Spicy graphic pop: an interview with CHema
June 27th, 2017 | by Charles
Thick, black outlines, bold colors, quirky characters and stray ink spots. CHema’s style is instantly recognizable. If you like your
About Charles
Charles Described by friends as “way, way too obsessed with ska,” Charles Benoit lives in Rochester, NY, where he writes novels (Young Adult noir) and plays tenor sax in Some Ska Band. Incriminating details and paparazzi-quality photos at charlesbenoit.com.
Author Archives: Charles
“That’s the beautiful thing about ska”: an interview with Adam Birch.
June 16th, 2017 | by Charles
At music festivals, it’s all about sharing, and that often includes musicians. Sometimes it’s to fill a spot caused by
Alive and dancing: An interview with Death of Guitar Pop
June 3rd, 2017 | by Charles
A good hunk of my spare time is spent to listening to debut releases from just-getting-started ska bands. These formative
Take Two: In the studio with The Skamanians
June 3rd, 2017 | by Charles
You can hear hints of mento, jazz, blues, and/or R&B in just about any ska song, and if that song
“Jamaicans and Greeks have a lot of things in common”: An interview with Les Skartoi!
April 10th, 2017 | by Charles
If you’ve been to Greece, you’ve got a thousand reasons why you want to go back. Let me add one
Monique Powell is an open book: Checking in with Save Ferris
March 31st, 2017 | by Charles
You never forget your first time. And for thousands of ska fans, that first time was back in 1998 at
“I love the hard jam” – A conversation with drummer Fred Campbell
March 10th, 2017 | by Charles
I can usually tell how a phone interview is going to go by the first question. Sometimes there’s a long,
Drunken, slack and fun: Complicated Men of Leisure have nothing to apologize for
February 15th, 2017 | by Charles
You can tell a lot about somebody by checking out their exes. Good or bad, they’ll be judged by the
Something Better: chattin’ with Steve Jackson of The Pietasters
February 1st, 2017 | by Charles
Back in October of ‘95, I got a copy of The Pietasters’ Oolooloo stuck in the CD player of my
Interview with Bob’s Ska Radio – So you want to run a ska radio station?
November 23rd, 2016 | by Charles
In the US, it’s possible to live your whole life and never hear a ska song on commercial radio. Maybe—and
A Special Libertine: an interview with Gary Powell
August 29th, 2016 | by Charles
When John “Brad” Bradbury died last December, his family and friends lost a loved one, and the ska world lost
Sao Paulo Ska-Jazz – The Interview
July 20th, 2016 | by Charles
My hometown of Rochester, New York is a jazz city. It’s where you’ll find one of the finest jazz schools