Beantown's future successfully channels Beantown's past.

Big D And The Kids Table - Strictly Rude

[4.5/5] Regardless of popular belief, ska isn't dead. While the genre hasn't come near its commercial peak in 1997 (did you know the Mighty Mighty Bosstones were on the cover of AP twice? In seven months??), there has been a vibrant underground ska scene keeping the checkerboard pattern alive. With Strictly Rude, Boston's Big D And The Kids Table firmly position themselves at the forefront of a movement poised for a second life. Carrying the torch left by fellow Beantowners the Bosstones, Big D are unintentionally mimicking that band-logging constant Warped tours of duty; signing to respected indie label SideOneDummy; and recording Strictly Rude with Bosstones bassist Joe Gittleman.

And its title doesn't lie: Strictly Rude is just that. Virtually every track is connected to traditional ska or dub; only one song, "Hell On Earth," is a throwback to the band's previous Fat Wreck-influenced ska-punk style. Luckily, there isn't a bad song in the bunch. "Souped-Up Vinyl" and "Noise Complaint" are bounce-off-the-walls fun; "Raw Revolution" and "Try Out Your Voice" are op-eds about fickle scenes and societal complacency laid over ska-pop arrangements; "Steady Riot" is amped up with rock 'n' roll guitars and organ accents; and "The One" has one of the deepest, most laid-back grooves you'll hear all year. This septet have made the best ska record since the new millennium; the only trick now is getting people back on the bandwagon. (SIDEONEDUMMY) Scott Heisel

ROCKS LIKE:
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' A Jackknife To A Swan
Slow Gherkin's Shed Some Skin
The Slackers' The Question


Official Website: http://www.sideonedummy.com


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