Propagumbhis

An obscure, independent ska-core group from England and Winnipeg's finest political punk band: where's the connection? Brighton, England, indie band the Propagumbhis not only borrow from Propagandhi's name, but the album title and design bear a striking similarity to How To Clean Everything, Propagandhi's first album on Fat Wreck Chords. Why a relatively unknown ska band would try to cash in on the success of an album that proclaimed "Ska Sucks" is a little confusing, but although the title and design of the CD may be similar, the content is quite different. The Propagumbhis deliver catchy, Mighty Mighty Bosstones-style ska-core, which although very energetic, is extremely predictable. Each song seems to stop and turn into a clean reggae groove at about the same time, then builds up to blistering punk rock. The band's strong point is their vocalist, whose gravelly voice brings to mind bands like Rancid and the aforementioned Bosstones. The highlight of How To Bomb Everything would have to be the second track, a punk-tinged cover of "Good Guys Wear White." This song brings Winnipeg to mind yet again, since it was used as the theme of the Winnipeg Jets during playoff games. Whether the references to Winnipeg are intentional or are a complete fluke, it's still more than a little strange.