During the 1990s, the Skeletones used to play every friggin' show from the Inland Empire to Orange County. After search the Internet, you might assume that the 10-piece ska group from Riverside still maintains a busy schedule.But look closer and you'll notice that a few newer bands have also taken the moniker since the original band's heyday. A Google search for "the Skeletones" comes up with three acts -- the Riverside band and two others from Michigan and England.

These days, the original Skeletones -- Jonas Cabrera, Paul Hampton, Mark Cummings, Chris Miles, Kip Wirtzfeld, Rick Bonin, Woody Diaz, Bob Alvarado, John Alvarado and Jared Palazzolo -- perform between 12-24 times a year, which is still a lot considering the group has been around for approximately two decades. That said, don't think frontman Jonas Cabrera has gotten too old to rock a stage because he says he will "out-skank anybody who dares to try" to beat him in a dance-off.

The Skeletones play Saturday as part of Long Beach Sound Society's fourth annual "We Are The Mods Celebration" at Madhaus. The event includes performances by Suedehead and the Savoys and features an array of DJs, food trucks and a horseshoe pit. With so much mod in one area, let's hope Cabrera has a new pair of dancing shoes cuz he's gonna need them.

More »

Tazy Phyllipz

Tazy Phyllipz has literally made a career out of helping unknown bands grow their audiences. If you don't believe me, just ask No Doubt, Sublime and Maroon 5 - three groups who received airplay on Phyllipz's radio program The Ska Parade long before corporate America knew what a hollaback girl was. But now it's time for that good fortune to come Phyllipz's way as the radio host - who broadcasts The Ska Parade on Phoenix, Ariz.'s KUKQ from his home studio - has created an Indiegogo campaign to fund a book he is writing that will detail his experiences in the music industry. The Irvine resident has a goal of $35,000 and hopes that money will cover expenses for things such as a page designer and a copy editor.

 The Ska Parade has been on the air for more than 20 years, which means Phyllipz has a lot of potential stories to include. Because of these numerous tales and his financial situation, the would-be author says his book is not yet finished, but explains that more money equals more chapters. As of this writing, Phyllipz's campaign has 31 days remaining and has earned a total of $816, so if it's ska stories you want, you best be donating! We caught up with Phyllipz via email to talk about his book and his motivation for wanting to spill the beans.

See Also:
*No Doubt in Their Own Words
*Sublime vs. No Doubt?
*Sophie Muller on Filming No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom Days

More »

By the late 1980s ska was tired and in need of a heart and lung transplant. Orange County would, in fact, become home to the biggest and most influential of so-called third wave of ska revivals (there was also one in New York) because it had two things vital to the development of any such trend: inventory (meaning bands) and a willing audience.

There were dozens upon dozens of bands in and around OC that were adding horns and dabbling in double-time beats -- thus feeling their way into a brassy mix of punk, reggae and power pop. They drew a huge fan base. The new ska offered its followers party music instead of grunge angst or rock melodrama.

More »