One of the more common statements heard around this office that you could apply to any number of bands is, "Are we listening to ska?" or "I think this is ska." Doesn't matter if it's not even close to ska, someone is always going to say it, which speaks volumes to how screwed up the perception of ska is these days. Probably because in the mid-'90s it was the norm to throw a full horn section in your band and have like five gelled hair dudes in baggy suits all playing the exact same guitar tick. This whole thing about second wave ska (or whatever you want to call it) is not a lead in to us labeling Upset the Rhythm's Trash Kit as ska, which they aren't, really. But they are comfortable grabbing some of the elements: the horns are there, as is a vibrant guitar line running throughout the song. We're not going to go out and skank to it, but it does go a long ways toward helping us come to terms with this.
Download: Trash Kit, "Cadets"