I'm hesitant to share my appreciation for ska on this blog. This is partly because I don't listen to as much of it as I used to, but also... I'm sort of gun-shy about it. Back in high school, I committed the terrible, unforced error of mentioning to the guy who ran the local record store in my "quaint" little hometown that I may have enjoyed going to see a semi-local ska band by the name of The Invaders, and that I've been known to appreciate a Reel Big Fish record from time to time... he took it like I had kicked his dog. Having evidently outed myself as a poser and having revealed my character to have been deeply flawed, he proceeded to debate me on the merits of ska and how liking it made me a pariah every time I entered his store (which was often, because I was a music lover even then, and my town only had one f*ing record store >.<). As you might expect, this was a debate I always lost- it was his store and the outcome of our conversation was predetermined. After all, it was his world- I just exchanged currency for goods in it, and the only rule in that ratty little fiefdom of his was that "ska sucks," and I would do best not to forget it. Needless to say, I don't talk much about ska anymore. Actually, it seems like most people don't. Ska doesn't have the purchase or visibility that it once did in popular culture (the reasons for which will not be speculated upon here, but I have my theories*). Those who do keep the genre alive like Kill Lincoln and Catbite, sort of do so in the shadow and sustaining influence of Jeff Rosenstock, whose run with Bomb the Music Industry, as well as the echo imprint it has on his solo work, has had a profound impact on the sounds of the current underground to such a pervasive extent that it nearly impossible to quantify. Speaking of Jeff's contributions- he has a habit of being a guest musician on a lot of record by artists who count him as one of their influences- including ska artists... Artists like Jeremy Hunter, or Jer for short. Known alternatively as Skatune Network, Jer made a name for themselves, didactically exploring and proclaiming the gospel of two-tone to a young and curious audience of budding music aficionados over on their YouTube channel. Inevitably, their love of the genre and clear demonstration of ability (their channel 70% ska covers and they are all rock solid) would result in a record 2022's Bothered/Unbothered. It's a phenomenal LP, just indisputably, from the polish of its songwriting to the bounce of its grooves, tied off with catchy hooks, memorable lyrics, and of course, bossy bad-ass brass sections- and it's been rightly and admiringly praised by a number of outlets that normally don't cover ska, let alone have very nice things to say about it.** And you know, beyond just being a great ska record, I like to think it helped to break down some of the build-up of apprehension around the genre that's accumulated over the years. Like I admitted early, even casually enjoying a skankable beat or an upstroke guitar chord within the last two decades could single you out for ridicule in many music circles, and it's really refreshing to see a record so unabashedly embrace a style with the confidence and conviction that the love that is put into it will be contagious to the listener, regardless of whether or not they are primed to accept. There is, of course, a lot more to the record, sonically and thematically, other than simply the love of the game, so to speak, as Bothered/Unbothered also deals with some pretty stark and indisputable realities concerning justice and representation for people of color in a place as unequal as the United States, and drills down deep with its criticisms, not sparing primarily white cultural spaces- like most punk scenes- in its exacting assessments. But as real and heavy as things can get, the strength of the infectious joy that runs riot through this dancehall crashing cascade of a release never lets the bastards grind Jer or the vibe of the record down. It's why Bothered/Unbothered is such a perfect name for this LP- because even though the whole damn world seems (and often is) conspiring to gang up on you, survival means dodging and rolling through the punches until you're in a position to do something about it. The world is a wild place right now, and it's only going to get wilder, and you have to do what you can to cut through the gatling pulse of blows headed your way. Because the least of my or anyone's worries at the moment is someone trying to take a piss on you because of the music you like- there are bigger issues at play, and if the least you can do is accept yourself and be unbothered by others unsolicited appraisals of you and what feels right to yourself, then that's just the first big step you have to take in proving your inner truth to the world. I feel like that's the story of ska right now, a sliver of insight into this record and the formidable storm of clout Jer has been able to amass around it, as well as just being an essential lesson in life during trying times. When you can't do anything else, at least make art that brings you and others like you joy***... When you can do more, you can do that as well, and then you just keep kicking ass until you're sick of kicking so much ass. That's the best and only way you prove the haters wrong and put them in their place.
*Ok ok, I'll give you a little taste. I think it's, in part, a practical thing- Ska bands usually have more members than regular punk bands, and it's not as easy to organize people as it used to be- despite everyone having a node of an interconnected social/cyber web in their back pocket. People just have less free time and more distractions available to them than they did in, say, the '90s... that and at some point in the early '00s people decided that having fun was lame and they'd rather sit alone in a basement and weep quietly to themselves while updating their LiveJournals.
** Pitchfork, Needle Drop, etc... all the usual harbingers of the decline of civilization as we know it.
*** Me, I write a blog. Some people like it. You, probably have some real talent. Don't let it go to waste.
