Top 10 reasons to...

Not! buy a Ska album

#10. The album art consists of almost all Checkers and is not a Specials/2 Tone Album
-Seriously, among the cliches of Ska, checkers is one of the least lame but most over used. I've found new color formations and odd blendings of the old pattern can look cool. But some bands still insist of using a huge border of black and white checks. Its not always bad which is why its at 10. Granted I still own Vans checked slip ons and used it the pattern for the back of my first EP...so..whatever

#9. The album somewhere somehow makes fun of another genre.
- Alot of Ska bands find it funny to make fun of Emo, Metal etc. Its not cool and you're not funny. I hate to tell you as much as some bands playing these genres on MTV and the like may suck you're not exactly chart toppers nor or you the definiton of awesome. Its wasted energy, spend it writing better songs.

#8. Its over 10 bucks
- So your band that has done maybe half a US tour got a CD released by No Name Records and you're ready to rock the ears all over the country. The music is tight and people may be excited to hear it. But there seems to be a problem; the price. 15-18 dollars for your full length is not right. I don't even wanna pay that for a highly polished studio album from Rush or some other well established rock band. Cds don't cost that much to produce! I know you wanna make money and I'd like to support myself to. But the music is more important than alienating fans.

#7. Songs/Album art refrencing things like Rude Boys/Girls
- I sometimes will consider myself "rude" mostly in a more fun/free use of the word. I'm heavy in my scene (or try to be) and the history/idea of the music. But I'm not a 1960's Jamaican Gangster and I may never be an innovator of this awesome Genre and neither are you. You're just some recycled Ska/Punk band. Singing songs about how rude you are is lame and suits can be fun while being cheesy and can make good professional press shots but used in a serious manner to be "rude" in your album art is just as lame.

#6. There is more than one old rock song made Ska Cover
- It is sometimes cool to hear an old classic made new with some upbeat Ska stylings. But more then once on an album is bad, you're taking a risk with one. Its a cheesy ploy

#5. Selling ploys
- "For fans of Reel Big Fish and Less than Jake!" "If you like Ska you'll love this!"
I don't know why but that makes me less willing to buy the album. If you feel the need to make sure I know this is gonna be a Ska record and hope to convince me it is going to be sweet by name dropping, I don't want it.

#4. Way to many songs about Parties
- Song about drinking rarely work oustide of a Pietasters album. Songs about how awesome your party life is hardly ever works. There are only a few times I wanna hear about how awesome you and your social life is.

#3. The band doesn't wanna admit they play Ska
- The ploy doesn't work. For one I don't wanna help you in your goal for capital gain by trying to fool the MTV kids to buy your album nor am I interested in your sad imagination that your bad music will be better if you tell people that you don't really play Ska.

#2. Making sure we know you play Ska
- Songs that talk about Skankin, Ska Shows, being a Ska boy/girl are not good not original. Doing the Dog or singing about Easy skankin worked for a short time in the early years of Ska but I don't wanna hear your cheesy way to fast punk/Ska song about Skankin in the pit.

And NUMBER 1!
Your band name has the word Ska in it
- LAME
Outside of The Skatalites an early/first/great band band names like the Skatomatics or Skascrapers is not a cool name. In fact its really dumb and cheesy. How many mins did it take you to think of that? Try something else if you wanna be taken serious. We know you play Ska by your music your forgettable name doesn't need to tell us as well.