Trash Radio Manila Episode 17 Part 1: This is Bahsten

It's time for some Boston loving here on Trash Radio Manila. It does not take to be a Boston Celtic fan to appreciate our spanking new playlist, which consists of songs from some of the finest acts to have come out of Boston. So, are you ready? Here goes:

1. THE DUCKY BOYS - "Boston, USA"
2. DROPKICK MURPHYS - "Regular Guy"
3. THE KINGS OF NUTHIN' - "Another Year"
4. DARKBUSTER - "Happy Days"
5. SKAVOOVIE and the EPITONES - "Aquaman"
6. THE AMAZING ROYAL CROWNS - "King of the Joint"
7. MISSION OF BURMA - "This is not a Photograph"
8. THE PROLETARIAT - "Voodoo Economics"

(Just to make it clear, we're not fans of the Celtics, or the Lakers for that matter. Truth is, we don't even follow the NBA series. :D)

From the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston come the street punk band The Ducky Boys. Listing Bruce Springsteen, Social Distortion, Rancid, The Clash, and The Replacements as their inspirations, The Ducky Boys were formed in 1995 and initially did covers of Guns n' Roses and Nirvana. They went on to create their early compositions such as "Pride" and "White Slum". The rest of history can be read over at their official site and in their MySpace account. These guys still play on an erratic basis.

Sharing a somewhat parallel history with The Ducky Boys is Dropkick Murphys, formed in Quincy, Boston, Massachusetts in 1996. Dropkick Murphys' music has been described as that rooted in both punk and Celtic music: one can actually see some members play the mandolin, accordion, bagpipes even. After some line-up incarnations, the Dropkick Murphys remain as active and hard-working as ever, presently touring the US, Europe, Australia and Japan. You can check out their MySpace account here.

The Kings of Nuthin' derive inspiration from both punk, 50s rock and roll, and swing and big band music. Their gigs have consistently been described as energetic, frentic ... and rowdy! Formed in the late 90s, The Kings of Nuthin' have 3 full-length albums to date. Read about them in their MySpace account.

Darkbuster was formed in 1996, initially building up a following at the South Shore area. They gained greater renown in the Boston scene after the release of their debut album in 2000. In reference to the band's penchant for short and catchy tunes, Darkbuster is said to embody "...the concept that "brevity is the soul of wit"". The band is said to be working on their follow-up to their album A Weakness For Spirits.

Formed in Newton, Massachusetts in 1994, Skavoovie and The Epitones scored a deal with Moon Ska records when they were still in high school and had just won a Boston Music Award for Outstanding Ska Band. Their quirky song "Aquaman" comes from their sophomore effort, Ripe.

The rockabilly band The Amazing Royal Crowns are originally from Rhode Island but gained popularity in the Boston underground scene. They became popular enough to merit the attention of Royal Crown Review, who were said to have threatened the band with legal action unless the word "Crown" be dropped from the name. Their song "King of The Joint" is up on the playlist.

Mission of Burma has been around for quite some time. They were formed in 1979 from the remnants of the bands Moving Parts and The Molls. Mission Of Burma is often cited as an influence by the bands that were to gain popularity in the 1990s like R.E.M., The Pixies, Nirvana, and Sonic Youth. Though they disbanded in 1983, Mission of Burma reformed in 2002, are presently touring, and are said to be planning to record a new album this year. Take a look at their MySpace account here.

The Proletariat was formed in the early 80s in Southeastern Massachusetts and derived inspiration from a good number of UK bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks, The Clash, and The Jam. The band had played to mostly hardcore crowd alongside Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Misfits, Mission of Burma, Stiff Little Fingers, and Angry Samoans, to name a few. Capping the list is a tune called "Voodoo Economics."

For high bitrate version of this segment, click here.

It's the start of another week, people. The past weekend has been quite a bummer. So much for having an unwelcome visitor named Frank. Hope you guys are safe and dry.

Photo credits go to the bands' respective sites.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 13 Part 2: Esoteriska

Yes. We're still doing Episode 13 :">

Part 2 goes out to a friend who visited the house last week. Initially professing that he abhorred ska and reggae, he somehow modified his statement after discovering The Specials featured extensively in a recent issue of a popular UK magazine. "Ok," he says, in essence, with renewed conviction. "Actually, I like traditional and two-tone ska; I just couldn't dig the so-called third wave ska sound. Reggae? Maybe I'm just sick of the usual Marley stuff." (For this statement, I could not quite blame the guy. I know a lot of people who, after listening to just a couple of Bob Marley tunes, pass themselves off as reggae connoisseurs. But I digress.) And yes, he hates DOT reggae twice as much. Go figure.

We do hope he doesn't end up hating the playlist that we have prepared for him. I mean, you have here Hepcat, ska legends in their own right, as well as St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review, a ska band off the Russian Federation which can swing and skank at the same time. Oh yeah, this friend of ours admits to liking Lily Allen, so we have also included a song from this talented artist. He might as well find the Skoidats and Skavoovie delightful as well. And how about the collective known as BOTAR? At any rate, if you have not heard of these guys yet, then check out this playlist:

1. HEPCAT - "I Can't Wait"
2. ST. PETERSBURG SKA-JAZZ REVIEW - "Old Devil Moon"
3. LILY ALLEN - "Friday Night"
4. SKOIDATS - "Still Standing"
5. SKAVOOVIE and the EPITONES - "The Coffee Connection"
6. BANDITS OF THE ACOUSTIC REVOLUTION (BOTAR) - "It's A Wonderful Life"

High bitrate playlist can be downloaded here.

We're entering into another (busy) week. Do stay with us for more playlists, as well as a write-up on a local artist. Have a great week ahead.

Photos of Hepcat, St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review, Lily Allen, and Skavoovie all come from their respective sites, links which are provided above.