Rob "Bucket" Hingley,
Jason Nwagbaraocha,
John McCain,
Matt Malles,
Dave Barry,
Fred Reiter,
Sledge,
John Dugan,
Lionel Bernard,
Sean Dinsmore,
Erick Storckman,
Steve Hex
Representative Albums: "Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down (D.L.T.B.G.Y.D.)," "Dub 56," "Thrill Me Up"
Representative Songs: "Thrill Me Up," "Weekend in L.A.," "Talk Is Cheap"
Biography
One of the most important American ska bands, the Toasters did much to popularize the genre on the underground scene in the mid- to late '80s, laying the groundwork for later third-wave bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and ska's subsequent explosion in popularity in the mid- to late '90s. British expatriate Rob "Bucket" Hingley formed the Toasters in New York City in 1982 after discovering that the 2-Tone ska he loved had made virtually no inroads into the American music scene. He gathered several employees at the comic-book store he managed to form the band's first incarnation, releasing their first single, "Beat Up," in 1983. Hingley also formed his own label, Moon Ska Records, to counteract skepticism from major labels that ska would ever prove popular in the U.S.; Moon Ska has since grown into the largest independent ska label in the country. A demo EP, Recriminations, was released in 1985 and produced by Joe Jackson, the first of several collaborations; two years later, the Toasters issued their first full-length American album, Skaboom, for Celluloid. Thrill Me Up (1988) and This Gun for Hire (1990) helped consolidate the band's following, as the New York ska scene and Moon Ska's artist roster mushroomed behind them. The Toasters' lineup continued to shift through the '90s, eventually leaving guitarist/vocalist Hingley the only original member; some of the musicians remaining fairly steady in their '90s lineups have been bassist Matt Malles, saxophonist Freddie Reiter, trumpeter Brian "The Sledge," trombonists Rick "Chunk" Faulkner and Erick "E-Man" Storckman, keyboardist Dave Barry, drummer Johnathan McCain, and vocalist Coolie Ranx, as well as frequent guest appearances from saxophonist Lester "Ska" Sterling. In addition to Hingley's activities with Moon Ska, the Toasters continued to release albums throughout the decade, including New York Fever (1992), Dub 56 (1994), Hard Band for Dead (1996), and D.L.T.B.G.Y.D. (1997). The Toasters soldiered on in the new millennium with 2002's Enemy of the State and a new compilation, In Retrospect: the Best of the Toasters, released in 2003. When not in the studio, Hingley and his ever evolving Toasters line up can be found touring the US, Europe and other ska hungry corners of the globe. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Robert "Bucket" Hingley
Andy Pearson
Tommy Quartulli
Arjen Bijleveld
Greg Robinson
Jesse Hayes
Dave Barry
Former members
Mike "Philly" Armstong
Lionel Bernard
Adam "Prince Beaver" Birch
Tim Champeau
John "Skoidat Sr." Chapman
Mark Darini
Sean Dinsmore
John Dugan
Brian Emrich
Gary Eye
Rick "Chunk" Faulkner
Paul "Sondoulix" Gephardt
Donald "The Kid" Guillaume
Greg Grinnell
Ann Hellandsjo
Steve Hex
Scot Jarvis
Dan Jesselsohn
Danny Johnson
Tim Karns
Ivan Katz
Weston "Gigglefist" Thomas
Andrew "Jack Ruby Jr." Lindo
Fred "Rock Steady Freddie" Reiter
Marcel Reginato
Nilda Richards
Mo Roberts
Vicky Ross
Jim Seely
Brian Sledge
Eric E. "E-Man" Storkman
Obi-Ajula "Coolie Ranx" Ugbomah
Dave Waldo
Pablo D. "The Professor" Wright
Chris Rhodes
The Toasters were one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and may be the longest active ska band in the United States, although singer Robert Hingley is the only original member still in the band.
They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the popularity of third wave ska in North America. They recorded the music for the Nickelodeon show KaBlam! (credited as the Moon Ska Stompers) and recorded background music in many TV commercials, including for America Online and Coca-Cola. Their song "Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down" appeared in the pilot episode of the animated series Mission Hill. They still perform around the world, and in 2007 they celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a new studio album, One More Bullet.
