That was a great place to start. I was also really into Five Iron Frenzy with their Our Newest Album Ever! release. Another christian ska band I listened to was The OC Supertones album Supertones Strike Back. They were more in your face with the god stuff than FIF was, so I didn't really get in them as much. While it wasn't my intro to ska, I definitely listened to a few christian ska bands as well.
I've been thinking about exactly when I got into the ska, but I'm having trouble really pinpointing the first song that really got me into it. I would say I was in either 7th or 8th grade ('94/'95) when I starting listening to some punk here and there. I was a huge No Doubt fan back then. I think the first time I heard them was what I believe was the debut of the Just A Girl video on MTV's 120 Minutes and that's probably what kicked off my ska obsession even though it's not ska. Loved that song right away and ended up checking out their older stuff after loving Tragic Kingdom. Their self-titled album is still a favorite of mine. From there I really got into any ska punk stuff I could get my hands on. Picking up any random compilations and ska albums when I would got a record store. Like Tamanon, Rancid's Out Come The Wolves was a big one for me as well.
When I got to high school I met some friends that also loved the genre. They ended up introducing me to stuff like The Slackers, Skankin' Pickle, The Scofflaws and a bunch of other stuff. The Slackers especially was definitely a big thing for me. That got me into stuff that wasn't punk style like Hepcat, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble and picking up anything that was on the Moon Ska Records label. I was really into, and still am into ska punk, but I really loved that more traditional sound and it's shaped what I really love today.
Throwback Thursday
This weeks album I'd like to share is the album Give It Up, Let It Go by Critical Mass. This was one I randomly picked up one day for some reason, probably because of the Moon Ska logo on the back. Turned out to be a favorite of mine that's still a great listen today.
Critical Mass - Give It Up, Let It Go (1997)
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/album/25cLkugyPeUib9fAfm72IA?si=TdVowEeASHymLjwNvgLG0A
Apple Music:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/give-it-up-let-it-go/475175764