Since I’m not that great of a writer and I’m a bit lazy, I’m letting Jordan Porter write this show announcement.  Let’s face it, he’s better than I am:

This, my friends, is the stuff of legends. Pure solid gold. Absolute, 5-Airhorns-a-blazin’ lunacy. On February 11, New York City Ska seminal skankers The Toasters return for a 31st year of enlisting 15 year old kids into the 2-Tone Army (a-hey! a-hey!). Helping these elder statesmen out in the department of heavy hitting monster reggae will be two scorching local groups ready to turn your hips into jelly.

The Dropsteppers, fresh off their 2011 Megalith Records debut “Get Up in It!”, will supply you with their trademark soulful lamentations, with that added Perez Bros kick to take it up two notches.

The Prizefighters, having just released their vinyl-only special edition of “Follow My Sound” on Jump Up! Records, will make you about half an inch shorter from all the cartilage-grinding your knees will joyfully succumb to.

Saturday, February 11th
Triple Rock Social Club
9:00 PM, 18+
$10 adv./$12 door

Check out MNSKA for all the latest details, happenings, goings-ons, reviews, discussions, and best-dressed lists.

You can get your advance tickets HERE

MNSKA band and Jump Up Records artists The Prizefighters will be playing this Friday night in Minneapolis at Nick & Eddie (1612 Harmon Place).  The band will be playing first at 9:30 pm, followed by Kill Me Kare-Bare, Badgermen, and Beyond The Element (featuring former Prizefighter member Josh Thomas).  This 21+ show has a $5 cover.

You can RSVP this show on Facebook HERE

MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter (The Prizefighters) took a recent trip to Jamaica and was able to meet many legendary ska and reggae artists in person.  Hopefully we will be able to chronicle some of Aaron’s adventures here on the site, but for now we can share this video.  The video shows Aaron in ska legend Derrick Morgan‘s home studio in Clarendon, accompanying him on guitar while he sings his 1962 ska hit “In My Heart.”  Enjoy!

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

MNSKA band The Dropsteppers have had a busy year.  They signed with Megalith Records, put out their debut album Get Up In It!, and are have quite a few shows lined up before the year is out.  As a treat to fans, the band has posted a video of them playing a new song called “Looters On Broadway.”

Check out the band at the 331 Club in Nordeast Minneapolis this Wednesday!  They are playing with Brilliant Beast (featuring Jordan and Eric from The Prizefighters)

Check out the video on YouTube HERE

MNSKA band The Prizefighters just released a special edition LP of their debut album Follow My Sound on Jump Up Records!  The vinyl is available at the Jump Up Records site, including DARK BLUE colored vinyl!

Label owner Chuck Wren shares the good news:

The long wait is over! Minneapolis ska, rock steady, early reggae band (with SOUL!) finally gets their vinyl debut from JUMP UP!  This SPECIAL EDITION has some different tracks than the CD, including alternative mixes and versions, instrumentals, and a dub from Anthony of THE DRASTICS.

Side A:  Brujeria, Follow My Sound, Karma, Before Tonight, Hypocrite, There’ll Be A Day
Side B: Moonlight, Take More Time, Ghost In The Night, Truth And Lies, Fibbers Dub

LIMITED EDITION of 500 copies, pressed on thick BLACK WAX and the just arrived DARK BLUE WAX (witch black specs). CD is still available too!

You can order the vinyl LP or CD at the label’s website HERE

MNSKA band The Dropsteppers are now streaming their debut CD Get Up In It! on their Facebook page.  The album is being put out Megalith Records and can be ordered on their site.  The band will be headlining a huge release show this Friday at The Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis along with MNSKA bands The Prizefighters and Umbrella Bed.  The show is 21+ with doors at 9 pm and only a $5 cover.  Of course, you are going to want to bring extra cash to pick up the new releases from The Dropsteppers and The Prizefighters!

You can stream Get Up In It! HERE

MNSKA band The Prizfighters have unveiled the covert art for their upcoming vinyl release Follow My Sound Special Edition LP, available on Friday, October 21st on Jump Up Records.  You can get your own copy at the MNSKA Double Release Party at Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis on October 21st, also featuring The Dropsteppers and Umbrella Bed.

Tracklisting:

Side A
Brujeria
Follow My Sound
Karma
Before Tonight
Hypocrite
There’ll Be A Day

Side B
Moonlight
Take More Time
Ghost In The Night
Truth And Lies
Fibbers Dub

If you follow this site, you know by now that we are sponsoring a big ol’ release party featuring 2 brand new releases from MNSKA bands The Dropsteppers and The Prizefighters on Friday, October 21st at The Nomad World Pub.  To get you geared up for their special edition vinyl LP, The Prizefighters are streaming 3 brand new songs on their website, each of which can be found on the upcoming release.

Here’s what the band had to say:

We are proud to announce our release of the Follow My Sound special edition vinyl LP on Jump Up Records!  Almost a year ago, we put 5 years of writing, rehearsing, performing and overall hard work into our debut album Follow My Sound.  To commemorate that effort and to show our lovely fans a hint of things to come, we have recorded new bonus tracks and reworked old favorites with our new band members to put forth a special vinyl edition of our debut album.

As a treat for you all, you can check out our music player and stream 3 new songs from the special edition LP!  “Moonlight” is a previously unreleased rocksteady tune we wrote a long time ago that we dusted off and improved with our new members.  “Take More Time” is an instrumental horn version of our song “Take Some Time” written by our horn players Courtney Klos and Ryan Peterson.  “Fibber’s Dub” is dub version of our song “Truth And Lies” created by our friend Anthony Abbinanti (The Drastics, Deal’s Gone Bad).

You can check out the hot new tracks as well as videos of their recent performances HERE

Peep this hilarious Beatles spoof poster promoting the new album Get Up In It! from MNSKA band The Dropsteppers.  The album officially is available on October 21st, 2011 on Megalith Records.

Be sure to catch the band at the MNSKA Double Release Party with The Prizefighters and Umbrella Bed on Friday, October 21st at the Nomad World Pub!

The month of  October is a gigantic one for MNSKA.  Just look at the show calendar below…it’s crazy!  Let me highlight some of the shows that you, the MNSKA faithful, should be at.  This Sunday, the infamous crusty ska-punk heroes Leftover Crack will be playing at the Triple Rock Social Club with MNSKA band Rocksteady Breakfast.  A couple days later at the First Ave Mainroom is legendary Ziggy Marley.  Arizona surf/ska/punk band Authority Zero is bringing it to the 7th Street Entry on Sunday October 16th.  Looking ahead to that weekend, check out Thursday October 20th where the mighty Aggrolites are bringing their dirty reggae to the 7th Street Entry!  The next night is an all-out MNSKA Double Release Party at the Nomad World Pub.  On Friday, October 21st you can dance to the boss tunes from MNSKA’s The Dropsteppers, who are releasing Get Up In It! on Megalith Records, and The Prizefighters, who are releasing their special-edition vinyl of Follow My Sound on Jump Up Records.  The show opens up with the epic return of long-running two-tone massive known as Umbrella Bed!  But the month is not over yet, because the superhuman ska force known as 3 Minute Hero is playing a release show at the Fine Line Music Cafe on Friday, October 28th.  The band is only releasing a limited number of their new music collection, so you should make it your bee’s wax to be at that one!

Whew!  Tons of ska shows to attend.  Which shows will we see you at?  Be sure to continue to check our SHOWS page for updates.