The Allstonians
Go You! (Moon)
An interview with vocalist Ken “King K” Knucklehead
by April Mosqus
The infamous ska band from Allston, MA, The Allstonians, has been filling the music scene with their reggae-influenced sounds since 1992. They’ve appeared on three ska compilations: Mash It Up ’93 and Mash It Up: Volume 3 (DVS Media), and Skarmageddon (Moon). They released their first full-length album, Go You! (Studio Nun/Moon) in 1995.
You guys have a pretty big line-up; tell us about everyone and what they play.
I’ll start with the horn section. We have Lord Johnamo (trombone), T-Bone Oulten (trumpet), D-Train Morrow (tenor sax), and Jeremy ‘Kid’ Woodruff (alto sax). We’ve got Bob Place on drums, and Jah Johnathan Noel on bass and backing vocals. Roger Fisk plays lead and rhythm guitar, Nigel Knucklehead sings and plays keyboards, and on lead vocals, there’s me.
I hear you’re working on a new release.
We’re going into the studio for our second CD, starting the basic tracks by the end of May. We’re not taking a new approach with the music, but we do have some new writers, D-Train and T-Bone, instead of just myself and Nigel. It will be traditional-style ska, and should be out in early fall. We had a working title (Big Alcohol), but it didn’t cook.
Since the Skatalites are considered the “creators of ska,” how much of an influence have they been on you?
(Laughs) A maaaajooor influence! Everything from mannerisms right down to the things we say. Our style is basically the Skatalites, but there is some jazz influence as far as the horn players. Our free form is like the Skatalites. Go You! was a statement made by one of the original vocalists of the Skatalites. But Laurel Aikene is considered by many people to be the godfather. In 1959, he was the first Jamaican artist to have a Number One hit when there was all soul and R&B in the charts.
What do you think of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones? Are you guys ever compared to them?
There have been no comparisons as far as I know. The Bosstones are totally different. Their music has that speed metal edge. We try to stay as close as possible to the traditional roots. Dickie Barrett [Bosstones vocalist] really likes us. He came to see us when we played at RIT [Rhode Island Institute of Technology].
As far as songs go, what influences you to write?
The influences come from so many different angles. A lot of songs are about friends. “Spike,” for example, was one of our best friends who passed away at the age of 28. Songs come from the neighborhood. A new song we have called “Six Years” is about living in the same place [Allston] for six years. A lot of the instrumentals come out of nowhere. “Jerry Lewis” [an instrumental] was a joke. The basics were written when I saw him in New Haven, CT. If you ever get the chance to see him do his solo thing, go! It’s an amazing show!
You were nominated for Best Local and International Act in the Boston Phoenix/WFNX Best Music Poll. Did you receive that award?
No, we’re like Susan Lucci, always the runners-up in ska.
What other bands from the Boston area do you listen to or admire?
Beat Soup is one of our favorites and they’re good guys. We really admire them as songwriters. Skavoovie is good. Thumper – we owe those guys a beating on the basketball court! We played with them a few years ago, but Nigel wasn’t in the band then, so they won. Early Bim Skala Bim records are really good. I liked The Pixies when they were around.
Since you believe in very traditional-sounding ska, what’s your opinion of bands that try to incorporate that sound into their music?
Bands like Rancid? Well, Rancid wants to be The Clash, but they can’t write songs nearly as good. We are traditionalists as far as the sound. I grew up on a diet of two-tone reggae in Cambridge, MA where there’s a huge Caribbean community. I’m not into the mixture of hardcore with ska. It’s a constantly changing style and it’s brutal on the dance crowd, but it’s the hip thing.
Where do you think the future of ska is going?
I’d like to see it accepted as a popular form of music, more mainstream. Its style is being exploited right now. If you look in GQ or Details, you’ll see the clothing we were wearing 10-15 years ago. The three-button jackets, skinny ties, the sharkskin look – the wardrobe from 1969. People thought ska died out in the early ’80s when The Specials broke up, but the Untouchables and Fishbone were still doing it. Bands played on MTV rip off melody and chord progressions from ska, then those bands go ripping each other off! Let four ska bands play and none of them will sound alike.
