New York Fever
Songwriter and Moon Ska Records CEO Rob Hingley's smooth, American-inflected vocal renditions of his original tunes and covers like "Night Train" mix neatly into this top-ranking outfit's authentic-yet-elastic revival sound. And whileNew York Feveris founded on the best of the Jamaican and U.K. ska scenes, it also burns with the special fever of the hyperactive New York City outpost of ska's international cosmos. The band is nothing short of stunning, with brilliant bursts of horns punctuating an airtight rhythm section that just won't stop. Every track provides the speedy rush that ska heads crave, but "Johnny Forsake Her" deserves mention for its inventive update on an older classic jazz style. With theirSkaboomdebut,Thrill Me Up, and this record, the Toasters set the galloping pace every other band has to follow today.--Elena Oumano