The Selecter

Formed in 1979 in Coventry, England, The Selecter is part of the 2 Tone ska movement that blends Jamaican ska, British pop and a punk-like energy. The group, notably led by singer Pauline Black and guitarist Neol Davies, grew out of the 2 Tone Records scene and shared stages with the late-1970s British ska wave. The Selecter released the single "On My Radio" in 1979, followed by the albums Too Much Pressure (1980) and Celebrate the Bullet (1981), which established a style marked by punchy brass lines, a nervous tempo and socially conscious lyrics often focused on racism and urban tensions. After an initial split in the early 1980s, The Selecter has reformed regularly in various line-ups around Pauline Black, maintaining an active live presence and a discography spanning decades, including The Happy Album (1994), Rebirth (2011), String Theory (2013), Subculture (2015), Daylight (2017) and Human Algebra (2023), continuing a ska approach that mixes reggae, pop and new wave influences.