Ska Punk kicks Brass!

 It felt wrong for me to make a blog about brass bands with vocals or rap or whatnot, and not talk about Ska Punk in some way. Because of that, I am going to talk about it very directly!

Ska Punk is one of the main reasons I ever practiced when I first picked up a trombone. My older brother would constantly be showing me bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish. This led me to discovering so many other bands like Jeff Rosenstock's Ska Records and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches.

I still remember hearing a trombone solo in a Ska Punk song for the first time and being amazed by how much character was being poured into the instrument and how it sounded just like their voices when they sang (for better or for worse). 

Streetlight Manifesto - We Will Fall Together

The aggression in the horns, the clarity of articulation, and the emotional rawness that the hornlines captivated for a younger me were everything. I would sit and listen to their albums and just noodle along, because of that, these were the first hornlines I had ever transcribed.

If you have not dug into this genre before, I heavily recommend that you do so! I have linked the Streelight Manifestos website above so you can learn more. 

Other bands that fall under the Ska umbrella are...

Sublime
No Doubt
Operation Ivy
The Toasters
The Slackers
 Less Than Jake

Just to name a few, happy listening!


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