Dicky Barrett sang in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones for 39 years, and announced for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show for 18 years. In 2022, his stance on COVID vaccines seemingly ended both careers. Nowadays he writes and sings in 90s punk supergroup The Defiant, alongside members of Smash Mouth, the Offspring, the Street Dogs, and the Briggs. He joins Ho…

You know him as a modern-day dub master and ska producer, but now we're calling him "professor" as Victor Rice takes us to production school. Ricey shares his advice on composing, performing, recording and mixing your music- it's like Masterclass but for ska kids.

Rebroadcast of an episode of the Monster Boogie Show, originally aired March 5th, 2024 on WCSB 89.3FM Cleveland Cleveland native and trombonist Greg Robinson (Mephiskapheles) guest hosts the Mikal Reich Memorial Show. For two hours, Greg spins rare, early Mephiskapheles tracks from 1992-1996, along with vintage ska from the 1960s that Mikal loved, …

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (TSPO, or Skapara) has been making records since 1990, but their music has been hard to come by in the US for much of their career. However, after their Supernova debut, and the availability of their entire back catalog for streaming, TSPO is finally getting the recognition they deserve. JJ and Matt have decided to beco…

Matt recently had the opportunity to hop on a Zoom with Coolie, Vinny and Nick from The Pilfers! Their seminal record from 1999, Chawalaleng is available for streaming for the very first time, and this coincides with a reunion of the band's original lineup. This is Coolie Ranx's third visit to Hornpod, check the feed for episodes 027 and 028 for th…

It's been a fantastic year for ska music and we have been making lists. JJ and Matt welcome the curator of the BIG 2023 Ska Releases Spotify playlist, Cody Freedom and author/blogger of Ska, Punk and other Junk, Dane Jackson to the show. We each share our own Top Ten lists, find some common overlap and reflect on another year in ska.…

It's Christmas time again! Yes, again. Some folks were disappointed that nothing was added to the Ska Canon in the last episode. We're fixing that with a self-proclaimed Christmas Ska expert, Sean McCabe from Rocky Sullivan, Psy D and Bomb The Music Industry!

JJ and Matt are in a Christmas mood, so we've brought on Jesse Wagner (The Aggrolites) and Eitan Avineri from Western Standard Time to talk about their new record, Bluebeat Holiday. It's a classy mix of Big Band, Ska and Christmas favorites. And in Ska Canon, we try to find some Christmas Ska that's worthy to be inducted.…

Guests, James McDonald, I-Peace Unikue and their band Eastern Standard Time are playing Supernova Ska Festival 2023! More than that, they’ll also be backing up Sister Nancy and Dr. Ring-Ding! Eastern Standard Time joins JJ and Matt to tell us what it’s like infusing traditional Ska with non-traditional amounts of Jazz- and finding the right balance…

JJ and Matt are joined by Victor Rice and Kristoph Toth to discuss their new project, Heritage: On Bartok's Path, which combines ska with traditional Hungarian folk songs. A true ska visionary, Rice conceived of the new genre-mixing album years ago, and enlisted Toth's band, the Pannonia Allstar Ska Orchestra to make it a reality. We talk Scofflaws…

The Prizefighters are a Minneapolis band who really studies Jamaican music. This has led them to be picked to back living Jamaican legends including Stranger Cole, Patsy Todd, Roy Panton, Yvonne Harrison, Charlie Organaire, and "King of Ska" Derrick Morgan. Aaron, Tony, and Courtney from the band join us to discuss the nuances and particulars of pl…

It’s the 1981 documentary that captured the energy and excitement of the ska scene during the height of the 2 Tone movement in Britain. Featuring electrifying live performances by bands like The Specials, Madness, and The Selecter, it remains a cult classic, one that played a key role in kickstarting the third wave in the US. Recently remastered, r…

Here's a special episode to address the recent announcement of an Operation Ivy reunion by way of the new band, Doom Regulators. Or should we say, Bad Optix? Whatever they're called, we've got Jimmy Doyle (The Fad and The Forthrights) to serve up Rancid trivia and hot takes!

In this episode of Hornpod Film Club, we review the 2019 documentary, Shella Record: A Reggae Mystery. Directed by Chris Flanagan, the film tracks his decade of searching for the soulful siren featured on a 10-cent record he bought in a thrift store, credited only with the name Shella Record. His journey takes him from record shops in Toronto to th…

In this episode of Hornpod Film Club, we explore the 1997 hit movie, Grosse Pointe Blank. Starring John Cusack as a hitman attending his high school reunion, the film blends action, comedy, romance and maybe a little Rude Boy mythology. The soundtrack is iconic and peppered with ska and reggae classics like "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash, “…

Hornpod Film Club 01 The Harder They Come (1972) It’s the story of a Jamaican country boy who comes to the big city with dreams of becoming a Reggae star but ends up exploited by the music industry, cheated by the drug trade and eventually gunned down by the police. It’s Jamaica’s first feature film, a cult classic and is widely credited with intro…

JJ and Matt welcome Cody Freedom, curator of the Spotify-complete-ska-release-playlist every year. Together, we reflect on a year in ska and we compare our Top Ten lists.

JJ and Matt are joined by many guests tonight as we explore the pop side of ska. First, Agent Jay of The Slackers and Ali and Danny of Stop The Presses call in talk about their new album, Got It. Then, Tim from Supernova Ska Fest joins us to talk about Ska Canon and other big announcements.

JJ and Matt are joined by Adam Reeves, creator of the forthcoming biography of The Skatalites' legendary trombonist Don Drummond. Drummond's creative genius helped shape ska music in its earliest days, but his life was short and marred by tragedy. We celebrate his music, learn about his extensive legacy and even consider a few albums for the Ska Ca…

Jazz is one of the major musical elements of Ska, so what's the deal with Ska-Jazz? JJ and Matt sit down with the Jazz experts of Westbound Train to help us break it down. Westbound's Obi, Rich and Thad help us crack the code of Ska-Jazz, and even elevate a few classics into the canon.

Way back in Hornpod episode 001 JJ and Matt told you how they defined ska. In this latest episode, they're putting it to the test! First we sit down with Dan Lord and Adam Guthrie of the band Salvo. We talk about the 1990's when the "horn punk" band was called Pain. We talk about the long hiatus and triumphant return, including their new album The …

Coolie Ranx returns, and he's brought former Oingo Boingo bassist, John Avila! John brings stories about producing Boingo, Reel Big Fish and of course, The Pilfers Chawalaleng.

JJ and Matt are joined by genuine ska celebrity, Coolie Ranx (The Toasters, The Pilfers) to talk about dancehall attitude, improvising live and committing to ska long-term.

Legendary percussionist, Larry McDonald joins us to discuss his latest collaboration with Dave Hillyard of The Slackers. Dave and Larry have been making music together for decades as the Rocksteady Seven and their new album, Plague Doctor is out now! We talk about Larry's days in pre-ska Jamaica all the way up to his recent work with the late Lee P…

JJ and Matt are joined again by all six members of the Slackers for more conversation about the band's new album, Don't Let The Sunlight Fool Ya. This time the focus is on the songwriting and the stories behind some of the album's songs.

The Slackers' brand new album, Don't Let The Sunlight Fool Ya will drop on April 15th- but we're here with a track-by-track preview of the record. Dive deep with JJ, Matt and the members of The Slackers as we reveal the new tunes and the stories behind them!

It's a takeover! Jimmy Doyle and Sean McCabe straight up infiltrate Hornpod HQ and do their own episode- all about the Long Island ska scene. They are joined by JT Turret of ASOB and Brian Diaz of Ednas Goldfish.

JJ and Matt sit down with the author of the new book, Hell of a Hat The Rise of 90s Ska and Swing, Kenneth Partridge. And don't you know it, we have opinions on 90s Ska and Swing.

King Django, founder of Stubborn Records has been working with our own, Matt Wixson on a very special compilation the past year, and they are joining us to reveal the details of this monumental undertaking.

JJ and Matt reflect on a year in ska- the trends, the music, the memories. Join us as we compare Top Ten lists and throw a few more ska-mpilations into the canon.

JJ and Matt look back to time when the 3rd Wave had crashed, but the ska scene carried on. Joined by the legendary founder of Jump Up records, Chuck Wren, we discuss a massive compilation designed to rally the scene at a time when all seemed lost.

The ska compilation: a perfect way to discover new bands and new labels. For many, a SKAmpilation album was their entry into the ska world. JJ and Matt sort through some of our favorite ska comps while reminiscing about some of the truly terrible ones.

In August 2021 reggae pioneer Lee "Scratch" Perry passed at away at the age of 85. We gather with Emch and Larry McDonald of Subatomic Sound System, Scratch's bandmates during his final decade, to honor and celebrate a man who lived his life as art and changed music forever. Join us as we connect by proxy to the WiFi of the inventor of dub, the son…

In anticipation of Supernova Intl Ska Fest 2021, JJ and Matt chat with the artists and fans who are putting on the festival. In the final episode of this miniseries, we're joined by trumpeter Adam "Flymo" Birch who has played alongside Laurel Aitken, Derrick Morgan, The Toasters and The Specials. Flymo tells us about overcoming addiction and reconn…

In anticipation of Supernova Intl Ska Fest 2021, JJ and Matt chat with the artists and fans who are putting on the festival. This time, we've got one of the most anticipated acts of the upcoming Supernova 2021- an all-star, all-female, all-ska supergroup called Rude Girl Revue. Debuting at Supernova 2021 with 16 women on stage, they promise to make…

In anticipation of Supernova Intl Ska Fest 2021, JJ and Matt chat with the artists and fans who are putting on the festival. On this episode, we're joined by one of the founders of Supernova Ska Festival, Tim Receveur, who has seen it grow from very modest beginnings into perhaps the largest gathering in the ska scene. Tim tells us about the challe…

In anticipation of Supernova Intl Ska Fest 2021, JJ and Matt chat with the artists and fans who are putting on the festival. On the first episode, we're joined by Hepcat frontman, Greg Lee to discuss their unexpected journey to Supernova this year.

JJ and Matt welcome Marc Wasserman back to the show to discuss the notion of traditional-ska-punk. Is it real? Can we even agree on what it is? Does it belong in the canon? We answer these questions... and more!

JJ and Matt enlist the expertise of fellow ska scholar, Marc Wasserman to shed light on a seldom-discussed era of ska history- the 1980s. Marc tells stories from his new book Skaboom! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History, and contributes to a lively Ska Canon discussion.

Berlin Studio Days Slackers saxophonist, David Hillyard, sits down with Slackers fans, Matt Wixson and JJ Loy, to comb through rare songs and alternate takes from the band's thirty-year career. Hillyard and a rotating cast of Slackers bandmates swap memories unearthed by these long-forgotten tunes, giving fans a rarity of their own: an up-close and…

Boss Medication Slackers saxophonist, David Hillyard, sits down with Slackers fans, Matt Wixson and JJ Loy, to comb through rare songs and alternate takes from the band's thirty-year career. Hillyard and a rotating cast of Slackers bandmates swap memories unearthed by these long-forgotten tunes, giving fans a rarity of their own: an up-close and in…

Back in Hornpod episode #005 Matt and JJ examined the sounds and styles of the emerging reggae sound sweeping Kingston in the late 1960's. But that isn't the end of the story. Those early funky reggae jams were reborn around the turn of the century as bands like the Slackers and Aggrolites inspired a global resurgence. Then we discuss a few relevan…

The Making of Peculiar Slackers saxophonist, David Hillyard, sits down with Slackers fans, Matt Wixson and JJ Loy, to comb through rare songs and alternate takes from the band's thirty-year career. Hillyard and a rotating cast of Slackers bandmates swap memories unearthed by these long-forgotten tunes, giving fans a rarity of their own: an up-close…

2001-2003 Slackers saxophonist, David Hillyard, sits down with Slackers fans, Matt Wixson and JJ Loy, to comb through rare songs and alternate takes from the band's thirty-year career. Hillyard and a rotating cast of Slackers bandmates swap memories unearthed by these long-forgotten tunes, giving fans a rarity of their own: an up-close and intimate…

More Wasted Days Slackers saxophonist, David Hillyard, sits down with Slackers fans, Matt Wixson and JJ Loy, to comb through rare songs and alternate takes from the band's thirty-year career. Hillyard and a rotating cast of Slackers bandmates swap memories unearthed by these long-forgotten tunes, giving fans a rarity of their own: an up-close and i…

1996-2000 Slackers saxophonist, David Hillyard, sits down with Slackers fans, Matt Wixson and JJ Loy, to comb through rare songs and alternate takes from the band's thirty-year career. Hillyard and a rotating cast of Slackers bandmates swap memories unearthed by these long-forgotten tunes, giving fans a rarity of their own: an up-close and intimate…

In this long-overdue deep dive, JJ and Matt are joined by ska-jazz musician and aficionado Rich Graiko (Westbound Train, the Attractors, Void Union) to discuss the origins, output, and ongoing legacy of the legendary Skatalites. How many of their albums belong in the Hornpod Ska Canon? The answer may surprise you!…

JJ and Matt compare lists of their favorite ska/reggae albums of 2020. Then they consider a couple albums for the Ska Canon that seemed to predict a resurgence of 2-Tone influence in ska-punk

JJ and Matt are joined by Obi Fernandez (Westbound Train, the Inevitables) to just totally nerd out about the Slackers, a favorite of all three. This is part one of two, and covers the period of the band up to and including the Close My Eyes album. Then some shocking decisions are made when it comes to placing Slackers albums into the Ska Canon.…

JJ and Matt are joined by author Heather Augustyn to discuss often overlooked women in ska and reggae history. Then they consider some notable records for the canon.