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In response to an earlier discussion about "spreading the word", I've created a few odds and ends such as the printable flyers and citations. I also thought it would be nice if SKA Summit members had access to a code to add an "interactive flyer" to their profiles, blogs, websites, emails, etc. So here it is... http://skaspot.com/flyer. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to post this "interactive flyer" anywhere and everywhere to help build this community. Who knows, maybe our propaganda will help spread "SKAmmunism" all over the web!

When you post the flyer somewhere, report back and respond to this discussion with the URL. Be sure to do this in a "Non-Spammatory" way. Also, if you have any other ideas as to how we can attract more prospective members to SKA Summit, please respond to this discussion with them.

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That's the best ska-ing of a word ever.
Ok, it is slam dunk, me too, bleeping best ska-ing of a word yet. Way to go Andy, and thanks for the ska ammo and tools. ok gang, lets get to work and take our skaspot universe up a level or two higher, lets do our music friends out there a favor and bring them on board. We can only get better if we work together. Our mission? to get Ska to the point where it is no longer consider a "sub-genre" but instead, accepted world wide as it's own true GENRE with a more colorful history than many other genres. No longer will we have to look under reggae, punk, alternative, etc. to find our ska music. Sorry - I am ranting again ..........
ah the sorrow of music fan in a somewhat obscure and unpopular genre
if only ska were as big as emo
at least the world would be a happier place

i like how you rally the rudies there lol
Dig it Spin, you are 16, right? I am 61 for real and it is extremely cool that we two see eye to eye on many of these ska related discussions. You are right my friend, ska is powerful and it's such a healthy, fun and harmless passion to pursue and express yourself with.......most ska just makes me happy, makes my feet tap, my head bobs, I smile, I am alive......... you said it. if ska was the most popular music on this globe, this would truly be the happy planet.
You know, just because a genre is considered 'depressing' doesn't mean it doesn't bring joy to it's listeners...

But I definitely wouldn't say ska is unpopular, Spin. There are still traces of ska in the American mainstream. Bands from Hepcat and The Slackers to Reel Big Fish and The BossToneS still sell out shows in big venues. There are major all-ska festivals in Las Vegas, Chigaco, New York, and more. The Mexican ska-core scene is becoming an underground sensation. Ska is still mainstream in Japan. And don't even get me started on the amount of bands that come out of Europe.

More and more people are getting keen to what Ska is. The real problem is teaching them what Ska ISN'T, whether that be the mediocre local 'punk-with-horns' band or just really vague characterizations of Ska, i.e. Sublime or '97-era No Doubt.

I, myself, will not be posting flyers what since I'm grotesquely lazy, but I wish luck to everyone else.
Skibz,
me again, (you're thinkin, now what?)

How do you get that "Ska" is depressing, please explain how you get to that feeling. when I listen to 85 % of the ska out there available to be heard it doesn't depress me or the others I see at ska show. They look pretty far from drepressed. Try as hard as I can, I just can't make Ska depressing to my ears and feet. Some times there is a heavy message in a ska song, but that is the same with almost every genre.

I don't want to be a jerk here, I really want to understand, you write and express yourself well, and, like myself, you use self depreciating humor when doing so. I can relate and I dig that you feel comfortable with your opinions enough to say what you think and feel. That is what this site is for, to show and tell about everything ska..............so tell me, what is it about ska that depresses you or why do you think the genre is considered depressing? And thanks for calling it a genre and not a sub-genre.

Is it the scene that is depressing or is it the music? We know that parts of the "Scene" may depress folks who have a "fixed" perception of what the "scene" should look like but surely it can't be the music.

I agree with you about the real problem is the confusion over what ska is and what ska is not.

Didn't think we'd see you out flyering but I do think you might want to come out and watch some of us try to flyer and cite patrons at ska show around the planet. Come on, should be funny as hell. Take photos. I will be very happy if I don't get punched out, most likely by my wife how won't be so impressed as I try and cite every every cute rude girl in the crowd or the ones that are the most fun to watch. But I am going to ska show this week and next and will be giving out skaspot live flyers and buttons as well as www.skaspot.com flyers and citation with each button I give out.

Oh yeah, it will get old after a while but we can all do it in spurts.........do it when you feel it and you feel it stronger when u get some pals to join in. If we can get hundreds and thousands of members on this site it can be translated into power for the good side of the ska force - meaning influence on labels, booking agents, ska venues, ska bands, more coordinated festivals and tours, more ska in more places and so on. Most of all - influence on the programing of major radio and tv networks - if ska gets played alot more on mainstream radio - our ska community musicians will sell tons more product, make a hell of a lot more income from live performances and the merchandising possibilities go thru the roof. Imagine, your buddy who plays guitar or whatever in good regional ska band able to afford his own home and support his family. What a concept

cheers
DC

That is what I want to see. I am willing to put up the the BS and crap that comes from major success (the under ground no longer considers you to be cool, tuff tutties - undergound fans abandon you anyway the second anything new shows up) What really matters is elevating the level of musicianship and craft what is put into the music making process and that those in the process can make a decent living as opposed to it being the expensive hobby that it is in reality for most of us who love and work in the the genre.
Um...I was referring to Spin's (and other people's) usual comments that 'emo' and other genres of the like are 'depressing' and not 'fun', as ska is portrayed to be....I've read several comments on this board that emos, punks, goths, etc. are considered angry and/or sad people, in direct contrast to the fun, happy, care-free 'rude boy'. But while ska is pretty much happy on the outside, just because some of you find another genre 'depressing' and/or 'not as fun as ska', doesn't mean it brings it own type of joy to it's listener. Ska's not the only "happy genre".

...although, when you think about it, most ska punk bands DO tend to write a lot of downer songs: Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Streetlight...but that's a whole other topic.
you are probably right about the bands you mentioned, I have no valid comment because, embarssenly, I am not really familiar with those bands yet so i haven't heard their whole catalog.
I am guilty of not hearing much of the punk ska stuff thats out there. Imagine I will hear it at some point but i don't go looking for it. But if these bands come to town, I'd be tempted big time to want to go catch their show because of all the chatter I hear bout them.

And, please, either you or Spin, clue me in, what is "Emo"? i only recently have seen it refered to and no body in the biz I work closely with has mentioned it, not that I have asked around. I recently saw a reference to it in the local press but that's it.
Goth, I recognize, punk, reggae,rock, pop, gospel, country, classical, opera, jazz, folk, world, I recognize all that when I hear it, Emo? short for "emotional" - maybe?

Sorry, I am so clueless about some of this stuff. Other things, I might even qualify as an expert but somethings..........yep, totally clueless
dan
Hooray! Finally I can delve into the subject without just bringing it up out of the blue!

'Emo' actually stands for 'Emotive Hardcore', but it means a number of different things to different people. It was a movement that sprung out of hardcore punk in the late '80s...it was basically hardcore, but with a bit more emphasis on melody and stronger, more emotional lyrics (hence the name). Such bands would include Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty, and arguably Fugazi and Husker Du.
In the 90s, it went through a grunge/alternative rock makeover which resulted in bands such as The Promise Ring, The Get Up Kids, Braid, Jimmy Eat World and Weezer (first two albums).

However, nowadays it's a derogatory term used to describe this generation of "Radio Punk": My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, etc., etc. However, that music has little to no resemblence to actual emo, and is mainly just described as so because it's considered whiny, depressing, and self-loathing....i.e. "emo".

It's a term that's always bothered me, as I am HUGE into both 80s punk and obsessive categorization. I always wanted to correct some of the folk here who throw around that term, but I was waiting for the right moment.
what does it matter if a person doesnt truly understand ska or what "ISNT ska"
the general motivation behind widening our scene and this site isnt about power or mainstream-iocity...err whatever
to me its about spreading joy and happiness who the fuck cares what you call it as long as they enjoy it (it being ska,poser ska, or retarted 14 year old kids running around and screaming at shows dressed head to toe in checkerd clothing) why label everything with such ferocity and zealotry
if you were to ask 100 strangers what ska was i would say about 70% would not know
thus making ska "unpopular" in the eyes of the average bear
but in comparison to kazakstanian folk music ska is pretty popular so i kind get where you are coming from
Eh? I'm not against mass "fun"-spreading, what I meant by informing people what ska ISN'T is because the media-fueled general public has a very vague perception of what ska really is. Most people, unaware of the existence of bands from The Skatalites to Reel Big Fish, aren't sure what ska really is. Some people describe every No Doubt album since 'Tragic Kingdom' ska. Some people think Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is ska. I've actually heard someone say that they don't like ska because "it's too close to emo". Lots of people don't quite grasp the concept of the word 'ska', so hopefully websites like this one can educate, as well as entertain.

Plus, I would imagine that ska fans such as ourselves might get miffed when bands like 311 or River City Rebels are labeled as 'ska' by the media, just as I imagine punk rockers are miffed when bands such as Fall Out Boy are labeled as 'punk' by the same media.

As far as ska's popularity goes, I guess it really depends on where you live. Since I'm from Orange County, if I were to ask around, about 70% of folk WOULD know what it is. Hell, I've seen people walking around wearing shirts from The Specials, Skankin' Pickle....even The Hippos and Mu330. It's pretty big down here, at least.

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