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They planned the plan, then they put it into action... the streamlined, high-performance, millennium-model Kingpins, a road-tested, consumer-approved quintet that rocks toward the future without denying its respectable past as a leading ska unit. Back in '94, the world was blissfully unaware of the impending "third wave" of ska ('60s Jamaican pop, the predecessor of reggae, which saw a revival when the '70s punk scene exploded). A motley crew of diehard Montreal mods and rudies, musicians all, decided that their town, and by extension their nation, needed a lesson in how old-school ska was done. That meant a solid brass section, warm organ sounds, spy-flick guitar licks and rock-steady rhythms-never to mention skinny ties, sharp suits and warm parkas for those winter-night beer runs. They called themselves the Kingpins, and in matters of traditional ska party music, they were. They offered a historically-aware and more adult-accessible counterpoint to the punchy pop/punk/ska of their friends (and future label-mates) the Planet Smashers, and culling their lineup from acts like the Gruesomes, the Cryptics and Me Mom & Morgentaler, they delivered the musical chops. Add a wildman singer who could actually sing (though sax goddess Lorraine periodically brought a sweet balance to the vocal aspect), and you had a leading party band for Montreal - and soon Canada. The first Kingpins single "On the Run" won a MiMi (Montreal Independent Music Industry) award for Best Single in '95, coinciding with swelling crowds and a proliferation of younger bands eager to ape that Kingpin cool. The following year saw the dawn of Stomp Records and the first Kingpins CD, "Watch Your Back," which has since sold 10,000 copies. By '97 the band was on newspaper covers and national TV - the third wave was peaking, and all eyes were on the Kingpins, stylish ambassadors of ska. Trapped between grunge and techno, people were hungry for satisfying, kick-ass live music that one could actually dance to. Who better to turn to? The band was bursting out of the alternative sub-category that contained it. Mainstream radio play, a second album in '99 ("Let's Go To Work") that outdid the first in both sales and musical substance, numerous headline gigs within the North American ska scene and breakout slots on packages like the Warped Tour - and even a bunch of soundtrack material for film and TV. Members came and went, but for a lineup of eight to a dozen a musicians, depending on what show one caught, this only served to keep it all poppin' fresh. Then, as quickly as it came, the ska craze went away. But the Kingpins remained determined to make good ska music. The question was, what direction to take. Their decision was reflected in the title of their third Stomp full-length, "Plan of Action." Aggressive choices were made, and they paid off. First, the lineup was stripped down to a tight, effective five... a well-oiled party machine, with Lorraine taking up vocal duties full-time. Second, the Kingpins managed to adjust their sound accordingly. While maintaining solid ties to the rhythms and positive energy of ska, they explored punk, pop, new wave, moving balladry and even breakbeats. The results, far from a corny, unfocused cash-in, were vital, solid and, in their diversity, the best and most exciting thing the band had done to date. Not surprisingly, the album raced to the top of the Canadian college charts in a time when most ska releases were serving as drink coasters. Not only have the Kingpins survived the latest rise and fall of ska, they've come through shining, and that shine will light the way to the most creative and engaging stretch of their career. And hey, everybody's welcome to hop on for the ride. Contact info (to link to or copy and paste):
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