Mits’ Pick of the Week 4/29/07
Written by Mits
I’m not going to lie: I hate ska. I swear, every song sounds the same. Three chords! Upbeat! Hep hep hep! As soon as I hear that twangy guitar and high-tuned snare drum start to crack, I either turn off the radio or grab the closest heavy, blunt object and proceed to bash my head.
Anyways, despite my distaste for the genre as a whole, I came across a rather catchy ska song a few years ago. The band is Fishbone and the song is “Party at Ground Zero.” This song, to quote Marvin Berry from Back to the Future, “really cooks.” It kicks off with double-time shuffle ska groove. The musicianship of the band members really shows, as the trumpet player and guitarist play some ripping solos. Vocally, the song is powerful, as the is a commentary on the Cold War.
The video is worth checking out for the band’s costumes/face paint alone. It also makes an interesting use of newspaper headlines and pictures of political leaders, making them do goofy things reminiscent of Mony Python animation.
Fishbone – Party at Ground Zero
