Catch 22

Keasbey Nights (Victory)
by Rowan-Morrison

What happens when you mix rock and ska? Well, for starters, you join the vast ranks of hybrid bands that have been flooding the industry, thanks to the popularity of No Doubt. The often aggressive-edged Catch Twenty-Two, like the Offbeatniks, Mustard Plug, Skankin’ Pickle, and Eclectics, fit perfectly on the shelf between the Bosstones and Operation Ivy. Fortunately, the NJ-based C22 crew know how to write catchy enough songs to inspire kids to dub this over their Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, and Rancid tapes. Also, C22’s brass section manages to sprinkle some swing rhythms onto their punk pastries, giving them an in with the hipster crowd. It’s good to know that Victory is wise enough to sign a quality group like this, given the label’s penchant for generic East Coast sounding hardcore bands.