Ska: The Third Wave: Volume 2 – Review

Ska: The Third Wave

Volume 2 (Sanchie)
by Valerie Lambert

There’s nothing – and I do mean nothing – that will get you up on your feet and dancing (er, skanking) around your room like some good old-fashioned ska music. None of this pseudo-ska, like Goldfinger and No Doubt. No sir, I’m talking the real thing here with like 10 member bands, horns, and a real RUDE attitude. And, frankly, this is one of the better ska compilations I’ve heard. Volume 2 of SKA: The Third Wave features some established ska acts like Mephiskapheles and Ruder Than You, as well as some newer bands such as Gainesville, Florida’s Less Than Jake (my personal favorite), and Mock Turtle Soup. I can’t really think of a bad song on the album, though, as with any compilation, there are some that are better than others. My favorites are Ska King Crab‘s take on the Inspector Gadget theme (how can you resist laughing when you hear “Go Go Gadget Trumpet” shouted before a solo?), The Planet Smashers‘ “Mission Aborted,”, and, of course, that Less Than Jake classic, “Liquor Store.” And I don’t want to leave out Mock Turtle Soup’s “Rodent Revolt,” which is one of the catchiest ska ditties I’ve heard in years. Just try listening to it without skanking – I dare you.

I feel I should offer a word of warning to anyone thinking about listening to this album: do not listen to “The Bumble Bee Tuna Song” by Mephiskapheles unless you are willing to have the darn thing running through your head for at least five days. I’ve made that mistake once in my life, and I refuse to ever do it again! (Although it is a funny song…) This album is DEFINITELY worth checking out for anyone who loves ska already, or who just wants to be exposed to some real ska music. It just doesn’t get any better than this (or rarely, anyway!)