OUT NOW Check One 2 the Spirit of 79
The latest instalment from our award winning tribute series
Twenty years ago a new, fresh sound exploded out of the UK music scene which is still fervently loved today…. Two Tone was born.A new breed of ska bands have been continuing the traditions of the scene and adding a twist of their own. ‘Check One-2 The spirit of 79’ will be bringing those bands together on a four disc CD Boxset to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Two Tone movement.
It will feature new versions of all of the labels singles and classic album tracks. It will also celebrate the wider scene that it influenced and supported including Bad Manners, UB40 The Beat as well as some forgotten gems of the era.
Check One 2 features bands from across the globe making it a truly international celebration of the Two Tone Era
HERE ARE SOME OF THE GREAT BANDS THAT APPEAR ON THE ALBUM
Vieja Skina from Peru. Playing traditional ska fused with jazz and Afro-Peruvian nuances.
The debut, Ayahuaska (2012), was voted the second best ska album of 2012 by Reggae Steady Ska webzine. They have toured extensively across South America including Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.
Their second album “The Return of the Green Moon”. Recorded in Lima by Jorge Cavero, mixed in São Paulo by Sergio Soffiatti of “OBMJ” (Brazilian Orchestra of Jamaican Music) and mastered in Buenos Aires (Argentina) by Mario Siperman of “Los Fabulosos Cadillacs” who also collaborates in a theme. This band have collaborated with Hugo Lobo, trumpeter of the ska-jazz band “Dancing Mood” (Argentina); Victor Rice, former member of “New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble” (USA); Lord Panamo, vocalist of “Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra” (STEP) of Budapest (Hungary); Mr. T-Bone, renowned trombonist from Italy; Daniel Flores of “Kingston Satellite” (Argentina) and Matteo Bonora, vocalist of the Peruvian bands “Los Filipz” and “Olaya Soundsystem”.
Boomtown United out of St Louis, Missouri, Boomtown United is quickly growing into St. Louis’s premier ska collective. With horn driven and harmony-laced songs, their catalog is overflowing with an innovative sound that is captivating audiences everywhere they play. Compiled of veterans from all over the StL ska and reggae scene, Boomtown United bring an energy that is both refreshing and therapeutic! With a little more than a year of live shows under their belts and already landing the 3rd spot on a 17 track Ska Brewing Compilation, BoomTown United are hard at work recording their debut album and are out to help put Ska music back in the spotlight!
Hub City Stompers hail from the “hub city” of New Brunswick, NJ. The band was founded and formed by Rev Sinister, former vocalist/frontman for NJ Ska band Inspecter 7. After i7 had gone into a dormant state in 2001, RevSin, still bloodthirsty for making and performing music, went on the hunt to form a new band and in the summer of 2002 HCS was born. In the wasteland of the seemingly “dead” ska scene of the time, these necromaniacs romanced ska’s rotted corpse, playing for the love of the music rather than the popularity of it, and formed a force to be reckoned with in the New Jersey music scene. Embracing various styles and eras of ska from the 60’s through the 80’s, and adding reggae, punk, oi!, hardcore, and even hip-hop, jazz and classical influences, they manage to avoid a typical, formulaic ska sound and steer clear of cliche poppy ska lyrics.
Gruppo Sportivo are a Dutch pop band, from The Hague, formed in 1976, who enjoyed some measure of international success in the late 1970s and 1980s. They had hit songs with “Hey Girl”, “Beep Beep Love”, “Tokyo (I’m On My Way)”, “Disco Really Made It” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The frontman of the band, and writer of the material, is Hans Vandenburg. The band went on hiatus in 2013. Early 2018 a reunion was announced consisting of a tour and a new album called Great, which was released to critical acclaim in April 2018.
The Scotch Bonnets Punky reggae rockers from Baltimore whose infectious energy keeps the party jumping all night, The Scotch Bonnets have been bringing the heat and their good-love vibes since their debut in 2009. The crew is fearlessly lead by singer/guitarist Kristin Forbes aka Lady Hatchet, whose tunes blend classic Jamaican groves with a soulful yet fresh approach to American singer-songwriting.
Project Blackbird is a collective of UK-based musicians, including multi-instrumentalist Jon Read, a former trumpet player for The Specials who has also toured with The Dandy Warhols.
Their debut album Endurance is a compelling soundscape that defies the constraints of genre or convention. Instrumentals, spoken word, and lyrical eloquence conspire to create a cinematic listening experience – hypnotic songcraft that cuts to the core of contemporary humanity and “connection”. As one fan suggests, “Imagine a party at Ronnie Scott’s where Sade, Björk, Jeff Beck, and David Byrne meet Portishead and then go for a late night curry to exchange ideas…sublime“.
Orquestra Brasileira de Música Jamaicana from São Paulo The Brazilian Orchestra of Jamaican Music was formed by the musician and producer Sérgio Soffiatti and the trumpeter Felippe Pipette in 2005 and eventually became a full band in 2008.
Alternivtly know as OFBMJ, they are a Big Band that play Brazilian classics in a ska style
Also available is the CHECK ONE, 2 – THE EP for download only.
Contains 6 exclusive tracks as a warm up for the forthcoming Check one, 2 -The Spirit of 79 album
These tracks will NOT appear on the album!
JOHN PAUL – NOT THE DONKEY
DOCTOR NO – MISSING WORDS
SKA BEAT CITY- CONCRETE JUNGLE
THE FUSS – I CANT STAND UP FOR FALLING DOWN
GO MONKEYS – THE BEAT MEDLEY
THE PRIZEFIGHTERS – DO SKA STEADY
