Jeff “King Django” Baker is one of the dons of the New York ska scene, a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist who has managed to release a major solo album (King Django’s Roots and Culture) while at the same time serving as bandleader to the Stubborn All Stars and Skinnerbox. The All Stars are his old-school project, a ska and reggae band that plays in a strictly traditional style. Skinnerbox is more of a punk/ska outfit, and on this album they open with two straight-ahead hardcore punk songs before swinging into a skanking version of the jump blues classic “You Rascal, You.” Whew. The sound is rough and demo-ish, but that only adds to the sense of urgency that pervades every track. There’s a Clash cover (a brilliant version of “Straight to Hell”) and the very New Orleans-ish “Goodbye & Good Life,” and a charming love song called “I Got to Know.” This is NYC ska at its best. – Rick Anderson