Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Artist: Skaface, Album: Ask Cafe, Song: Bed Of Nails

"I'm feeling greasy."  Skaface were a ska/punk band from Toronto that rose to prominence in the late eighties and early nineties.  They were another element within a thriving alternative music scene that was taking shape at the time.  Music was making an unprecedented shift globally with the emergence of grunge but even beyond that one genre, new artists were emerging with diverse tastes and influences.  Skaface had that Jamaican element to their music for sure, but they were also prone to punk out on a few tracks.  The band released their debut indie album, Mamooska, in 1991.  It received some great college and alternative radio support which helped the band become one of the more recognizable indie acts within the city at the time.  They would play in front of thousands at Molson Park Canada Day Festivities as well as take part in North By Northeast.  The band also played some shows in the U.S. and got to share the stage with artists like Bad Manners, Selecter and Toots & The Maytals.  The band released their second and final album in 1995, entitled, Ask Cafe.  Bed Of Nails is a standout, ska classic from that album which was also made available on the Stomp Records, All Skanadian Club Series.  The band did reform in 2002 and you can follow them at http://www.skaface.ca/.  Unfortunately, their discography is very difficult to find today.  At the time of this blog, I couldn't find any copies of the album, Ask Cafe, for sale online.  Amazon does have copies of the All Skanadian Club Vol.1 which features the track, Bed Of Nails, selling between $5 and $40.  You can hear the song, Bed Of Nails, on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3ROaXvcfoo).  Thanks for reading and enjoy!