Most of us thought the last ska horns blew over sometime in the early 1990’s, but an all-teen girl sextet out of Japan called Oreskaband is out to change our minds. The bands first US release, a thirteen-track head-bopping album of standard ska rhythms, horn breaks and chord changes is a quick reminder of that genre’s short run of resurgent success over ten years ago. The girl gang doesn’t lack musical ability, energy or song writing chops, and amongst the current trend of self conscious, minimalist and sincere independent music, there would presumably be miles of open space in playlists for upbeat ska rock sung in Japanese. If you’re into that.
This stuff is certainly cute, and it’s not impossible that they could find an audience in teenage American girls who adore Avril Lavigne (and speak Japanese). Lucky for Oreskaband then that their first US tour is the Warped Tour. Rumor has it that their live show is an infectious juggernaut of a performance, and I don’t doubt that, but the record is unquestionably dated, a quaint relic of a hornier, more upbeat time. But IMPOSE readers whose old No Doubt or Mighty Mighty Bosstones records still pepper their collection: take heed, there are still those who keep the flame alive! And don’t forget: Oreskaband could provide that late night ironic power punch that many hipster parties so badly need and so often rely on.
