I was chatting with Sammy Kay (The Forthrights) last month and he told me that he was coming back to ska music and had a new band brewing. The yet unnamed band, featuring Sammy along with a couple of guys from Royal City Riot and The Fad, were going to musically take Brooklyn by storm. I waited with anticipation. A month later, he sent me a track that is now available for streaming by the public. The band is called Sammy Kay and The Fast Four. The song is called “Sweet Misery.” A hot little tune showcasing a new bright star in the galaxy of ska music. I’m looking forward to seeing what else they have in store!
Last night on the Tunnel One show on WNYU (89.1 FM New York), Brooklyn rocksteady band The Forthrights, along with Maddie Ruthless, played a live set of big tunes. The entire episode of this weekly ska radio show is currently streaming on their website. The live set is toward the end of the episode. While listening to the show, I was reminded of the night last May at the Terminal Bar in Minneapolis when these guys rocked out with the MNSKA massive. Good times!
Brooklyn rocksteady supergroup the Reggay Lords have been making a splash in the NY scene over the past year. The band features members of The Forthrights, The Hard Times, Facts, and The Slackers and have a tendency to put on quite the live show, sporting powdered wigs at their high-powered gigs. Here is the first release from the group called “Come Back Strong.” The bands lineup includes: Jah Point – vocals/percussion, Jack Wright – piano/organ/backing vocals, Phil Wartell – drums/backing vocals, Juan Cardenas – bass, Sean Donnelly – guitar, and Agent Jay – guitar/percussion.
The self-proclaimed Rocksteady Queen of New Orleans, Maddie Ruthless, took the stage last Thursday night at The Terminal Bar in Minneapolis. With a little help from her friends The Forthrights, here’s a video of her song “Jaguar Queen.”
Maddie Ruthless is touring in support of her album Hold The Phone.
Brooklyn’s own The Forthrights have been on tour all Spring with Maddie Ruthless. Their tour made a stop in Minneapolis on Thursday May 26th at The Terminal Bar. The band played for a tight enthusiastic crowd, including their song “Come Sweetly.”
The Forthrights are touring in support of their latest Camp Birdman EP.
From Coast to Coast…It’s a Rocksteady Invasion! Some of the roughest and toughest up-and-coming reggae artists are coming to Minneapolis on Thursday, May 26th to mash up the Terminal Bar in fine style. You won’t want to miss this show!
THE FORTHRIGHTS from Brooklyn, NY have been leading the charge of the Young Guns of Reggae, bringing their signature early reggae and rocksteady sound to the world, recording, collaborating and touring contantly over the past several years. This will be their first show in MN!
MADDIE RUTHLESS is coming at you Live and Direct from the city of New Orleans, bringing the hard-edged sounds of the Caribbean with her. She’ll be singing a scorching set backed by The Forthrights. This will be the Rocksteady Queen of NOLA’s first show in MN as well!
THE PRIZEFIGHTERS are Minnesota’s own early reggae champions, keeping the Jamaican dance beat alive and loud in the Midwest, soon to rule the nation!
Brooklyn rocksteady outfit The Forthrights are coming to Minneapolis! That’s right, on Thursday, May 26th, along with New Orleans’ own Maddie Ruthless and MNSKA band The Prizefighters, The Forthrights will be playing the Terminal Bar. If that’s not enough for ska fans to come out to the show, we are giving away 2 copies of their new 7-inch EP Camp Birdman!
To enter our contest, just email mnskanews@gmail.com with “The Forthrights” in the subject line. It’s really that easy! Winners will be drawn the day of the show. The only catch is you have to be at the show to claim your prize. You only have 1 week left to enter!
Friend of MNSKA and bassist for Brooklyn rocksteady band The Forthrights, Sammy Kay has started an Official Tour Blog over at Musical Occupation. The Forthrights will be embarking on the Ska Is Dead: Young Guns Tour with We Are The Union, Stuck Lucky, Brunt Of It, and Green Room Rockers. After that, the band will be heading West with Maddie Ruthless on the Rocksteady Ruined My Life Tour, which will be hitting Minneapolis on Thursday, May 26th at The Terminal Bar, featuring MNSKA bands The Dropsteppers and The Prizefighters. Read through Sammy’s first blog entry and find a free download from Babylon Party Machine (aka Matt Wixson) who is mashing up The Forthrights’ latest EP Camp Birdman with the sounds of Motown.
A documentary called Brooklyn Rocksteady: The Roots, The Scene & The Culture is being made by Samuel Gursky that is an exploration of NYC Ska and Rocksteady music since 1981 up until 2011, including interviews from members of The Toasters, The Slackers, The Pietasters, Westbound Train, Victor Rice, The Forthrights, Royal City Riot, The Hard Times, The Frighteners and more!
There is a Kickstarter project set up to fund the rental of equipment and help to cover travel expenses to document big events this year involving these bands outside of the NY area. You can support by donating as well as view a trailer for the documentary HERE
The documentary is set to be released in Fall 2011
Brooklyn early-reggae band The Forthrights played a show this past weekend at The Knitting Factory, sharing the bill with reunited Boston ska band Westbound Train. The Forthrights posted this video on Facebook of their song “Other People” which included guest vocalists King Django and Westbound Train frontman Obi Fernandez.
The Forthrights have just released their new 7″ Camp Birdman on Panic State Records. It is available HERE
