Westbound Train

[El_Jeffe]

alright, so after a good couple years this band is finially starting to warm up to me. if i was to sum this band up in one word, it would be 'smooth.' smooth & thoughtful horns, smooth rhythms, smooth vocals. i've often found myself criticizing this band as being a little too bland on their earlier recording, but their latest album transitions from '06 finially saw them create an album with a great warm feeling (although it still wouldn't do them any harm to rough their sound up a little). westbound train hail as one of lynval golding's (member of the specials) favourite bands & after hearing transitions you can really hear the influence golding's guitar sound/style has had on westbound train guitarist john decarlo. all & all a very promising band for the future

http://www.myspace.com/westboundtrain

any fans, share some love & discussion?

[IWasaCamera]

I'm really enjoying this at the moment. The mellow, warm feel is actually what I like about this band so far.

[El_Jeffe]

I'm really enjoying this at the moment. The mellow, warm feel is actually what I like about this band so far.

good man. bands like this take time to really open up to listeners who don't usually listen to these sort of tunes. everytime ya listen ya might pick up something new

but i think if you like this ya'd love the band the slackers. here's a thread a made in the general the other week

http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=256004

ya don't have to bump it or anything, it's just that it's got some links & youtubes etc to check tunes out. led by one of the better singer/songwriters of modern times, which is why i think you'll really enjoy them more so than these guys. & even though he has his own solo/acoustic albums, he gets so overlooked purely 'cause he's in a traditional ska/soul/reggae band, bloody shame. the albums peculiar & wasted days might be worth a listen

[IWasaCamera]

good man. bands like this take time to really open up to listeners who don't usually listen to these sort of tunes. everytime ya listen ya might pick up something new

but i think if you like this ya'd love the band the slackers. here's a thread a made in the general the other week

http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=256004

ya don't have to bump it or anything, it's just that it's got some links & youtubes etc to check tunes out. led by one of the better singer/songwriters of modern times, which is why i think you'll really enjoy them more so than these guys. & even though he has his own solo/acoustic albums, he gets so overlooked purely 'cause he's in a traditional ska/soul/reggae band, bloody shame. the albums peculiar & wasted days might be worth a listen
Listening to the myspace tracks now. Seems far more upbeat than Westbound Train so far but definitely catchy.

[El_Jeffe]

Listening to the myspace tracks now. Seems far more upbeat than Westbound Train so far but definitely catchy.

yea some are, some aren't. the thing with their myspace is they tend to put a lot of b-sides or 'fans only' type songs ya know. not the best intro's to who they are haha. but i happen to have a couple tunes from their last album upped already (couple others were keen on checking them out). i'll pass them over if ya keen mate, listen to them whenever

[CellarGhosts]

I only know one song by this band, but I like it haha.
I think its called "Room to Breathe."

[El_Jeffe]

I only know one song by this band, but I like it haha.
I think its called "Room to Breathe."

i'd suggest picking up the album transitions then mate. not the album that tune comes from, but their strongest work so far, in my opinion anyway

this is another traditional ska band, that like a lot of the greats (toots & the maytals, the slackers, desmond dekker, etc) seems to have that very subtle folk/country flair from time to time. westbound train have a bit of a twang from every now & then. ya only have to hear the first tune please forgive me, from the album transitions to understand what i mean. it's a strange relationship, but there's a pattern there none the less

[CellarGhosts]

i'd suggest picking up the album transitions then mate. not the album that tune comes from, but their strongest work so far, in my opinion anyway

this is another traditional ska band, that like a lot of the greats (toots & the maytals, the slackers, desmond dekker, etc) seems to have that very subtle folk/country flair from time to time. westbound train have a bit of a twang from every now & then. ya only have to hear the first tune please forgive me, from the album transitions to understand what i mean. it's a strange relationship, but there's a pattern there none the less
alright, cool deal. I'll try and remember to check it out some time, since Ive already got a huge list of stuff to listen to haha.

[Genuma]

I like it. Another good band, Craig.

[El_Jeffe]

alright, cool deal. I'll try and remember to check it out some time, since Ive already got a huge list of stuff to listen to haha.

haha fair enough, i know that feeling mate. let us know what ya thought whenever ya get round to checking it out, no rush

I like it. Another good band, Craig.

really? you're an interesting young fella. i always notice ya round the boards yet don't have the faintest clue what tunes ya jammin' to haha. i'm glad you enjoyed this though mate, are you a ska fan in general or? if this is something you're thinking about getting into, but just unfamiliar with, don't be shy to hit me up whenever. could even make ya a traditional ska mix sometime if ya like

[Genuma]

haha fair enough, i know that feeling mate. let us know what ya thought whenever ya get round to checking it out, no rush



really? you're an interesting young fella. i always notice ya round the boards yet don't have the faintest clue what tunes ya jammin' to haha. i'm glad you enjoyed this though mate, are you a ska fan in general or? if this is something you're thinking about getting into, but just unfamiliar with, don't be shy to hit me up whenever. could even make ya a traditional ska mix sometime if ya likeThe only ska, or close to ska I've really listened to is Streetlight Manifesto, Less Than Jake, RX Bandits, and Suburban Legends.

[CellarGhosts]

haha fair enough, i know that feeling mate. let us know what ya thought whenever ya get round to checking it out, no rush

haha yea, will do. once I check it out I'll try and let ya know.

[allhourcymbals]

Sweet bump.

Is it just me or does "Please Forgive Me" sound a lot like "Excuse Me Mr." from No Doubt?

[recall reality]

alright, so after a good couple years this band is finially starting to warm up to me. if i was to sum this band up in one word, it would be 'smooth.' smooth & thoughtful horns, smooth rhythms, smooth vocals. i've often found myself criticizing this band as being a little too bland on their earlier recording, but their latest album transitions from '06 finially saw them create an album with a great warm feeling (although it still wouldn't do them any harm to rough their sound up a little). westbound train hail as one of lynval golding's (member of the specials) favourite bands & after hearing transitions you can really hear the influence golding's guitar sound/style has had on westbound train guitarist john decarlo. all & all a very promising band for the future

http://www.myspace.com/westboundtrain

any fans, share some love & discussion?

I remember you being weary of this band at first, glad you're enjoying them now. Just by the nature of the music, I think a good deal of ska bands come off as bland, at least to me. Theres a quality about transitions that stands out. When its done right, its so good. I'd say Westbound Train is on the right track... pun definitely intended.

[El_Jeffe]

Sweet bump.

Is it just me or does "Please Forgive Me" sound a lot like "Excuse Me Mr." from No Doubt?

i love the country twang in that tune. if anything it reminds me of the wonderful "dave's friend" from the slackers album wasted days

there's a long standing theory of country music & ska having some form of "cross-over" point. the exact definition of it i'm not sure of as it's hard to find anyone who will speak of it these days, but there is a lot of evidence. like the songs mentioned & soo many more, willie nelson's reggae album, toots' covering country songs so so sooo successfully & even dates right back to lee 'scratch' perry adding western roots sounds to traditional ska with his band the upsetters. i'd love to find out more however, but it's hard finding someone in the know of the topic

I remember you being weary of this band at first, glad you're enjoying them now. Just by the nature of the music, I think a good deal of ska bands come off as bland, at least to me. Theres a quality about transitions that stands out. When its done right, its so good. I'd say Westbound Train is on the right track... pun definitely intended.

haha you remember rightly mate. i was familiar with the bands albums & their high praise from ska fans, but there was always something that didn't click with me about their overall sound. but since getting into transitions i've grown fond of previous albums too. i definitely think they're on the path to recording something very special, it's just their albums don't quite have that organic feel i crave, little compressed at times (do you hear it, or have i gone crazy?). while i enjoy their vocally led tunes, their instrumentals don't generally hold up overly well, which isn't a great sign. but i think it's more a creative problem than skill level ya know. i look forward to their future recordings though

[allhourcymbals]

i love the country twang in that tune. if anything it reminds me of the wonderful "dave's friend" from the slackers album wasted days

there's a long standing theory of country music & ska having some form of "cross-over" point. the exact definition of it i'm not sure of as it's hard to find anyone who will speak of it these days, but there is a lot of evidence. like the songs mentioned & soo many more, willie nelson's reggae album, toots' covering country songs so so sooo successfully & even dates right back to lee 'scratch' perry adding western roots sounds to traditional ska with his band the upsetters. i'd love to find out more however, but it's hard finding someone in the know of the topic


I don't have that slackers album anymore. when I switched all my music over to my mac, any music that I had longer than maybe six months got deleted, I haven't been able to find it again. It's hard to believe that you're not all-knowing of the topic haha, but I know what you're saying, it's pretty interesting.

[El_Jeffe]

I don't have that slackers album anymore. when I switched all my music over to my mac, any music that I had longer than maybe six months got deleted, I haven't been able to find it again. It's hard to believe that you're not all-knowing of the topic haha, but I know what you're saying, it's pretty interesting.

oh really, what a bugger mate. it's probably my favourite slackers album, it's incredible

haha it's a topic only old old ska fans ever mention anymore, so finding "evidence" to support it or more information about it is bloody tough. but i enjoy the discovering more about this wonderful genre, pretty much all the information i've had to research & determine for myself, but i love it

[allhourcymbals]

oh really, what a bugger mate. it's probably my favourite slackers album, it's incredible

haha it's a topic only old old ska fans ever mention anymore, so finding "evidence" to support it or more information about it is bloody tough. but i enjoy the discovering more about this wonderful genre, pretty much all the information i've had to research & determine for myself, but i love it
I don't think anyone else on AP would know, or care, haha, but it's great that you do. The only local ska band around here are Downsized (http://www.myspace.com/downsizedd), and they're not amazing or anything haha but they're all great guys/gals, the songs on their myspace don't do them justice.

[CellarGhosts]

"Please Forgive Me" is a really great song, I gotta look into more of these guys music.

[allhourcymbals]

I don't mind walking in the rain tonight, may this walk cleanse my body and my mind...


(bump!)

[KatieKutthroat.]

I really want to see these guys live. My friend said they were pretty great.

[El_Jeffe]

i'm almost surprised not to hear of an album release date from these guys... hmm oh well

i hope they turn up the country on the next one, they blend ska & country soo well, it's awesome

they're also the first confirmed band for warper tour 2009 hahaha. bloody good to see some actual ska back on that shambles of a tour however

[allhourcymbals]

I really want to see these guys live. My friend said they were pretty great.
They're from Boston, they're in our area quite a bit. I know they're playing in NY in August, I'm going to try and make that one.

[KatieKutthroat.]

They're from Boston, they're in our area quite a bit. I know they're playing in NY in August, I'm going to try and make that one.

In NYC or upstate NY? Maybe I can try and go to that one too. That would be fun.

[allhourcymbals]

In NYC or upstate NY? Maybe I can try and go to that one too. That would be fun.
Haha, hell yeah it would. NYC, Irving Plaza.

[KatieKutthroat.]

i'm almost surprised not to hear of an album release date from these guys... hmm oh well

i hope they turn up the country on the next one, they blend ska & country soo well, it's awesome

they're also the first confirmed band for warper tour 2009 hahaha. bloody good to see some actual ska back on that shambles of a tour however

I know, there are never any decent ska bands on that tour anymore. :-(

[allhourcymbals]

I know, there are never any decent ska bands on that tour anymore. :-(
I haven't been to a ska show since Streetlight, and that was a seriously long time ago.

[KatieKutthroat.]

Haha, hell yeah it would. NYC, Irving Plaza.

I bet I could get my friend to drive me there. I'll look into that.

I haven't been to a ska show since Streetlight, and that was a seriously long time ago.

I haven't been since Big D and Catch 22 a few weeks ago, but there aren't any good bands coming around here in the next few months.

[AP_Punk]

One of my friends has a really cool story about when he met these guys a few months back while they were on tour.

It was a show in Denver that he was going to, but when he arrived it was sold out. As he was leaving one of the guys from Westbound noticed him from inside, came out and talked to him for a while, then let him in the show for free. He didn't get to see the band perform because they already did earlier, but he saw the others play. Then after the show ended, he told them he had to leave because he had a long drive home back to NM, but they invited him to stay with 'em at their hotel room for the night and also hooked him up with a bunch of merch (shirts, posters, etc).

Awesome.

[allhourcymbals]

So I'm in Guitar Center buying a tamborine today and I look down on the counter and I see WESTBOUND TRAIN, so I pick the piece of paper up and it's for drum lessons with Eric Novod. I'm considering taking up drums just to have this man in my home hahaha.

[Jumpoff]

I haven't been to a ska show since Streetlight, and that was a seriously long time ago.

I'm seeing Streetlight tomorrow with Don Potthast and Zao. No clue about the other bands but extremely happy to be seeing Streetlight.

[versus_god]

You'll have a blast. Dan P. is hilarious and whips out the occasional MU330 cover. Streetlight is always an experience live, although I don't know how things will play out for you with Jim being in the hospital and all.

Anybody heard anything about new material from these folks? A new Westbound Train record sounds good right about now.

[Chris Fallon]

This band doesn't get enough appreciation. Their last album was tremendous - Brandon Allin got me into these dudes and they kick ass.

[El_Jeffe]

Anybody heard anything about new material from these folks? A new Westbound Train record sounds good right about now.

finally heard. they've been in & out of the studio all year & have plans to release an album by time the year ends. they've demo’d a lot of material & now have a number of full songs written & recorded (which may appear in small pieces streaming on hellcat's site sometime). the new album is the bands' main priority this year & is rumoured to have an even stronger old school r&b vibe. can't bloody wait

This band doesn't get enough appreciation. Their last album was tremendous - Brandon Allin got me into these dudes and they kick ass.

brandon allin kicks ass, wish he still posted like old times. didn't know you were much of a ska fan mate? very cool

[versus_god]

finally heard. they've been in & out of the studio all year & have plans to release an album by time the year ends. they've demo’d a lot of material & now have a number of full songs written & recorded (which may appear in small pieces streaming on hellcat's site sometime). the new album is the bands' main priority this year & is rumoured to have an even stronger old school r&b vibe. can't bloody wait
I'm really looking forward to this! It feels like forever since Transitions came out.

[CellarGhosts]

Pleaseee forgvieee me!

haha, Transitions is a super swt album. WT are one of the few bands on Hellcat that I like.

okay well there's quite a few bands on that label that I enjoy but all that "koffin rawk" stuff, all the psychobilly - I'm not a fan, ha.

[big mondo]

album is supposed to be out around september according to obi when i spoke to him in february

[allhourcymbals]

Mmmmm. I want a new album.

ZJhprapZfAA

[AP_Punk]

new album stream! (http://www.punknews.org/article/33177)

too bad you gotta go to the warped tour site to hear it. :-d

[Jaynicgurl]

new album stream! (http://www.punknews.org/article/33177)

too bad you gotta go to the warped tour site to hear it. :-d

The new album is AMAZING. Holy crap, I haven't stopped playing it.

Westbound Train is one of my all time favorite bands. I have no clue why these guys aren't bigger than they are now. Obi has one of the most legit voices out there and their live shows always leave me leaving their shows with goosebumps.

[El_Jeffe]

just checked the new album, come & get it. lovin' it! only on my first couple listens through, so i'm going to make any claims or comparisons just yet, but it's well worth everyone checking out, very enjoyable. great ska in 2009, whoever said the genre was dead...

[El_Jeffe]

the new album may be their best sounding recording & a great listen through & through. i'm not going to bother putting their albums in a rank, but this is definitely a very strong release. you can really hear those soul singer (redding & cooke) influences, as well as that of motown groups & classic jamaican reggae & ska legends. there's something for everyone here. do yourselves a favour & give this a listen

[harveyn590]

Ya, this band has really grown into something special.

After being alittle bummed by warped tour this year, seeing them later in the day they really made it for me. They put on my favorite warped performance ever. I felt like I was watching a real band, full of real musicians that had feelling and soul behind their music. just great

[Chris Fallon]

Come and Get It needs more love. Sounds like an old-school record from the 70's. I love it.

[recall reality]

Can't recommend the new album enough, I think Craig put it perfectly well.