Ska

Greg Lee, co-lead singer of stalwart L.A. ska group Hepcat, died March 19. He was 53.Lee suffered a brain aneurysm followed by cardiac arrest on March 17 at his home in Paramount; he died in a hospital. Hepcat was slated to perform at the highly anticipated SoCal festival No Values at the Pomona Fairplex on June 8. For the record: 11:12 a.m. March 20, 2024An earlier version of this story stated that Lee died at age 54. He was 53. “He has touched the lives and hearts of so many people all around the world through…

“I like,” says Pauline Black, “to be mistress of my own shit.” It’s an admirable approach to life; also a sensible one, when you’ve had a life as varied as Black’s. Though she’s known as the singer in the Selecter, the Coventry 2 Tone band who gave us On My Radio and Three Minute Hero, Black has actually had many working lives. A quick CV: she started off as a hospital radiographer, before quitting in 1979 when the Selecter took off. Three years later, when the band split, she became a TV presenter, moving between kids’…

The luxury high-rises of Denver’s Golden Triangle cast long shadows, but so far, they’ve failed to darken the party at La Rumba. Its red sign remains a beacon for Latin dance and music fans, who have made the 25-year-old nightclub a cultural cornerstone on par with the museums that share this now-ritzy neighborhood just south of downtown Denver. “I hope we can survive this makeover that’s been happening, with old places getting wiped clean,” said Chris Swank, owner of La Rumba, as he eyed the lot across the street where…

Bawk Bawk where are my Vans? Thanks to a fantastic tweet from user itsybatsy, the ska ska Chocobo theme can now be shared with the masses. You can listen to it below. Then listen to it again. And again. In case you’re wondering: it’s from Final Fantasy Record Keeper, which came out roughly eight years ago. Sadly, the game is no longer active, as service ended globally on September 29. But that hasn’t stopped folks from sharing their memories of the game, including some Record Keeper exclusive aesthetics and songs.…

Move over, AMVs--The Sims music videos are what's hot right now and Orange County ska band Half Past Two is out to prove it. Earlier today, the ska ensemble released their music video for "Curtain Call," which was shot entirely in The Sims 3.The music video kicks off with a sim version of the band's lead singer, Tara Hahn, riding her bicycle before kicking into the upbeat, pop-punk track. What ensues is a whole lot of Sim-ly hijinks involving trampolines, bull-riding, and the game's infamous Dance Sphere.…

Derrick Morgan is a legend — a rougher than rough, tougher than tough, onetime rude boy who helped shape the sound of ska in the 1960s. Singing braggadocious tunes and loving duets for more than 60 years, Morgan has cemented his title of the King of Ska. His personality — described as jovial, funny and straight-shooting — combined with pristine, soulful vocals have made him a fan favorite for generations.“They are nice people. They always come out to my show and they like me!” Morgan, 82, says of his international…

Six months after the Ska Street Brewstillery closed its doors in Boulder, a new brewery and restaurant is preparing to open in its place. But not just any brewery. Boulder Social comes from seasoned restaurateur and Colorado brewery pioneer Frank Day, who opened the legendary Walnut Brewery in Boulder in 1990 and Rock Bottom Brewing in Denver in 1991 before turning Rock Bottom into a national chain. Today, Day and his wife, Gina, own Concept Restaurants, an umbrella company with nine existing eateries. The menu at Boulder…

Run-DMC and posse, Hollis, Queens, 1984Relocating to New York in 1983, Beckman was drawn to the burgeoning hip-hop scene, where she photographed trailblazers of the movement such as Salt-N-Pepa, Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Slick Rick and LL Cool J Facebook Twitter…