Monkey Gone Mad is a ska band from Scotia, NY. They have a distinctive, energetic ska sound, but draw influences from a multitude of other genres as well, including punk, reggae, funk, and rock. They have not received national coverage, but are well known in the local punk/ska scene and have been rated as one of the twenty best bands in the area by BUMlocal, an organization for local bands in the Capital Region. All the members are currently involved in various side projects and attend college full time, so they usually only have shows during the summer or holidays.
The band members and their corresponding instruments are as follows:
Monkey Gone Mad independently released a CD in 2002, "Skunk With A Porpoise". It is short, with only five songs totalling about twenty minutes, but it is a great example of their music, and it is one of my favorite albums.
Skunk With A Porpoise
- Jumbalaya (4:00)
- The B Flat Song (4:05)
- California Van Song (5:02)
- Feel Big (2:05)
- Empty (4:09)
All songs written by Ian Rafalak except Empty, written by Heath Anhert and Brendan McLaughlin
Skunk With A Porpoise can be purchased at one of their shows, or at the band's website, www.monkeygonemad.com, where you can also download a few songs in mp3 format.
Monkey Gone Mad is a great band capable of playing many different styles of music. They have a lot of potential, and an enormous amount of skill as a band. They are very energetic onstage, and always play a fun show. You can really tell they are enjoying themselves as much as the fans are. If you are ever in the New York capital region, check them out.