Blu-Ray of THIS IS NEW TONE; a two hour documentary / concert film following the 2023 BAD TIME RECORDS TOUR, featuring CATBITE, WE ARE THE UNION, KILL LINCOLN, BAD OPERATION, OMNIGONE, JER, J. NAVARRO & THE TRAITORS, THE POMPS, THIRSTY GUYS, EICHLERS, and JOYSTICK.

DIGITAL RENTAL / STREAM AVAILABLE AT THISISNEWTONE.COM

“I wish SKA would come back!”

When a mozzarella-stick meme circulates or a sitcom character derides their “checkered” past, the internet is flooded with comments longing for the feel-good nostalgia of third wave ska popularized in the late 1990s by bands like Reel Big Fish and Sublime. But those that followed the music through the underground and beyond the waves of popularity know that ska never left, and is thriving in a new generation of DIY musicians who are recapturing the revolutionary roots of the genre.

“This Is New Tone” follows the 2023 Bad Time Records tour; a 23 date US excursion organized by an independent garage-run label and a DIY booker. Helmed by a group of indie bands more familiar with playing to half empty basements, the tour finds itself inexplicably selling out major venues from the legendary St Andrews Hall in Detroit to Denver’s Bluebird Theater with no major label support, sponsorship, or management. By way of this single tour, the film captures a unique moment where veteran ska fans collide (literally) with an extraordinary number of first timers in the halls and dance floors, collectively spurred on by an energy packed live show combined with a renewed message of radical acceptance and unity that feels especially urgent in 2023 and beyond.

In a world that seems increasingly divided, This Is New Tone shows the power and possibility of DIY communities to come together, make the world a little bit better, and have a ton of fun doing it.