'Notting Hill Carnival on a punk CD', 'Ms Dynamite fronting the Clash' and 'Dizzee Rascal crossed with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' are some of the efforts used to describe Sonic Boom Six's genre-busting sounds. SB6 mould themselves in the tradition of UK punk bands such as the Specials, the Clash and King Prawn that push the musical envelope by mixing the contemporary underground sounds of the UK with a rocking live show. Sonic Boom Six's genre-terrorism attacks the urban sounds of ragga, hip-hop, bhangra and jungle, adds a blast of dub and reggae and detonates with a heavy helping of hardcore punk rock.

Over the last four years Sonic Boom Six have released three EPs, toured the UK and mainland Europe and shared the stage with such acts as the Suicide Machines, Catch 22, Leftover Crack, RX Bandits and Hard-Fi as well as recording a session for BBC radio 1's flagship punk show the Lock-Up, being featured on BBC2's Asian Arts TV programme Desi DNA and opening the Love Music Hate Racism event on the Leftfield stage at the legendary Glastonbury festival. In August 2005 Moon Ska Europe released the retrospective of the story so far, Sounds To Consume: Champion Edition which contains both Moon Ska EPs, the original self-released demo EP, three new electronica remixes as well as an acoustic tune from the bands Babyboom acoustic side-project.

 The long-awaited debut album ‘The Ruff Guide to Genre-Terrorism’ on Deck Cheese Records was released in July 2006. Featuring the live stalwarts ‘Piggy in the Middle’ and ‘Bigger than Punk Rock’ as well as current Radio-1 Lock-Up favourite ‘All-In’ (featuring the toasting of ex-Pilfer’s frontman Coolie Ranx) and a genre-terrorising heap of new tracks, the album’s release was followed by a massive UK tour and their 2nd Radio 1 Lock-Up Session.

The band released their sophomore album in late 2007 to wide critcal acclaim. The album, titled ‘Arcade Perfect’ is the band’s debut release on their own label Rebel Alliance. Vocalist Laila speaks of the album, “…it’s been the first time we’ve felt like the record speaks for itself whereas in the past our records have kind of been an extension to the live show”.

‘Arcade Perfect’ is a much more coherent and polished body of work. The album flows much more consistently than its predecessor and is so energetic and catchy that you just have to dance to it! Brilliant stuff!

Big D and the Kids Table formed in October of 1995 in Allston Massachusetts, and make third-wave ska music at its finest. With a lineup that consists of graduates of the prestigious Berklee School of Music, it's no wonder that they sound more like the Ska bands of yore, than the legions of marching-band-kids-gone-punk that dominated the late 90's ska scene.

To date, the band has released 8 albums and has toured an average of 200 live dates annually. They formed their own label, Fork in Hand Records, to put out their first album ‘Shot By Lammi’ in 1997, and before long they were releasing albums by a stable of popular Boston-area bands, building a vibrant punk/ska scene around themselves. Numerous successful albums followed and the band was invited on to The Vans Warped Tour and the Summer of Ska Tours in 2006.

Their most recent album to date, ‘Strictly Rude’ is the band’s most mature work to date. The sounds of a piano, organ, and melodica rub up against the familiar horns and guitars. It was released in March of 2007 and since the band have been touring, pleasing their ever-increasing fan-base.

You'd think after around 10 years as a band they'd be slowing down, but they're currently writing and recording for their upcoming album, and although it has no set release date. The band are excited to hit the road again in the UK with friends Sonic Boom Six, entitled ‘The Rude Awaking Tour’. Catch them at Manchester’s Club Academy on May 21st.