Still Standing CD

This is an amazing document. In fact, outside the posthumous compilation issued by Island from the original Jamaican and British scenes, nothing like this has ever been attempted before, and no one has attempted this on an indie distribution budget. Still Standing is a document born from the ashes of the major-label orgy of cashing in on the ska underground and then cashing out. Assembled by Bucket of the Toasters and Moon Records fame, and Chuck Wren, a diehard who operates Jump-Up Records, this is more than a survey collection, it is an invitation, an exhortation, a line-in-the-sand that ska is a music that will not go away, will not fall dead in the wake of ignorant-assed record execs who are on to the next culturally entropic trend. Here are 86 tracks over four discs that come from bands as well known as the Toasters, Buck-O-Nine, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Mustard Plug, and Let's Go Bowling, to the truly underground Los Cabriolas, Jaya the Cat, the Chinkees, Straighter Than Pete, Victor Rice, Rocksteady at 8, and literally dozens of others. This collection is an assault on the senses and an attack against everything dour, negative, and pompous about music and life. Whether it is the Spanish Bombs' skanking tough on "Café Con Leche," the aural lunatic groove of Skapone's live version of "Good T.V.," the over-the-top remix of the Toasters' cover of "Sitting on Top of the World," or the soulful stomp of the Speakeasies' "Time Will Tell," all of the music on this is compelling, necessary, and full of the fierceness necessary to withstand apathy, trend (un)consciousness, and bad taste. Still Standing is not just a testament to the ska underground's health and presence, but more importantly, that it is possible for an underground to exist and speak for itself in these dark and uncertain times. Mark this sentence: Still Standing will be as important in the future to those who seek to document the underground culture of the times as the Intensified! Original Ska compilations were in theirs. ~ Thom Jurek

This release is a JumpUp! Records and Megalith Records joint effort. Four CD compilation of ska bands currently still working in The scene, some have been around for a long while, some are just joining The game. A total of eighty eight bands were chosen for this release, after listening to close to two hundred or more cds. Those that didn't make it on The CD deserve recognition for putting forth the effort and trying to get their work out There. We thank all who have supported this release and hope to see you still standing years from now!

Liner Note Author: Chuck Wren.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.