1 month ago
14
The UpTones remain one of the most underrated bands in the history of US ska. The Berkeley, California band helped pave the way for their younger neighbors in Operation Ivy to take ska-punk to the masses, and post-Op Ivy band Rancid went on to cover the UpTones’ signature song “Get Out Of My Way” on their debut album and collaborate with UpTones members on their world-conquering …And Out Come the Wolves. The UpTones may be less of a household name, but American ska as we know it wouldn’t exist without them. And they also weren’t just ska; they had a jangle pop side that rivaled contemporaries like R.E.M.
We called their Get Out Of My Way: The Early Recordings compilation one of the most essential ska albums of all time, and we’re now excited to be getting more UpTones material from their initial ’80s run that sat on the shelf for decades. They’re gearing up to release In the Studio 1987, a 5-song EP made up of the last studio recordings from the original run of the band. Vocalist/guitarist Eric Dinwiddie recently discovered the 24-track reels in a studio vault, and he got them transferred to digital and mixed them 38 years after the fact.
“It was quite a thrill, pulling these tracks up after so long,” Eric tells us. “I never did think I’d hear them again, much less mix and release them. I mixed them as faithfully as I could, to the band’s vision at the time, and to my relief and delight, the band members gave this the thumbs-up, after giving me some essential mix feedback along the way. Truly an UpTones production.”
These songs are a little more in the funk and new wave realm compared to The UpTones’ early ska classics, and they sound as fresh today as they would have if they came out back in ’87. The EP officially drops on February 1 but a full stream premieres right here:
And just in case you haven’t heard this one:
English (US) · 