The Specials - Too Hot

The Specials are a 2tone/2nd Wave Ska

band formed in Conventry, England in 1977. They were a vital band in the revival of ska (called 2nd wave) that happened in England in the '70s, and combined the rocksteady rhythms with a punk sort of attitude and ethos. This era of Ska is my personal favorite, I always felt like things got a little too cheesy and produced in the 3rd Wave (during my lifetime), but this has a grit and a working class element to it that's awesome. This form of Ska was the result of the Skinheads, who were fans of the 1st Wave Ska artists, and formed their own British versions. It wasn't until the '80s that the "Skinhead" culture and fashion was co-opted by Nazi/Fascist groups, which is unfortunate, as it's original incarnation was entirely about embracing Afro-Caribbean culture.

Listen to Too Hot by The Specials here.

This track appears on The Specials' 1979

self-titled album, and is my personal favorite of theirs. The guitar and drums are very minimal, but keep the groove the entire song, which is a sound I love, something that The Slits were known for doing too. The vocals are great, as they change between various people in the band throughout the album, sort of a Beatles-esque technique. This song also appeared on the soundtrack for the film SLC Punk.