Geeky SKAturday: Arcade Allstars

After posting a couple weeks ago that JER's ska rendition of the Ghostbusters theme was a no-brainer inclusion for the nearly random collection of items that make up this blog, I knew that this band would also make an appearance before long.  When considering what angle to take in presenting them, however, I realized that the Canadian band Arcade Allstars are a great match for all that is Monstrous Matters, on multiple fronts:

1.  Just look at that album cover!

I knew there were tabletop gamers in the band after one of the members responded on Reddit to one of my nerdy ska threads (about either the Rudie class or the Agents of SKA...and in which I learned that they refer to their D&D party as the Arcane Allstars 😂), but they really outdid themselves with the cover of their recent album Destined 4 Disaster.  The band members themselves as the miniatures being used in a game by fantasy characters is just...well, basically I hate that I didn't think of it, and now I won't feel like I should use it on the off chance I have an album in need of a cover at some point in the future. 😅

2.  They belong on a gaming soundtrack

I've been meaning to post at some point about ska songs that would make up a nice soundtrack for gaming in the absurd world of the Agents of SKA, where ska bands travel through the timestream preserving its integrity for future (and past) generations.  D4D has a track that definitely belongs in that group:

My assumption is that the title is a reference to the character select screen of a fighting game...and perhaps specifically some edition of Mortal Kombat...

...and it's possible, in fact, that this tune is actually a cover of some well-known video game theme that I'm just not familiar with (as someone who hasn't invested much in video games since 1995 or so).  I'm assuming (there I go again) it's an original, though, and it definitely captures the feel of 1990s video game action.  It would similarly be a great background track for the daring exploits of the Agents of SKA.

3.  Superman makes an appearance

There was a time when songs referencing Superman were a feature on this blog (as much as just about anything could be called a "feature" here)...and the Arcade Allstars have (at least) one as well!  Here's a live rendition of "Blue Collar"...

4.  They've influenced a spell...

...or, as I call them for the Rudie class, a sound.  Filling out the potential repertoire of the sound-wielding adventurers that take part in an Agents of SKA campaign is something that I have unfortunately neglected, even while writing this year about the exact sort of RPG campaign where they would make the most sense.  So...here's one to address that, along with the song it's based on.  (And truly...no disrespect is meant to anyone with mutton chops, 44 years old or otherwise...!)

Mutton Chops

1st-level Sound

Range: Touch

Duration: 24 hours

One creature gains mutton chops and advantage on Charisma checks for the duration of the spell.  The target may attempt a saving throw if they choose; if successful, they only grow one mutton chop, with the side of the face determined randomly.  (If the target creature doesn't have a face, the mutton chops manifest as whatever seems like the closest analog possible for a being of their physical form.)

5.  I'm sure there's more...

Truly, I'm certain there is.  This crew appears to have a solid nerd core (although not to be confused with nerdcore, of course), and based upon the pleasant interaction I've had with their saxophonist Cody on Reddit, it seems that they may also be nice folks to boot.  I'd be surprised if this is the last time the Arcade Allstars come up on this blog...

ChatGPT seems to have opinions about the sort of games I want to play

I've been continuing my experimentation in using AI to code games/game aids by playing around with a character generator for the various threads of gaming that bounce around in my head.  The main games and settings I'd like to establish by the end of the year (fingers crossed but yeah right) are the Monstrous Matters setting, my own little fantasy heartbreaker (and an associated setting...?), and People of Adventure (POA), my take on skirmish gaming using action figures, with rules rooted in the RPG mechanics of the first two.  And then, beyond that, I'd eventually like to have something concrete in place for Agents of SKA, Underground Elemental Beastfighting, and probably 100 more that I wrote about one time and promptly forgot about.  Anyway, as I (use ChatGPT to) build the generator, those first three plus Agents of SKA are the campaigns I've included to form the skeleton to which I can add other settings later.

So, of course, in the midst of making adjustments and returning code to me during our conversation, ChatGPT decided these should be the campaigns I make characters for:

Classic Dungeons

Underworld

Skyward Isles

Vault Raiders

Mutant Frontier

Agents of SKA

Generic Fantasy

Post-Apocalypse

Science Fiction

Wha--?

Now, to be fair, I'm running with three different systems for the characters — 5e, my Monstrous Heartbreaker, and a system neutral option — so I think the really generic choices on there can be chalked up in part to the AI "wanting" campaign names that it finds very appropriate to associate with "5e" and "System Neutral."  Still, though...I truly don't get why chatbots will occasionally change things up like this out of nowhere (it's made a similar call for my species and class choices, as well as the general layout of the generator)...almost as if they think they know better even on matters of opinion, intention, and creativity.

And...well, maybe that's true, as when called out on it, ChatGPT first apologized(!), then went on to say, "That’s the version I included in the code above — these are your intended campaigns, right?"

Oh, okay...trying to tell me something, ChatGPT...?

We did get this little misunderstanding worked out, but it didn't take all that long for it to contribute some campaign options once again, with the choices becoming:

Agents of SKA

Underworld

Epic of Elaria

At this point, I started to wonder if maybe this AI has its own fantasy heartbreaker that it's looking for a chance to bring into being.  I asked it to create a cover for an Epic of Elaria RPG book and got this...

...so I guess it's pretty much generic fantasy, but the elves have one really long ear that they use for...making precise measurements...?

I'll post more here if I find out more about what happens in this Epic, or in any of the other campaigns toward which I'm being guided...

Geeky SKAturday: Some love for Skapara!

For today's Geeky SKAturday, I wanted to look once again at Haruto Suzuki, the first agent known to be a member of the Agents of SKA (Sentinel Khrononaut All-Stars).  He was created/introduced back in February when I tried to highlight how much of an international phenomenon the ska scene is.  And then in March, Haruto got some stats and became the first representative of one of the SKA classes, the Three Minute Hero.

Born in Tokyo in 1981, Haruto has undoubtedly been greatly influenced by the multigenerational champions of Japanese ska, the Tokyo Ska Paradise Ochestra.

Image from TokyTunes

Formed in 1988, the band (often simply called Skapara) have become legendary over their 35+ year history.  They've played on video games, on tokusatsu, and at the Olympics.  Their sound is rooted in ska but influenced by styles from all over the map, and their musicianship is always top-tier.  It just seemed worthwhile to give them a bit of a shout out this week.

This year, they released a "best of" album, but they also continue to drop new singles.  I don't think this week's song of note is previously released, but I could definitely be wrong about that.  And for some reason, the YouTube video seems be blocked from embedding here...BUT, if you'd like to hear the track "Toi Toi," recorded with actor (and singer) Murotsuyoshi (Tsuyoshi Muro), just click here for it...

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I think the track does a pretty good job showing off their technical prowess and skill across genres.  I really wish I could embed it.  And I bet there's a way, and I just don't know it, which bugs me.  The GOOD THING, though, is there's a possibility I like the instrumental version even more (with apologies to Murotsuyoshi), and I CAN embed that one!  I could easily see myself using this in the soundtrack for an Agents of SKA game...

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So...for Haruto Suzuki, I really think I'd like to put together a custom action figure that will let him cross over from my SKA adventures to my POA (People of Adventure)...er, adventures.  I've never ordered from them before (and I think their website could probably be a little easier to navigate), but I'm thinking of grabbing a custom combo from Marauder "Gun-Runners."  This head and body combo looks pretty perfect for Haruto as a Rude Boy.  I can give him a few guns.  And instruments.  And if I can find a 1:18 porkpie hat somewhere, even better!

link

link

Marauder even has some pretty solid G.I. Joe cred after dipping into the Red Shadows faction for their own figures.  I'll definitely post here if I get Haruto put together and skanking...!

Geeky SKAturday: The Pomps' "World Full of Traps"

The Pomps just made their way onto my radar this year as they started releasing songs from their newest record, Partial Eclipse of the Pomps.  They bring a really interesting sound to the scene with this album...it's certainly ska, but with an especially New Wave influence, and even some touches of quirky indie rock. 

I think this was the second song released for Partial Eclipse..., and I really dig it.  I've gone back and listened to a bit of their previous stuff, and man, am I glad to have gotten them into my rotation, even if I am pretty late to the party.

Alright, enough blathering...here's a song with a title that's oh so appropriate for a blog that often discusses old school roleplaying..."World Full of Traps"...

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Now...to really geek out this Skaturday, I'll tie this into the RPG setting of time-traveling, universe-saving ska musicians that is slowly taking shape, Agents of SKA.  Let's talk about traps!  In D&D-style gaming, those are ideally tackled by a Rogue, or...in games old enough or cool enough to use it...a Thief.  I haven't squared away that portion of my own fantasy heartbreaker yet (although I'm pretty sure I'm gonna use a Thief), so I'll just brainstorm here about the Agents of SKA analogue, which I think should probably be the Gangster.

Working on the premise that the classes among the Agents of SKA will operate like Monstrous Heartbreaker classes...and therefore be five levels of an approximation of 5e, but (hopefully) simpler...there are four levels to work with (since 4th is set aside to raise ability scores).  I definitely want to have a backstab/sneak attack type of ability.  That and some of the essential skills of thievery and sneaking around seem like they'll fit both a fantasy Thief and a time-traveling Gangster.  And among the Agents of SKA, everyone is a "spellcaster," in that they all have the ability to harness the spirit of ska songs as they play out out their adventures.  Surely the Gangster shouldn't be a full caster though...half or less...

Eh...if I'm gonna beat midnight, I should quit brainstorming there.  First to come this week though: The Thief for the fantasy heartbreaker...then I'll work from there...

(Hope you're all having an awesome weekend!)

Geeky SKAturday: Hans Gruber and the Die Hards have a cheery message about the passage of time

Hans Gruber and the Die Hards are an Austin, TX, ska-punk band with an excellent name.

Image from Wikipedia

They've been around for more than a decade, but shamefully...shamefully, I say...I've only recently started to give them the attention they deserve.  They are...at various times, and sometimes all at once...frantic, catchy, and undeniably talented.

Ska-punk has a certain reputation among some people due to a heavy association of the genre with a specific sound and attitude exemplified by poppy SoCal outfits like Reel Big Fish in the '90s.  As I've mentioned before here on the blog, I like RBF quite a bit, and their fast, hooky brand of ska is part of what reeled me in to the genre as a whole (sorry about that one)...but I totally get how it's tough to take them too seriously for too long.  Hans Gruber and the Die Hards have some of that same irreverence, but it's accompanied by a different sort of silliness.  One that doesn't seem like it'll wear thin quite as easily.  I think they are, in a way, exactly what the genre needs.

I guess it's kind of hard to explain what I'm trying to say with that...so I'll just let the song speak.  This is a new recording of a song they first played several years ago, recently released on the EP Reboot, a split with the band Sgt. Scag.  I think it fits the time travel theme of these Geeky SKAturdays as a frank reflection on the inevitable end time brings to us all.  Here's "We're All Gonna Die"...

Interestingly, the Die Hards also have a tune on their 2022 album With A Vengeance that reflects on one's association with time, "Time, I Don't Want It Anymore"...

I don't find that one as catchy as "We're All Gonna Die"...but it definitely competes in the nihilistic flair department...

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Now, I'll talk RPGing for a second, so those of you who were just here for the opener, please feel free to head out.  I won't judge!

For those who want to talk gaming: I'm trying to figure out what sort of effects I want time travel to have on the characters in the game.  It stands to reason that moving through freaking time would have some effects on the travelers, eh?  Long term, short term, physical, mental, emotional...the whole range.

The flip side is that I don't necessarily want something that is absolutely central to the game setting (as the Agents of SKA protect the integrity of history by traveling its byways) to be too dangerous for the characters.  Then too much of the game is just rolling to see if you're hurt or killed by something you have to do.

For now, I'm just starting with something simple (maybe it'll need some additions later on)...

If characters travel five or more years through time in either direction, they must make a saving throw to determine if "timeline lag" impacts their abilities.  The difficulty is equal to 10 plus the log₁₀ of the number of years traveled.  (For game purposes, this can be estimated quickly by rounding the number of years traveled to the nearest power of 10 -- 10, 100, 1000, etc. -- and counting the number of zeroes in the result.  So, for example, 8,000 years would round up to 10,000, which has four zeroes.  Therefore, the difficulty of the saving throw would be 10 + 4 = 14.)

If they fail the saving throw, characters have disadvantage on all attacks, checks, and saving throws for one hour after arriving at their new point in time.

In many cases, time travelers do not get a sense that they are impaired until they begin attempting tasks that actually have a reasonable chance of failure.  Thus, referees may choose to make these saving throws in secret, letting players know the result only when their character makes their first roll.

Geeky SKAturday: "Keasbey Nights" live by Catch 22, plus the Keasbey Knight for Agents of SKA

A very pleasant Geeky SKAturday to all of you reading this!  Today's entry will be a little different; rather than focusing on a new release for 2025, I want to share a recent live recording of an old song that I've just uploaded to YouTube.  Skip to the video if you just want the good stuff (although I'll admit that the audio quality, from my phone, isn't the best).  If you're up for reading some background...

First, I will also admit that in the early days of my fascination with ska, I didn't give much attention to the band Catch 22.  As my interest in the genre grew, I largely sought out more traditional bands, and they just never ended up very squarely on my radar.

Image from their Facebook page

It was only after starting grad school (a little later in life than is typical) that I began talking with the youngsters around me about ska and realizing that the band Streetlight Manifesto (formed by some members of Catch 22) is a HUGE player in the ska scene for the generation younger than me.  It took some time, but I finally started giving Streetlight...and eventually Catch 22...enough attention to recognize why they have been such influential forces in ska's Third Wave.

Now...I won't even begin to get into the dynamics between Streetlight Manifesto and Catch 22, both of which are still performing...mostly because I wouldn't be able to write with any knowledge of the subject.  If there was ever any negativity between them, it doesn't seem to be a part of their current narratives, especially considering that multi-instrumentalist (and music teacher/band director) Jamie Egan, after being part of the Catch 22 contingent that formed Streetlight, has since returned to the ranks of the original band (and now shares the stage with his son Connor, which is pretty cool).  The question of the bands' dynamics definitely comes to mind, though, when you consider that guitarist/vocalist Tomas Kalnoky left Catch 22 after one studio album, Keasbey Nights (all songs written by him), then would go on to re-record it with Streetlight Manifesto.

Which brings us to this recording.  I've been lucky over the past couple of years to catch...er, Catch 22 live a couple times.  (I guess I haven't mentioned yet that they're a New Jersey band, so that prospect is a lot easier now that I live up here.)  This recording is from a show they played with the Slackers and Crazy & the Brains on April 11 of this year, at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ.  (You can go here for a video showing a little overview of the evening, including documentation of my skinny ass moving almost in time with the beat.)

Here they are with the title track from Keasbey Nights...

And...because the recording quality there wasn't exactly great, let me also share the band's original studio recording of the song...

I really believe this is one of the classics of modern ska.

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As I fall into way too easily, I've already rambled way more than I intended about today's music, and I still want to talk about how this fits into the RPG adventures of the Agents of SKA, who travel the streams of time to defend the multiverse from evil.  Without hinting at more detail than I'm able to articulate at the moment, I'd like for this song to serve as the basis for one of the setting's character classes: the Keasbey Knight (with thanks going out to whoever it is who has this as a username that I saw online, inspiring its use in the game).  I see the Keasbey Knight as a half caster and the champion of an ideal, much like a Paladin or Ranger.  But...the champion of what?  Well...that'll be based on the lyrics.  So let me share those here (courtesy of LyricFind via Google):

It was the summer of '95 (so what?!),

In the backyard, shaving the old plies.

Feeling so strong, something went wrong.

Straight into my finger, what a stinger, it was so long.

I still remember that day, like the day that I said that I swear,

"I'll never hurt myself again",

But it seems that I'm deemed to be wrong, to be wrong, to be wrong.

So I've got to keep holding on

They always played a slow song.

When they come for me, I'll be sitting at my desk,

With a gun in my hand, wearing a bulletproof vest

Singing "my, my, my, how the time does fly,

When you know you're going to die by the end of the night."

I still remember when we were young and fragile then.

No one gave a shit about us because times were tougher then.

Feeling so good, cruising the hood; straight into the real world,

Rich kids never understood. But I don't care.

I can fade away to anywhere.

Don't stop because you might get dropped

And if you do who's going to pick you up.

Well I won't, they always played a slow song.

So...yeah!  The class is based on that!  Although...well, maybe it goes without saying that there doesn't seem to be universal agreement on exactly what the song is all about.  However...I think we can run with it!  I mean...I'm a Gen Xer, a part of the grunge generation, so I've certainly listened to (and sung) my share of impenetrable lyrics.  There's something different about this experience, though.  Whereas I'm very familiar with the reaction of, "Well, Kurt, I have no idea what you mean there...but you're right, the world is fucked up!"...this song just seems more nostalgic and...dare I say, hopeful...??  (Eh...maybe not that last one...but still...)

Keasbey is a community here in Jersey, by the way.  And I think there's a certain feeling to this song...of the friendships of youth, the necessity of perseverance even in relatively normal circumstances of growing up, and of coming to terms with promises both fulfilled and unfulfilled.

But...I could be full of shit.  Hopefully it'll be a fun class to play, anyway!

Geeky SKAturday: The Modbirds' "Spin it to Win it" (and other odes to vinyl)

In my teen years, I was pretty obsessed with acquiring new music.  If you asked me at the time, I don't think I would have guessed that music access would be so different before I turned 50 years old that I wouldn't even care about having CDs anymore.  (The laser doesn't even touch the disc!  They're gonna last forever!)

As music was a pretty big part of both of our lives, Laura and I had a fairly extensive CD collection that we finally cleared out several years ago.  It was time.  On at least one occasion, we bought a CD at a show so we could support the artist, only to come across it months later still in its wrap.  As a lifelong geek with the spirit of collecting running through my veins (not always a positive thing), I don't need anything extra to feed my tendency to just keep stuff around.

So, with streaming possible for just about any music out there, the only hardcopy music I buy these days is on vinyl.  Because...it's fun!  I still stream more than I listen to physical media, but picking up the occasional record feels like a good way to give musicians a little extra support and have a sort of "souvenir" of stuff I especially like.  And it's a good time to enjoy vinyl...most artists (that I pay attention to, at least) seem to have records on their checklist for major releases these days, often special/limited editions on colorful vinyl.  (Again...it's fun!)

Maybe one day I'll decide enough's enough with that, too, and clear the house of vinyl as well.  But until then...not sure if I've mentioned this...but it's fun!

From the band's Facebook page

Which brings me to today's song for Geeky SKAturday!  The Modbirds are a fairly new band (founded 2023), but they count among their numbers some members of more experienced crews like Los Placebos and Celtic punk rockers The Porters.  I'm pretty sure they're German.  And the sound of this new(ish) song of theirs, "Spin it to Win it," sits squarely in the heart of my metaphorical ska happy place.  Traditional, catchy, soulful...it's a great track.  Oh...and it's about the joy of listening to music on vinyl!  (THAT's why I rambled about that to start this post...)  Spin it to win it, 45 times a minute...I love it!

Listening to this song has reminded me that I have a bit of a history of loving catchy songs about listening to records.  The Cornershop hit "Brimful of Asha" (from their album that should be nominated for best title ever, When I Was Born for the 7th Time) is pretty irresistible.

I also remember being somewhat blown away by this little ditty by The Features when I first heard it ca. 2005...

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Now what does this mean for the Agents of SKA?  Well, when I first threw together some uniform patches for various divisions of the organization, I had this one for Communications:

I'm an 80s kid, so that cassette image had a fun retro feel for me (plus, cassettes have kind of been making a comeback too).  I thought it'd be cool for the organization's messages to be carried on classic physical media, maybe even in musical form.  However, considering ska's emergence in the late 1950s and early 60s, I guess it makes a lot more sense for the associated image to look something like this...

From Pixabay

(I should probably update the Comms division patch...)

Geeky SKAturday: "Walls of Jericho" by the Melbourne Ska Orchestra

Hey hey, happy weekend everyone!  Just enough time to still make this a Geeky SKAturday...!

This is an awesome new song from the Melbourne Ska Orchestra...truly one of the most immediately striking new tunes I've heard this year...

The imagery of horns bringing down the walls of a city is pretty cool in the context of adventuring ska musicians.  There must be some sort of ability that horn sections among the Agents of SKA can use to topple a barrier.  I'm thinking it should probably be some sort of spell-like ability that can't be used without limits though...?  The capability for a few folks with trumpets and trombones to knock down any wall in their way seems too powerful, but I'm sure there's something there...

Geeky SKAturday: "The Shadow of Your Smile" by Larry McDonald and friends

Larry McDonald is a well-known and highly accomplished percussionist in the Jamaican music scene.  I've seen him sit in with the Slackers (one of my favorite ska bands) more than once, as well as performing with the modern iteration of the Jamaican ska band that really defined the genre, the Skatalites.  Hailing from Jamaica, McDonald has played with many of the greats that have defined the sound of the island nation where he was born (not to mention blues legend Taj Mahal) and should definitely be considered among their ranks himself (he is a member of the Jamaica Music Museum's Hall of Fame).  And...as he was born in 1937...I'll just say that I hope I can be as active and creative as he is when I'm in my 80s.  (If you're interested, you can go here for a great article about his journey.)

(86 years young here, from a 2023 Slackers show...)

When we saw him with the Skatalites, I found out there's another aspect of McDonald's musical pursuits: He sings!  And he's great at it.  Earlier this year, McDonald released a ska version of the song "The Shadow of Your Smile," taking the vocal lead himself.  Marching forward with the virtuosic backing of guitarist Natty Frenchy and saxophonist Zem Audu, the tune even has a cool video with some scenic shots around the city.  Check it out below!

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Now, to make this SKAturday truly Geeky, let me talk a little bit about how this applies to the Agents of SKA, the time-traveling, ska-sharing protectors of the ever-branching multiverse.  I figure there needs to be at least one "elder statesman" among the SKA crew, so I think I'll make one as a little tribute to Mr. McDonald. So, let's go with...Don Lawrence...he's been at this for a while and has unparalleled wisdom not just from the time he's spent living, but all of the times he's experienced as a SKA agent.

With McDonald's history of setting a rhythmic foundation for his musical colleagues, I could imagine Don Lawrence's character class might be some sort of support role.  However, Mr. McDonald's killer vocals have made me go in a different direction...at heart, Don Lawrence (like Haruto Suzuki) is a star and probably needs to have the Three Minute Hero class.

And...it looks like I haven't even shared the details of the Three Minute Hero class on the blog yet.  It's about time for me to start logging the classes I've been thinking about for my little Monstrous Heartbreaker and its compatible games and minigames...so that'll be a post for this week...!

Geeky SKAturday: Ska Tune Network and the wonder of Sonic fandom

A wonderful, geeky SKAturday, all!

A couple weeks back, RPG blogosphere neighbor and all-around great dude Pun from Halls of the Nephilim sent me a link to the YouTube channel Ska Tune Network's cover of Weezer's "Say it Ain't So."  (Oh wow, do I put too many links on here?  They lose their weight at some point.  I'll ponder that later...)

Anyway, this was a reason to smile for a bunch of reasons, but it was also a reminder that I've hardly mentioned the creations of the Network on this blog, even though they fit the themes I explore here pretty perfectly.  The immensely talented Jer has built up quite a following on the channel largely by creating ska covers of...well, all kinds of stuff.  And most of them, as far as I can tell, are one-person efforts (they're really good about giving others credit when they're part of the creative process).

I did post Jer's rendition of the Pokémon Red and Blue theme more than four years ago, but I thought it'd be good to revisit the Ska Tune Network today to cover the Geeky SKAturday 2025 plan of introducing new ska released this year and talk about a growing RPG setting of time-traveling, multiverse-protecting ska bands.  (And yeah...I do know that the last Geeky SKAturday was an "internet song," and maybe it'd be cooler if I focused on "serious" new music in the scene, but...it's 2025, that's the way music goes these days.  And from what the Agents of SKA tell me about the music industry of the future, it's only gonna get worse...)

It just so happens that a week ago, Jer released a version of "Dr. Wily's Castle" from Mega Man 2...pretty freaking cool...and so, looking back through the channel's videos, I realized they dropped a perfect Geeky SKAturday song in January.  Here is "Green Hill Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog:

For the sake of completeness...or, at the very least, for the sake of all of our memories, here's a playthrough of the Green Hill Zone...

I think Jer absolutely nailed it.

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Since there are so many things about the world of Sonic that fit the Agents of SKA so well -- fighting the man, a multiverse, and a general "anything-goes" approach to storytelling, for example -- it seemed perfectly reasonable to me that one of Sonic's rebellious anthropomorphic animal colleagues would also join with the Agents of SKA at times.  And in looking up a way to quickly create such a character for the team, I found out that Sonic fandom actually has a big focus on OCs (original characters), which I think is pretty rad.

I'm not even sure how many variations of "Sonic character creator" software there are out there, but I think I'm just hitting the surface with the few I looked at.

First, here are shots of, and links to, some of the ones that stood out to me (I have no affiliation with any of them, in case that needs to be said):

Picrew Sonic Maker

Doll Divine Sonic Character Designer

Doll Divine Male Furry Dollmaker (it definitely works)

And here's the anthropomorphic cat who now joins Haruto Suzuki in the Agents of SKA...Beat the Hepcat!  The name is a little tribute to the band Hepcat, one of the absolute finest of America's third wave crop, and the images below were made using two of the tools above (and some amateur coloring work on one).  Beat has options this way...he doesn't have to be restricted by clothing.  (Making these also made me realize how much Felix the Cat looks like a Sonic character, which I'm not sure I love, but what are ya gonna do?)

Anyway, here's Beat!

In case you're wondering about the bandages...he got into a tussle saving the multiverse...

Now he knows to wear these stylish 2 tone gloves...

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Geeky SKAturday: There's a McDonald's in the Pentagon

Well, this actually might be the most influential ska song to come out so far this year.  If you haven't already fallen victim to this earworm, here's your chance to be infected...

I may not have discovered this masterpiece if it weren't for r/Ska, but apparently it's achieved a healthy level of virality on TikTok.  There's even a Know Your Meme page for it, if you'd like to check out the details, but...briefly: In February, musician Silly Stu put the original acoustic version online.  Here it is...or, a copy of it at least...I still don't completely get TikTok...

I guess it's worth saying here: The lyrics in this little tune are clever as hell.  And clearly it's super catchy.  So, thankfully, Spencer Vann decided to expand upon it, and 10 days later, we got the ska gem in that first video above.  Vann even goes over his process of making the backing track in a video here:

And it seems this song is already a bit of a phenomenon.  I'm sure there will be more, but here's the first cover I heard, by Philly ska band Goofy at Night:

(I'm not sure why they left out the last bit of lyrics...maybe they didn't love the idea of exclaiming, Bitch you hit the Pentagon!  But who knows...)

At any rate, I am very happy to bring this song into the canon of the Agents of SKA.  Surely there are times that this super-secret organization (the Sentinel Khrononaut All-Stars) has to have extra-secret meetings with a double-secret committee from the American military.  Now we know exactly where those meetings take place.  I'm guessing in the crew room...

Actually from a Reddit post here

Hope you all have a great SKAturday and a wonderful rest of your weekend...!

Geeky SKAturday: Gettin' RUDE with the Sybians...

Happy SKAturday, all!  Thank you for stopping by to hopefully make it just a little bit brighter, nerdier, and more skankable with me.

As a reminder, these Geeky SKAturday posts have two main goals this year: (1) Take a look at some great ska and ska-related tunes that have come out in 2025, and (2) Ramble about how to work ideas from these songs into a work-in-progress RPG setting in which the denizens of Skaville (metaphorically) travel through time to protect the multiverse (literally).  Today's new(ish) song: "Naughty Boy (Not Rude)" by the Dutch offbeat purveyors known as the Sybians!

I've just discovered the Sybians this year.  Hailing from Amsterdam, they are self-described as "the new dark horse of 60's reggae," and that seems like a fair description.  The band includes some Dutch veterans of Jamaican music and plays an infectious take on early reggae that hits pretty hard and sticks in your brain.

From here

I went with this song today because I wanted to finally feature one that references that most iconic of concepts in the ska-sphere: the idea of being rude.  Now, that word is thrown around in ska circles, but I would imagine the meaning behind it could fuel many dissertations at this point.  There is a Wikipedia page devoted to the rude boy (and variants)...but it's pretty short, and I would definitely encourage anyone with interest to explore how the term has been used over the years.  In summary...rude boys were originally rebellious young men in Jamaica who became closely associated with ska's first wave in the 1960s.

During the 2 Tone era in the UK, the term shifted to more broadly encompass the subculture associated with ska.  Over the decades in the ska scene, the word rude has taken on a connotation that is almost undeniably positive, but also really hard to pin down exactly.  Being rude likely means you have an appreciation for the music that brings us together, and it might still refer to a questionable association with lawful living, but it also has implications of being courageous and street-smart.  Today's song is a good example of its subtlety of meaning...the subject of the song is naughty but decidedly not rude.

I guess that to me, being rude at this point broadly means sharing some degree of similarity to this archetypal Rudie that has been built up in the lore of ska.  This is part of what makes it perfect for gaming!  Not only is there a story behind the word, there's an aesthetic!  Visually, Rudies are probably represented most prominently by the mascots of 2 Tone bands the Specials and the Beat: Walt Jabsco (based on an early photo of Peter Tosh) and (the) Beat Girl (based on first wave rude girl and trans pioneer Brigitte Bond...go here for some of the great work that has been done in uncovering her story!).

From this Reddit thread about "The world's best relationship"... :)

To get deep in the nerd weeds, in working on a "ska RPG," I've thought about different ways of approaching the concept of being rude.  I made the Rudie class for 5e a while back, and in thinking about a "Big 4' of RPG attributes, I've considered having a set that form RUDE as an acronym, so that I could play the RUDE System (Reasoning, Understanding, Dexterity, Endurance?).  I'm also wondering if Rude/Rudeness should be a completely separate attribute in a game, like Sanity in Call of Cthulhu.  After all, if you look at the classic six stats of D&D, Rudeness is a little bit Charisma, a little bit Wisdom, and probably dashes of both Intelligence and Constitution.  So, maybe it should be its own thing...perhaps even influenced by all of the attributes...?

Eh...like I said...there are dissertations waiting to be written about this historically rich term (and maybe already have been).  I mean...I haven't even gone into how the term is likely still used at times in Jamaican dancehall and various British dance genres...which probably complicates the archetype I'm following here, and maybe even opens up some questions of cultural appropriation (with which I am always willing to engage).  I think I'll just stop rambling about it now.  That's not very rude of me, after all.

Geeky SKAturday: Bad Leavers' "Another Time"

A pleasant Geeky SKAturday to everyone!  (Well...it's barely Sunday here...but pleasantness to all nonetheless!)  Just a quick one today (if I'm actually capable of that ;).  As a reminder, 2025's Geeky SKAturdays are set to include: (1) a ska (or closely related) song that's new this year, and (2) something ideally related to the song that contributes to a growing RPG setting in which ska musicians and their friends travel through time to protect the integrity of human history and prevent catastrophes.  Yep.

So today we have the song "Another Time" by the band Bad Leavers (the Bad Leavers? not sure...).  I'm excited about finding this band as they're from my home state of Georgia!  It warms my heart to know that there's still new ska being created and enjoyed down in Atlanta.  They have a sound that's very familiar but also not exactly like anything else I know of.  The lead vocals have a definite punk influence (I hear echoes of Tim Armstrong, and maybe even Shane MacGowan), but there's an interesting counter in how nicely he harmonizes with the other voice (voices?) in the band.  Overall, there's a bit of a 2 Tone feel that I really dig.  Reminds me of Johnny Too Bad & the Strikeouts, if that means anything to anyone reading...!

Anyway, their EP Give and Take just dropped a couple of days ago and is very much worth checking out.  Here's "Another Time":

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Maybe it's obvious, but besides just liking this song, I picked it because of how nicely a song called "Another Time" fits in with a time travel setting.  So, on that...

How is time travel achieved by the Agents of SKA?  Portals?  Magic?  Terminator-style naked-within-a-sphere time jumps?

I'm really leaning toward fairly a fairly classic time machine trope here.  But of course I want to tie in the ska theme.  So, how cool would it be to have a time machine that looks something like this...?

I don't know that they were all this mobile, but sound systems played a huge role in early ska.  Pic from (and more information found) here.

And of course, a smaller model, built for just one or two travelers, might look something like...

Sticker available here (no connection between me and the seller, but I'll happily testify that she has a bunch of cool items in her store!)

And heck, if I really want to go nuts with Japanese themes when it comes to the first agent, Haruto, I guess I could have the vehicles occasionally capable of transforming into robots...or combining into a giant robot.

I don't want to run the risk of someone thinking this setting is silly, though... ;)

Geeky SKAturday: Dr. Woggle & the Radio + more on Haruto Suzuki

Welcome to another Geeky SKAturday, all!  It's crazy how I can blink and suddenly it's been...what, three weeks since I did one of these?  How is it possible that this has been both the fastest AND the slowest year ever to enjoy/endure?  Anyway...today, I want to take a few minutes to fill out the character of Haruto Suzuki, the first Agent of SKA in the creation queue.  But first...some fresh new ska...!

Dr. Woggle & the Radio are a German band that plays beautiful traditional ska.  The song I'm sharing today came out earlier this year, although it isn't their most recent release.  (They seem to be releasing a song or two at a time and including all of the previous tracks from this presumed eventual album with each release.  I kinda like this because it keeps them on my radar, and I dig their tunes.  I know it complicates things for the nice people who attempt to curate new ska releases for the rest of us freeloaders on r/Ska.)  At any rate, even though it's an earlier song, I believe this one deserves attention because it might be my favorite ska/ska-adjacent tune that's been released so far in 2025.  I could listen to "It's True" ad nauseam and it would never get ad nauseam:

 

Here's a live version too...not the best audio and video quality, but it's fun to see them do their thing.  Those beautiful harmonies...!! :)  (And...shamefully omitted when I first published this post...I should note that this song features the amazing guest vocal talent of Jenny Yeboah...!)

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I don't have a lot to say to tie this one to the RPG setting at the heart of these posts (the one where ska musicians and their friends travel through the ages to protect the timestream from greed and destruction).  It's just a great song and was worth posting on its own.  And...y'know...LOVE and all.  I do want to talk about Haruko Suzuki, though.

Last time I wrote about him, I rolled for his stats and decided that he would be of the Three Minute Hero class (the musical stars of the setting).  Today, I'm imagining what he might look like as a full 1st level character (I'm assuming here that the Three Minute Hero is the class that ends up the closest, among the Agents of SKA classes, to the Rudie I wrote about way back when), also throwing in some biographical details along with the info my buddy Jake wrote about him.  Further expansion (and possible correction) of the class(es) I discuss these days is coming soon.  I kind of almost promise!

Haruto Suzuki

I know his bio says he's a pacifist. But this is what happens when you piss him off.

Born: Tokyo, Japan, 1981
Class: Three Minute Hero 1

STR    DEX    CON    INT    WIS    CHA
11(--)  9(--)   9(--)   17(+2) 12(--) 12(--)

HP 4 Move 30 ft. (6 units)
Attack Bonuses (with proficiency) +1

Proficiencies
Skills: Performance, Insight, History, Animal Handling
Talents: Trumpet, Trombone, Voice, HVAC Repair
Languages: Japanese, English, Spanish
Saves: Wisdom, Charisma
Weapons: Simple weapons
Armor: None

Haruto Suzuki was born to blow that horn.  (I'm still workshopping that opening sentence.)  He's always known he was meant to be up on stage, making people move.  Lately he's found out that he's also apparently meant to be a time-traveling sentinel for humanity.  He's a punk, a pacifist, and a handyman for an animal welfare organization in Tokyo.

Today, like most days, Haruto is having natto for breakfast.  He loves the stir of the sauce and the mustard, and he likes that it’s slimy.  He likes slimy things.  Later, he’ll go to the studio to practice his trumpet, but first he’ll hit the 7-11 for cigarettes.  At night, his band Ringo SKARR has a show at Salt Peanuts.  He’s not feeling his best, but he’s gonna give it a go.  Ganbarimasu!

Soundcasting: Haruto can channel the energy and spirit of ska to affect the world in profound and arguably magical ways.  Specific capabilities known as sounds follow the general rules of spellcasting by other classes.  He may cast unlimited Cantrips (level 0 sounds) and has two slots daily for level 1 sounds.  Sounds known:

Cantrips: Ball of Fire, A Message to You Rudy

Level 1: Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down, Moon Hop, Rudie Can't Fail, Skankin' to the Beat

Pick It Up: The upbeats give life!  On his turn, Haruto can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d6 + his Three Minute Hero level + his CON bonus.  This ability can't be used again until after a short or long rest.

Haruto Suzuki, Three Minute Hero

Okay, it's time to get serious about creating some Agents of SKA.  First up is Haruto Suzuki, who came to be thanks to a little randomization and AI decision-making.  He's a trumpet player from Japan.  His band?  Hmm.  I reserve the right to say this is one that he was just in for a few weeks in high school or something, but let's go with Ringo SKARR.

Yep, still faceless.  I mean, he has a face.  Just not an official one yet.

Because I like to come upon RPG specifics that aren't critical to the story at hand via (1) randomness, (2) undeniable destiny, or (3) other people's ideas that I can bring to life (all perhaps pointing more toward laziness than a devotion to principle), I asked my buddy Jake, who lives in Japan, to write a brief background for Haruto.  Jake isn't an RPGer and probably had a bit of a wtf reaction to the request, but he was gracious enough to toss that aside and help me out.  I found out Haruto was born in 1980.  Some more details:

Haruto Suzuki loves natto for breakfast. He loves the stir of the sauce and the mustard, and he likes that it’s slimy. He likes slimy things. Later, he’ll go to the studio to practice his trumpet, but first he’ll hit the 7-11 for cigarettes. At night, he has a show at Salt Peanuts. He’s not feeling his best, but he’s gonna give it a go. Ganbarimasu!

Stats (3d6+1 in order, no rerolls): STR 11  DEX 9  CON 9  INT 17  WIS 12  CHA 12

Class:  Hmm.

Pretty sure I want classes for this game, but I don't think everyone should just be a Rudie.  So, I'm looking at basing them all on classic ska (and related) songs:

Monkey Man - The big bruiser.

Gangster - The clever rogue.

Three Minute Hero - The magical charmer.

Keasbey Knight - The paladin of making the best of life with your friends.  (Thanks for the idea to whoever it was who has/had that as their handle on some forum or platform...!)

Maybe some more.  I'm thinking about a Special Brewmaster/Brewmistress (but probably not).  I also think the negative connotations of the Monkey Man class may require a rename (or scrapping it).  We shall see.

Haruto is a Three Minute Hero.  He's a star!

Geeky SKAturday: A Kick in the Bits have an anthem for 2025 (and...every year before it, I suppose...)

It is Geeky SKAturday!  Welcome!

Today's song comes from the Leicester, UK, band A Kick in the Bits, who released the EP Don't Break It last month.  This MIGHT be their first album (I'm not sure), but either way it has become an early contender for favorite ska-ish record of the year here at Monstrous Matters.  (So, y'know, me.)

The album is eight tracks and about a half an hour, and the tune that really caught my attention upon first listen is this one, "No Surrender."  It's really more punk-reggae than ska (a lot of their songs wouldn't sound out of place on a Clash album), and it could truly be an anthem for 2025 America:

You can find A Kick in the Bits on Bandcamp, Facebook, and maybe live near you.  They are definitely worth a listen!

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Now, I'll get down to the really good stuff...connecting this to an RPG campaign in which ska bands are time-traveling protectors of multiversal order.  The key to today's song: Politics.  Ska has always been a genre expressing cultural awareness.  You can listen to songs coming out of Jamaica in the '60s and hear both the optimism that accompanied independence from Great Britain AND both adoration and warnings directed toward the original Rude Boys who often found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

In the late '70s, when ska was revived in the UK alongside the punk movement, its political nature was sealed.  It won't all be serious music -- and some of the greats, like Bad Manners, had little serious about them at all -- but the political undercurrent solidified by the 2 Tone scene has had a lasting impression on the music.

And there are going to be folks who disagree with this (I believe them to be wrong), but I'd also argue that the political leanings of ska have almost universally been to the left.  Some of the easiest evidence?  Well, here's the (English) Beat performing in 1982:

I realized that I wasn't sure if that specific tendency was found in A Kick in the Bits' songs...maybe they're more just general, "the system sucks, we have to fight back to make things better"...?  (Which is already pretty broadly left wing, btw.)  But then I realized they have a song called "Tory Bastards"... ;)

So with that said, I am not going to shy away from having the shenanigans of the Agents of SKA tip into political territory.  Well...okay, I might shy away a little.  I'm not looking to make a political game/setting here.  But the main beliefs expressed within the genre are sentiments I can usually get behind, and they may just show up in the game.

In my next post (hopefully before next weekend!), I think I'll actually start detailing our first agent, Japanese trumpeter Haruto Suzuki.  He is thus far faceless, but some small pieces of his life are starting to emerge.  I have a feeling we'll see that he's a bit political himself...

Geeky SKAturday: "Ride This Wave" by MAYSON's PARTY

Happy weekend everyone!  Thanks for joining me on this Geeky SKAturday (or whenever you're reading), as I play around with new ska, time travel, and saving the multiverse.

After looking at Japan's Oi-SKALL Mates last week (in addition to Spain's Les Testarudes), I want to take the time today to listen to another ska squad from the Land of the Rising Sun.  MAYSON's PARTY are a fairly poppy ska-punk outfit who released a punchy album called GO at the end of January.  It's 11 songs in less than 24 minutes, so if it's up your alley, you can hear the whole thing in no time at all.

Image from here

Today's song is the album's seventh track, "Ride This Wave"...or as I should probably be stylizing it to stay consistent with the band, "RIDE THIS WAVE."  Here's the video!  (The exclamation point seemed justified.)

Pretty catchy stuff, no?

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Now...to make this into part of a universe where ska bands are made up of heroic agents keeping our timestream in proper order...let's talk about this song and time travel!  There are...oh, I guess three main reasons I keep thinking ska is the perfect genre to pair with time travel stories...

First, ska is essentially defined by its rhythm.  Across all subgenres, the main unifying detail is the upbeat (or offbeat) repetition on one or more instruments...usually guitar, but any number of other instruments, vocalizations, and nonvocal mouth sounds have been used to keep up that rhythm that makes you wanna...to dive into the stereotype...pick it up pick it up pick it up.  Additionally, some of the very best ska has incredible syncopation that you can really feel.  And I don't mean odd-number-of-beats-in-a-measure, prog/math rock geekery (although some of that is awesome too).  I'm thinking more along the lines of influential Skatalites drummer Lloyd Knibb, who had a way of drumming that never forces you out of the rhythm, but still somehow surprises with the beats he chose to emphasize.

So...yeah, ska is all about timing.

The second reason is that ska musicians have always been aware of and respectful of the history of their genre, perhaps more so than in any other type of music.  This goes all the way back to very early in the ska timeline, when songs were sometimes updated mento or calypso tunes.  And then, during the so-called ska revival of the late '70s and early '80s in the UK, many of most popular songs were just classics with dashes of pop, rock, and punk added in.  Not to mention the fact that many of the genre's Jamaican pioneers gained new waves of fans through this UK revival and the worldwide spread of the beat that followed it.

Finally...and I alluded to it in that last paragraph...ska is known for its waves.  The original Jamaican ska scene was the first wave.  The British 2 Tone movement kicked off what we know as the second wave.  And then...with exact origins probably differing widely depending upon who you ask for the history...the third wave brought an unbelievable variety of sounds into the genre from all around the world.  ChatGPT seems to think the United States was the epicenter, but viewing it that way really wouldn't be fair to all the other nations that have produced incredible ska from the '80s till now.  (I'm guessing ChatGPT may have been swayed by the internet writings of some Americentric ska fans.  Or, maybe ChatGPT just really digs Fishbone, Operation Ivy, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones...)

Oh, and now maybe we're in the midst of a fourth wave...?  It seems reasonably likely that at some point in the future, the young bands gaining fans today will be referred to as the fourth wave.  YTBD, but sounds good to me.

Anyway, these waves seem like a pretty perfect metaphor for time travel.  (Obviously I'm pretty heavily influenced by superhero fiction, and -- in the Arrowverse anyway -- Rip Hunter's timeship is known as the Waverider...!)  So...I figure that's what the Agents of SKA are doing when they jump around a timeline...riding the waves of history, with an appreciation for what's come before and an ear for peculiarities of timing.

And today's song...it's "Ride This Wave."  That's where I started this whole thing, isn't it? ;)  Well...I guess at this point, I don't need to go into too much more detail as to why I chose it.  I actually meant to go more into other aspects of the setting today...maybe filling in some details for trumpet player Haruto Suzuki (who I met last week), or talking about character classes, or how Rude Magic might power a time travel vessel like the helm of a Spelljammer.  I think I'll just end with some perfect lyrics from today's song:

Right on time!!

Ride this wave!!

Ride on now!!

Hope to see you next week!