The ska genre may have fizzled out a bit over the past few years, but Philadelphia’s own Catbite is injecting some serious new life into the genre with their latest EP called Doom Garden. Catbite manage to simultaneously break down the walls of what can be considered ska, while also furthering their own artistic development. When I last caught up with the band for an interview, I could tell that they were poised for breakout success on this record. Of course it doesn’t hurt to have an excellent cameo on “Tired of Talk” by Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump to boost their own streaming algorithm and alert new fans to the magic that comes through the speakers when Catbite play their captivating music. Doom Garden is brimming with new possibilities for this band that continues to improve on their songwriting.

There’s nothing more rewarding than going to a concert and discovering a new band that re-captures your love for a certain genre of music. I attended a concert in DC over the weekend for Anti-Flag, and the supporting band, Catbite, really blew me away with their live performance and overall showmanship in winning over the crowd. Catbite’s sophomore effort called Nice One is a thrilling listen from start to finish, and re-captures my love for ska, especially when it’s this well done. The Philadelphia-based band formed in 2018 and is comprised of lead vocalist Brittany Luna, guitarist Tim Hildebrand, bassist Ben Parry, and drummer Chris Pires. Their ska/punk sound strays somewhere between early No Doubt, paired with Less Than Jake, while mixing in some well-placed organs similar to Motion City Soundtrack. Nice One certainly lives up to its name.