uuug...ok, let me lay it down to you as best i can. given, im not a skinhead, so i cant give you like, the real roots of ska and ****. but i know a good deal of useless information that no one else cares about because i used to be a scene kid...sortof. well anywho, the reason ska and punk go so hand-in-hand is becasue ska, like punk, is a subculture. ska impliments an offbeat kindof rhythym, similar to reggae, but usually at faster speeds. (for a dummy version, play bob marley songs and double time the upstrokes) as in a jazz band or any kindof swing, the brass usually play accents or melody lines. for the most part, in a real ska band, the guitar is not a focal point. given, not that many ska bands have stuck to that preferance. some of the best local guitarists ive ever seen have been at ska shows, and theres many opportunities to bust the slick stuff in ska song. it can be poppy and light, and often times humorous (cought*aquabats*cough) but can also be very heavy and serious. some hate it because the brass and woodwinds can give it a corny or kid-like feel, but its a serious genre of music thats really fun to get into. then comes skanking....oh my. another day.