Ruder Than You is an American

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

band that was founded in 1989 at Penn State University and, in 1991, the group relocated to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. While

and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

stylings have always provided the common musical thread, over the past 15 plus years Ruder Than You has been mixing in dancehall, hip hop, rocksteady, and rub-a-dub – even adding elements of funk,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, and

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

. In 1992, Moon Records, officially MoonSKA NYC, put out their debut album, ''Big Step'', and its follow-up ''Horny for Ska'' in 1996. By the mid 1990s the group had morphed from a five-piece into a nine-piece outfit and captured a loyal following in the

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

areas. The group toured nationally, regularly opening up for groups like

the Skatalites The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many othe ...

Steel Pulse Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals), and Ro ...

Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...

Desmond Dekker Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earlie ...

Ziggy Marley David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, actor and philanthropist. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 20 ...

, Special Beat, Bad Manners,

Fishbone Fishbone is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1979, that plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the lat ...

Yellowman Winston Foster , better known by the stage name Yellowman, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, also known as King Yellowman. He first became popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, rising to prominence with a series of singles that established ...

, Eek a Mouse, and

No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, the ...

. Ruder Than You CDs were internationally released in Japan and England, and songs can be found on dozens of ska compilations around the globe. With Moon Records defunct, the band released their long-awaited third album, ''Philly Stylee'', on their own God’s Ghetto Records label. The album features Trish Johnson on bari-sax and several top Philadelphia guest musicians including jazz trumpeter,

John Swana John Elliott Swana (born 1962) is an American jazz musician who played trumpet and flügelhorn until a benign tumor forced him to put down those instruments. He then picked up the valve trombone and electronic wind instrument to continue his musi ...

. ''Philly Stylee'' was recorded in spurts during the

Third-wave ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

trend between 1996 and 1999 with final vocal overdubs and mixes completed in 2004. ''Philly Stylees lengthy production was due to many factors affecting the band. This included the demise of the band’s former label Moon Records, a 3-year incarceration of lead singer and toaster Freddie "3D" Weaver, and the death of bari-sax player Trish Johnson, who was killed in the morning while traveling to Shenandoah, PA, to visit her mother. Despite these obstacles, after taking a nearly 3-year hiatus, the band began rehearsals again in 2003 and completed the CD. The band’s latest release, and first truly fresh studio endeavor of the decade, is the 5-song EP entitled ''God’s Ghetto'' (2008). The EP is released on the East-African record label Lulu Nyeusi and represents the first known American ska-influenced music release on an African record label. Ruder Than You has always had an eclectic sound and this release is no exception. For this installment, the band chose tunes heavy on old school hip-hop and dancehall and emphasized lyrics penned by Weaver. While these songs differ a bit from the familiar feel of previous albums, they offer the same extraordinary energy and catchiness. The band’s current roster of veteran members includes the Round Mound of Dub Sound - singer Freddie Weaver. Band leader Doug Dubrosky still sings and plays tenor sax. He and Don Pancoe on bass hail from the earliest days of RTY. Rod Martino and Chris Klimchak fill out the lineup on guitar and trombone, respectively. Larry "Ace" Snell of

The Toasters The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records. History Englishman Robert "Bucket" Hingley relocated to New ...

and Public Service sits on the drum throne.

Discography

*Big Step - Moon Records - 1992
Horny For Ska
- Moon Records - 1996
Philly Stylee
- God’s Ghetto Records - 2005
God's Ghetto EP
- Lulu Nyeusi Records, Tanzania - 2008
Creation Sounds
- God's Ghetto Records - 2009

Compilations

*The Shack - 1993 Dojo Limited/ BIB Records, contains the song ''"Get Some Peace"'' . *United Colors of SKA - 1993

Pork Pie Records Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

, contains the song ''"I Want Justice"''. *Ska The Third Wave - 1995

Continuum Records Continuum may refer to: * Continuum (measurement), theories or models that explain gradual transitions from one condition to another without abrupt changes Mathematics * Continuum (set theory), the real line or the corresponding cardinal numbe ...

, contains the song ''"Swallow Blood"''. *Ska The Third Wave Volume II - 1996 Shanachie Records, contains live versions of the songs ''"Misskaculation"'' and ''"Paranoid"''. *Rude Vibes: The Ultimate Collection of New Skool Ska - 1996 Do The Dog Music, contains the song ''"Uncle Albert"''. *SKAndalous: I’ve Gotcha Covered - 1996 Shanachie Records, contains Ruder Than You’s version of Black Sabbath’s ''"Paranoid"''. *Oi-Skampilation Volume II - 1996 Radical Records, contains the song ''"I Want Justice"''. *SKA: Cover it Up - 1997 Beloved Records, contains live versions of ''"Misskaculation"'' and ''"Paranoid"''. *Deamons - 1997 Skully Enterprises, contains a live version of ''"Future Girl"''. *SKAndalous: I’ve Gotcha Covered - Volume II - 1997 Shanachie Records, features Ruder Than You’s version of The Beatles’ ''"Tax Man"''. *SKA: The Instrumentals - 1997 Beloved Records, contains the song ''"Swatara"''. *Freedom Sounds: A Tribute to the Skatalites - 1997 Shanachie Records, contains Ruder Than You’s Version of ''"El Pussycat"''. *Dancin’ Mood - 1997

Triple Crown Records Triple Crown Records is a New York-based rock music record label created in 1997 by Fred Feldman. The label features such artists as The Receiving End of Sirens and The Dear Hunter, ''Artists Page'' and launched the career of Brand New in 2001.> ...

, contains a live version of ''"Uncle Albert"''.

External links

Official WebsitePurevolume PageMyspace PageRuder Than You collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive {{Authority control American reggae musical groups American ska musical groups Third-wave ska groups