In Defense of Ska Ep 187: Jesus Arriaga (Inspector, Skapital Sound)

In Defense of Ska Ep 187: Jesus Arriaga (Inspector, Skapital Sound)

Author: Aaron Carnes August 14, 2024 Duration: 1:13:13

Enter to win tickets to Supernova Ska Fest 2024 by filling out our entry form (https://bit.ly/supernovaska), following and leaving a review on Apple Podcasts, and/or subscribing to the In Defense of Ska Patreon. There will be winners selected from each entry method and the contest ends September 9th, so hurry and enter now for your chance to win!

On this week's episode, while much of the '90s ska scene in Mexico was made up of ska-punk coming out of Mexico City, one of the most important bands instead took influence from two-tone and called Monterrey home -- Inspector. On this episode of In Defense of Ska, Inspector's band leader and saxophonist Jesus Arriaga joins the crew to discuss the ska community, his creative arc, and more. Listen now.

Arriaga charts out Inspector's journey from their early days of releasing tapes with Pepe Lobo to signing to a label and scoring radio hits to playing to a crowd of 20,000 people in 2023. He discusses such cuts as "Amnesia" and "Amargo Adios" before detailing the Monterrey music festival he helped found -- called Ska Wars -- and the strange role El Chapo had in spreading ska across the country.

The crew is also joined by Mari Wendler this episode, who helps with translation. In our Patreon-exclusive extended episode, they chat further with Mari about her relationship to ska and her band Los Ocupados. Sign up to the IDOS Patreon to listen. 

Listen to Jesus Arriaga for more above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast

If you’d like to support us and listen to early access, ad-free episodes with bonus content, check out our Patreon

If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music. 

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024. 

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023. 

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.



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There's a persistent idea that ska music is just a punchline, a relic of checkerboard Vans and goofy horn sections. In Defense of Ska dismantles that notion with genuine passion and deep knowledge. Hosted by Aaron Carnes, who literally wrote the book on the subject, and musician Adam Davis, this podcast goes far beyond nostalgia. Each conversation, whether with scene veterans or curious outsiders, digs into the genre's rich history, its surprising cultural footprint, and the vibrant community that keeps it alive. You'll hear personal stories that trace ska's influence in unexpected places and passionate arguments for its artistic merit. It’s not about blindly championing every upstroke; it’s about thoughtful, often funny, and always dedicated discussions that give the music the serious consideration it rarely gets. Tune in for a refreshing reevaluation that might just change your mind about what ska has been and what it continues to be. This is a defense built on facts, stories, and undeniable love for the sound.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

In Defense of Ska
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