Why “The Hand You’ve Been Dealt” by Joker’s Republic is a Required Listen
Being “The Ska Mailman” has a lot of perks. My favorite one though is when bands send me their upcoming releases before they come out. I’ve been regularly sent new music by bands all over the country for the last couple of years. I love spreading the word and helping out as much as I can. I want these bands to succeed! I love seeing the scene grow and watching new connections and relationships form over an artform that I think about daily. I’m so proud to be a part of the community that people can trust as a curator for their next listen.
Which is why I’m writing this to tell you that you NEED to listen to Joker’s Republic’s new album, “The Hand You’ve Been Dealt” AS SOON AS IT DROPS! I first met the boys in Joker’s Republic back in November of 2022 when my band opened for them at The Shredder in Boise, ID. We were the first stop on their tour and they drove 38 hours all the way from New Jersey to be there. It was my first time playing a show in about 9 years. I was excited, I was nervous. I was praying that when the doors opened, the floor would be full of punkers ready to skank. I think the max that the show got up to was about 20 people. I was sure that I was going to mess everything up and embarrass myself. Pretty quickly into the set, I saw Austen (singer, guitarist of Joker’s Republic) get a real skank circle going and made sure it continued. I was immediately at ease and the show went so well. After we got off stage I felt really bad for Joker’s Republic. They came all that way and were playing to a little crowd at a little metalhead bar in Idaho. But they NEVER gave any feeling that they were anything less than stoked to be putting on a great Ska Punk show. Everyone there had a blast and the band was so happy that people came out on a Wednesday night to skank and have fun at a little metalhead bar in Idaho!
Since then I’ve seen the boys in the band in Texas, Connecticut, and talked late at night on the phone with them while they were in Minnesota. We message, share memes, and talk about music philosophy. They are definitely friends of mine now. So you could imagine how excited I was when they told me they were going back to Florida to record with Roger Lima (Less Than Jake bassist/singer) AGAIN for another full length album. They’ve been dropping singles leading up to the album with music videos to accompany them.
Panic! Panic! Panic!
https://youtu.be/Kfk8VkkZ6Q4?si=u-kc0xqpuNrD29kL
Dead Inside
https://youtu.be/IALSlkOJRvg?si=Vn3cnOEVo_PbUip2
Welcome Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux1qwHKNwsg
I asked the boys to join me on my podcast, “The Ska Mailman Podcast” to talk about these new songs, videos, and the process of recording and writing this album.
https://youtu.be/GUKScoet60o?si=R_Ks_wZXKx6255tB
After we were finished recording Austen told me he would send me the complete album to check out before the official release. I opened that link with the same giddy anticipation that Charlie Bucket opened the last Wonka Bar with the golden ticket. I’m a HUGE fan of Joker’s Republic’s previous album, “Necessary Evil” . I feel like it was exactly what a 3rd wave ska fan needed to hear and feel like the party was back on. My expectations for “The Hand You’ve Been Dealt” were already high. The record took my expectations and put them in an elevator and shot them through the ceiling (ok, I’m finished with the Willy Wonka references.) When I finished the album I had goosebumps all over my arms and I knew that this is one of those albums that changes the game.
“The Hand You’ve Been Dealt” by Joker’s Republic is 12 tracks of relentless riffs, bold imagery, honest rage, and love letters to the music that shaped all of us. Each song is unique and showcases a new strength that’ll make you go “Woah, I didn’t expect it to go so hard” They blend a healthy dose of Nostalgic Pop Punk, Modern Pop Punk, a dash of Math Rock, and base the whole thing in Ska Punk for a flavor of music that will be timeless even decades from now. Just like an everlasting gobstopper (I lied about being done with Willy Wonka similes). I fully believe that if enough people give this a listen, they will become immediate fans and listen again and again and it could be considered one of the seminal albums of Modern Ska in the same way we think of Let’s Face It, Hello Rockview, or Turn the Radio Off as seminal 3rd wave albums.
Especially with the messages they convey against the hatred and division we face in American society. Stop Killing Our Friends will go down as an anthem against homophobia and intolerance. Putting the fire back in our blood to stand up for truth and justice. If you’re ready to feel inspired, full of hope and energy, and to put ska on the map again, then you need to listen to Joker’s Republic, “The Hand You’ve Been Dealt” on Oct. 10th, 2025 from Punkerton Records.
If you’ve been laying in your bed of 3rd wave ska for the last 20 years and are ready for a reason to spring out of bed and dance along to the new school of ska, this is your calling. (Like Grandpa Joe….from Willy Wonka….)
