Skavoovie and the epitones
Encyclopedia
Skavoovie and the Epitones is a ten piece third wave ska band that formed in Wellesley
, Massachusetts
in 1994.
Skavoovie and the Epitones have a traditional 1960s ska
sound with heavy jazz
and big band
influences. The band was signed to Moon Ska Records before the members had finished high school, and they released their debut album Fat Footin' in 1995. Fat Footin was one of the fastest selling albums for Moon Ska.
Their blend of new and old styles of ska is apparent in songs such as "She Sure Can Cook." They have released albums in Europe and Japan and have appeared on over a dozen music compilations. Their musically diverse album Ripe was released in 1997, featuring songs such as Blood Red Sky and Drunk. The album showcases their lighter side with songs such as Aquaman. After upwards of a thousand live shows and numerous US and European tours, the band became inactive in 1999 because the members were in college
.
Guitarist Kevin Micka is actively touring for his project Animal Hospital.http://www.myspace.com/animalhospital
Ansis Purins , a 2010 Xeric
grant recipient, works as a freelance illustrator and self-publishes his comic series "Zombre." http://www.ansis.tv
Ethan D'ercole now plays in the Chicago based band "The Watchers."
Ben Jaffe is a now playing with the Brooklyn-based "Black Tabby" and is sometimes called "Gary.
Eugene Cho is a principal member of the brooklyn based disco band "Escort", he also runs a music studio and writes music for television shows and commercials. http://www.euchomusic.com
Ben Herson is the founder of Global Hip-Hop record label and production company - Nomadic Wax http://www.nomadicwax.com
Daniel Neely is an ethnomusicologist and has a Ph.D. from NYU. His dissertation is about Jamaican mento
music. http://danieltneely.com Jon Natchez is touring with Zach Condon's band Beirut, playing a variety of wind, string, and percussion instruments. Ben Lewis is a computational biologist who has made major discoveries regarding the extensive influence of microRNAs on the human genome
. http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=microRNA&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1%2C22&as_sdtp=on
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1994.
Skavoovie and the Epitones have a traditional 1960s ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
sound with heavy jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
influences. The band was signed to Moon Ska Records before the members had finished high school, and they released their debut album Fat Footin' in 1995. Fat Footin was one of the fastest selling albums for Moon Ska.
Their blend of new and old styles of ska is apparent in songs such as "She Sure Can Cook." They have released albums in Europe and Japan and have appeared on over a dozen music compilations. Their musically diverse album Ripe was released in 1997, featuring songs such as Blood Red Sky and Drunk. The album showcases their lighter side with songs such as Aquaman. After upwards of a thousand live shows and numerous US and European tours, the band became inactive in 1999 because the members were in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
.
Guitarist Kevin Micka is actively touring for his project Animal Hospital.http://www.myspace.com/animalhospital
Ansis Purins , a 2010 Xeric
Xeric Foundation
The Xeric Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation based in Northampton, Massachusetts, which for twenty years awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators, as well as qualified charitable and nonprofit organizations...
grant recipient, works as a freelance illustrator and self-publishes his comic series "Zombre." http://www.ansis.tv
Ethan D'ercole now plays in the Chicago based band "The Watchers."
Ben Jaffe is a now playing with the Brooklyn-based "Black Tabby" and is sometimes called "Gary.
Eugene Cho is a principal member of the brooklyn based disco band "Escort", he also runs a music studio and writes music for television shows and commercials. http://www.euchomusic.com
Ben Herson is the founder of Global Hip-Hop record label and production company - Nomadic Wax http://www.nomadicwax.com
Daniel Neely is an ethnomusicologist and has a Ph.D. from NYU. His dissertation is about Jamaican mento
Mento
Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music. It has its roots in calypso and other Jamaican folk music. Mento typically features acoustic instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums, and the rhumba box — a large mbira in the...
music. http://danieltneely.com Jon Natchez is touring with Zach Condon's band Beirut, playing a variety of wind, string, and percussion instruments. Ben Lewis is a computational biologist who has made major discoveries regarding the extensive influence of microRNAs on the human genome
Human genome
The human genome is the genome of Homo sapiens, which is stored on 23 chromosome pairs plus the small mitochondrial DNA. 22 of the 23 chromosomes are autosomal chromosome pairs, while the remaining pair is sex-determining...
. http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=microRNA&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1%2C22&as_sdtp=on
Lineup
- Ansis Purins (Vocals)
- Ben Herson (Drums)
- Ben Jaffe (Tenor sax)
- Eugene Cho (Keyboards)
- Jesse Farber (Trumpet)
- Eric Jalbert (Trumpet)
- Joe Wensink (Euphonium)
- Ethan D'Ercole (Guitar)
- Kevin Micka (Guitar)
- Daniel Neely (Guitar)
- Ben Lewis (Trumpet)
- Jon Natchez (Flute, Alto & Baritone sax)
- Rob Jost (Bass)
Discography
- An Evening With Skavoovie (1994)
- Fat Footin' (1995)
- Beardman Ska/Riverboat 7" (1996)
- Ripe (1997)
- Super Ripe! (1998) Japanese Release
- The Growler (1999)
External links
- http://www.skavoovie.us
- http://www.answers.com/topic/skavoovie-the-epitones
- http://www.moonskaeurope.com/index.shtml
- http://www.nomadicwax.com/
- http://www.ansis.tv
- http://danieltneely.com/