Can't pick it up if you don't put it down 🧘‍♀️

R.I.P. Oliver Tree. An absolute legend

I interviewed Tyler Jacobs on the IDOS Patreon last year about all of this. This was before there had been any reconciliation in the family, and it was tough. He was very honest about what happened and his feelings on it all. The fact that they are working it out now is amazing

#pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup #pickitup

that’s right

Happy Pride 🏳️‍🌈🕴 Image from @vintageannalsarchiveandpodcast.

I had a great time hosting Mike Huguenor's book event at Books Inc in Campbell, CA last Friday. He wrote an amazing book about THEE Mike Park. It's called "Elvis is Dead, I'm Still Alive." If you want to hear the entire event, I uploaded it to the IDOS Patreon. Link in bio to sign up and LISTEN!

A friend of mine, Bill Evans, has been working on a cool website for people looking for ska shows. Check it out at main.fezs-projects-773c447d.vercel.app

A few weeks ago, I announced that I am co-authoring Hobo Johnson's memoir. It'll be released on CLASH Books in May 2028. I'm very excited about the project! It's been in the works for quite a while. I talk about it in greater length on the IDOS Pateon (Link in bio)

I had a great time hosting Mike Huguenor's "Elvis Is Dead, I'm Still Alive" book event at Books Inc. in Campbell last Friday. (Excellent book. Grab one if you haven't already. It's about THEE MIKE PARK!) But guess what? I left behind a few SIGNED copies of In Defense of Ska. Get one!

I still believe (in ska)

#ska #skamusic #pickitup

"It wasn’t until February 2017, when Hobo Johnson opened for my band, Gnarboots, at a small dive coffee shop venue in Sacramento called Naked Lounge, that I experienced his unique talent." M.C. Bike Chain here, I can attest, that night was raw emotion and talent. It was so fucking inspiring to me.

When I'm not defending ska, or writing books about Hobo Johnson, I am one of the producers of a live storytelling show in Sacramento called In a Nutshell Storytelling. We were honored to have Glynn Washington (Snap Judgment) on our show. He randomly told me that he'd recently seen the band PUP. 🤯

I am working on a new book! I am co-authoring Hobo Johnson's memoir. (Untitled as of now). It'll be released on CLASH Books in the Spring of 2028. I have a long history with Hobo Johnson, which I wrote about on my Substack. You can read it over at aaroncarnes.substack.com

Interesting

100% Disagree! It is, and will always be, National Ska Day 🤬

U can now trace Aaron Carnes and Adam Davis to infowars

I released In Defense of Ska 5 years ago today. It lead to me doing my In Defense of Ska podcast for 4.5 years. I got glowing press in Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork, Washington Post, GQ, Esquire, Stereogum and AV Club. Hell, I even got interviewed by Tim Heidecker on his show Office Hours Live

Someone working on the new season of Scrubs has good taste in music

This is the 2nd time I got to talk to members of The Potato 5. The first time was last year on the podcast. This time, it's for my Patreon (Link in Bio). I talked to Richard Walker specifically about the band's involvement in the Artist Against Apartheid movement in the 80s.

This rules!

I've listened to Keep Us Moving by Bad Operation at least 50 times and it took me until today to realize the sound byte at the end is from @indefenseofska.bsky.social

Bay Area! The official book release event for ELVIS IS DEAD, I'M STILL ALIVE is Fri, May 22nd at Books Inc. in Campbell!! Come hear about 30 years of the great Asian Man Records! Hosted by my friend & publishermate @indefenseofska.bsky.social 🎸💚 www.booksinc.com/pages/events...

Aaron Carnes presiding over the proceedings like “and why should you be granted a reissue of the @indefenseofska.bsky.social first edition?” “Irreconcilable differences with a signee, your honor” “Denied, and I’m awarding your copy to Mr. But Over Here.”

Super stoked for this album. Going to be an AOTY contender for sure.

Check out this new project, A-100's by Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly) and Sean Wheeler (Throw Rag). Excellent stuff. Debut record coming out on Pirate Press on June 10, 2026!

This Sunday, I'll be joining some cool ska kids for a cool ska conversation. It starts at 8pm Central on Sunday, May 3rd. Check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Rx...

Any Ordinary Boys fans out there? 🙋 Their new track, "Peer Pressure," has Specials' influences as far as I can tell. Turn the sound on and give the track a listen

POV: You're in a Sacramento coffee shop, wondering why the singer of Built To Spill is on a mic defending ska

Shoutout to my main dude, Fred Armisen, for appearing on Amy Poehler's podcast and saying that The Specials' performance on SNL was their single best musical performance in the history of the show. 100% agreed!

CODE RED: We need to start a Kickstarter to get Oscar Isaac to reform his old ska band, and bring the Punch Brothers (doing ska versions of their songs) as their opener. Who's in?

Bluebeat Lounge in Los Angeles, CA, in the 2000s. A haven for post-90s ska. I interviewed Chris Murray (The guy who ran Bluebeat Lounge) for the 2nd edition of my book a few years back. I just uploaded our 2nd interview to the IDOS Patreon (Link in bio). It's over two hours long!

I recently wrote a piece for my Substack called "Prozac fundamentally altered how I listen to music." There's a link in my bio if you'd like to read the entire thing.

Tell me you were in a ska band in high school without telling me you were in a ska band in high school.

This is the future liberals want!

Just a quick reminder MU330 is a really good band and you should stop what you're doing immediately and listen to their entire discography

This made my day! My band Flat Planet ended up somehow playing a synth-pop festival in a Texas park in the 90s. The show was so bizarre, I wrote a chapter about it in my book The guy who put the show on, Tony, discovered my book, and he was stoked he was a character in one of the chapters!

Back in the 90s, one of my favorite ska CDs was from Canadian band King Apparatus. Sing-along bar-rock meets 2 Tone ska. I never had singer Chris Murray on the podcast, but I did 2 interviews with him for the 2nd edition of IDOS. I dropped the 1st one to the IDOS Patreon (Link in bio).

I didn't get to see the MU330 reunion last week, but I can already tell that a big highlight was when Blue Meanies guitarist Sean Dolan joined them on stage to play "La."

Real Talk

Wait, you're telling me there's a SKA SUPERGROUP our there right now called HALF GONE! (Half Past Two + Omnigone). M.I.N.D B.L.O.W.N.

Who remembers this classic from 2022? Ska meets Ween meets children screaming from hell. It's over at pizzanun.bandcamp.com/album/pizza-...

Blue Meanies from way back in the day. This week, I dropped an old interview I did with Michael "Chaz" Linde for my book on the IDOS Patreon (Link in bio) Sign up if you'd like to hear it.

Friends, what are your opinions on the new Sublime song, "Until The Sun Explodes"?

Parents, you have an obligation to only play ska-infused children's entertainment for your kiddos. There are lots of great options. Now get to it!

New Book! No Details!

POV: I just signed a contract for a new book about a NON-SKA musician. I'll be announcing it in about a month. I discuss it on the latest IDOS Patreon episode (link in bio)

Mike Huguenor's book on THEE Mike Park ie Asian Man Records, is coming out in May 2026! Let all name off our favorite Asian Man releases as we count down the days!

My good friend Mike Huguenor wrote a book about Mike Park/Asian Man Records (Elvis is Dead, I'm still Alive), which will be released on CLASH Books in May, 2026. My other good friend, Greg Soden, interviewed Mike for the New Books Podcast network. It's available to download RIGHT NOW.