Tommi Infamous of Bomb Town

Bomb Town is a punk rock dancehall band hailing from New Jersey. Under the wings of Hub City Stompers, King Django, and other New Jersey ska and reggae stalwarts, Bomb Town has emerged with a unique and exciting sound in the past few years. In a time where most ska bands are typically judged by their level of authenticity and innovation, and “ska punk” can be easily be dismissed by traditionalists, Bomb Town rise above the norm by tastefully mixing their true roots in a wicked combination. With a punk attitude, hardcore mentality and a dancehall sensibility, Bomb Town is a force to be reckoned with in the scene. Singer Tommi Infamous took the time to answer our questions regarding these influences, their upcoming album and more…

How did Bomb Town form, and what are your main influences?
Well at the time I was playing drums in a punk band called the Insults. I grew tired of not having musical control and being a drummer. I decided to start a musical project using some old school NJ Ska crew and some fresh faces. The influences of the band range from classic reggae and ska to all forms of punk rock and hardcore. My biggest influence at the moment is dancehall and all dancehall DJs.

Where did the band name come from?
The name Bomb Town came from two sources mainly. The first being an adaptation of a Desmond Dekker lyric:
Dem rudeboys get a probation - A Shanty Town
And rudeboy bomb up the town - A Shanty Town
The other source is from the term "Bomb" in a graffiti sense. I love graffiti culture and love seeing towns covered in graffiti, hence "Bomb Town." I basically want the entire world covered in BTC stickers and stencils!

Who’s in the band these days? I think you’ve had some lineup changes? Who plays what?
It’s pretty much the usual suspects. Our original drummer CK joined the Air Force in the early stages of the band and was replaced with Scragg on drums. Other than that, saxophone is still Jen Plum, Matty Glock on guitar, Crash Maline on keys, myself on vocals, and our original bass player Krispy is leaving due to personal reasons and is soon to be replaced with Joey G on Bass.

You already have one album under your belt, Logical Reality on Megalith Records, and a second album in the works. What’s going on with that?
The new album is going to be called !?INTERROBANG! and is in the mixing process as of now. We ran into some budget issues... so once we overcome that it will be released, haha.

How has the recording been going? Are you doing anything different this time around?
Recording this record was awesome! It was a lot of fun and we had the opportunity to do it with my friend and mentor King Django. This album I feel is more reggae and punk rock and not as much ska. There will still be the traditional BTC ska-punk rocker tunes but it’s definitely more reggae than the last.

How has your sound progressed since the last album?
As I stated it’s way more reggae. We experimented a lot with DUB on this album along with other sounds that definitely separate it from old Bomb Town recordings. The band is tighter, my singing has improved (thanks to Django as the producer!) and I feel it’s just an overall improvement. We recorded a lot of our tunes in a reggae riddim style in order to allow for guests and additional dubs.

Logical Reality had a few guests. Can we expect the same on this one?
Yes there are NUFF guests on this one, including Dr. Ring Ding, Rocker-T, Crusader Lion and Weatherman.

How were those recording sessions?
Working with Ring-Ding is always a pleasure. He’s great to have in the studio. He did the recording at Version City when he was here visiting and it was great. Ring Ding appears on our song Lyrics by the Ton which he does in a combination style with myself. Rocker-T recorded his vocals in Cali where he currently resides, so sadly he hasn’t visited Version City recently. Hopefully that changes. Crusader Lion appears on a track called ‘Nother Cop Done which is a song about corrupt police officers. It is done in a very interesting storytelling fashion. New Brunswick’s own Weatherman was in the studio recording some tunes for Django and he was kind enough to chat on our song in a dub plate style where the chorus is "Bomb sound is the ruling sound!" It’s rather entertaining, haha.

Who’s going to release the album?
!?INTERROBANG?! will be a Stubborn Records release.

When is the album coming out?
The album will be released as soon as it’s done. There is no confirmed release date.

I haven’t been to one of your shows in a few years, but from the reviews I’ve read on the forums, they seem pretty crazy. I hear people bring air horns. That’s both hilarious and awesome! How did that start?
Well the air horn thing came from dancehall influence. I just started bringing them and it caught on. It is rather hilarious. At one show there was some heat from another band who thought we were telling our fans to bring air horns to blare during their set to "ruin it.” They didn’t really understand why I would want people using air horns during our set but I love it!

What else can we expect from a Bomb Town show?
Well I have been fire breathing at shows which is also hilarious and dangerous. Other than that you can expect general craziness.

Aside from the band, I know you do some solo work deejaying bars and parties. Your skills have improved tremendously over the years. What would you attribute to your success? Did you have any coaching, or was it self-developed?
Well music is a constant growth. I am always striving to create a better product and improve myself along with the music itself. In music there is no "success" as far as I’m concerned. It’s a constant forward movement to figure out your next move and to top what you've already done. The only direction I’ve had has been from King Django. He has pushed me to work on my singing and to develop my lyrics and concepts. I feel that I have made monstrous leaps in my music just from working with Django and doing this last record with him.

What’s been your best experience yet as a musician? Any memorable shows, stories, etc?
Well I could go on about this for hours. Bomb Town is hilarious. At shows, outside shows, wherever we go, there is always something hilarious going on generally. The most amazing thing to me is having people actually enjoy our music. To have someone tell me they like our music is the biggest honor. Any show where the attendees have a good time is memorable. Doing shows with my friends for people that appreciate it is the best feeling in the world!

Are you planning on touring after the album drops? Will you hit Chicago? How about the west coast?
There is nothing in the works as of yet. But we plan on hitting the road as much as we can in 2008. And of course we will come back to Chicago! Chicago has always welcomed us with open arms and it’s a great city to play. Eventually we will make it west but as I stated nothing is in the works as of yet...

What else is going on in the Bomb Town world? Other projects, gigs, etc?
We are getting the new bassie up to speed and awaiting the release of the new record. We are reinventing our live shows a bit with different transitions etc. Outside of Bomb Town I've been doing sound system shows with my selector King Stout of Steady Sound System fame. We are planning a sound system tour called "DUB THE PUNX!" which is basically a dub dancehall set with me chatting. The tour is scheduled for launch on January 11th and we are heading south to Florida for a week. The logic being....well it’s friggin’ cold in New Jersey in January so why not go somewhere warm! And of course to spread Jah Love. Other then that I’m going to be doing some guest spots on a new FretWide tune and I’m going to be recording some dancehall tracks soon as well.

Anything else you want to talk about? Here’s your chance for rants, raves, shout-outs, etc.
I think I covered pretty much everything. I would like to shout out respect to all reggae ska punk rock and hardcore massive! Music is my weapon in this war against Babylon and I appreciate all the support I have received attempting to spread my message. Thank you for this opportunity. Bless!

For more Bomb Town visit www.myspace.com/bombtown , and for Tommi's solo work, www.myspace.com/tommiinfamous

Silver Dollar - NJ Trad Ska

New Jersey is a hotbed of activity in the American ska scene, second to possibly only California with the number of bands and amount of talent cropping up over the past few years. While young as a collective unit, the members of Silver Dollar are seasoned verterans. Featuring King Django, Skooch of Inspecter 7, and members of other great NJ bands The Cosmic Brotherhood of Ra, Stereo Freeze and Jersey Rhythms among others, Silver Dollar is a collective of talented musicians paying tribute to their influences while continuing to grow as a band and embark on their musical and spiritual journey. Instead of trying to describe them in any further detail, I'll let this interview speak for itself...



Current Lineup:
Skooch - Tenor Sax, Vocals
Jimbo - Guitar, Backing Vocals
John Cosmic - Bass, Backing Vocals
King Django - Trombone
Timmay - Drums
Johnny B - Trumpet, Vocals
Mr P.C. - Alto Sax, Backing Vocals

When and how did you form?
Silver Dollar formed after years of speculation, discussion, etc..... Skooch had always wanted to assemble a band to pay tribute to the many musical forms that came to us from Jamaica with Trad Ska being at the forefront of those interests. It had been discussed with many different players at many different times until the idea was finally hatched over a discussion at the Knitting Factory between Skooch, Jimbo and Django and a separate conversation between Skooch and John Cosmic. Things started to come together in early 2007 with the original intention being to learn a set of Skatalites covers together with some of Skooch's originals and then see where it would lead. Timmy, Johnny B and then Pete really rounded out the lineup giving us the group that we now have today. The concept is based around learning the fundamentals of Jamaican music including not only music theory but also the African roots of the music and culture of the island. It is with this foundation that we can begin to evolve and create our own musical and artistic tribute. Call it woodshedding or a workshop, but it goes much further than playing live and seeking acceptance from our peers. Learning is a selfless act that lasts a lifetime.

How did you get your band name?
"Silver Dollar" is the name of a song by the Skatalites.

What style of music do you play? What are your influences?
Silver Dollar plays the music of Jamaica and all of it's influences such as Afro Cuban Jazz, Latin Jazz, Bop, New Orleans Boogie Woogie, Gospel, Big Band, Mento and Calypso. Our collective influences would be far too long to list but we are all in one way or another influenced by Ska, Reggae, Rocksteady, Bop, Big Band, Free Jazz, Afro Cuban Jazz, Gospel, Calypso, Mento, Boogie Woogie, Jump Blues, R&B, Soul, Funk, Punk, Afro Beat, Blues and a pervading sense of spiritual purpose that drives each of us in our own way.

You’re a rather new band, but far from inexperienced. Based on your roster, I'm sure we can expect great things… have you had any shows yet?
Thus far we have played a handful of gigs to get our feet wet and "Practice on the bandstand" as Miles Davis once put it.

How did they go? What can we expect from a Silver Dollar show?
Silver Dollar has been well received and learned a bit about communicating with each other in a live setting. There are a lot of variables that need to be worked out that can't always be worked out in a rehearsal space so getting out in front of a crowd helps with that. Anyone coming to see us can expect a lot of improvisation, extended solos, closed eyes and a serious yet playful environment in which to dance and listen. The word "listen" is very important as we are an instrumental band first and foremost and do our talking with our instruments. Each of us tell our own stories in our own way and hope that people can relate to one or more at every show.

What are your plans for the near future? Will you be recording? Playing more shows?
Our plans include pushing each other at every rehearsal to be the best that we can be while maintaining a sense of fun and a sense of humor. Our blend is that of covers and originals so each rehearsal focuses on a bit of both. Any recording that is done will be strictly from a demo point of view until we feel that we are ready to give something that is finished to fans of the genre. As a band, we see no need to rush into the studio only to deliver something that wasn't finished cooking yet....LOL.... As for shows, we will plays shows that resonate with us and fit into our collective schedules. There are benefit shows on the horizon which are very important to us and should be important to everyone as well as other Ska shows. Beyond that, we are focused on working the details of the music such as texture, interplay, dynamics, improvisation, interpretation, etc.

As an outside observer now, the NJ Ska scene seems very active these days. More so than I remember 3 years ago when I moved away. How do you feel about the state of the scene as it is now? What can you attribute to its growth?
People have not stopped playing and recording Ska. The Pop scene and popular culture in general will "borrow" subcultures and styles, chew them up a bit, see how they taste and then spit them back out but all along there are people who are still playing and recording the music. This is universal and applies to everything from Punk, Hardcore, Industrial, Jazz and beyond. One of the constants that always helps local scenes to grow is the young kids who are getting into it, forming bands, putting on shows, etc.... One can view the Pop Culture machine in a negative light but at the end of the day if it gets people exposed, that could cause them to do some homework, discover cool bands that exist across multiple generations, adopt those influences and end up doing a lot of good for their local scene while at the same time shedding that Pop Culture skin once they realize that the real substance is not found in record sales or fashion but in the hearts and souls of the music makers

Are there any local or other bands that we should be looking out for?
Hub City Stompers, Bigger Thomas, Bombtown, Steadfast United, Offbeat in Suburbia, Wareika Hill... Also the international bands that are keeping it real like Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Rotterdam Ska Jazz Foundation, etc...Plus Django is always working on solo material as are Vic Rice and Buford O'Sullivan. Dub is a Weapon, Scofflaws, The Toasters... the list is endless. Plus you've got Version City, Stubborn Records, Jammyland, Megalith and other folks that are helping to keep things afloat in the Ska and Reggae community. Lest we forget that the Skatalites are still bringing this special music to us.

What are you listening to lately?
See our influences....LOL

Anything else you want to talk about?
(your chance for shameless self-promotion, rants, raves, etc)
Just to always keep searching, keep trying to not only better yourself but better the world around you as well. When you love something it really shows and I can only hope that when people see and hear Silver Dollar that the love that we have for the music and culture of Jamaica not only shows but is downright contagious.

Thanks to Skooch and Silver Dollar for taking the time to answer these questions!!
For more information, music, and tour dates, visit:
http://www.myspace.com/silverdollarska

Mike's Official Introduction

The very first memory I have of Jamaican music is when I heard Mad Cobra’s “Flex” at the innocent young age of ten. I don’t think I fully understood, or even cared about the lyrics then, but something about the rhythm and unique vocal delivery hooked me in. Looking back on it now, 16 years later, I wasn’t aware of how much I would come to love JA music in all its forms, especially modern dancehall and American reggae and ska. I’m now 26 years old and living in Chicago, and have finally decided it’s time to do my part to contribute to this scene. I’m not a musician, not a DJ, not a promoter. The best description I can label myself is an active and passionate fan. I want to be able to listen to this music throughout my life by continuing to support it. By not only embracing the past, but looking into the present and future, I hope it will continue to thrive and reach new ears.

My gateway into this scene, as was common for most teenagers in the mid to late 90’s was through such bands as Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, and Operation Ivy. Around age 15, I began to discover MTV’s punk bands of the day, and somewhere along the line I heard a Less Than Jake song on my local college radio station. My first two punk CDs were Epitaph’s first Punk-O-Rama comp, and the Vans Warped Tour comp where I heard Reel Big Fish. Those two bands got me hooked on any and all “punk with horns” - admittedly, yes, my first definition of ska.

Around the same time my local scene in New Jersey was blowing up. Catch 22, One Cool Guy, the Royalties, Inspecter 7, Foil, The Derringers, and countless others were playing shows in local halls and clubs almost every weekend. I spent the majority of my high school years at The Palace in Bound Brook, The Cove in Roselle Park, The Cheesequake Fire House, and The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Every so often I got to see some better regional bands come through like The Toasters, Skinnerbox, Mephiskapheles, The Slackers, etc.

As the New Jersey scene began to fade out when bands broke up or moved onto other things, and the shows stopped, I began to dig deeper into the roots of this music. My progression took me backwards through each “wave”. From the Toasters to The Specials to The Skatalites, I became hungry for the true history and meaning of Jamaican music. While I loved all of it, as I went back I noticed what seemed to grab me most was always the deejay music, the toasting and chatting. It could be Coolie chatting on a Toasters tune, Ranking Roger with The Beat, or some of the early deejays like U-Roy. While I respected and appreciated the classics, I found myself always gravitating toward the new music at my disposal: Dr. Ring-Ding, Rocker-T, King Django, and modern dancehall like Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Shabba Ranks, etc.

Fast-forwarding to 2003, I can thank Chuck and Buck of Jump Up and Megalith respectively for releasing “Still Standing” and re-kindling my interest in this scene and culture. Through the formation of Hub City Stompers around the same time, and Bomb Town shortly after, along with King Django’s Version City parties, I was able to find good shows to attend again. I met a good group of people dedicated to reviving the NJ/NY scene (big up Steady Sound System!), as well as other like-minded individuals on trips through NY, NJ, Philly, and Baltimore in their respective scenes (props to Bob and the DC Ska crew!). Moving to Chicago 3 years ago, I was privileged to become part of the Chicago scene, with regular shows by Deal’s Gone Bad, Lord Mike’s Dirty Calypsonians, and The Drastics, and regular reggae nights around the city. Lately however, the amount of gigs seems to be on the decline, and I find myself again starting to explore new music. But this time instead of digging through the past, I’m looking at the present, trying to find bands that are active today, and new bands that will continue to push this scene into the future. We are lucky to have a handful of great bands coming up through California like The Aggrolites, The Hi-Lites, and Penny Reel Junction, with The Aggrolites as well as Westbound Train gaining national attention through Hellcat Records. New Jersey is booming again with Hub City Stompers, Bomb Town, Bigger Thomas, and King Django still going strong, and younger bands like Awful Waffle and The Defending Champions carrying the torch. Also keep an eye out for newcomers Silver Dollar, a traditional ska band featuring Lord Skoochie of Inspecter 7 fame on vocals and sax, and King Django on trombone. Chicago is seeing Deal’s Gone Bad and The Drastics branching out of the Midwest and touring the east and west coasts. Chicago also has a younger ska/punk band, Manic Sewing Circle, that have grown tremendously in the past three years, both in songwriting and in popularity. They are playing a few Warped Tour dates this summer and have recorded a track on their upcoming album with Todd from Deal’s.

On the international front we have Megalith Records bringing us ska from all over the world, with a large focus on European bands such as Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation, Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra, and St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review. Not to mention a resurgence of influence in British music with the likes of The Dead 60’s, Hard-Fi, Lily Allen, The Dualers, and Pama International.

The names I’ve listed are by far not the be-all-end-all of contemporary ska and reggae music, just the ones I find myself most interested in. I won’t claim to be an expert on this music. I won’t be able to tell you the names or writers of any obscure tunes or riddims, or even break down each individual era into its finer points… but I can tell you about what I like. I’m not here to educate – I’ll leave that to the experts. I’m here now, in 2007, where this scene is continuing to rebuild and progress stronger than it has in many years. I hope to contribute to this site by sharing my passion and interest for the players in our scene that are helping it thrive. Thanks to Gabe, Andrew, Brian, and Bob for inviting me to join, and I’m looking forward to contributing.