Editing The Toasters

{{Short description|American ska band}}
{{Distinguish|Toasting (Jamaican music)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = The Toasters
| image               = The toasters at labadaba2013.JPG
| caption             = The Toasters playing at LabaDaba Festival, August 2013
| image_size          = 
| background          = group_or_band
| alias               = 
| origin              = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
| genre               = [[Ska]], [[Third wave ska]]
| years_active        = 1981–present
| label               = [[Megalith Records|Megalith]], [[Moon Ska Records]], [[Moon Ska World]]
| associated_acts     = New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, The Klingons, [[Pilfers]]
| website             = {{URL|https://thetoasters.band}}
| current_members     = [[Robert Hingley|Robert "Bucket" Hingley]]<br />
| past_members        =
}}

'''The Toasters''' are one of the original American [[Third wave ska|third wave of ska]] bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through [[Moon Ska Records]].

==History==
Englishman [[Robert Hingley]] relocated to [[New York City]] in 1980, where he managed that city's [[Forbidden Planet (bookstore)|Forbidden Planet]] comic book store location. Hingley formed the Toasters in 1981 after seeing [[The Beat (British band)|the Beat]] perform at the [[Roseland Ballroom]].{{sfn|Smallwood|1993}}{{sfn|Augustyn|2010|page=176}}{{sfn|Guillot|2011}}

The group's first live show was supporting [[Bad Brains]] at A7 in 1981.{{sfn|Fernandes|2011}} One of the original second-wave ska bands, the early Toasters lineup included other employees of the Forbidden Planet store.{{sfn|Travis|Hardy|2012|page=95}}{{sfn|Huey}}{{sfn|Partridge|2005|page=8}}

The group self-released their first single, "Beat Up", in 1983.{{sfn|Huey}} They recorded their [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]]-produced debut [[Extended play|EP]], ''Recriminations'', in 1985. After failing to find a label to release it, Hingley formed his own label Moon Ska Records.{{sfn|Augustyn|2010|page=177}}{{sfn|Budjinski|2004}}{{sfn|Greene}}

The group collaborated further with Jackson on later albums and in live shows.{{sfn|Hainer|1988}}{{sfn|Houlton|1989|page=16}} Jackson had known Hingley since 1978, and appeared on some Toasters albums under the pseudonym Stanley Turpentine. Then later the group expanded with the addition of a brass section. Their first full-length album, ''Skaboom!'', was released in 1987.{{sfn|Guillot|2011}}{{sfn|Huey}}{{sfn|Greene}}

[[File:The Toasters (2880181052).jpg|thumb|The Toasters (Hingley, foreground) on stage in 2008]]

===Many members===
Hingley has been the only constant member in the band.{{sfn|Huey}}{{sfn|Augustyn|2010|page=179}} While the band's lineup has seen many changes, regular contributors included Coolie Ranx (vocals), Matt Malles (bass), Dave Barry (keyboards), Johnnathan McCain (drums), Freddie Reiter (saxophone), Brian Sledge (trumpet), and both Rick "Chunk" Faulkner and Erick "E-Man" Storckman on trombone.{{sfn|Huey}}

Veteran Jamaican saxophonist [[Lester Sterling]] has made several guest appearances,{{sfn|Huey}} and Deejay Andrew "Jack Ruby Jr." Lindo, son of Jamaican producer [[Jack Ruby (record producer)|Jack Ruby]], was also a long-time member.<ref name="Nickson-Feb-98">Nickson (February 1998).</ref><ref name="Nickson-Jul-98">Nickson (July 1998).</ref>

Reiter joined the Toasters after playing in the New York Citizens, who had supported the Toasters on tour.{{sfn|Augustyn|2010|page=188}} Trombonist Buford O'Sullivan joined around 2000 after leaving [[The Scofflaws]].{{sfn|Augustyn|2010|page=181}} Faulkner and Reiter went on to form the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble.{{sfn|Augustyn|2010|page=190}} The band now consists of a revolving cast of musicians, with Hingley as the central and only consistent member.

===After Moon Ska Records===

In 2004 Moon Ska Records collapsed, and Hingley has been based in [[Valencia]], Spain. He started the [[Megalith Records|Megalith]] label, which has since been the band's home.{{sfn|Fernandes|2011}}{{sfn|Budjinski|2004}}{{sfn|Anderson}}{{sfn|Iwasaki|2006}} The Toasters still perform around the world, and in 2007 they celebrated their 25th anniversary with a new studio album, ''One More Bullet''.{{sfn|Travis|Hardy|2012|page=95}}{{sfn|Huey}} In 2011 they undertook a 30th anniversary world tour.{{sfn|Guillot|2011}}{{sfn|Fernandes|2011}}

==Musical style==

The Toasters blend ska with pop music, rap, R&B, and calypso.{{sfn|Houlton|1989|page=16}}<ref>Nickson (March 1998).</ref> Their mixed-race lineup has seen them break through with both black and white audiences in the US.<ref name="Nickson-Jul-98" />

==Other appearances==

The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the popularity of third wave ska in [[North America]]. Their song "Two-Tone Army" is the theme song for the [[Nickelodeon]] show ''[[KaBlam!]]''. The song is performed by the 'Moon Ska Stompers' - members of the Toasters and friends.

The Toasters song "Skaternity" was used for the end credits of ''KaBlam!'' during most of season 1, while "Everything You Said Has Been A Lie" was used for the end credits during seasons 2-4. {{sfn|Travis|Hardy|2012|page=95}} Their song "Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down" appeared in the pilot episode of the animated series ''[[Mission Hill (TV series)|Mission Hill]]''.{{sfn|Travis|Hardy|2012|page=95}}

The Toasters have recorded background music for many TV commercials, including for [[America Online]] and [[Coca-Cola]]. Members of the Toasters performed on [[King Django]]'s 1998 album ''Roots and Culture''.{{sfn|Rogovoy|2000|page=142}}

==Shows==
In 1998 the Toasters were part of the 'Ska Against Racism' tour, along with [[the Blue Meanies]], [[Five Iron Frenzy]], and [[Less Than Jake]].<ref name="Nickson-Jul-98" />

==Discography==

===Albums===

====Studio albums====
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left" valign="top" width="40"|Year
!align="left" valign="top"|Album
|-
| [[1987 in music|1987]]
| ''[[Skaboom]]''
|-
| [[1988 in music|1988]]
| ''[[Thrill Me Up]]''
|-
| [[1990 in music|1990]]
| ''[[This Gun for Hire (album)|This Gun for Hire]]''
|-
| [[1992 in music|1992]]
| ''[[New York Fever (album)|New York Fever]]''
|-
| [[1994 in music|1994]]
| ''[[Dub 56]]''
|-
| [[1996 in music|1996]]
| ''[[Hard Band for Dead]]''
|-
| [[1997 in music|1997]]
| ''[[Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down]]''
|-
| [[1998 in music|1998]]
| ''Christma-ska''
|-
| [[2002 in music|2002]]
| ''[[Enemy of the System]]''
|-
| [[2007 in music|2007]]
| ''[[One More Bullet]]''
|-
|}

====Compilations====
*[[1990 in music|1990]]: ''T-Time''
*[[1995 in music|1995]]: ''Ska Killers''
*[[1996 in music|1996]]: ''History Book''
*[[1998 in music|1998]]: ''History Book 1987-1998''
*[[2000 in music|2000]]: ''The Best Of...''
*[[2003 in music|2003]]: ''In Retrospect''
*[[2007 in music|2007]]: ''Ska is Dead''

====Live albums====
*[[1990 in music|1990]]: ''Frankenska''
*[[1993 in music|1993]]: ''Live In LA''
*[[1998 in music|1998]]: ''Live In London''
*[[2003 in music|2003]]: ''en Caracas''

===EPs===
*''Recriminations'' (1985), Moon Ska
*''The East-Side Beat EP'' (1987), Moon Ska
*''Live In Sao Paulo Brazil'' (2002), Grover

===Singles===
*"Beat Up": "The Beat"/"Brixton Beat" (1984), Moon Ska
*"Don't Say Forever" (1990), Pork Pie
*"Chuck Berry"/"Maxwell Smart" (1995), Moon Ska
*"Dub 56" (1995), Stubborn
*"Dog Eat Dog" (2000), Grover
*"You're Gonna Pay!" (2006), Megalith
*"House Of Soul" (2013), Megalith
*"Ska Jerk" (2018), Tighten Up

;Split singles:
*"Talk Is Cheap" (1987), Moon Ska - split with [[Beat Brigade]]
*"The Stage" (1997), [[Island Records|Island]] - promo only, split with [[Fishbone]]

==Members==

* [[Robert "Bucket" Hingley]]: vocals, guitar
* Tim Karns: bass
* Larry Ace: drums
* Nathan Koch: saxophone
* Gilbert Covarrubias: trombone

===Past members===

* Josemi Martínez: drums
* Alex Bochetto: drums
* Jon Degen: saxophone 
* Logan La Barbera: trombone 
* Carlos "Charlos" Menezes: saxophone & trombone
* Robbie "Fancy" LaFalce: Drums
* Steve "the Basement" Russo: drums
* Chappman "Choppah" Sowash: trombone
* Thaddeus Merritt: bass
* Jesse Hayes: drums
* Arjen "Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation" Bijleveld: trombone
* Neil "Lonestar" Johnson: saxophone
*Jason "Jah-Son" Nwagbaraocha - bass, vocals
*Dan "Duckie" Garrido - drums
*Jeff Richey - saxophone (alto and baritone)
*Mike "Philly" Armstrong - tenor saxophone
*Greg Robinson - trombone
*Lionel Bernard - vocals
*Adam "Prince Beaver" Birch - trombone, trumpet
*Tim Champeau - trumpet
*John "Skoidat Sr." Chapman - saxophone
*Mark Darini - bass
*Sean Dinsmore - vocals
*Brian Emrich - bass
*Gary Eye - percussion (original member)
*Rick "Chunk" Faulkner - trombone
*Paul "Spondoulix" Gephardt - alto saxophone
*Donald "The Kid" Guillaume - drums
*Gregory D Grinnell - trumpet (1985–1988), bass (1988–1990)
*Ann Hellandsjo - trombone
*Steve Hex - keyboards (founding member)
*Scott Jarvis - drums (founding member)
*Dan Jesselsohn - bass
*Neil Johnson - saxophones
*Danny Johnson - drums
*Tim Karns - bass
*Ivan Katz - drums
*Matt Malles - bass
*Johnnathan "JMac" McCain - drums
*Kashu (Cashew) Miles - vocals
*Andrew "Jack Ruby Jr." Lindo - vocals
*Fred "Rock Steady Freddie" Reiter - saxophone
*Ron Ragona - guitar, vocals
*Marcel Reginato - alto saxophone
*Nilda Richards - trombone
*Mo Roberts - drums
*Vicky Rose - bass, vocals (founding member)
*Jim Seely - trumpet
*Brian Sledge - trumpet, vocals
*Erick E. "E-Man" Storckman - trombone
*Obi-Ajula "[[Coolie Ranx]]" Ugbomah - vocals
*Big Steve Carroll - vocals
*Dave Waldo - keyboards, vocals
*Pablo D. "The Professor" Wright - vocals
*[[Chris Rhodes]] - trombone
*Ozzy "The Wiz" Cardona - trumpet (1988-1990)
*Larry "Ace" Snell - drums
*Anthony Vito - drums
*Lluís Martínez: Drums
*Dave Barry: Keyboards
*Ade McSpade- guitar.
*Teddy McSpade- guitar.
*Woody Bond- drums.
*Peter Burkis- great guy.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Rick |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/enemy-of-the-system-mw0000215862 |title=''Enemy of the System'' Review |journal=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=September 7, 2013 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Augustyn |first1=Heather |year=2010 |title=Ska: An Oral History |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=McFarland & Co Inc |isbn=978-0786460403 }}
*{{cite news |last1=Budjinski |first1=Jason |url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2004-09-15/music/the-toasters/ |title=The Toasters |newspaper=[[Riverfront Times]] |date=September 15, 2004 |location=St. Louis, Missouri |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-date=December 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219010216/http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2004-09-15/music/the-toasters/ |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite news |last1=Fernandes |first1=Matt |url=http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/rock-candy/article_8a5c9390-39fc-11e0-8305-00127992bc8b.html |title=Q&A: Toasters celebrate 30 years of skankin' at Firebird Friday |location=St. Louis, Missouri |newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |date=February 16, 2011 |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702022407/https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/rock-candy/article_8a5c9390-39fc-11e0-8305-00127992bc8b.html |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Jo-Ann |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/skaboom%21-mw0000193023 |title=''Skaboom!'' Review |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=September 7, 2013 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Guillot |first1=Eduardo  |url=http://www.efeeme.com/the-toasters-tres-decadas-de-ska/ |title=The Toasters: Tres décadas de ska |journal=Efe Eme |language=es |date=December 9, 2011 |location=Valencia, Spain|access-date=September 7, 2013 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Hainer |first1=Cathy   |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tuMCAAAAMBAJ&q=%22the+toasters%22+ska&pg=PA26 |title=Hot and Toasty |journal=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=June 6, 1988 |page=26 |access-date=September 7, 2013 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Houlton |first1=Jennifer  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PK1uLUXpAzoC&q=%22the+toasters%22+ska&pg=PA16 |title=The International State of Ska: The Toasters |journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |date=September 1989 |page=16 |location=New York |access-date=September 7, 2013 }}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-toasters-p14516/biography|title=The Toasters|last=Huey|first=Steve|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=23 October 2011}}
*{{cite news |last1=Iwasaki |first1=Scott |url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/650207602/Toasters-on-a-mission-of-music.html |title=Toasters on a mission of music |newspaper=[[Deseret News]] |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |date=November 17, 2006 |access-date=September 7, 2013 |archive-date=December 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221002912/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/650207602/Toasters-on-a-mission-of-music.html |url-status=dead }}
*Nickson, Chris (February 1998) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=5ykEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22the+toasters%22+ska&pg=PA17 NYC Ska Mob]", ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]'', p.&nbsp;17. Retrieved September 7, 2013
*Nickson, Chris (March 1998) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=6ikEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22the+toasters%22+ska&pg=PA46 Toasters ''Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down'']", ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]'' p.&nbsp;46. Retrieved September 7, 2013
*Nickson, Chris (July 1998) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=xikEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22the+toasters%22+ska&pg=PA77 Ska Against Racism]", ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]'' pp.&nbsp;28–29, 77. Retrieved September 7, 2013
*{{cite news |last1=Partridge |first1=Kenneth  |title=A Hard Band to Keep Down: Rob Hingley, Reformulated Toasters Keep the Beat in Ska's Down Cycle |newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]] |date=January 20, 2005 |page=8 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Rogovoy |first1=Seth |year=2000 |title=The essential klezmer: a music lover's guide to Jewish roots and soul music, from the Old World to the Jazz Age to the downtown avant-garde |publisher=Workman Publishing, Algonguin Books of Chapel Hill |location=Chapel Hill, North Carolina |isbn=978-1565122444 |page=[https://archive.org/details/essentialklezmer00rogo/page/142 142]  |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/essentialklezmer00rogo }}
*{{cite news |last1=Smallwood |first1=Sue  |title=For Toasters, Ska is Simply Living History |newspaper=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] |date=February 12, 1993 |page=5 ('Preview' section) |location=Norfolk, Virginia }}
*{{cite book |last1=Travis |first1=Tiffini A. |last2=Hardy |first2=Perry |year=2012 |title=Skinheads: A Guide to an American Subculture |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=978-0313359538 |location=Santa Barbara, California }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|The Toasters}}
* {{Official website|https://thetoasters.band/}}
* {{Facebook|TheToastersNYCSKA}}
* [https://archive.org/details/TheToasters The Toasters collection] at the [[Internet Archive]]'s live music archive
* {{MusicBrainz artist|id=f5d56157-c5fe-490f-bf91-8d200e7f9b5f|name=The Toasters}}

{{The Toasters}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toasters, The}}
[[Category:Third-wave ska groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:Musical groups from New York City]]
[[Category:American ska musical groups]]