In Defense of Ska Ep 188: Jon Natchez (Skavoovie & The Epitones, War On Drugs, Beirut)

In Defense of Ska Ep 188: Jon Natchez (Skavoovie & The Epitones, War On Drugs, Beirut)

Author: Aaron Carnes August 21, 2024 Duration: 2:11:54
In Defense of Ska
MusicCultureSocietySociety & Culture

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 episode of In Defense of Ska, Skavoovie & The Epitones' Jon Natchez joins the crew to talk about jazz-infused ska, reuniting for their first show in almost a quarter century, and playing with the likes of The War on Drugs and Father John Misty, among others. Listen now.

Natchez launches into the history of Skavoovie & The Epitones, who were one of the more unique ska acts of the '90s. It was an unusual, beautiful mix, and one that they'll be bringing to the stage for the first time in 24 years at Supernova Ska Festival 2024.

Elsewhere, Natchez talks about his successful career as a hired musician, backing up indie rock bands like The War on Drugs, Beirut, Phosphorescent, Father John Misty, and Passion Pit. He also touches on Isaac Green, signing to Moon Records, working with producer Victor Rice, and getting to meet Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

Listen to Jon Natchez 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

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In Defense of Ska
Podcast Episodes
Touring in a Ska Band: Life on the Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:04
This week on In Defense of Ska, host Adam Davis takes the spotlight to detail his time touring with his ska band Omnigone. The act hit the road back in March, and along the way he interviewed a whole bunch of interesting…
Punching Nazis: A True Gilman Punk Rock Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:56
There’s a piece of Gilman (the legendary underground venue) lore that involves a huge fight between punks and nazis in the late '80s. Thankfully and expectedly, the punks kicked the nazis' butts. So much so, in fact, tha…
The Sound of Ska in Denmark: The Chains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:12
Let In Defense of Ska introduce you to The Chains, a new ska band out hailing from Denmark. Their sound leans heavily into traditional ska, rock steady, and boss reggae, and they put out a killer album last year, Crying…
WTF is Crack Rock Steady? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:54
This week on In Defense of Ska, the crew asks a question that has been on everyone's mind: What the hell is crack rock steady? Along with author and fellow ska-enjoyer Jeff Burk, the crew discusses the subgenre in all of…
Ska as Pop Music in 2025 w/ Catbite and Sarah Tudzin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:04
When people say they want ska music to come back, what they’re really saying is that they want ska music to once again be a part of the pop music world. If that were to happen, though, it likely wouldn’t sound anything l…
When Smash Mouth Was a Ska Band [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:50
Back in the mid '90s, ska was on the rise in the United States. Ready to ride the wave, a new band formed in San Jose, California, that specialized in ska-punk and pop-punk tunes, and they called themselves Smash Mouth.…

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