The Resignators

Melbourne's suburban ska-punk all-stars The Resignators, never knew back in 2005 that their infectious sound and trend defying style would take them around the world. As one of Australia's hardest working independent bands, The Resignators have played over 600 shows across the world getting any crowd on their feet and skanking to their infectious and rowdy beats.

With new friends and fans in North America, 2010 saw a return to North America for the Resignators. Recording their anticipated second full length album 'See You In Hell' with Stomp records producer Alex Giguere (One Night Band, The Beatdown) in Montreal, as well as a full national tour.

Musically the new album is what you would expect from any ska-punk disc: infections melodies, upbeat guitar strokes and the ability to get even those with two left feet up and dancing.

The 10 song disc begins with the title track, See You in Hell, an angst ridden song easily applied to ex-significant others, scene poseurs or authority in general. See You In Hell and and the second track Rage blend together unassumingly in a mix of upbeat melody. Told Me Twice is a swing infused audience participation required number that’s memorable and charming. While the record continues on and each track ultimately holds its own, unfortunately the disc closes with the weakest of all, I Farken Love You. The band should have opted for a less cheesy word in lieu of farken, perhaps freaking or even the F word.

The lyrical content of the songs can be a bit empty at times but the flurry of upstrokes that populate each track keeps the record interesting and above all, catchy. For this reason alone, 'See You In Hell’ is destined to be a favorite on your hi-fi in 2011. - Rebel Noise

Like all good music genres, ska comes and goes in waves. One second, ska bands are invading record store shelves and radio airwaves, only to be proclaimed dead the next second. Like most music, the best of it is tucked away nicely, ready to explode out into the music scene.

That’s exactly how it is with Melbourne, Australia, ska act The Resignators. A strong work ethic and DIY sensibility ensured that The Resignators caught the attention of audiences worldwide. The band boast having played more than 450 shows since their formation in 2005. It’s no wonder that the band have caught the attention and eardrums of punk fans throughout the world. They seem to have it all: their catchy, infectious sound, combined with the loudness and aggressiveness of punk rock, make them one of the most intriguing bands of the ska genre.

With “See You In Hell,” The Resignators have skilfully combined a heavier rock emphasis with ska than most bands. Sure, it’s still catchy and it feels pretty upbeat, but the typical upstroke riffs that are so commonplace with ska music have been replaced by riffs that tend to be found more in punk music.

That doesn’t mean that The Resignators are more punk rock than ska. If anything, they show a more complete blending of the two genres without becoming too much of one or the other. The Resignators have a lot in common sound-wise with ska staples Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake, though with less goofy antics than the former. They also discuss a lot of the same topics as these bands: love, hate, family, and tacos.

The album does get off to a slightly bizarre start, with the opening to the title track, “See You In Hell” sounding oddly more like the Kid Rock song, “Bawitdaba” than a traditional ska-punk song. Fortunately, the rest of the album is an awful lot better than whatever Kid Rock has been putting out lately (or ever). After the bizarre opening notes, “See You In Hell” turns into a track that is perfect to scream at enemies- after all, it’s gleefully looking forward to the day the other person ends up in hell- and leaves all references to bad rock music behind.

Despite songs with titles like “See You In Hell” and “Rage,” the album takes on a primarily upbeat feeling. Tracks like “I Farken Love You” and “Booze and Tattoos” show a lighter side of the band without creating a maudlin or cliché feel for the album. This is an album that will have people committing the lyrics to memory in order to be able to shout them out from the mosh pits of Resignators concerts.

Ska isn’t dead. It is merely waiting in the shadows to pounce and unleash its infectious beats on the unsuspecting public once more. And with albums like “See You In Hell,” it won’t be long before a new generation of music lovers everywhere start learning how to play the horns and upstroke riffs again. - Dying Scene

The Resignators have all the elements are covered, basic rhyming couplets in lyrics, horns, power chords, rock solos, gang backing vocals and high energy music. All you need to be a good punk charged ska band. Their sound has a blend of Aussie bands The Porkers and Area 7 with doses of Voodoo Glow Skulls thrown in too. Any modern day ska fan should pick this album up.

The album kicks of with the gang chant/chorus title track ‘See You In Hell’. ‘Taco Burrito’ has that Mexican flavour of a Mad Caddies track. ‘Sins Of The Father’ is a traditional reggae sounding ska tune. ’64 Reasons Why?’ and ‘I Farken Love You’ are great, almost boganish, love songs with dry humour and skankin’ beats. Themes range from booze to food to hostilities to touring. Mostly, the tongue in firmly planted in the cheek but at times do carry a more serious undertone and depth if you go looking for them.

Recorded in Montreal on the back of heavy touring across the globe, the band have tighten up their sound and improved their songwriting ten fold. Since recording the band have enlisted the talents of ex Gwar guitarist Steve Douglas and his partner Stacey (sax) to the ranks as they begin to “Tour the shit out of it!”, I suggest you should go check them out when they hit your town, it’s sure to be a good fun night if this album is anything to go by. - Death to your speakers -

Ska's not dead according to The Resignators. And if it is, they're damn well gonna resurrect it (after all, it's comeback for three full-scale revivals already, so it's really a matter of time). With no desire to buy into the gothic fashions of the current climate, or tap into the doom and gloom aesthetic that continues to invade the punk scene, The Resignators might seem a little old hat in their continued use of upstrokes and a horn section. But with a focus on writing damn great songs and delivering them with panache, this fun sextet from Melbourne are defying the trends. Their debut EP, "You got me thinking", was just a warm up for the accomplished sound they would find on this year's (2006) follow up EP, "Offbeat Feeling". With tunes as good as "Alone in the crowd" and "I bleed", not to mention one of the most raucous and fun live shows around, The Resignators have proved they don't need some trendy new genre classification to ride the coattails of. - Blunt Magazine

The demise of ska bands in this country has been something of a concern. With bands such as Commissioner Gordon and Area 7 either breaking up or dropping off the face of the planet, it is refreshing to see the genre being given a shot in the arm by The Resignators. Call it ska, call it reggae, call it rock, punk or whatever, Offbeat Feeling is the type of release that has the potential to have fans of such music up and skatting again. In a big way.
The title track is a little gem. Lyrically, it is everything that one would expect to find yourself singing along to: hearing your favourite band on the radio, dancing at the show, sticking with the band even though everyone says they suck. It hasn’t been done this well since Reel Big Fish were at the peak of their powers. Offbeat Feeling also says a little something about the music the Resignators play, with the lyrics lamenting: “Midian, Arthouse and Ninth Ward / Public Bar, Punters Club destroyed / Fringes grew long, jeans they got so tight / Music changed and I’ve been left behind�.
Alone in the Crowd begins innocently as a typical ska tune but soon transcends into something a little dirtier. The grimy guitars and grubby call-an-answer vocals combine well with an anthemic chorus and the group “whoa’s�. This song has the hallmarks of a killer live track and, despite what it predicts, when it’s over, you won’t feel alone in the crowd after singing along.
Changing the tempo of the EP completely is the rasta feel of Emotional (It’s All Good). With its smooth bass line, this song grooves and grinds away at you as it makes the most of the Resignator’s horn section. Emotional will make you feel so relaxed and laid back that you are likely to turn to the person on your left and ask them to pass the dutchie.
Rounding out the EP are the edgier moments of I Bleed and Point to Prove. Oozing cool, these two tracks feel like full-blown assaults on the body as their raw and energetic tendencies overpower all sensibilities and leave the listener gasping for more.
At the end of the day, Offbeat Feeling is a very promising release. Not just for the Resignators, but the ska genre in general. Hopefully it will capture the ears of a new generation and be the revival of a dear friend of many. Long live ska!
- www.fasterlouder.com.au

rating: 4/5
The intro of this song reminds me why I really loved the first couple VoodooGlow Skulls albums. Then it turns into a very cool horn driven rock song. Nice Work!

Stu Harvey, triple j
- Triple J unearthed

The Resignators have a new release out now. ‘Offbeat Feeling’ is attracting a lot of glowing reviews, with a style that can best be described as ‘stripped back ska’ they have been blowing people away with their sound.

‘It’s the influence of a lot of different people with a similar idea but coming from a different angle,’ explains Francis Harrison. ‘Everyone is right into ska but they come from a different spot. Chris the guitarist is into The Slackers, Tom and Ellen are into Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Cinta the drummer is a big Police fan, Naf is from a punk ska background (Operation Ivy) while I am into Sublime and early skinhead reggae and ska.

Early rehearsals were described as ‘GRUELLING.’ They rehearse in a hot dingy garage. No refinements of the rehearsal studio for The Resignators, just egg cartons and accepting neighbours.

Flying up to Brisbane they recorded ‘Offbeat Feeling’ with Stuart Stuart (Veroncias, Small Mercys). ‘The songs are pretty raw but it’s a finely produced album,’ explains Francis. ‘It’s the feel we were going for. The songs now are just so much more intricate than 30 or 40 years ago. We want to sit between there and track what the Police are doing.’

Watch out for Track 3 where the guitarist and trumpet player manage to sing falsetto. ‘It’s Tom and Chris singing that high part. Stuarty Stuart really liked it and went with it. It started out as a pisstake and it stuck.’

Track one Offbeat Feeling is perhaps the most traditional on the release. ‘It’s pretty ska, it was one of the first songs we wrote, whilst track three moves in different circles.’
Working with Stuart Stuart was demanding. Stuart pulled no punches.
‘He didn’t like our original take on the opening track. He suggested we re-wite it. We’re really glad he did. After that meeting we all sat down and said, “We want to write a song, we want to write lyrics about the times we were young and in the all age scene.� So we refined the chorus, worked on the lyrics, chucked in a few fiddly bits and we got what we got. We’re extremely happy with it now. Much more than if we had left the original. We went over every track again and again.’
- Buzz Magzine

Welcome to The Resignators; made up of Francis, Ellen, Tom, Naf, Chinta and Chris – these six vastly different individuals came together to create a new street culture sound, debuting it to a notorious King Pin Bowling crowd.
Fast forward one year and many shows later, The Resignators are set to drop their second EP, Offbeat Feeling, following on from the highly successful debut EP, You Got Me Thinking.
Offbeat Feeling is an exciting blend of ska, reggae, rock and punk sounds that manage to work brilliantly together when they probably shouldn’t. Every track is a delight to listen to but if you need some help knowing what to look out for go straight to album highlights – Offbeat Feeling, Emotional (It’s all good) and I Bleed!
Offbeat Feeling has a funky, energetic Cat Empire sound that will keep you bopping along. I Bleed oozes of angst, edge and darkness whilst slow reggae, rock jam –Emotional (It’s all good) is a personal highlight and offers an insightful light and dark look into The Resignators. Vibrant, fresh and funky, The Resignators are the sound of today!
- PBS FM

'You got me thinking' is a recording with more energy than a Wiggles show, more balls than an Australian open and a hell of a lot of style. A six-peice Melbourne Ska band, The Resignators draw equally from punk-rock and reggae, puntured with typical ska horns and the occasional Skankin' guitar.

The six tracks on the EP can all be thrown in the three minute punk song category, bar the closing track Here'n'There. To snob them off as just another 'punk / ska band' would be a shame, because the Resignators are so much more!

The highlight of the album is the radio friendly Again I'm wrong - an energetic punk song capped off with a cheesey horn line. Here'n'There proves the band are just as good when they slow things down, with a lid-back reggae style solo section.

For a relatively new band, The Resignators seem set to get better and better as they play more around the Melbourne live scene. Check them out, and support some real local talent.

**** - Rob Mason - Buzz Magazine

Like Phil Collins, The Resignators have got a singer drumer - but that's about where the comparisons end.

Reet-petite 'Cinta Masters' voice was a suprise discovery when front man Francis Harrison told her to start sining in front of the band instead of just her rubber ducky.

"It's difficult to drum and sing at the same time, but she has no problem - she does it really easy," he said.

"Cinta's got a unique almost Cyndi Lauper - esque and I want to use that as much as possiable to make us stand out.

"She's so cute: cute as a button."

Masters belts out Alone in the crowd on The Resignators' debut frantic debut EP You got me thinking.

Harrison said the Melbourne bred six piece set out to make reggae music, but their ska roots have so far one out.

Sharing a love for Sublime and The Clash, the band blasts some brass on the superbly named Blackjack'n'Hookers.

In it, Harrison pleads with a friend to curb her self destructive ways. It arose out of an angry letter her wrote to her but never sent.
Harrison said he had no idea whether she ever knew the song was about her but it served to exorcise the fustration that was brewing inside him.
"Given the situation at the time I haven't spoken to the person I wanted to argue with at all.

When I've been my happiest I've written run-of-the-mill, almost Wiggles-esque songs.
I'm usually in a pretty dark place when I'm doing my best stuff," he said.

Inga Gilchrist - MX (Herald and weekly times)