So why is Voodoo Glow Skulls’ The Band Geek Mafia on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
Along with bands like Operation Ivy, The Suicide Machines, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Voodoo Glow Skulls have formed the basis of music that I listen to while working out (or when I’m need of high velocity music to get pumped up to) for decades now.
“Walking Frustration,” off of The Band Geek Mafia, specifically reminds me of when I was living in Astoria, Queens in New York City in the late 1990s. I’d listen to custom-constructed mix tapes (on cassette tapes, yes kids!) of ska punk, hard rock, metal, and other-like songs – but with a heavy mix of the bands I mention above – while jogging.
I particularly recall jogging through Astoria Park, which afforded a great view of the east side of Manhattan, listening to “Walking Frustration.” I adore its stellar ska punk groove to this day. Voodoo Glow Skulls at their best represent perfectly honed chaos, and that’s none better represented here.
The title track, “The Band Geek Mafia,” features an absolutely crushing and brilliant horn riff. Bar none, no band does it quite like this when it comes to super high paced, horn-driven ska punk. Therefore, it’s fitting that these dudes from California’s Inland Empire wear their self-appointed status as band geeks as a well earned badge of honor.
Following a long-standing tradition, VGS closes an album with a ska punk cover that comes way out of left field. In this case, it’s “Stranded in the Jungle,” originally recorded by the Jay Hawks, but best known as a New York Dolls staple.
Also see:
- Voodoo Glow Skull – Adicción, Tradición, Y Revolución: #660 of best 1,000 albums ever
- Voodoo Glow Skulls – Steady As She Goes: #711 of best 1,000 albums ever
Personal stuff that’s somehow related to Voodoo Glow Skulls’ The Band Geek Mafia
I was a band geek myself back in the day. It was the “standup bass” in orchestra, in my case, but I can deeply relate to the stereotypes, positives, and challenges that come from being a “band or orchestra person.”
Some stats & info about Voodoo Glow Skulls – The Band Geek Mafia
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? SoCal Bands, Ska Punk, Punk Rock, Third Wave Ska Revival
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 4 out of 5 stars
- When was The Band Geek Mafia released? 1998
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #515 out of 1,000
Voodoo Glow Skulls’ The Band Geek Mafia on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from Voodoo Glow Skulls’ The Band Geek Mafia that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
The doctor says to take it easy because this isn’t healthy, but I need things a doctor can’t prescribe. I’m running the race on a treadmill going nowhere fast; I need an outlet in my so-called life.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.