I was first introduced to The Selecter in a sort of happenstance way. The closest record store to me was The Exile on Main Street in Hamden, CT. They had a good selection of used CDs and in particular an unorganized box labeled “$5 Ska.” I used to pop in every now and again and dig through that box. I stumbled across The Selecter’s 1999 record Cruel Britannia. I knew the band’s name and I knew they were often cited as by other bands as an influence. I bought it on the spot and was hooked after one listen. It was from there I found my way to their more well-known releases such as 1980’s Too Much Pressure. Of all bands of the Two-Tone era, The Selecter grabbed me first. Much of it was thanks to singer Pauline Black’s distinctive voice (you’ll have to excuse me if I didn’t fall in love with Terry Hall’s voice the first time I heard it).
Video
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Voodoo Glow Skulls, Toasters, Left Alone, The Pomps at Middle East Oct 4
Win a pair of tickets to the Dale La Bota Tour featuring Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Toasters, and Left Alone October 4th at the Middle East Downstairs
Boston’s Own Pressure Cooker Heats Ups Johnny D’s in Somerville, Sept 7
So maybe it’s starting to feel a little bit like fall. Maybe the temperature dropped a little and the wind is picking up. Maybe it’s that much more important to check out a show before you start using the snow as an excuse not to leave your apartment.
VIDEO: Santa Announces Bosstones’ Hometown Throwdown
On Saturday, July 20th, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones played to a packed audience on the Boston Common. As part of their set, they announced the 16th Hometown Throwdown at the House of Blues in Boston. Making the announcement by way of video was Tyler and JR from Spring Heeled Jack USA (you might also recognize JR RePete from Less Than Jake). In case you couldn’t make it to the common that day, the video’s been posted to YouTube.
Asbestos Records Announces Spring Heeled Jack USA and Thumper Reunion at Middle East
Last week, Asbestos Records announced that CT ska legends Spring Heeled Jack will be gracing Boston with its presence for the first time since last October’s Skalapalooza. Unlike last year’s affair, they’re not billing themselves as “acoustic” this year. If you were fortunate enough to make it to New York City for the Apple Stomp, you caught the real deal with horns and all. (If I may play the elitist for a moment, theĀ really special event was the two-night reunion in May of 2010 at Toad’s Place in the New Haven. It was epic but rest assured I was still front and center singing my heart out at Apple Stomp).
Documentary Captures Brooklyn Rocksteady Scene
This is an excerpt of a post I originally published on my personal blog. While it’s got nothing to do with the Boston Ska scene, the Brooklyn Rocksteady documentary covers the scene I was a part of before I moved to Boston. No scene lives in a vacuum. I’m also incredibly proud to have been a part of it and wanted to share it.
Bosstones Pack the Boston Common; Globe Names Bosstones Most Boston Band

It was like nothing I’d ever seen. Rumor has it there were 40,000 people there to see the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the Boston Common last Saturday, a finally to the inaugural Outside the Box Festival. Someone on stage took a pretty impressive photo of the crowd and it’s just a sea of Bostonians.
Fort! The Band: Video from Last Show
WATCH: In front of a packed crowd at The Middle East Upstairs, a sold-out show featuring Ramshackle Glory, The Taxpayers, Poor Jeremy, The Takeaways, Fort! said goodbye.
Big D & the Kids Table Post Recording Session Videos; Hold Reddit AMA Chat
Boston ska/punk stalwarts Big D and the Kids Table recently released a slew of videos chronicling their recording sessions of the new record, held a Reddit AMA session, and played a One Fund benefit at House of Blues with Dropkick Murphys.
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Fan Posts “Road to the Throwdown” Documentary in Full
In 2007, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones celebrated a 10th Hometown Throwdown after a 4-or-so year hiatus. To hype up up the shows, they released a 6-part video series called “Road to the Throwdown.”