The Planet Smashers

Mighty (Stomp)
by Jessica Parker

The Planet Smashers are a five piece ska band. Let’s just get that out of the way. This ska band, however, isn’t one of those that just popped out of their high school marching band in Geekville, America. They’ve been together for nine years, and have garnered a lot of cred in their five albums for Stomp Records… even if it’s ska cred: Neville Staples of legendary ska scensters The Specials is featured on the album’s track “Explosive.”

Mighty is the fun soundtrack you need for that Tropical Island theme party you’ve been planning. The songs are cheerful and evoke images of palm trees and those old ’50s movies where people do the twist on the beach. The lyrics are funny in that really immature but amusing way (“She looks great in that sweater/and her mother even looks better”). You have to admire The Planet Smasher’s lighthearted attitude, though. They’re entertaining, unpretentious, and silly. Sometimes you gotta relax and delve into that guiltiest of guilty pleasures: SKA. So why not do it with a decent band?
(78 Rachel E. Montreal, Quebec H2W 1C6)