Ska Boom-Episode 013: The Boxboys & American Masquerade

My forthcoming book Ska Boom: An American Ska & Reggae Oral History will feature 19 chapters that tell the stories of important bands  -- some well known, others not so much -- who deserve credit for giving birth to a uniquely American version of ska and reggae.  The stories of each band are intrinsically linked to the songs they wrote and performed and and in this episode I tell the story of The Boxboys from Los Angeles and their song “American Masquerade”. I think its probably safe to say that most of you have never heard of The Boxboys. They formed in the late 70s as punk, hardcore and metal were all the rage across LA.The Boxboys story is important because they were one of first American bands dedicated to playing ska and the first ska band from LA.  The shows they played and the scene they created quickly became an epicenter for a growing mod ska scene that exploded in 1982 and 1983.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices