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes. Pictured to the left (or above if you’re on mobile) are two color variants of this 25th Anniversary reissue. This is not available yet, but when it is, you’ll be able to find links to buy all the variants here. Keep an eye out! This record sells out quickly every time it’s repressed.
After being out of print for nearly a decade, The Slackers‘ fourth album Wasted Days is getting reissued by the good people at Pirates Press Records. Older pressings of this record are very hard to come by (currently there is one copy available on Discogs for $135!). Head over here to grab this new 2xLP reissue for the reasonable price of $27.
I’m not a big fan of the newer style of pop-punk played by bands like The Story So Far, but I’ll make an exception for these guys. Cleveland’s Normy takes that sound and kicks it up a notch with more speed and aggression. Their debut EP What on God’s Green Earth? has been available to stream for a few months, but its physical release is still forthcoming. Check it out below, and pre-order the 7″ here.
My Chemical Romance has new Walmart Exclusive(!!!) pressings of three records on the way. The Black Parade, Danger Days, and their “greatest hits” album May Death Never Stop You are getting new color variants, available only at Wally World! Head over here if that’s something you’d like to spend your hard earned money on.
Thrice‘s The Illusion Of Safety is getting a 20th Anniversary reissue. There are literally fuckin 12 variants of this thing (not exaggerating, check Discogs if you don’t believe me) and it’s not due out til March, 2023. Here are a few links to where you can pre-order some of the many variants: Zia Records, Brooklyn Vegan, Smartpunk, Bandbox.
Fat Wreck Chords continues flexing the might of their back catalog with yet another 25th Anniversary reissue. The classic Fat Music Vol. III: Physical Fatness is back in print for the first time since 1997! Grab your copy here (US), here (EU), or here (AUS).
Also from Fat: a surprise repressing of Tony Sly‘s fantastic solo debut 12 Song Program. This is on red and white marble colored vinyl. Not sure how many copies, but I’m sure they’ll go quick! Pick it up here.
Radiation Records has two brand new reissues on tap for my fellow pop-punk aficionados. Up first is the 1993 debut album from Vancouver, BC’s BUM. Give it a listen below, and grab the record on blue vinyl here. Next up is fellow Vancouverites the McRackins‘ with Bat Out of Shell making its vinyl debut after being previously released on CD in 2006 (it also has some awesome new cover art). Stream a few songs below, and go here to get a copy on egg colored vinyl. Both of these are limited to 500 copies and are due out in early November.
The Gaslight Anthem‘s 2008 LP The ’59 Sound is next in line on the reissue train. Bandbox has not one, but two exclusive new variants of this record. I believe there are 1,000 copies of each. Buy it here if you can stomach the $40 price tag for a single LP (yikes).
French punks The Dead Krazukies‘ 2016 debut EP The Northern Belle is getting released on vinyl for the first time, thanks to SBÄM and Sound Speed Records. There are two beautiful color variants, limited to 250 copies each, and it features their cover of Bad Religion‘s “Sinister Rouge” as a bonus track. Grab it here (US) or here (EU).
Newbury Comics has a new exclusive pressing of Hot Water Music‘s Caution, which I just realized turns 20 years old this month! 500 copies on blue vinyl (don’t be surprised if more variants of this one pop up elsewhere). Get yours here.
Sell the Heart Records is releasing a Fest 20 compilation featuring Cobra Skulls, Tsunami Bomb, the Jukebox Romantics, and a bunch of other bands playing The Fest in Gainevsille, FL later this month. The LP is limited to 230 copies, and will be available through the label’s Bandcamp page Friday, October 7th. Proceeds benefit Feed the Scene.
Last but certainly not least, I wanna give a shoutout to our friends at Thousand Islands Records. They’re having a month long sale, and you can get 20% off everything in their webstore! Just enter code “october20” at checkout. They’ve been releasing a ton of killer stuff lately (including an incredible new album from German skate punks Straightline), and there’s a bunch of records from Fat Wreck and Epitaph in their distro section as well. Check it out! This is one of the best independent labels in the game, and they deserve your support.
And that’s all, folks! Another Record Radar in the books. As always, thank you for tuning in. If there’s anything we missed (highly likely), or if you want to let everyone know about a new/upcoming vinyl release you’re excited about, send us a message on Facebook or Instagram, and we’ll look into it. Enjoy your weekend, and don’t blow too much money on spinny discs. See ya next week!
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