One of the greatest groups of the legendary 2 Tone records scene at the start of the 80s – and a group that's maybe got an even harder edge than their more familiar labelmates, The Specials! The groove here is revival ska, but with a lean, jagged quality that's very different than so many of the softer groups that sprang up in later years – definitely tied more to the sound of the late 70s punk years, overall – thanks in part to the urgency of the lead vocals of Pauline Black, who really seems to dominate the lyrics over the group's other singer, Arthur Hendrickson. Instrumentation is nice and spare – which keeps the sound sharp – and titles include "Missing Words", "My Collie (Not A Dog)", "Three Minute Hero", "Too Much Pressure", "Murder", "Out On The Streets" and "James Bond". LP, Vinyl record album

A big moment for the British ska scene – and the soundtrack to a film that featured live work by nearly all of the big names at the time! The album features live work by artists who owed a lot to 2 Tone, but who'd even moved onto bigger fame by the film – but who are working here in a nice back-to-basics mode – and titles include live versions of "Concrete Jungle", "Man At C&A", and "Nite Klub" by The Specials; "Mirror In The Bathroom", "Big Shot", and "Ranking Full Stop" by The English Beat; "Inner London Violence" and "Lip Up Fatty" by Bad Manners; "Easy Life" by The Bodysnatchers; and "Razor Blade Alley" and "One Step Beyond" by Madness. LP, Vinyl record album