Why doesn’t ska get its due as a rich, diverse genre the way punk, metal, hip-hop and electronic music does? Or more to the point, why are ska fans so embarrassed of this music they love? The era of ska shame is officially over. In Defense of Ska is the much-needed response to years of ska-mockery. No longer do ska fans need to hide in the basement, skanking alone in their sharp suits, slim ties and porkpie hats. Now the time to take to the streets and fight music snobbery, or at least crank up the ska without being teased ruthlessly.

In a mix of interviews, essays, personal stories, historical snapshots, obscure anecdotes, and think pieces, In Defense of Ska dissects, analyzes and celebrates ska in exactly the way fans have been craving for decades. This book will enlist ska-lovers as soldiers in the ska army, and challenge ska-haters’ prejudices to the core.

HYPE FOR IN DEFENSE OF SKA

-One of picks for Pitchfork’s “11 Best Music Books of 2021.” (Other picks included A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib & New York Times bestseller Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner)

-Recommended book in Rolling Stones June 2021 issue (Along with The Double Life of Bob Dylan by Clinton Heylin and A Man Named Doll by Jonathan Ames)

“Third-wave ska in general is an unfairly maligned genre…this is a point Aaron Carnes makes in his new book, In Defense of Ska, which is an excellent read.” -Esquire (Dave Holmes)

“In Defense of Ska does what it says on the tin. It champions not just the critically acclaimed, punk-adjacent two-tone bands of the late '70s and '80s, or the pioneering Jamaican bands from the '60s. In Defense of Ska offers a full-throated defense of ska's third wave. That means Reel Big Fish, Operation Ivy, Fishbone, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and more.” -NPR (Cannonball/Bullseye w/ Jesse Thorn)

“Aaron with this new book has put together an impressive assembly of bits of history of the genre, various opinions about the genre, its formation, its fall from grace in a way, and where it can go from here.” -Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop)

“Lately, the whole ska narrative is changing. The author Aaron Carnes wrote In Defense of Ska, an intelligent look at the much-maligned genre and its various ‘waves,’ from 1960s Jamaica to today.” -GQ (Jason Diamond)

Aaron Carnes is a music journalist based out of Sacramento, California. His work has appearedin Playboy, Salon, Bandcamp Daily, Sierra Club, Noisey, Sun Magazine, and Good Times. His book "In Defense of Ska" was an Amazon best seller. He is also the host of the popular "In Defense of Ska" podcast. Guests have included Margaret Cho, Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), John Darnielle (Mountain Goats), and Laura Jane Grace (Against Me).

Aaron has been listening to ska since the early ’90s. He used to play drums in a ska band. Now he just plays ska on his car stereo. When he’s not defending ska, he enjoys backpacking with his wife Amy Bee, playing video games, and talking about music from every existing genre. Ska will always be his favorite.

ISBN: 9781944866785