31. Inspecter 7 (w/ Joker’s Republic)
Oi! Oi! Oi! Gather round skins, punks and rudies as Checkered Past discusses the history and catalogue of legendary skinhead Ska band, Inspecter 7! To help, they invite New Jersey, Ska-Punk trio Joker's Republic who start by discussing their new album, getting back on the road to tour and the New Jersey scene. Then, Rob, Engineer Joey and their guests go through Inspecter 7's history from their distaste of pop-ska, their stellar musicianship and their brief 2000's reunion. Snap on those boots and braces!
Joker’s Republic
They’re called the “Elected Representatives of the Joker’s Republic” (or at least that’s what Austen’s mom calls them), but what that really stands for is this Northern New Jersey band’s commitment to represent Ska-Punk with high-energy performances that have earned them a place at the BIG kid’s table.
The year 2020 saw the band’s first west coast tour with the Ska Parade 30th Anniversary Tour along with recognition from popular social media outlets such as “What Do You Know About Ska Punk?” and several appearances on both national and international radio programs and compilation albums. 2021 brought with it a short east coast run with Monkey to support them on the way to Supernova, as well as the Joker’s learning how to record from home and releasing several lovingly-created covers for a few charity compilations. With the release of “Necessary Evil”, Joker’s Republic’s SECOND full length album produced and engineered by Roger Lima (Less Than Jake/Rehasher). In 2022 the band plans to continue touring and to finally answer the greatest questions of our time: Who Are We? Why Are We Here? Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
The Music of Joker’s Republic feels familiar to fans of Ska-Punk but also brings new (and sometimes questionable) musical ideas to the genre. The band feels that their brand of Ska-Punk works best as a power trio, which enables them to have greater crossover appeal while still remaining true to their roots...plus, it’s a lot easier to remember the names of the band members without a horn section. While Joker’s Republic refuses to acknowledge the existence of “Brass Rock”, they and their fans (who they lovingly refer to as “Citizens of the Joker’s Republic”) are united by one universal message:“One nation under Ska, and together we will save rock and roll!
