POLL: Which left a bigger shit-stain on the '90s? Swing or Ska

I think the bolder statement was that their album is modeled after James Joyce's 'Ulysses'. You don't see a lot of Modernism in the ska world.

As for the Daddies, they were around doing their own thing for at least 8 years before they had a fluke of a hit. Of course they ran with it.

True, but they ran with it at the expense of losing their aesthetic and the entire musical/performance ideology they were founded upon. They gave into the cliches: they cut their hair, starting wearing suits, starting referring to themselves in interviews as "a swing band"...totally disregarding their history (sans the ska material). Of course, as said, you can't blame 'em...it was their big break, any one of us would have done the exact same thing if we had finally found fluke success with our own multi-genre-art-rock-band-who-develop-concept-albums-based-off-early-20th-century-literature. However, the swing revival would have had a lot more longevity if the musicians approached it in an evolutionary sense, promoting cross-genre fusions and an iconoclastic visual style, instead of just a conservative nostalgic rehash.

Not to say CPD didn't maintain artistic credibility: their follow-up album, released in 2000 at the tail end of the swing revival, was another multi-genre effort with very little swing; the lead single was even a 70s-style T. Rex-y glam rock song, produced by Tony Visconti no less. Even in the last few years, as they've been more or less relegated to playing shows at the Idaho State Fair and the Muncie Festival of Cheese, they're still doing the artsy multi-genre deal. Their last studio album didn't have ANY swing on it, nor does their ska album, obviously. Points for perseverance of vision.

Regardless of whether or not one likes CPD's music (of any genre), it's obvious the Daddies were a unique and versatile act that had heaps of (arguably pretentious) substance to match their style. The fact that they're remembered/reviled by 95% of the world as the total opposite is quite a gross injustice, in my opinion. :/

<3 Idaho State Fair

Does the short-lasting 1999 bossa nova revival count as swing? In which case, swing deserves to achieve a landslide win here. I mean, surely Lou Bega's "Mambo #5" must be one of the most annoying summer hits EVER!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

57-48. Justice would've been a tie, but this is fair.

(Ska should've "won" though)

over 100 votes!!

third-wave ska is/was dorky and embarrassing, but it produced some catchy tunes.

This could be said of second-wave/two-tone as well.

yes, i am aware that the song is anti-date rape (how very white of them, as my grandparents would say).

Is there some obvious reference I'm missing here that makes ^this not incredibly o_0

http://www.stencilpunks.org/ska_against_racism1.gif

Skacism

Ska Against Racism, Swing Against Dignity

I love how the "ska against racism" graphic looks like some racist caricature from a KKK pamphlet. I'm not saying they are racist, I doubt that, but perhaps some of the fourth generation ska (or whatever generation they are up to) sucks because they are too stupid to recognize this.

I don't think that graphic is from the current generation of ska bands, fwiw.

looks like some racist caricature from a KKK pamphlet

I found it on a site for punk rock stencils, so that's why it's very simplistic and two-toned. But I don't think that a KKK pamphlet would have a black person and a white person smiling together.

punk rock stencils

If I ever saw this spray painted on a wall, I might very literally die laughing.

If someone where I live saw this on a wall they might call the cops: "don't vote Obama, your kids will look like this!" I know they don't mean it, but, like, TRY HARDER ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZKJwdJRbCo

4th wave ska fwiw

yes, i am aware that the song is anti-date rape (how very white of them, as my grandparents would say).

Is there some obvious reference I'm missing here that makes ^this not incredibly o_0

― sometimes I feel like throwing my glands up in the air (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, March 3, 2010 10:01 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark

"how very white of you" is old-timey American slang (used by, as in my example, one's grandparents). it's basically meant to be sarcastic or as damning w/ faint praise -- as in, calling someone out when someone is patting themselves on the back for taking a "virtuous" or "heroic" stand on an issue that really isn't controversial at all in polite company. e.g., saying that you're anti-date rape (as in that sublime song) as if ANYONE is going to come out w/ a full-throated defense of date rape. i guess that the phrase COULD be interpreted as racist (though i didn't mean it as such), and it isn't that common anymore.

"as if ANYONE is going to come out w/ a full-throated defense of date rape"

Somewhere, Fred Durst is raising his hand sheepishly.

If someone where I live saw this on a wall they might call the cops: "don't vote Obama, your kids will look like this!" I know they don't mean it, but, like, TRY HARDER ok.

― Earth Dye (u s steel), Wednesday, March 3, 2010 5:26 PM (Yesterday)

uh wha?

always fun, this thread

friend was talking to me about less than jake on twitter wondering what they were doing and I said i bet they are still going those ska bands have crazy loyal audiences, but jesus christ look at this tour schedule these dudes are road warriors....cali across the whole US to europe to UK to germany with a zillion shows everywhere and barely any days off!

http://www.lessthanjake.com/shows/