Although Christian music artists have traditionally had a reputation of being a couple years behind their mainstream counterparts, that has all began to change with the rise in popularity of ska. Christian ska bands such as Five Iron Frenzy and the Insyderz emerged at nearly the same time as ska was beginning to receive recognition in the secular market. Not only were these Christian bands out there, but they were just as good as anyone secular--such as the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones, Save Ferris, or Reel Big Fish.
Then there's The Supertones. They're not as good. They're way better.
So how did this all get started? In the early 90's a band was formed called "Saved". When Jason Carson (drums) and Matt Morginsky (vocals) started the band, they tried many styles of music, including grunge, funk, disco, and metal. Fortunately for the world, they added a brass section and settled on ska-core. Since then, the Supertones have released three CD's: "Adventures of the O.C. Supertones" in '96, "Supertones Strike Back" in '97, and "Chase the Sun" in '99. They've toured the country and played with various bands. They've put out a home video, and are even considering the creation of a full-length feature film for theaters.
Not only are the boys from Orange County popular with Christians, but they aren't being looked down upon by anyone in the secular music world. As part of their label deal, they are distributed to the general market through EMI. If you ever watch MTV, you may have seen them on Oddville or 120 minutes. Their new CD will even be produced by Garth Richardson who has worked with bands such as Rage Against the Machine and Voodoo Glow Skulls.
You'd think that with so much mainstream exposure, the 'Tones might try to make their Christian message a little less obvious. You know, maybe keep positive lyrics, but just try not mention Jesus so much?
Yeah, right.
Not only does every song mention God, but nearly every track is a testimony of the band's relationship to their savior. Hardly a watered-down message. Even the live shows are right up front about what the band stands for. Jason usually gives a short message about God's love. Through this little talk, countless people have come to know Jesus--and that's what The Supertones are all about.
