The Witzard

Coolie Ranx (photographer unknown / SOURCE: Facebook) Coolie Ranx (born Obi-Ajula Ugbomah) is well-known for his work within the New York City Ska scene and beyond. Starting in the very early 1990's, he was the frontman of New York City's own The Toasters, who were instrumental in getting Ska on the map in America. The Toasters, also, formed Moon Ska Records , which became the homebase for a multitude of the Ska bands that nurtured the 1990's Third Wave Ska revival. He departed The Toasters in 1997 and went on to start his own band, Pilfers. Through Pilfers, Coolie created an infectious and unique sound aptly named Raggacore, which seamlessly blended Pop, Reggae, Dub, Hardcore, Punk, and Ska in a rugged, hard-hitting energy. Coolie Ranx has continued to work within the scene as a collaborator and solo artist, well-known for his pinpoint precise chat skills, effortless genre-blending prowess, and soaring melodic vocal delivery. Coolie Ranx has appeared on releases along...

CATBITE & Brian Fallon Are The Slacures (CREDIT: MO @phobymo) "We never got to make it to the legendary Chris Gethard Show, so we decided to create our own Goth alternate reality and create The Chris Gothard Show!," CATBITE (@catbiteband) shared within an Instagram post earlier this morning. The four-piece Philly-based Ska band had been teasing something called The Slacures for a number of days; posting "coming 6/9 😈. Subscribe to or YouTube channel for first dibs, link in bio," a number of days ago. Alright, so all of this finally materialized together earlier this morning as a CATBITE & Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem, Molly & The Zombies, The Horrible Crowes) together as The Slacures covering The Slackers' "Yes, It's True" written by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Vic Ruggiero from their 1998 album, The Question . So, CATBITE & Fallon created The Slacures—see what they did there, The Slackers + The Cure =...

Vic Ruggiero performing live music (CREDIT: Matt Kursmark) Victor "Vic" Ruggiero is a musician, singer/song-writer, producer, and multi-intrumentalist hailing from New York City. Ruggiero has been recording, making, and playing music since about 1998 with his bands The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, The Silencers, SKAndalous All-Stars. Sic + MAD, Da Whole Thing, The Mooks, Vic & Kepi, The Witch & The Burro, Reggae Workers of The World, and more. The last time we spoke to Vic, it was in 2018 coinciding with the release(s) of The Slackers' "Nobody's Listening" B/W "Sleep Outside" 12-inch and Live At Ernesto's! 2xLP re-issue. Since then, Ruggiero has released projects with The Slackers, Reggae Workers of The World slightly re-branded as R.W.W., Kepi Ghoulie, lauren.napier, The Mooks, and other odds, ends, and curiosities on his personal Bandcamp page that launched in 2020. Stuff In My Pockets is the latest solo project from the aways ...

Victor "Vic" Ruggiero is a Bronx, New York-based musician, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, who's best-known as the keyboardist and frontman of beloved Ska band, The Slackers. Ruggiero has, also, spent time playing with Stubborn All-Stars, Sic & Mad, SKAndalous All-Stars, Crazy Baldhead, Da Whole Thing, The Silencers, The Mooks, and Reggae Workers of The World. He's released several solo albums, EP's, and singles and has, additionally, been featured on recordings by Rancid, Transplants, P!NK, Tim Timebomb, and more. The Slackers recently released their latest 12-inch/digital single, "Nobody's Listening" B/W "Sleep Outside," as well as a vinyl re-issue of 2000's Live At Ernesto's! originally a CD-only release on Hellcat/Epitaph, with Pirates Press Records. Just a few months ago, we purchased a digital copy of Lauren Napier & Vic Ruggiero's collaborative Duets, Vol. 1 EP released on Chicago-based imprint Happy As A La...