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 - Released by Moon Ska Records on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Toasters: 30th Anniversary
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Cherry Red Records on 9 Oct 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
History Book 1987 - 1998
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Sound System - Moon Ska Records on 1 Jan 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skaboom!
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records on 1 Jun 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
2Tone Army
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records on 1 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christma-ska
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records on 19 Dec 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New York Fever
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Moon Ska Records on 1 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dub 56 (2CD)
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records on 23 Aug 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dub 56
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Moon Ska Records on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pool Shark
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Cherry Red Records on 1 Jan 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Enemy Of The System
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Asian Man - Grover - Radiola - Moon Ska Brasil on 1 Jan 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
One More Bullet
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records on 1 Jan 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live In London
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Moon Ska Records on 1 Jan 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Gun For Hire
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Moon Ska Records on 1 Jan 1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In Retrospect
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records - Stomp Records on 21 Oct 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skaboom!
Reggae - Released by KP&P - Celluloid N.Y on 1 Jan 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live At Supernova Ska Fest
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by SUPERNOVA records on 29 Dec 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
MEN IN UNDERWEAR (Live at Mad Butcher)
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Black Butcher Records on 17 Nov 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You're Gonna Pay
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Megalith Records on 1 Jan 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
En Caracas
Ska & Rocksteady - Released by Radio Pirata Records on 1 Jan 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live In Brazil
Punk / New Wave - Released by Megalith Records on 1 Jan 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo