The devilish Mephiskapheles start the party with "Center of time..." Their weird blend of upbeat ska and playful souls serve up this tasty morsel. Mealticket is far from "Stale," with their soothing female vocals and fast paced guitar beats. And their catchy chorus will convince you of their talent. Reel Big Fish contributes "Hate You" off their first album (which is now out of print.) This is the only place you will find this song! A pop-ska song you will fall madly in love with. From the sing-along chorus to the rich horns and humorous lyrics this song will quickly grab you and take you in. The Suicide Machines offer their ska-punk song "New Girl." And for anyone that has heard the version off their debut CD, it's a lot different. Very lo-fi. Fast, energetic beats help pull this song together. After you hear the new version, the old version just won't do, though. Home Grown's "Alternative Girl" serves up some ska-punk with catchy beats and skankin' guitars. Pop-ska'ers My Superhero and their contribution "Just Plain Fish" adds quick guitar with some nice bass, but the vocals are very annoying. The readers will find "Cupid," and fall in love with The Skolars track. The intro starts off soft and fills your heart with love. Then when the chorus hits some louder beats are thrown in, and then back to the very relaxing beats. Out of Order wants to know "What Are We Fighting For?" And who wants to fight while their fast paced punk-ska is on? Nobody! Just sit back and have a good time. Rough vocals, fast horns, and drums that keep on pounding make this song worth your time. And then when some ska guitar is thrown into the mix the party starts to dance. Less Than Jake is a must for any ska-punk compilations. And their song, "Where The Hell is Mike Sinkovich," lives up to the Less than Jake name. Great horns, great vocals, loud and fast guitar is what Less Than Jake's ska-core is built around! And when they play, they bring out the best in you. The CD finishes off with Melting Pot's "My Po' Lil' Bitch." It starts off with some great bass, which continues throughout the whole song, and then jumps ahead ten speeds. From fast beat ska beats that will make you dance to powerful punk-ska choruses Melting Pot closes out a CD that ranges from mediocre bands to excellent.

This CD has some thorns in it, but overall it is pretty good. Great bands plus great music equals a great time. And that is what you will have when you listen to this CD...A great time. I'll give this CD a B+. Very strong in places, and other places it slips.

Free The West Memphis 3: A Benefit For Truth & Justice

Genre-Fest: A Northwest Comp-elation -- Volume One

[Issue Nine // June 1998]