For many in the Bay Area, the times seem very, hopelessly dark. There’s no escaping the chaotic hellscape that the country—and world—currently finds itself in. It doesn’t take a therapist to know the importance of investing in the things that bring whatever hope, joy or morsel of serotonin one can muster.
That’s why we need ska now more than ever.
Thankfully journalist, podcaster and author Aaron Carnes—also this paper’s calendar editor—released a second, expanded edition of his hit book, In Defense of Ska, just in time. And on Nov. 21 he will give a reading from the book, answering questions and discussing all things ska at Green Apple Books On the Park. Copies will be available for sale as well, so attendees can pick it up, pick it up, pick it up.
Hosted by author Laura Albert—creator of literary persona and “avatar” JT LeRoy—this will be an in-depth conversation about the history, and its current resurgence as “new tone,” of one of the most beloved and hated musical subgenres.
“She grew up in the New York scene going to ska and punk shows,” Carnes says. “And apparently she liked my book.”
The reading and conversation is part of a 12-date tour Carnes has been conducting across the country since Oct. 24. Each live event features a conversation and reading with him and a variety of different authors, musicians and journalists.
Originally published in 2021 by independent company Clash Books, In Defense of Ska has taken the ska-punk world by storm. The first edition sold more than 6,000 copies, double the average number of copies a professionally published book sells according to industry trade publication Publisher’s Weekly.
Despite its success, Carnes felt a second edition was in order.
“I was really proud of the book,” he says. “But I also had an overall feeling it can always be better.”
Released on Oct. 29, the second edition—aptly sub-titled Ska Now More Than Ever Edition—contains an additional 220 pages chock full of new and expanded interviews, stories and more. Topics include deeper dives into definitive bands like the Blue Meanies and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones along with new interviews of seminal figures like Jesse Michaels (Operation Ivy/Classics of Love).
Yet some of the expanded content comes from hours of interviews Carnes has conducted for his equally successful podcast of the same name, co-hosted by friend and musician Adam Davis.
“The podcast was just supposed to be a way to promote the book,” Carnes says. “We started in January 2021, and I figured we’d do it until the promo cycle was over.”
However, not only did Carnes and Davis enjoy producing the podcast, guests and fans were as happy about it as a 13-year-old getting extra mozzarella sticks. On Nov. 13 they released their 200th episode, featuring an interview with Kill Lincoln hype-man Drew Skibitsky. The podcast currently has 331 subscribers on YouTube, is available on streaming sites and has a Patreon fans can contribute to for extract, behind-the-scenes content.
The second edition also features current touring groups, like Bad Operation out of New Orleans.
Formed in 2019, Bad Operation is at the forefront of the New Tone movement so much they were the ones who coined the title. The members, all seasoned musicians in the NOLA ska scene, have been in different bands since the early 2000s.
However, when Hurricane Katrina decimated the city in 2005, the indie music scene banded together to help their community however they could. One way was Community Records, a collective of artists promoting people, good music and connection, formed by future Bad Operation members Greg Rodrigue and Daniel “D-Ray” Ray.
“They also started a thing called the Block Party, in New Orleans, which is an annual festival,” Carnes says. “All of these things accelerated the ska scene at the time. It gave all these kids a thing to do and a way to deal with their emotions.”
A love for humanity, and the ska subculture as a whole, serve as the guiding lights of Carnes’ book.
“A lot of the new content is about how the story of ska is the story of community, over and over and over again,” Carnes says. “That’s the heart of almost every single story, especially since most of the book is on bands that weren’t super famous and didn’t get on MTV. It’s all held together by community.”
The event will be held Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7pm, at Green Apple Books on The Park, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco. Free. 415.742.5833. greenapplebooks.com
This post was originally published on here
