The Best Of The Manchester Ska Bar, Various Artists
Whoever said ska was dead should really tell the guys and girls at Bomb Ibiza. While ska seemingly goes in and out of fashion every couple of years, there are some folks across the country that keep plugging away putting on the quality bands that continue to give the genre a good name - even when it goes out of the limelight for a couple of years. And while the recent break-up of a number of ska-esque bands in this country may have been a big setback, this 10-track compilation goes a long way to proving the underground scene is still very much alive and kicking.
This record showcases a few of the bands the Bomb Ibiza crew have put on ssince the group started out in 2004. The 'heavyweight' bands of Zen Baseballbat and Random Hand are as excellent as ever, but if this compilation does anything, it goes a long way to proving just how varied the ska scene is nowadays. The Klopeks' pirate-fused carnie core stands out a mile, while the manic Magic School Bus are a million miles from the more laidback The Skalinskis. Athough ska isn't usually my music of choice, this is exactly what a compilation should be - varied and full of good songs. Top stuff.
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