Ska and swing are just two different types of dance music: you can't skank to swing, you can't lindy-hop to ska, and it just gets even more confusing when the same band will also throw in a punk song or two. Sure, people can like both genres equally, but for the most part, in 1997, you could only be accepted as either…

I don't think it's fair to call them "fakers"…sorta like what the OP said, CPD *never* set out to be an "orthodox" swing band. In addition to playing other genres, they wanted to meld swing with modern influences and make it something contemporary. Unfortunately, almost every other nu-swing band were cheesy retro…

You're not as well-versed as you think, then. CPD have always played swing AND ska. They toured the ska scene first, appeared on a bunch of comps (the "Ska: The Third Wave" series and "Brother, Can You Spare Some Ska" series, for two) and played with all the major ska bands, including the entirety of Reel Big Fish's…

I agree that the arrangements were lacking and were nothing compared to true swing and jazz, but I think that was the point. Most of the major bands mixed swing with ska, punk and rockabilly to create a contemporary hybrid; I think comparing swing and neo-swing is as effective as comparing rockabilly and psychobilly.…

BBVD were swing from the start. CPD were a funk/jazz-turned-ska/punk band. They were pretty much the main transition from the ska craze to the swing craze, though.