The Toasters
One of the most important American ska bands, the Toasters did much to popularize the genre on the underground scene in the mid- to late '80s, laying the groundwork for later third wave bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and ska's subsequent explosion in popularity in the mid- to late '90s.
British expatriate Rob "Bucket" Hingley formed the Toasters in New York City in 1981 after discovering that the 2 Tone ska he loved had made virtually no inroads into the American music scene. He gathered several employees at the comic book store he managed to form the Toasters' first incarnation, releasing their first single, "Beat Up," in 1983. Hingley also formed his own label, Moon Ska Records, to counteract skepticism from major labels that ska would ever prove popular in the U.S.; Moon Ska has since grown into the largest independent ska label in the country.
A demo EP, Recriminations, was released in 1985 and produced by Joe Jackson, the first of several collaborations; two years later, the Toasters issued their first full-length American album, Skaboom, for Celluloid. Thrill Me Up (1988) and This Gun for Hire (1990) helped consolidate the band's following, as the New York ska scene and Moon Ska's artist roster mushroomed behind them. The Toasters' lineup continued to shift through the '90s, eventually leaving guitarist/vocalist Hingley the only original member; some of the musicians remaining fairly steady in their '90s lineups included bassist Matt Malles, saxophonist Freddie Reiter, trumpeter Brian Sledge, trombonists Rick "Chunk" Faulkner and Erick "E-Man" Storckman, keyboardist Dave Barry, drummer Johnnathan McCain, and vocalist Coolie Ranx, as well as frequent guest appearances from saxophonist Lester "Ska" Sterling.
In addition to Hingley's activities with Moon Ska, the Toasters continued to release albums throughout the decade, including New York Fever (1992), Dub 56 (1994), Hard Band for Dead (1996), and D.L.T.B.G.Y.D. (1997). The Toasters soldiered on in the new millennium with 2002's Enemy of the System; the 2003 compilation In Retrospect: The Best of the Toasters; and 2007's One More Bullet, released in celebration of the band's 25th anniversary. When not in the studio, Hingley and his ever-evolving Toasters lineup can be found touring the U.S., Europe, and other ska-hungry corners of the globe.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
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Hard Band For Dead
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Moon Ska Records am 01.01.1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Toasters: 30th Anniversary
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Cherry Red Records am 09.10.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
History Book 1987 - 1998
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Sound System - Moon Ska Records am 01.01.1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skaboom!
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 01.06.1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
2Tone Army
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 01.01.1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christma-ska
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 19.12.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New York Fever
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Moon Ska Records am 01.01.1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dub 56 (2CD)
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 23.08.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dub 56
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Moon Ska Records am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pool Shark
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Cherry Red Records am 01.01.1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Enemy Of The System
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Asian Man - Grover - Radiola - Moon Ska Brasil am 01.01.2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One More Bullet
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 01.01.2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live In London
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Moon Ska Records am 01.01.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Gun For Hire
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Moon Ska Records am 01.01.1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In Retrospect
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records - Stomp Records am 21.10.2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At Supernova Ska Fest
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei SUPERNOVA records am 29.12.2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skaboom!
Reggae - Erschienen bei KP&P - Celluloid N.Y am 01.01.1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You're Gonna Pay
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 01.01.2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MEN IN UNDERWEAR (Live at Mad Butcher)
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Black Butcher Records am 17.11.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
En Caracas
Ska & Rocksteady - Erschienen bei Radio Pirata Records am 01.01.2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live In Brazil
Punk – New Wave - Erschienen bei Megalith Records am 01.01.2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo