Local Reviews: The Skaficionados

The Skaficionados
They’re Trying to Kill Us!
Self-Released
Street: 05.24
The Skaficionados = Streetlight Manifesto + Mustard Plug + Catch 22
In the great tradition of affixing “ska” to the front of already existing words (Skalloween, Skanksgiving, Skanukkah, Skarbor Day), The Skaficionados keep third-wave ska alive in a world that just doesn’t give a crap. That isn’t to say that this is bad third-wave ska—we just don’t need more of it. “I Want a Skank” opens the album up with some clever wordplay (or at least it’s clever if you’re a ska kid) and there’s some typically goofy teenage ska stuff (“Inevitable Robot Apocalypse”), but these young’ns stick a little too closely to the Tomas Kalnoky playbook. I like Keasbey Nights  as much as the next ska dork, but The Skaficionados would do well to expand their sound. Ska bands don’t even have to go strictly traditional to stand out from the third wave zombies (look at Bomb the Music Industry! or RX Bandits), but you’ve gotta stand out. Come on Skaficionados. I know you’ve got the chops to do it—ride the fourth wave.