Judge I-Rankin'

Find Stories by Judge I-Rankin'

Browse by:

Category:

Year:

1989

Latest Articles

Skank It Up

As ska gets down for the third time, it's never been more alive

By Judge I-Rankin'
Jun 28, 1989

here's a scene in the new movie Scandal no self-respecting ska fan should miss. Christine Keeler is taken to London's West End section by her friend Dr. Stephen Ward to score some ganja. She ends up in a smoky dance hall where she meets a sharp-dressed rude boy played by...
From Roots To Riches

How do you make a buck off reggae? Rip off the rhythms and throw out the rasta.

By Judge I-Rankin'
Jun 14, 1989

Little did Romeo realize how prophetic his words were to become. Reggae music (the "house of worship" he refers to) in the late Eighties has indeed become rife with corporate thieves bent on using it as a coin-generating machine while damning its spirituality. The post-Bob Marley era of reggae has...
Celebrating Independent's Day

Thanks to ex-phoenician Jon Poneman, Seattle's Sub Pop Records has risen to the top in minor-label land

By Judge I-Rankin'
Apr 19, 1989

Even under the best of circumstances, operating an independent/alternative/underground record label is more often than not fraught with trauma--distribution problems, tour hassles, a minuscule advertising budget, getting bands to the recording studio, you name it. Add to that the amount of time it takes to establish a track record of...
Oh, Grow Up!

Life isn't always a Fun Zone when you're an aging adolescent

By Judge I-Rankin'
Mar 22, 1989

You take a quick glance at the Adolescents' latest release, Balboa Fun Zone, and at least one cynical question comes to mind. That is, shouldn't this original SoCal punk band have hung it up already? After all, each of the group's members is pushing the big three-0. But give a...
Proving Their Metal

Ground-pounding rock 'n' roll in Living Colour

By Judge I-Rankin'
Mar 8, 1989

Who says blacks can't play rock 'n' roll? After a couple of listens to Living Colour, nobody in his right mind would say that. Living Colour, an all-black rock foursome from New York City, is proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that loud, in yo' face, ball-busting rock 'n'...

More Articles by Judge I-Rankin' »