In Defense of Ska Ep 199: Karina Denika (Dance Hall Crashers, NOFX)

In Defense of Ska Ep 199: Karina Denika (Dance Hall Crashers, NOFX)

Author: Aaron Carnes November 6, 2024 Duration: 1:26:06

While Dance Hall Crashers' founding members Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman (both of Operation Ivy and Rancid) quickly left after the band's formation, the California ska act was still able to make a strong name for themselves thanks to their ear-grabbing debut album and their devoted cult following. This week on In Defense of Ska, the podcast welcomes Dance Hall Crashers' co-lead vocalist Karina Deniké to talk about the band's unexpected success, her recent work with NOFX, and more. Listen now.

Deniké wastes no time getting into detail about the band's rocky history, discussing their frequent line-up changes, multiple breakups, and accusations of selling out.

Along with talking about Dance Hall Crashers, Deniké discusses her personal music history. She touches on growing up in England before moving to California, exploring how different those two cultures were for her. In addition to discussing first meeting NOFX's Fat Mike, Deniké pays to tribute to the late Greg Lee and talks about what it was like to play his memorial show.

Listen to Karina Deniké's conversation about Dance Hall Crashers and NOFX above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series. Don't forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.

Additionally, you can support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of SkaThe 2nd, expanded edition is available now. Co-host Adam Davis also has a band called Omnigone, whose latest record, Feral, was released earlier this year. Enter to win a signed copy of In Defense of Ska the book and a Feral vinyl, plus other ska-tastic merch, here or using the widget below*. You can also preview the book with our exclusive excerpt about the Christian ska scene.

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. 

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
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]

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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]

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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.…