We haven’t featured a lot of Ska music on here, but something about this band and their new album made me HAVE to post something. Mrs. Skannotto has been around for a while, but their newest album, All These Evolutions is third wave ska with a great sensibility for melody especially on the track, “Lost and Found.” They’re from New York, but touring the east coast and if you like ska at all or used to and haven’t given it a listen in a while, then now’s the time. They’re apparently touring with ska legends The Toasters and it should be a great show. Check out their bandcamp to stream and buy the album.

I went out to a local show that happened to feature Citizen; the new album Young States is out, on iTunes, and is delicious. Get it if you don’t have it, listen to it here streaming if you want, but always, always, always, support what you like. I got the chance to ask them a few questions about their influences and upcoming shows.

Anberlin is proving they can still rock hard and fast with their sixth studio release Vital. The first single from the record “Self-Starter” is a pummeling pit brewer equipped with a hooky melody and even a little breakdown.  Here’s hoping the rest of the album is as refreshingly loud.  Vital is due out October 16th on Universal.  If that’s not enough check out “Someone Anyone” on their website HERE.

Anberlin – “Self-Starter”

Those polarizing Las Vegasans (Vegasites?) The Killers are back with the first track from Battle Born due out this fall. No one was sure if we would even get a new Killers album but fortunately for us they’re back with “Runaways”. Landing equidistant between the sounds of ’06′s Sam’s Town and ’08′s Day & Age, the track is, of course, larger than humanly possible proving that maybe Flower’s and company are just dancers. With the gritty guitar chugging of the former, a dash of hooky synths via the latter, and overall bombasticness of, well The Killers, “Runaways” has pleased this fan.

Prepare thine fists for pumping! Punk(ish) duo Japandroids prepare the followup to their 2009 breakthrough Post-Nothing with the first single from the upcoming album “The House That Heaven Built”.  You can literally taste the well deserved sweat from a summer festival pit on the song.  “And if they try to slow you down / tell them all to go to hell”…badass.  The album Celebration Rock, which should be shortlisted for the “Most Appropriately Titled Album of 2012″, is due out on Polyvinyl June 5th.

Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built”