The Toasters, "Underground Town" (live) from Live In São Paulo, Brazil (T.L.A.M.)
Skammentary: The Toasters have been at it for over thirty years, since 1981. They were among the first American ska bands, though the only consistent band member has been a Brit, front man & vocalist Bucket Hingley. Ska needs bands who are in it for the long haul, folks who will carry the torch betwixt periods of faddish popularity. Ska originated in Jamaica, influenced by post-war American rhythm & blues; 2-Tone originated in Britain, influenced by West Indian immigration at the end of the Empire; ska punk originated in America, influenced by the punk scene & its dedication to remaining a subculture. From whence will the by-my-reckoning overdue fourth wave of ska originate? From whence & when? "Ska, ska, ska…"
"Underground Town" is about the New York City subway system; I've only experienced the subway since it was cleaned up & made safer, if more prosaic, under Mayor Giuliani & his successors, not as described in the song. "Underground Town" is also the sort of smooth, rhythmic ska that I can listen to for hours on end.
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