The Strikers - No Reason 7" (1981)

It's pretty hard to find a good copy of this record. It's a 7" but the cover is longer than it should be. My copy doesn't have a cover and the seller was honest enough to tell me that the record is warped and in terrible condition before I bought it. He was right - the record is trashed but I got it cheap so I at least know what it sounds like. This image is from Discogs. It's the only image I've ever seen of the cover.

The first song "No Reason" is so good that I am still looking for a decent copy just so I can hear it in better quality. I'm not into high quality sounds as you can tell from so many past offerings, but this rip really is pretty bad. The song "Knock it Down" is the worst. It's very crackly and skips in a couple of places but the song was released on a compilation from 1981 called Test Patterns that featured bands from St. Louis, Missouri (so we can guess that's where this band is from...) and I have included a CD version of the full album that includes another song by The Strikers called "Kick Around". It's not a ska song but there is a nice ska tune called  "Love 'N' Skank" by a band called The Felons.

The Strikers - No Reason 7" (1981)
A1 - No Reason
A2 - Original Crowd
B1 - Knock it Down
B2 - Running on Air

va Test Patterns (1981)

1 The Felons - Love 'N' Skank
2 Zanti Misfits - Holier Than Thou
3 Trained Animal - U.R.A. Girl
4 The Mopeds - Woe is Me
5 Oozkicks - Unknown
6 Swift Kick - Crushin' Russian Girl
7 The Strikers - Kick Around
8 Oozkicks - I'm so Young
9 Swift Kick - Unpredictable
10 The Mopeds - She's a Mongrel
11 The Strikers - Knock it Down
12 The Felons - Dancing School
13 Zanti Misfits - Bachelor's Friend
14 Trained Animal - When You Dance With Me


DOWNLOAD THE STRIKERS 7" AND "TEST PATTERNS"

The Internationalists - Let the Pressure Start (1986)

This is a British punk-reggae band who released this album in 1983. It was re-released in the UK in 1986 and again in France in 1988. The original 1983 release had a different cover...

...and the track listing was a different order.
This is the French version:

1 Kicking on the Wrong Door
2 Every Fifth Man is Guilty
3 Breaking Your Heart
4 Tighten Up
5 Solidarity
6 Gun Runner
7 Let the Pressure Start
8 Tooth and Nail
9 Lay the Foundation

"Kicking on the Wrong Door"


"Solidarity"


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va Beat of the Street (1989)

There's a record store in Southern California called Dr. Strange Records that I have mined many gems from over the years. Many years back I came across this record in the back room (where all the good stuff is) but it had a price tag of $30.00 so I put it off for a few years. It has a rare song by The Loafers which was later featured on Skarities in 1990. I eventually stumbled across a copy for $2.00. This is that copy.

The Instigators are an amazing punk band from Dewsbury, England not to be confused with the ska/punk band from Auckland, NZ that I previously featured HERE.



There are only two records in this series and I have included a Frankensteined version of the first record which I know aren't the original versions but it's still good stuff.


A1 -  The Crack - My World
A2 - The Instigators - Cry Freedom
B1 - The Loafers - Feelings Right
B2 - Frantic Flintstones - Honey Maker

DOWNLOAD a vinyl rip of vol.2 (pictured) with an inaccurate version of vol.1


*Incidentally there was an American band also called the Instigators who only put out one single in 1985 and I absolutely love it. It's campy new wave with naive lyrics but it's brilliant. We Don't Know What We Want.

Instigators [Auckland, New Zealand]

Instigators - double A side (1981)
This Side - Not Really Bad
That Side - In Line

Instigators - Hope She's Alright 7" (1982)
A - Hope She's Alright
B1 - No Problems
B2 - No Problems (dub)


This download also includes their version of Israelites from the Goat's Milk Soap compilation.


DOWNLOAD

va Alive! Rock City (1980)

Compilation of live recordings from some lesser known California bands including the only recordings that I know of the ska band Two Tones and a reggae song by Ace & the Eights who did release a single which was not ska. I do have it and I wanted to post it when I posted this LP but I can't find it right now. I'll update the link at some point.

1 Lifers - Missing Person
2 Two Tones - Reggae Woman

3 Two Tones - Random Riff
4 Elements of Style - Oh Bob
5 Elements of Style - Sacred Objects
6 JJ10 - Factory Limits
7 Impostors - Trouble
8 Impostors - Leave Me Alone
9 Ultrasheen - Super Bad
10 Ultrasheen - Danceannette
11 Dickheads - (S)he Love You
12 Ace & the Eights - Dead End
13 Ace & the Eights - Touch of Style



DOWNLOAD

va Stonehenge 7" compilation (1987)

A1 - Culture Shock - Stonehenge
A2 - Rhythmites - We Don't Want
B1 - Military Surplus - Time of the Dispossessed
B2 - Hippy Slags - Sunlight on the Truncheons

 "Rhythmites - We Don't Want"
   

"Military Surplus - Time of the Dispossessed"
 


DOWNLOAD

Gruff - Gruff 7" (1993)

Hardcore band from Maryland that occasionally played some ska.

A1 - Trials and Tribulations
A2 - Da Grind
B1 - Judgement Day
B2 - Let Downs

"Let Downs"



DOWNLOAD

NRC - Sally's All Alone 7" (1980)

The NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) from Tennessee released a full length in 1980 called Reactor as well as this, and another single. This is their only ska influenced release.

A - Sally's All Alone (After the End)
B1 - Disposable Sponges
B2 - Lazy Boys

"Sally's All Alone"

DOWNLOAD




...oh, what the hell...HERE's The LP (I don't have the other single...)

Sam The Butcher - No Time 7" (1994)

Punk record with ska influences.

A1 - Tension
A2 - No Time
B1 - Circles
B2 - Sis Boy


DOWNLOAD

Drowned Hampster - The P is for Political (1983)

Canadian punk band that sounds like they have an appreciation for early Circle Jerks and JFA. Only a couple 'ska' songs on this one but it's an all-around good record.

1 Politix
2 Joe Businessman
3 I Don't Wanna Dance
4 Zero Option
5 Benny
6 Surf Punks
7 Fight Back
8 Frat Guys
9 Phone Pigs
10 3 Hours with D.D.
11 D.A.Y.

"Joe Businessman"
"Fight Back"

ZIPPY -or- BEAST