The Pioneers perform Starvation at Brixton's Hootananny on October 31, 2008. Video taken by Gen Murray.

Unless you're lucky enough to live in Montreal, you'll probably have to wait until this film comes to DVD, but it looks fantastic and will be worth the wait.

With The Specials due in Australia in late July, the Sydney ska scene is coming together on Sunday June 28th at the Vanguard (King St, Newtown) to celebrate our connection to ska and 2-tone. Joining Backy Skank is an all-star lineup including Pat Powell (Club Ska), Steve Montgomery (The Ska Vendors), Steve Phillips (Just Kidding), Stuart Crysell (The Allniters) and Mark Heather (Riot City/Steppin' Razor) for a celebration paying homage to some of the great ska bands. I'll also be spinning some tunes. It's an early start at 6 pm. Please come along!

Tickets are available online

To download this latest "Cool Operators" podcast from Pressure Drop Soundcast, visit:
http://www.dancingmood.net/musicaloccupation/?p=1633

Here we go again with another episode full of new ska, reggae, rocksteady, soul, and punk rock tunes! Andrew Barker and Gabe Pressure discuss some of the newest releases and play some music they have had stuck in thier head lately. Plus some special sneak peeks of music soon to be released. Turn it up and let that pressure drop!

Playlist:

1. The Aggrolites - Feeling Alright-Album: IV

2. Pressure Cooker - You’re The One-Album:What She Wants

3. Westbound Train - So Many Things-Album: Come And GetIt

4. Rancid - Up To No Good-Album: Let The Domninoes Fall

5. See Spot - So Fine-Album: The Robbery

6. The Forthrights - Other People-Sneak Peak

7. The Steady Boys - What’s The Point-Album:Roots

8. Green Room Rockers - Reggae Revival-Sneak Peek

9. Deals Gone Bad - Nothing Else-Album: Large & In Charge

10. Pama International - Happenstance-New 45

11. No.1 Station - Jackie Chan-Album: Boss Beat

12 Maddie Ruthless - Funeral Dirge- Demo

13. Al Green - Funny How Things Change-Andrew’s I’m so smooth song

14. Hub City Stompers - Where;s My Hooligans-Album: Ska Ska Black Sheep

15. Matt Wixon - Season Finale-Response to the Open Season saga

Hawk-eyed readers amongst you will notice I've made a couple of small, but important additions to Dizzybeat. The first is adding a "widget" down the bottom of posts that allows people to tell other folk about the article using their favoured social networking site. So please, don't hold back. The other addition is a section in the right hand column that features interesting ska and reggae news from the web. I figure it is better than simply rehashing the content as my own.

Finally, if you are on Facebook, be sure to "become a fan" of Dizzybeat by following the link below. It's in addition to the Facebook Group, because groups seemed to have taken a backseat. Who knows, maybe we'll even get on to Twitter soon.

Become a fan of Dizzybeat on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Everything-Crash-and-Di...

To download this latest Aggrolites podcast from Pressure Drop Soundcast, visit:
http://www.dancingmood.net/musicaloccupation/?p=1568

This week we got a special mix of dirty reggae, soul, and rocksteady by way of the Aggrolites and tunes from their new album IV! Guitarist Brian Dixon from The Aggrolites joins us to to talk about the new album, what their up to, and what they got in store. Get ready to move, groove and shake your body line, as some sample these new tasty biscuits in aggro time!

Tracklist

1. A.G.G.R.O
2. Dirty Reggae
3. Work It
4. Reggae Wonderland
5. Runnin’ Strong
6. The Sufferer
7. Fire Cracker
8. Ever Want To Try
9. Musically On Top
10. Precious and Few
11. Tears That Fall
12. It’s Gonna Be Okay
13. Gotta Find Someone Beter
14. It’s Time To Go

Visit these sites:

www.aggroreggae.com

www.hell-cat.com

As part of the upcoming festival curated by Brian Eno, Lee "Scratch" Perry will be performing at the Opera House on Thursday 11th June. He will be joined by British Producer Adrian Sherwood for a concert of live dub. I haven't caught Lee Perry on any of his previous trips to Australia, but there's no doubting his significant contribution to reggae music and the Opera House is sure to be a wonderful setting for the show.

Tickets: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/leeperry.aspx