h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

While this is a well written article, it should be pointed out that the facts are not entirely correct. Ska was created in the 50's by Jamacian hotel bands, and was actually a precursor to regge. It was then taken to England by Jamacians, and then stolen by americans.

Depends on the source. I've read articles that say Jamaica had the first ska bands, but I've also read articles saying English bands were the first to put the sound together, after heavy plagiarization. There are a few variants on the genre. The type that sounds almost wholly reggae may have been born in Jamaica, but the brand that is played in the US was developed in England. Hope this clears up the confusion (although it doesn't for me).

Sorry to revive an old conversation, but I'm new and can't resist saying something when one of my favorite interests is mentioned. I'm American myself, and haven't had the opportunity to listen to much British ska, mostly just bands from Orange County, California. But I don't think ska lyrics are as lewd as the ska article might lead one to believe. Given, there are more swear words, but the subject matter is usually innocent except in such cases as Reel Big Fish's song, "She Has a Girlfriend Now" (and it is often debated whether RBF is actually a ska band, so maybe this isn't such an exception after all). Usually ska songs are just lighthearted fun, like Save Ferris's "Spam" (well, they're slightly on the pop side too) or Skankin' Pickle's "Hair" or "Fakin' Jamaican" (and they are definitely a ska band).

That "foul or lewd" comment was really just a cop-out. I was going to print a few examples of lyrics, and then got lazy. This was one of my first h2g2 articles, and it got rejected...understandably so. But the editors thought it might be worth saving, so it's going to get a facelift, with some lyrics added for flavor.

OC bands are basically what this article is about, although I have cd's from bands as far away as Florida (Less Than Jake), Michigan (Suicide Machines), and New York (The Toasters).

Oh cool! Less Than Jake is my second fave band, after Skankin' Pickle. And that's leaving out Reel Big Fish. I've only heard one song by the Toasters, thought they were cool but haven't listened to any more of their music. I hope your article does get enough of a facelift to wind up in the guide. I noticed a lot of articles have been written about ska but none have been accepted. I'd like to write one myself, I'm new here so Journal entries are all I've done so far.

Mmmm. I think once you start delving too deep into a music label you begin to loose sight of the sound! Ska started in Jamaica in the 50s. It was revived in the UK by bands such as the Selector, Madness and, of course, the Specials. The vibe was also picked up, along with other strands of reggae, like dub, by punks. The recent rise of Ska in the USA is cool, but check out early Ska toons (now very easy to find on CD etc) and after using an industrial sized PA make up your own mind.