Reggae Reviews: Whole Lotta Milka

Got Milka? (Stomp, 1996)

*GUEST REVIEW*
I have a soft spot for these guys -- as the best band in my hometown of Winnipeg's ever-expanding ska and reggae scene, the now-defunct Whole Lotta Milka made two ska classics in an era when "third-wave," punk-inflected ska groups were a dime a dozen. Although Milka's sound is firmly in the upbeat, modern ska style, singer/guitarist Greg Crowe (who has since released a fantastic solo record) has a dedication to legends like Desmond Dekker (name-dropped in album highlight "Skank") and the band has the jazz-trained chops to make Got Milka? rise above the hundreds of horrendous ska discs that were released at the height of the '90s revival. Although this 1996 debut, released by Montreal label Stomp, suffers from low production values and relatively poor-quality recordings, the songwriting stands alone. Tracks like "Beauchamp Love Triangle," "Don't Let Your Woman Go To Europe," "The Mookah" and instrumental "The Skaskank Redemption" could have been recorded on a one-track recorder in the middle of busy traffic, and they'd STILL sound good. Trombone virtuoso Shashi Ramu and trumpet wizard Darrin Oehlerking highlight a powerful four-piece horn section and although Crowe's vocal sneer has been smoothed out on later recordings, his energy is hard to knock. The Milka boys even throw in a dig at Winnipeg punk legends Propagandhi with "A Message to You Chris," criticizing Propagandhi leader Chris Hannah's famous "Ska Sucks" track. Overall, Got Milka? is a fantastic debut. It's full of youthful energy and a distinctive sound that, to me, represents Winnipeg as well as our more famous sons like The Guess Who ever could.

- Sam Thompson

Track Listing
1. The Ballad of Geoff Edwards
2. Dad, You're a Bastard
3. Skank
4. Beauchamp Love Triangle
5. Apathy
6. Velvet Snizz
7. Don't Let Your Woman Go to Europe
8. The Skaskank Redemption
9. No Need
10. You Had to Be There
11. The Mookah
12. A Message to You Chris
13. Window
14. Twisted
15. Green Canyons

Al's Diner (Stomp, 1999)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Whole Lotta Milka broke up shortly after this record's release, but as goodbyes go, this one is a scorcher. With an obviously bigger budget and far superior sound quality to their 1996 debut Got Milka?, the boys from Winnipeg deliver a much more diverse offering the second time around, touching not only ska but reggae, jazz, and punk rock, to great effect. Frontman Greg Crowe's songwriting has retained its quality, and in the case of standouts like "Good Time Charlie" and "The Hammer," has even improved, throwing more complex horn lines and more adventurous musical themes into the mix. Always one for pop culture references, Crowe sings about the likes of sleazy TV attorney Jim "The Hammer" Shapiro and folky songwriter Lisa Loeb (his perpetual crush, as evidenced by "Lisa"), among others. Al's Diner, however, is a lot more serious than its predecessor. Always a staunchly anti-racist group, Milka hits hard with "Diggin' Up the Hatchet," a song that discusses the ongoing struggle of Canada's aboriginals ("Home and native land? / Ha! I must object.") and the powerful "Intense," which is a scathing indictment of white supremacists, which includes a bit of a nod to a Specials classic. Politics aside, Crowe seems particularly astute at writing geeky love songs, and Al's Diner has some great ones, including the agonizing "Juliet" and "Make No Mistake," a pretty little ditty that seems more likeable every time time you hear it.

- Sam Thompson

Track Listing
1. Juliet
2. Hardly Enough
3. The Hammer
4. Good Time Charlie
5. Diggin' Up the Hatchet
6. Lisa
7. Al's Diner
8. PS Don't Mind the Dust
9. Intense
10. Blah
11. Make No Mistake
12. Opus 42