Aaron Carnes "In Defense Of Ska" Book (2021)

Details: Aaron Carnes' "In Defense Of Ska" published in 2021. Soft cover large paperback, 0.9" H x 6.0" L x 8.8" W, 334 pages. Books arrived with slight dings on cover from shipping, otherwise in new/unread condition, marked down price reflected.

Short Description: "In 2021, [Aaron Carnes released] his book, In Defense Of Ska, the product of 117 interviews, never-ending research, and several years of tireless work. For this book, he rejects the tired narrative that ska is silly kid music and set out to not only tell its story but to defend the genre’s right to stand alongside other notable genres such as alt-rock, punk, hip-hop, R&B, and metal."

Full Description: "Why doesn’t ska get its due as a rich, diverse genre the way punk, metal, hip-hop, and electronic music does? Or more to the point, why are ska fans so embarrassed by this music they love? The era of ska shame is officially over. In Defense of Ska is the much-needed response to years of ska-mockery. No longer do ska fans need to hide in the basement, skanking alone in their sharp suits, slim ties, and porkpie hats. Now is the time to take to the streets and fight music snobbery, or at least crank up the ska without being teased ruthlessly.

In a mix of interviews, essays, personal stories, historical snapshots, obscure anecdotes, and think pieces, In Defense of Ska dissects, analyzes, and celebrates ska in exactly the way fans have been craving for decades. This book will enlist ska-lovers as soldiers in the ska army, and challenge ska-haters’ prejudices to the core."

Author: Aaron Carnes is a music journalist based out of Northern California. His work has appeared in Salon, Noisey, Bandcamp Daily, Sun Magazine, and others. He’s also the music editor at Good Times weekly newspaper in Santa Cruz, CA.

Aaron has covered a wide range of artists, including indie hip-hop legends like Blackalicious, Cannibal Ox, Hobo Johnson, and Open Mike Eagle to notable rock and roll artists like Portugal The Man, Jeff Rosenstock, Phoebe Bridgers, and Smash Mouth. He’s interviewed soul icon Sharon Jones, ’90s ska hitmakers Reel Big Fish, and has chatted with several folks on the fringe like Tim Capello (Saxman from Lost Boys), S U R V I V E (synth band that scored Stranger Things), and Okilly Dokilly (Ned Flanders themed metal band)

Press: "In Defense of Ska offers a full-throated defense of ska's third wave. That means Reel Big Fish, Operation Ivy, Fishbone, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and more."--Jesse Thorne, NPR

"Carnes does a great service to ska and its culture in the pages of “In Defense of Ska,” providing fans, haters, and the uninitiated ska’s history and drawing a path for its possible future. In his book, he speaks both about the feeling of belonging to this unique and welcoming subculture of society, but also a sense of ownership over the thing that drives his passion."--Casey Rafter, Sacramento News & Reviews

"The book is a collection of short essays, themselves comprised of anecdotes, interviews, bios, and historical markers and nuggets, sometimes pinned to a loose, steadily-progressing narrative, sometimes not. This may sound disjointed, but it doesn’t read as such. In fact, it adds to its allure. For one can open it on any page and learn something—and then struggle to put it down. To a ska fan, it’s a sizeable and enjoyable resource to get lost in; to someone unfamiliar with ska, it’s an accessible assortment of primers. Above all else, it’s addictive."--New Noise