We heard you missed us! WE’RE BACK!! ...with a brand-new episode on Madness’ first new studio album in seven years, “Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie.” This album was just released on November 17, 2023, and Poly & Laurie are here to give you the inside scoop. We will do a track-by-track deep dive and take you on a tour through the Theatre of the Absurd. Join us for this very special one-off episode of Stateside Madness!

In this week's podcast, we do a track-by-track deep dive of Madness' April 2023 Record Store Day release, “I Do Like to Be B-Side the A-Side, Vol. 3.” This episode is a  “Bittersweet” one for us because this will be our last regular episode of the podcast. We will occasionally drop a new episode if there is something big (such as a new album release or American tour), but no more biweekly episodes. 

Poly & Laurie would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the past three years: our Stateside Madness team members, Donald and Bobby; M.I.S.; all the fantastic guests who have kindly allowed us to interview them over the years; and most of all, YOU, the listeners. 

Here's hoping for a Madness American tour in 2024....

This week we sit down with ska-tastic Chicago band The Crombies about music and Madness. The boys talk about their 2 Tone influences, playing live shows in the U.K., and Paul Weller's obsession with Al Capone. Want to know more? Just listen!

Songs in this episode:

1. “Monster Ska” – The Crombies

This week, Poly is traveling abroad, and he dropped by Koast Radio to visit our old friend Mr. Scurf! This episode contains select highlights from Mr. Scurf's Koast Train... including Poly learning to speak like a Northumbrian!

1. “Night Boat to Cairo” – Madness

Join us for another album deep dive! This week, Laurie and Poly explore Suggs’ 1995 solo debut album “The Lone Ranger.” In Camden Town, I’ll meet you by the underground....

This week, Laurie & Poly sit down with John Hasler, who is known to fans of Madness as the original Bed & Breakfast Man. John was with Madness from their earliest days as the North London Invaders, and since that time he has worn many hats: drummer, lead singer, and ultimately manager of the band. This is a great interview that Madness fans should not miss! 

Please check out John's band CRABS! on Bandcamp: https://getcrabs.bandcamp.com/album/get-crabs

Songs in this Episode:

1. "Bed & Breakfast Man (John Peel session)" – Madness

On this episode Laurie and Poly are taken on a whirlwind tour of Albino Brown's world of Third Wave Ska.  Albino founded The Ska Parade radio show and his list of friends is a veritable who's who of American ska, including Fishbone, No Doubt, Sublime, and British ex-pat Dave Wakeling. He is also an author of an upcoming book about the artwork of ska and shares with us the story behind the iconic Beat Girl logo and the Madness comics in the 80s. This unique interview is not to be missed!

Songs in this Episode:

1. "Ma & Pa" – Fishbone

This week we continue our series of episodes on Madness-adjacent bands with The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra and their 2013 debut album, “The Benevolence of Sister Mary Ignatius.” Join us as we do a track-by-track deep dive into this classic of ska and discuss the history behind each track.

This week we take a very slight detour to explore one of the many Madness band members’ side projects. Voice of the Beehive was formed in 1987 when American sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland teamed up with Woody and Bedders of Madness. Over the next nine years, they would see a handful of lineup changes and moderate success in the UK and Australia (as well as some airplay on college radio here in the USA). Join Laurie & Poly this week as we dive deep into the Voice of the Beehive.

Terry Hall was best known as the lead vocalist for the British ska and 2 Tone band, The Specials. In this podcast episode, we discuss Terrys musical career, starting with his time as the lead vocalist for The Squad in 1977 and continuing with The Specials in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We also talk about his solo career and his work with other bands and artists, such as Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, and Vegas. Terry Hall died of pancreatic cancer on December 19, 2022, but his musical legacy will continue to live on.