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The Toasters

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The Toasters
The Toasters playing at LabaDaba Festival, August 2013
The Toasters playing at LabaDaba Festival, August 2013
Background information
OriginNew York City, New York, United States
GenresSka
Years active1981–present
LabelsMegalith, Moon Ska Records, Moon Ska World
MembersRobert "Bucket" Hingley
Tom White
Rob LaFalce
Jon Degen
Logan LaBarbera
Thaddeus Merritt
Websitethetoasters.band

The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records.

History

Englishman Robert "Bucket" Hingley relocated to New York City in 1980, where he managed that city's Forbidden Planet comic book store location, and formed The Toasters in 1981 after seeing The Beat perform at the Roseland Ballroom.[1][2][3] The group's first live show was supporting Bad Brains at A7 in 1981.[4] One of the original third-wave ska bands, the early lineup of the band included other employees of the store.[5][6][7] The group self-released their first single, Beat Up, in 1983.[6] They recorded their Joe Jackson-produced debut EP, Recriminations, in 1985 and after failing to find a label to release it, Hingley formed his own Moon Ska Records label.[8][9][10] The group collaborated further with Jackson, whom Hingley had known since 1978 and who appeared under the pseudonym Stanley Turpentine, on later albums and in live shows.[11][12] The group expanded with the addition of a brass section, and their first full-length album, Skaboom!, was released in 1987.[3][6][10]

The Toasters (Hingley, foreground) on stage in 2008

Hingley has been the only constant member in the band.[6][13] While the band's lineup has seen many changes, regular contributors included Coolie Ranx (vocals), Matt Malles (bass), Dave Barry (keyboards), Johnnathan McCain (drums), Freddie Reiter (saxophone), Brian Sledge (trumpet), and Rick "Chunk" Faulkner and Erick "E-Man" Storckman (both trombone).[6] Veteran Jamaican saxophonist Lester Sterling also made several guest appearances.[6] Deejay Andrew "Jack Ruby Jr." Lindo, son of Jamaican producer Jack Ruby was also a long-time member.[14][15] Reiter joined after playing in The New York Citizens, who had supported The Toasters on tour.[16] Trombonist Buford O'Sullivan joined around 2000 after leaving The Scofflaws.[17] Faulkner and Reiter went on to form the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble.[18]

Members of the Toasters performed on King Django's 1998 album Roots and Culture.[19]

The Toasters blend ska with pop music, rap, R&B, and calypso.[12][20] Their mixed-race lineup has seen them break through with both black and white audiences in the US.[15]

The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the popularity of third wave ska in North America. Their song "Two-Tone Army" is also the theme song for the Nickelodeon show KaBlam! (performed by the 'Moon Ska Stompers' - members of the Toasters and friends) plus "Skaternity" was used for the end credits during most of season 1 and "Everything You Said Has Been A Lie" was used for the end credits during its 2-4 seasons. [5] and they recorded background music in many TV commercials, including for America Online and Coca-Cola. Their song "Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down" appeared in the pilot episode of the animated series Mission Hill.[5] In 1998 they were part of the 'Ska Against Racism' tour, along with The Blue Meanies, Five Iron Frenzy, and Less Than Jake.[15] Moon Ska Records collapsed, and since 2004 Hingley has been based in Valencia, Spain; He started the Megalith label which has since been the band's home.[4][9][21][22] They still perform around the world, and in 2007 they celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a new studio album, One More Bullet.[5][6] In 2011 they undertook a 30th anniversary world tour.[3][4]

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Year Album
1987 Skaboom!
1988 Thrill Me Up
1990 This Gun for Hire
1992 New York Fever
1994 Dub 56
1996 Hard Band for Dead
1997 Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down
2002 Enemy of the System
2007 One More Bullet

Compilations

Live albums

EPs

  • Recriminations (1985), Moon Ska
  • The East-Side Beat EP (1987), Moon Ska
  • Live In Sao Paulo Brazil (2002), Grover

Singles

  • Beat Up: "The Beat"/"Brixton Beat" (1984), Moon Ska
  • "Don't Say Forever" (1990), Pork Pie
  • "Chuck Berry"/"Maxwell Smart" (1995), Moon Ska
  • "Dub 56" (1995), Stubborn
  • "Dog Eat Dog" (2000), Grover
  • "You're Gonna Pay!" (2006), Megalith
  • "House Of Soul" (2013), Megalith
Split singles

Members

Past members

Template:Multicol-start

  • Jon Degen: saxophone
  • Carlos "Charlos" Menezes: saxophone & trombone
  • Robbie "Fancy" LaFalce: Drums
  • Steve "the Basement" Russo: drums
  • Chappman "Choppah" Sowash: trombone
  • Thaddeus Merritt: bass
  • Jesse Hayes: drums
  • Arjen "Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation" Bijleveld: trombone
  • Neil "Lonestar" Johnson: saxophone
  • Jason "Jah-Son" Nwagbaraocha - bass, vocals
  • Dan "Duckie" Garrido - drums
  • Jeff Richey - saxophone (alto and baritone)
  • Mike "Philly" Armstrong - tenor saxophone
  • Lionel Bernard - vocals
  • Adam "Prince Beaver" Birch - trombone, trumpet
  • Tim Champeau - trumpet
  • John "Skoidat Sr." Chapman - saxophone
  • Mark Darini - bass
  • Sean Dinsmore - vocals
  • Brian Emrich - bass
  • Gary Eye - percussion (original member)
  • Rick "Chunk" Faulkner - trombone
  • Paul "Spondoulix" Gephardt - alto saxophone
  • Donald "The Kid" Guillaume - drums
  • Gregory D Grinnell - trumpet (1985–1988), bass (1988–1990)
  • Ann Hellandsjo - trombone
  • Steve Hex - keyboards (founding member)
  • Scott Jarvis - drums (founding member)
  • Dan Jesselsohn - bass
  • Neil Johnson - saxophones
  • Danny Johnson - drums
  • Tim Karns - bass
  • Ivan Katz - drums
  • Matt Malles - bass

Template:Multicol-break

  • Johnnathan "JMac" McCain - drums
  • Kashu (Cashew) Miles - vocals
  • Andrew "Jack Ruby Jr." Lindo - vocals
  • Fred "Rock Steady Freddie" Reiter - saxophone
  • Ron Ragona - guitar, vocals
  • Marcel Reginato - alto saxophone
  • Nilda Richards - trombone
  • Mo Roberts - drums
  • Vicky Rose - bass, vocals (founding member)
  • Jim Seely - trumpet
  • Brian Sledge - trumpet, vocals
  • Erick E. "E-Man" Storckman - trombone
  • Obi-Ajula "Coolie Ranx" Ugbomah - vocals
  • Big Steve Carroll - vocals
  • Dave Waldo - keyboards, vocals
  • Pablo D. "The Professor" Wright - vocals
  • Chris Rhodes - trombone
  • Ozzy "The Wiz" Cardona - trumpet (1988-1990)
  • Larry "Ace" Snell - drums
  • Anthony Vito - drums

Template:Multicol-end

Notes

  1. ^ Smallwood 1993.
  2. ^ Augustyn 2010, p. 176.
  3. ^ a b c Guillot 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Fernandes 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d Travis & Hardy 2012, p. 95.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Huey.
  7. ^ Partridge 2005, p. 8.
  8. ^ Augustyn 2010, p. 177.
  9. ^ a b Budjinski 2004.
  10. ^ a b Greene.
  11. ^ Hainer 1988.
  12. ^ a b Houlton 1989, p. 16.
  13. ^ Augustyn 2010, p. 179.
  14. ^ Nickson (February 1998).
  15. ^ a b c Nickson (July 1998).
  16. ^ Augustyn 2010, p. 188.
  17. ^ Augustyn 2010, p. 181.
  18. ^ Augustyn 2010, p. 190.
  19. ^ Rogovoy 2000, p. 142.
  20. ^ Nickson (March 1998).
  21. ^ Anderson.
  22. ^ Iwasaki 2006.

References

  • Anderson, Rick. "Enemy of the System Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Augustyn, Heather (2010). Ska: An Oral History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co Inc. ISBN 978-0786460403. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Budjinski, Jason (September 15, 2004). "The Toasters". Riverfront Times. St. Louis, Missouri. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite news}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Fernandes, Matt (February 16, 2011). "Q&A: Toasters celebrate 30 years of skankin' at Firebird Friday". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite news}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Greene, Jo-Ann. "Skaboom! Review". Allmusic. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Guillot, Eduardo (December 9, 2011). The Toasters: Tres décadas de ska (in Spanish). Valencia, Spain. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Hainer, Cathy (June 6, 1988). "Hot and Toasty". New York Magazine: 26. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Houlton, Jennifer (September 1989). "The International State of Ska: The Toasters". Spin. New York: 16. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Huey, Steve. "The Toasters". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 October 2011. {{cite web}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Iwasaki, Scott (November 17, 2006). "Toasters on a mission of music". Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved September 7, 2013. {{cite news}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Nickson, Chris (February 1998) "NYC Ska Mob", CMJ New Music Monthly, p. 17. Retrieved September 7, 2013
  • Nickson, Chris (March 1998) "Toasters Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down", CMJ New Music Monthly p. 46. Retrieved September 7, 2013
  • Nickson, Chris (July 1998) "Ska Against Racism", CMJ New Music Monthly pp. 28–29, 77. Retrieved September 7, 2013
  • Partridge, Kenneth (January 20, 2005). "A Hard Band to Keep Down: Rob Hingley, Reformulated Toasters Keep the Beat in Ska's Down Cycle". Hartford Courant. p. 8. {{cite news}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Rogovoy, Seth (2000). The essential klezmer: a music lover's guide to Jewish roots and soul music, from the Old World to the Jazz Age to the downtown avant-garde. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Workman Publishing, Algonguin Books of Chapel Hill. p. 142. ISBN 978-1565122444. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Smallwood, Sue (February 12, 1993). "For Toasters, Ska is Simply Living History". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Virginia. p. 5 ('Preview' section). {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Travis, Tiffini A.; Hardy, Perry (2012). Skinheads: A Guide to an American Subculture. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0313359538. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
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