After a grueling two week first round, CP/SC is ready for Round 2 of Heptember 2023: Punk In Bracket! To progress the next 8 matchups to determine the greatest NOFX Ska song, the gang welcomes back perennial second rounder, Common Sense Kid! Craig catches the crew up on his US excursion, his first live shows and what's in store for his future. Then the foursome, eliminate another 8 songs to progress to the quarterfinals! It's all capped off with a Fat Wreck themed game of Where In LA is Skarmen ...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 116
Punk In Bracket marches along as CP/SC continues their odyssey to uncover the greatest NOFX Ska song of all time! In this second part of Round 1, Rob, Celine and Joey work to eliminate another 8 tracks to lock in the songs that will progress to Round 2. Along the way they discuss weird music videos, create the genre of "Hyperbilly" and figure out whether a certain song is cringe or not. Hosts: Celine, Rob and Joey Engineer: Joey Editor: Rob Skassociate Producer: Chris Reeves of Ska Punk Internat...
Sep 05, 2023•50 min
It's time for another bracket and this Heptember, CP/SC is pitting 32 NOFX Ska songs against each other to determine the greatest of all time! In Round 1 Part 1, Rob, Celine and Joey blind listen to the first 16 tracks to move to Round 2. They discuss what they look for in a NOFX ska song, cultural non-appropriation and self deprecation all while making questionable choices in which songs progress. Hosts: Celine, Rob and Joey Engineer: Joey Editor: Rob Skassociate Producer: Chris Reeves of Ska P...
Aug 29, 2023•47 min
Handds up, fists high, headphones on, volume up! Checkered Past is ready to tackle the one-and-done Ska of Toronto's The Flatliners! In this TromBonus, Rob and Engineer Joey break down the Flatliners debut Destroy to Create, their B-sides and their change in styles over the years. They also touch on the bands live show, their current stance of Ska and Joey's "history" with the band. Hosts: Rob and Joey Engineer: Joey Editor: Joey Skassociate Producer: Chris Reeves of Ska Punk International Hepte...
Aug 22, 2023•56 min•Ep. 113
Men die as dogs die Checkerheads! CP/SC welcomes back Ska keyboard phenom, Esteban Flores to run through another batch of records by legendary Ska band, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra! Rob welcomes guest co-host, Skassociate Producer Chris Reeves to dive in to the bands late 90s fare, from the city pop of Tokyo Strut to the vocal-based Arkestra before finishing with the international hit Full Tension Beaters. Along the way, Esteban regales with tour stories, anime and his future projects before fi...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 112
Another year, another glorious Ska-Punk song bracket to enrage the Checkerheads over! This year, the CP/SC crew pits 32 songs by Ska-sometimesers NOFX in a head to head March Madness bracket to crown the ultimate NOFX ska song! For the pre-show, Rob, Celine and Joey go through NOFX's history from their Epitaph beginnings to their political years to the modern day on Fat all while exploring their various side projects! Brackets are open! Get your predictions in at www.challonge.com/punkinbracket ...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 111
Honk honk calling all Canadian Geese! Checkered Past welcomes return guest Ben of Saskatchewan skasters Minivandal to continue their discussion on The Mad Caddies! Ben catches Rob and first time co-host Arianne on what his band has been up to, the journey through COVID in creating their new album Fuel Me Twice and how he defines his genre of "Skalternative". Then, the trio get down on Mad Caddies going through their punkified album Rock the Plank through their smash hit Just One More to the grit...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 110
Grab your best purple, immigrant punks! Checkered Past does a shallow dive of the Skadjacent discography of Gypsy Punks, Gogol Bordello! Celine and Rob run through their catalogue from their indie roots, to their blockbuster releases on Side One Dummy to their major label years and ending on their most recent return to the indies... all while going on tangents about fiddles, accents and "wet toe" bands. Patreon: www.patreon.com/checkeredpast Merch: www.checkeredpast.ca/merch This episode is spon...
Jul 25, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 109
You get this podcast for nothin and the jokes for free! Checkered Past finishes off their trilogy of episodes on the poster children of third wave Ska, Reel Big Fish! To discuss the band's later years, Rob and co-host Engineer Joey welcome Gary of Backyard Superheroes and the On the Upbeat Podcast! First, Gary discusses his checkered past, his long history in the New Jersey Ska scene and his connection with the Ska pods! Then, the trio go through Reel Big Fish's indie era with their bizarre Monk...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 108
Hot off the heels of the band's new Ska playlist, Checkered Past sticks their middle fingers up at governments to talk about punk rockers Anti-Flag! Rob, Celine and Joey run through Anti-Flags discography from their street punk early days to their major label flirtations to their indie return all the while playing songs and picking into the group's flirtation with Ska. All the while the CP/SC crew go on tangents such as power metal, Audioslave and whether or Ben Franklin was a president. Also th...
Jul 11, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 107
It's CanCon baby! CP/SC finally gives the card to the man and the band that started it all for Ska in Canada... King Apparatus! To help the discussion, Rob and co-host Engineer Joey welcome Courtney and Aaron of Trad-Ska band The Prizefighters! They discuss their checkered pasts, the dark ages of ska and the generally made up divide between trad and ska-punk. Then the foursome breakdown King Appartus' highly influential duo of Canadian albums then deep dive into singer Chris Murray's lo-fi acous...
Jul 04, 2023•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 106
The CP/SC spinoff, Witchy With Michi returns for episode 2! For this iteration Celine and her co-host, Michi (of Mega Infinity) welcome tarot reader/intuitive/spiritual translator Jenny The Mermaid Mystic! The BB Witches do Checkered Past with tarot followed by tarot readings from their guest and ending with a game of tarot taboo and listener questions. Hosts: Celine and Michi Engineer: Joey Editor: Joey Skassociate Producer: Chris Reeves of Ska Punk International Patreon: www.patreon.com/checke...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 105
Time to re-enter the Jeff Rosenstock-verse as Checkered Past dives in on the highly influential and brief run of Long Island Ska Punkers, Arrogant Sons of Bitches! To do this, Rob and Celine welcome Ilan of Indica In Decay and Sad Snack to break down the band's entire run from their rough hewn debut, to their flurry of EPs to their problem-riddled final record and the lasting influence they had on the genre. Before they do that, Ilan discusses their comic meets synth project Indica In Decay, the...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 104
One month of Rancid wasn't enough! The CP/SC crew this week blind listens to all 16 tracks of the influential band's 2023 album, Tomorrow Never Comes. To make it interesting, Rob, Celine and Joey prepare a secret bingo sheet for the episode to make a game within a game! Will Matt get a hardcore song all to himself? Will there be any Ska at all? Will Celine's sheet be for sure real, not at all improvised and filled out before record? Tune in to find out! Hosts: Celine, Rob and Joey Engineer: Joey...
Jun 13, 2023•51 min•Ep. 103
It's the end of this pod series and I feel fine! Checkered Past welcomes back Chris Ruckus of Skacore band Dissidente to finish their discussion on The Suicide Machines! First, Rob, Celine and Chris discuss Chris' harder side, Shonen Jump manga and what's on the map for Dissidente. Then, the trio dig in on the final 4 albums of The Suicide Machines from the contentiously recorded Steal This Record to the one-two political punch of the Side One Dummy years to the most post-break up album on Fat W...
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 102
All the Centenarians stand up! CP/SC breaks off their 101st episode by celebrating their first 100! In this TromBonus, Rob, Celine and Joey field listener submitted clips of... basically anything! From songs to voice memos to skilfully edited clips the crew blind listens to 20 of these winners and reacts in real time! It answers the question: the Checkerheads are just as deranged as the podcast! Hosts: Celine, Rob and Joey Engineer: Joey Editor: Joey www.checkeredpast.ca www.patreon.com/checkere...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 101
We're going to party like we're trolling Celine in 2021! Checkered Past begins the long awaited deep dive into the legendary Fishbone! To help out, they welcome Kenny and Justin of Michigan-based Ska band Poindexter. First, the Poindexters discuss their Checkered Pasts, the culmination of their new album on Ska Punk International and the changes in the Ska scene. Then, Celine, Rob, Justin and Kenny dig in on the 80s era of Fishbone from their way ahead of its time debut ep, to the scattershot al...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 100
It's the debut episode of Celine of Checkered Past's spin off podcast, Witchy With Michi! In the podcast, Celine welcomes Michi of the band Mega Infinity to explore all things Astrology, Tarot and Witchcraft. They open with their spiritual backgrounds, compare birth charts and end with an on-air reading! It has all the Checkered Past goofiness, but now it's Celine's element! Hosts: Celine and Mitchi Engineer: Joey Editor: Joey www.checkeredpast.ca www.patreon.com/checkeredpast This episode is sp...
May 16, 2023•1 hr 36 min
You've been waiting for it! Checkered Past proudly presents, in honor of their 2nd year anniversary, the entire set Live From SPI Fest 2023! In addition, Rob, Celine and Joey tell about 90 minutes of stories from the trip and play supercuts of the fabled Back Alley Interviews. This is a monster episode, so buckle in! Please forgive some of the live audio... DIY amiright? Artists Featured: Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Lo(u)ser, Take Today, SkaxDad, Plastic Presidents and Chris Reeves of Ska Pun...
May 09, 2023•2 hr 45 min•Ep. 98
Remember when music players really whipped the Llama's ass? Remember when peer to peer software made Lars Ulrich cry in agony in his mansion? Well Checkered Past remembers! Rob, Celine and Joey get down and dirty listening back to the songs from the early 00's that no one properly gave credit to the correct artist and try to figure out what went wrong in the days before streaming, google and non-dialup internet. It's another MiSKAllaneous: MiSKAttributed! Take that SEO! Hosts: Celine, Rob and Jo...
May 02, 2023•55 min•Ep. 97
C-P-S-C-P-O-D! Hail satan as Checkered Past discusses the 90’s era of jazzy ska-metal iconoclasts, Mephiskapheles! To break it down, Rob and Celine welcome their first ever puppet, Jerrell of podcast and youtube channel Puppet Perspectives! Jerrell touches on his history with Ska, the origins of his show and his puppet influences before delving into Mephiskapheles trio of albums from the two tone stomp of God Bless Satan to the jazz inflected Maximum Perversion to the heavy as hades Might-Ay Whi...
Apr 25, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 96
All the rudies get the pods in the back! Checkered Past returns to a TromBonus to finish discussing the discography of No Doubt! They discuss their albums starting in 2000 with the dark wave of Return of Saturn to the pop dancehall of Rock Steady to the under-the-radar Push and Shove. Along the way they have typical tangents like the glory of the tv show The Traitors, Dungeons and Dragons and ignant music. Sorry for the lack of Ska! Patreon: www.patreon.com/checkeredpast Merch: www.checkeredpast...
Apr 18, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 95
Give high fives to all the guys at Disneyland cause Checkered Past is back in the O.C. to discuss the dancing divas of disco-ska, Suburban Legends! To help out, they invite Matt Vest of fellow Ska-Pod On The Upbeat to break down the bands full length catalogue. First, Matt talks about his Checkered Past, the impetus of the Ska podcast and his deep connection to the Southern California Ska scene. Then, Rob, Celine and Matt go through the bands entire career from their post Ska-boom beginnings to ...
Apr 11, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 94
BREAKING SKA NEWS! Rob from Checkered Past has been corresponding with a man simply named "Rockview" who claims to have written nearly every major Ska song from the 90s and has never received credit. Thanks to cutting edge technology and a nose for the truth, CP/SC has acquired these recordings from 1989 - 1991 and will ascertain whether this claim holds ice water or is telling another one. This is the Rockview Files: A CP/SC special presentation. Hosts: Celine, Rob and Joey Editor: Joey Enginee...
Apr 04, 2023•1 hr 2 min
It's the moment we've all been waiting for... the final episode to determine once and for all what the greatest Slackers song of all time is! Who better to bring along then Ali and Danny of New York's Stop the Presses? Before that, the duo discuss their checkered pasts, Danny's Cuban journey through Ska and their new album, Got It. Then, STP and CP/SC crack into the final 4 songs and go until a winner is crowned! Once the dust settles, Rob, Celine and Engineer Joey stick around to do a bonus bra...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 92
Weapons of Destruction? That's Rob and Celine of Checkered Past: The Ska'd Cast! For the quarterfinals of Madness March 2023: The SlackBrack, the skankin' sibs invite comedian Brandie Posey on to progress four more matches to determine the greatest Slackers song of all time. Before that, the trio discuss Brandie's checkered past, reality TV binges and her podcast Lady to Lady. Then they make some difficult decisions to eliminate 4 more songs to get to the semi-finals! Then they cap it all off wi...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 91
I can say that you DO know what you're doing and you DO have the time for Checkered Past: The Ska'd Cast! For Round 2 of Madness March 2023: The SlackBrack, Celine, Rob and Joey welcome three timer, Common Sense Kid to eliminate 8 more songs on a quest to determine the greatest Slackers song of all time! Craig breaks down his new album A for Effort E for Attainment (on Ska Punk International), his varied influences and what people should be listening in the UK Ska Punk scene before making some m...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 90
Round 1 of the SlackBrack is not over yet! The CP/SC crew continue to eliminate track after track in a no-holds-barred contest to declare the greatest Slackers song of all time. Some of the band's most popular songs go head to head including fan favourites Wasted Days, Have the Time and International War Criminal with no shortage of surprise eliminations! Plus: a King Django edition of Skarmen Skandiego! For an 75 minute uncut version of the episode PLUS all future SlackBrack episodes, sign up f...
Mar 07, 2023•54 min•Ep. 89
Madness March 2023 begins in full as Checkered Past looks determine the greatest Slackers song of all time... it's the SlackBrack! In the first episode, Rob, Celine and Joey run through the first 16 songs seeded into a bracket based on This is Slackers from Spotify. They list out their criteria for each song, blind listen to the tracks and advance 8 songs to Round 2! They finish the episode off with a game of Skarmen Skandiego based on Slackers collaborator, Victor Rice! Follow the bracket at ww...
Feb 28, 2023•53 min•Ep. 88
This pod will make you hard it'll make you high! Checkered Past heads south of the equator to Australia to do a shallow dive on Skadjacent Jazz Rockers, The Cat Empire! Rob, Celine and Joey go through 13 Ska and Ska-ish tracks by the prolific artist from their upbeat early days to their jazzy exploits to their more experimental later days. All the while going off topic in whatever way they see fit! Thanks to Ben from our Discord for the suggestion! If you want to suggest a TromBonus join the Che...
Feb 21, 2023•44 min•Ep. 87
