MNSKA band The Prizefighters have just been added to The English Beat show at The Cabooze in Minneapolis, MN on Sunday, April 3rd.  You still have until Friday to win a pair of tickets to the show by emailing mnskanews@gmail.com with ‘The English Beat’ in the subject line.  This show is 21+ with doors opening at 7 pm and music starting around 7:30 pm.

As reported earlier, The Prizefighters have a distribution deal with Jump Up Records, who will be releasing the vinyl version of their debut album Follow My Sound in the coming months.  For those who don’t know, they are a 7-piece band featuring saxophone, trombone, and organ supplementing the guitars and drums that combines heavy soul with real 60s Jamaican ska and early reggae.

See you at the show!

Exciting news for MNSKA fans!  JUMP UP RECORDS out of Chicago, IL have released the CD of the debut album Follow My Sound from MNSKA band The Prizefighters.  Label owner DJ Chuck Wren has announced that he will also be releasing a vinyl LP version of the album in the near future, but for now, you can head over to the newly designed JUMP UP website and buy the CD.

JUMP UP is an independent record label and mail order distribution company specialized in modern bands who play original Jamaican ska, reggae, rock steady, and calypso. With nearly 100 releases under their belt, they proudly stand by their motto “Jamaican Music Made The Old Fashioned Way”.

You can order Follow My Sound from JUMP UP HERE

MNSKA and the Flyover Ska Show are bringing two of the best up-and-coming reggae bands to Minneapolis on Saturday, January 22nd!

The Green Room Rockers just released a brand-new album on Jump Up Records and are gonna bring their driving soulful live show back to town. They’ll be bringing The Pinstripes with them, Cincinnati’s finest ska and reggae group; don’t miss their first show in MN!

We like to hold our own in Minnesota, so also on the bill are local dynamos The Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings! Four killer ska and reggae bands in one show, can ya dig it?

The show is ALL AGES, drinks with ID. Happy Hour until 9:00!
Doors at 5:00, $7.
@ The Red Sea – 316 Cedar Ave S.

Stay tuned to this site for chances to win free tickets!

Indiana soul-reggae band Green Room Rockers recently released the CD version of their new self-titled full-length album.  Exclusively on that version of the album is the soul classic “Bring It On Home,” featuring guest vocals from Todd Hembrook from Deal’s Gone Bad and JC Brooks from the Uptown Sound.  The band is releasing the vinyl version of the album this month through Jump Up Records.

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

A couple months ago, I received a pack of CD’s in the mail from the famed Jump-Up Records “CD of the Month” series.  One of the great albums was this instrumental compilation put together by Mr. T-Bone from Italy called Instrumental Sessions – Vol. 1.  The concept behind the album was taking some great reggae, rocksteady, and ska tunes, changing up the melodies, and having numerous guest instrumentalists on each track.  As you can tell by the video, the album is phenomenal from stem to stern.  The music comes from bands like The Slackers (NYC, USA), The Bullets (Los Angeles, USA), The Caroloregians (Charleroi, BE), The Moon Invaders (Charleroi, BE), The Ratazanas (Oeiras, P), The Soul Captive (San Francisco, USA), The Forthrights (NYC, USA) and The Heatmakers ( Marseille, FR).

Guest musicians include Larry McDonald from the Rocksteady 7 & Dub Is A Weapon on percussions,  David Hillyard from The Slackers & the Rocksteady 7 on tenor and baritone sax,  Kincaid Smith from Hepcat on trumpet, King Django, Roger Rivas from the Aggrolites and the Bullets on organ, Buford O’Sullivan from the Easy Star Allstars on trombone, Tommy Tornado from Rude Rich on tenor sax, Rich Graiko from Westbound Train & Void Union on trumpet, Paolo Parpaglione from Mr.T-bone Allstars & Bluebeaters on alto and tenor sax, and Cecio Grano from the Young Lions on tenor sax and flute.

If that wasn’t enough, the whole album was mixed by the legendary Victor Rice!  It is a fantastic instrumental album and I hope there are more follow-up volumes to come.

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

Indiana’s hottest soul-reggae band Green Room Rockers are pleased to announce the release of their self-titled LP, the second full-length from the band.  The album, which was produced by Dave Hillyard (The Slackers, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7), features 14 tracks with guest appearances by Deal’s Gone Bad vocalist Todd Hembrook, Lafayette singer Maegan Hale and Chicago soul singer J.C. Brooks, who performs the band’s Sam Cooke cover “Bring It on Home.”  The album is out this weekend on Jump Up Records.

There’s a terrific article detailing the album in the Lafayette Journal & Courier Online.  You can read all about it HERE.

As a treat, the band has posted yet another track from the album Green Room Rockers on their MySpace.  Check out the song “Better Way” HERE

Our reggae-soul brethren from Indiana, Green Room Rockers, have posted a couple of brand new tunes on their MYSPACE page.  The songs will be on their upcoming full-length release via Jump Up Records.  The new album is their second full-length and was produced by Dave Hillyard of The Slackers.  The album drops on October 1st!

You can stream the songs “You and I” and “Conqueror” HERE

Dear friend of MNSKA, Chuck Wren of Jump Up Records, has combined all of the ska/reggae of Riot Fest into one night!  Behold Club Moonstomp featuring the one and only Roy Ellis of Symarip and Italian import Mr. T-Bone!  Rounding out the bill is DC ska collective Eastern Standard Time and Indiana’s own Green Room Rockers.  Triton Soundsystem from Mexico City will be spinning the reggae as well as Chuck himself.  It’s all happening on Sunday, October 10th at the Subterranean in Chicago.  The party starts at 8pm and is an 18+ event.  I know of several of the MNSKA faithful who are gassing up the van and road-tripping to Riot Fest so head to the FORUM and see if you can hitch a ride!

Belgium’s top ska/reggae bands are currently in the U.S. for an extra special tour!  Chuck from Jump Up Records flew in THE MOON INVADERS and THE CAROLOREGIANS all the way from Belgium, who will be promoting their new split release entitled “Hot Blood, Cold Weather”.  If you haven’t heard these two bands, check out the links above.  They are truly the cream of the crop when it comes to European ska and reggae.

While there is no MN date, the next best thing is a good ol’ Summer road trip to Chicago to see The Moon Invaders, The Caroloregians, The Green Room Rockers, and MN Ska’s own The Prizefighters at the Beat Kitchen!   More info  – http://www.beatkitchen.com/calendar.htm#0611

If you are somewhere on the further East, you may be able to catch another date of this truly amazing tour.  See full tour dates after the jump!

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