After several requests, the theme this month is, ta da, cover songs! I’m not a big fan of ska cover songs, mainly because the idea always seems to be born out of the idea that “this song is great, but what would make it better is a ska version!” and, as much as I love ska, I just don’t subscribe to that thinking. Don’t get me wrong, I totally love cover songs (and if you haven’t been paying attention, I totally love ska too), especially when the covers are inventive or just fit in so well w/ the sound the band usually makes that you don’t even realize that it is a cover. So here are a bit of what I think of when I think of awesome ska cover songs. (At one point the theme was going to be ska bands covering ska bands, but to deny the sharing of the Pavement and TMBG covers would be criminal.)

Bomb the Music Industry! – Gold Soundz! (Under the Influence Vol. 3 ’08)

Reel Big Fish – Veronica Sawyer (Fame, Fortune & Fornication ’09)

Johnny Socko – Man in Disguise (Full Trucker Effect ’97)

Star Fucking Hipsters – Ana Ng (From the Dumpster to the Grave ’11)

the Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Simmer Down (Ska-Core, the Devil & More ’93)

Special AKA – Longshot Kick the Bucket (Too Much Too Young ’80)

Bad Manners – Sally Brown (Sally Brown ’89)

Dan P. – Somewhere in the Between (You by Me: Vol. 1 ’10)

If you’re in a ska band and would like to be interviewed or have a song featured, please email me at radjose[at]gmail[dot]com.

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Hey, be a pal, check out these ska records that I’m making over at the Big Ska Gamble, the Georgetown Orbits turn in a great cover of “Domino” by Van Morrison on theirs.