What ska band everybody likes do you hate?

[Richarduuude777 "That guy with the hat"]

I know I might put some peopl angry here, but I always want to know what band pisses you off because they're some pop sellout concept peices of crap (or just bands you don't like).
This thread is a must on every music forum.
Tell what band that everybody likes makes your skin crawl and precise why.
ANd I don't wan any whiny sucker saying that "this band is too punx to be sellout and it's super cool". Everyone can express his opinion here about why they hate some band.
Now is the time to spit, puke and blur out all your hatre on the bands you hate.

I hate mainly 2 bands.
Streetlight Manifesto : it's not the band itself or the concept that bugs me (even if it is too oten considered a "super awesome and important band" by som posers), it's the music itself. The songs sound way too much the same, it's all too fast, the guitar sounds like high-speed string masturbation and the music itself gives this crappy "unity and wow that's awesome" feeling. Their image ain't that bad, but I just don't like the music.

The Johnstones: Do I have to explain myself? I think I do.
They're just a bunch of fresh opo-punk kids that some manager took from high-school, gave them a style, gave them a concept (pretty crappy) and made them a pop-punk/ska/rap crappy band. They have this "I'm-a-good-kid-and-i-want-to-look-like-a-street-punk-but-I-don't-want-to-be-rejected-so-I-mix-it-with-whatever-is-fresh-bling-and-popular-right-now" style. I maen.. look at the trombone player!: he has this big mohawk, but is dressed like some skate/rap fresh douchebag and has S shaved on his head. Their music is a mix with pop, punk, ska, rap, bouncy crap and some beastie boys wannabe pop. They're just a concept made to make money.

..Wow... that was hardcore. A little to raw and maybe exagerated a little bit, but true.


Now, It's your turn.

[Adam Patton]

The Get-Ups said:

Not to make anyone angry but I get kinda sick about hearing about the "ska posers". They are just kids that like the music and are enjoying the shows. Just because they are just getting into the music doesn't mean they don't belong there as much as everyone else. I used to be one of those kids and I sure most of the people hating on them were as well. They are going to be the ones starting new bands, going to the shows, and trying to keep the scene alive. I'm sure this isn't going to change anyone's mind, I just had to vent a little.
Yah, you have to realize that The English Beat are OLD. They're older than me. Well, not quite that old. I don't get upset when kids don't know the older groups. I couldn't tell you a lot about say... Alton Ellis. It's before my time.

Oh and one more thing. Isn't ska about unity? Why are we separating ourselves from each other? Sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching.

4thwaveDave said:

I'm the other way around...I actually like RBF recordings...but I HATE seeing them live...I was there mostly to see The English Beat, but MY GOD, RBF definately brought all the Douchey McDouchertons....half the people there didn't even know who The English Beat were! I was quite offended...

[Danny C]

Whew! For a second there I thought you were going to bash The Slackers.

Adam Patton said:

Reel Big Fish. The Aquabats. Ummm... who else? Anyone who is too "silly". Ska shouldn't be taken that seriously. A lot of groups couldn't write songs, so they tried to hook their fans on their "traditionalism". That is, "we sound like the Skatalites". My question was always this: "can you write songs?". Are you more like the Slackers or The Allstonians? Hopefully The Slackers, 'cos they could actually write tunes. So, chuck the Allstonians into my "hate" list, 'cos they were a bore.

[Jesse Tinker]

I also hate VGS...i tried to give them a chance, really did, but its just shit...also Suburban Legends, pure garbage....and i'm probably going to get slaughtered for this, but Bad Manners has to go on this list also....I respect them for sure, but there's only a few songs i dig by them...also, that bullshit that LTJ pulled with 'in with the out crowd' pissed me off almost as much as catch 22s 'permanent revolution'.....and of course, the new bigD album...

be sure to pick up the 4 disc box set titled SKA if you can find it.....it contains a lot of old school shit that will get you jumpin (except one solo track by Pauline Black)... pick it up if you dont have it already...

[Ska Bob]

I never got into Bad Manners either until I saw them 2 years ago. Its not really Bad Manners anymore, just Buster and a backing band, the songs at their live show is definitely more lively than there old albums are.. For a big man he did some dancing, too bad it was basically a private show with maybe 50-60 people. After than I got their live dvd and ripped the audio from it and it makes a good album.

One I forgot was always seeing people calling Slightly Stoopid a ska band and I dont see it. Never got into them.Another one is Warsaw Poland Brothers. Saw them live and didnt get them. They seemed like a fictional band you would see on a ska movie. They way they introduced them selves (like they were big stars, its....ted...monkey...jones..yeahhhhhh), kept switching keyboard players during each song and the music didnt do anything. Most of the people were not dancing, just standing around waiting for them to finish.

[Graham Sutton]

Man, if you had talked down on The Slackers....haha lol.

[James Medynski]

I dont hate this band but they are my least favorite bands Reel Big Fish because whenever you hear the name ska in mainstream music scene its always about Reel Big Fish and they have this mentality that they think they are the best ska band in the world which they are not, and i dont like Tip The Van because they are from my state and I was putting a benefit show for a homeless shelter so i couldnt pay the bands so i contacted them to see if they can come out and play and support the local ska scene and they said they need at least a 100 bucks each up front, wtf what happened to bands that just play for the music and not the money. I mean cmon support your local ska scene!

[James Medynski]

True but covers is what makes the ska scene great and different from any other music scene because bands cover bands all the time in the ska scene look at sublime, most of their songs were covers, most of the original reggae and ska artists all covered each other all the time. You have to respect the specials for what they made and stood for they were a major band in the 2toned era. And the specials did make there own music its just the Covers they put their own style into them which made them ska hits like a monkey man or a message to you rudy, the specials had a different sound then the toots and maytals and derrek morgan.

Richarduuude777 "That guy with the hat" said:

boss_sister said:

The Specials.
The majority of their songs are covers or have borrowed horn lines from better artists. I just don't think there's much originality.

HAHAHAHAHA!!
true!
but their good songs are fucking good

[James Medynski]

True but covers is what makes the ska scene great and different from any other music scene because bands cover bands all the time in the ska scene look at sublime, most of their songs were covers, most of the original reggae and ska artists all covered each other all the time. You have to respect the specials for what they made and stood for they were a major band in the 2toned era. And the specials did make there own music its just the Covers they put their own style into them which made them ska hits like a monkey man or a message to you rudy, the specials had a different sound then the toots and maytals and derrek morgan.

Skibz McCullock said:

boss_sister said:

The Specials.
The majority of their songs are covers or have borrowed horn lines from better artists. I just don't think there's much originality.

I'd disagree if you're referring to the original incarnation; covers only made up 6 of the 37 songs off their first three albums. And, considering they're the ones who practically reinvented ska and laid the foundation for all of the second wave, third wave and ska punk, I'll overlook your "originality" claim. I'm not saying you have to like them, but at least acknowledge their influence.

If you're referring to the Neville Staples-led incarnation from the 90s, I'll agree with you. THREE freakin' cover albums, man....THREE!

[Skibz McCullock]

James Medynski said:

True but covers is what makes the ska scene great and different from any other music scene because bands cover bands all the time in the ska scene look at sublime, most of their songs were covers, most of the original reggae and ska artists all covered each other all the time. You have to respect the specials for what they made and stood for they were a major band in the 2toned era. And the specials did make there own music its just the Covers they put their own style into them which made them ska hits like a monkey man or a message to you rudy, the specials had a different sound then the toots and maytals and derrek morgan.

No. No genre should ever pride itself or be considered "great" for the abundance of cover songs. That's practically saying "unoriginality is what makes the ska scene great!". I'm vehemently against the concept of covers to begin with (write your own damn songs, Jimbo!), but there are certain exceptions, yes. It's a fine line: the 2Tone tradition of updating older ska classics is acceptable for the reasons I mentioned...The Specials reinventing "Monkey Man", that's fine, but the line was crossed when Bad Manners started doing random novelty tracks such as "Monster Mash" and "Ne Ne Na Na Na Na Nu Nu", ultimately making them a novelty in themselves (they were essentially the Reel Big Fish of the second wave, except their music was actually good). Ska instrumentals are also an acceptable exception, because that's practically along the lines of jazz: it's predominantly improvisation, and that extends from old Skatalites songs to ska-ifying old American jazz/R&B tracks. Everything else, ESPECIALLY the supposed "irony" of doing ska covers of 80s rock songs, is just...stupid. After all, the last musical movement that thrived on (and perhaps even gained success based on) in-genre cover songs and the ironic conversion of modern songs in their own musical style was the swing revival, and we all know how well *that* turned out...

[Adam Patton]

I think if you can update a song, add some new originality, and make your own, it's fine. But to try to get "cred" by covering more respected acts is dumb. If you can't improve on the song or take it in a new interesting direction, don't do it.

[bleui]

I hate smash mouth :P

[Anthony Alfonso]

Streetlight Manifesto shouldn't really be considered ska in my opinion. Kalnoky's main influences are clearly NOT any wave of ska. I really hear much more of a klezmer vibe from the horn section.

But as for ska bands I don't like... hmmm ...they all bring something different to the table, so I dig it all.
with that said... some VGS gets annoying but their live shows are fun...
and also the newer sounds of the RX Bandits are... too drug induced.