In 2009, a band from London released their first album. This album was titled “Our Night Out“. It was released on a small label. Nevertheless, the band was practically the talk of the town overnight. Their first album featured a sound that was fresh yet belonged to the old 2-Tone and ska-pop school. Excitement, especially among the older generations, was the immediate result.
The band accompanied the album release with long tours. This, in turn, led to more and more people seeing the band, whose singer and keyboard player stood in the middle of the stage but only glanced sideways at the audience. A rare sight. Besides this eccentric arrangement on the boards that mean the world, the man could not only sing but also entertain brilliantly. The concerts quickly turned into parties where cheerful people danced, skanked, sang along, and formed new friendships.
The band was BUSTER SHUFFLE and I was part of the audience.
Due to this success, it was hardly surprising that “Our Night Out“ was soon repressed, this time on People like You Records. Back then, it was a legendary label, now a thing of the past. The repressing accompanied the release of the second album, on which the band picked up where they left off with the first album.
Thus, the success of the Londoners grew ever larger.
Over time, they became a bit poppier and more appealing, but they never lost sight of their roots and the 2-Tone and ska-pop sound.
In 2017, their fourth album “I´ll take what I want“ was released. It was a highlight and, with the onset of the Corona epidemic, simultaneously a provisional endpoint. No concerts, no parties; instead, fear for the future, concern for one’s own health and that of friends and family. A time full of uncertainty.
This time has now lasted two years.
However, BUSTER SHUFFLE was not idle during these two years. The Londoners used the time to not only found their own label, which bears the beautiful name “Do Nothing Records“, but also, with the help of crowdfunding, to record a new album, which will be released on 18.03.2022. This album is titled “Go Steady“ (how fitting) and includes ten new songs from the Londoners.
The ten songs have titles like “Puke in the Duke“, “Sucker Punch Blues“ or “New Badge for my uniform“. The titles already hint at what the band has recorded. It is the sound of their early days that comes out of the speakers.
So there is a very danceable mix of 2-Tone, a bit of offbeat, ska-pop, rock, and occasionally punk. The distinctive vocals of Jet Baker, perfectly integrated into the songs, give each track a unique, special touch. A touch that always makes a BUSTER SHUFFLE song recognizable.
With “Go Steady“, BUSTER SHUFFLE show their best side and focus on what they are so dearly loved for. With this album in tow, the upcoming tour can only be great (hoping that the Corona restrictions will be lifted and we can all go wild again).
