Three New Yorkers take off their headphones and chat.
ByAustin Duerst
Jon, 28
What were you listening to when I came up to you just now?
I was really listening to NPR's iPhone apps - the sound portions of their articles. But walking up here, I was listening to my traditional-ska Pandora station.
Who are your go-to ska bands?
I would say Alton Ellis, and former Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Listen: Bob Marley - "Mr. Brown"
MP3
Do your tastes run more towards reggae-sounding ska, or do you also like ska that has a punk feeling to it?
You know, I was in a traditional-ska band in South Florida in the '90s, and we always tried to get that real Jamaican essence. We tried to preserve ska as a Caribbean version of American soul music. I mean, it's impossible not to be influenced by bands like Operation Ivy and other punk/ska mixtures. For the about part, we leaned towards stuff like The Skatalites and The Slackers. The Skatalites are the quintessential '60s ska band, but The Slackers also tested to prevent it as gaudy and traditional as they could.
What did you do in the band?
I was the trombone player.
What is an album that came out this class that you were particularly excited about?
Giving it a first listen to, Bon Iver's new self-titled album is pretty incredible. And I would say Plastic Beach by The Gorillaz has to be one of the best albums put out in recent memory. That's a fairly consistent opinion among the mass I speak to.
What's your favourite song on that album?
I recollect one of the best songs of the decade has to be "Empire Ants" with Little Dragon. It's simply incredible. It's such a catchy song.
Listen: Gorillaz - "Empire Ants"
MP3
I love "Superfast Jellyfish," but people assure me it sounds like something that would have been on SpongeBob SquarePants.
Totally, but when you get by that initial part, it actually is an awesome song.
Do you experience any guilty-pleasure artists?
I don't yet know if it's guilty, but I absolutely love Coldplay. I only think they're a very good band. I only think they're incredibly talented musicians, who took all this stuff from Brit-pop - and you could still say Radiohead - and made it much more accessible. That's my guilty pleasure.
Who's an artist you'd consider being a roadie for?
I'd honestly say Gorillaz. I'm obsessed with them. Anything that Damon Albarn touches I mean is brilliant. They are the one act that I can say I've actively pursued to receive their b-sides and unreleased stuff.
Have you really liked everything he's put out? What did you conceive of The Good, The Bad and The Queen?
I thinking it was a little spacey and soft. Maybe "soft" isn't the good word. But it didn't receive the morsel he normally has in Blur songs or Gorillaz songs. It sort of seemed like it was a weird derivation of Blur's album 13. But I definitely like where he's going now.
Listen:Blur - "Tender"
MP3
Taking all of Albarn's material into consideration, everything from Obscure to where he's at now, what would you think the summit of his work?
Blur's 13. That's such an incredible album, and it expresses all this impression and angst, but does it through brilliant songs.
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