Let’s go to the art show where we’ll mope around and then we’ll brood

Like a lot of folks my age, I went through a ska-punk phase in high school. I got started a little before it really exploded (Reel Big Fish, No Doubt, etc.), and my introduction was a CD one of my friends let me borrow called Misfits of Ska put out by Bruce Lee (no, not that one) of Asian Man Records.

It’s a great compilation that includes about as many different genres of ska as conceivable, and it was followed a couple of years later by Misfits of Ska II a couple of years later, with 30 more genre-bending tracks. The idea was to combine some elements of The Misfits with more traditional ska components. Given that, it’s much more about the punk/metal take on ska than it is about the first-wave reggae approach. Still there’s a bit of that, and a whole lot more fun stuff.

If you missed the ska thing the first time around, or if you never really got what was so great about it, these compilations might give you a look into the wider world of great ska music out there. It has contributions from some of the more famous names (Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and a really old Sublime track), but those are really some of the weaker contributions. I could go on about virtually any track, but here’s a couple of my favorites:

Nate B – Slapstick

Slapstick is one of my favorite bands, and this is my favorite song by them. They broke up almost a decade ago, but they have a self-titled CD that compiles virtually all of their songs, and is well worth a purchase. This song blew me away an absolutely perfect horn riff (almost identical to one from Simon and Garfunkel’s “Fakin’ It” incidentally). It’s not really “ska” except for the horns, but those add just enough flavor that it sounds like much more than a strictly punk number. There’s a slightly heavier-sounding version of this song on the album I linked to, but I prefer this one.

Acceleration 3000 – Blue Meanies

This is the first track on the first compilation and WOW what a way to start. It sounds metal-influenced, but more than anything it sounds frantic. And just as you need to catch a breath, there’s a wonderfully punch-drunk middle section before they hit you again at top speed for the conclusion. This is the kind of song that makes you put your foot on the gas pedal and drive 100 miles an hour (or, if you’re me, makes you want to put your foot on the pedal, but settle for imagining doing so while continuing to drive the speed limit – what can I say? I’m a rebel without a cause). Another song different from the album version, and, once again, I like this one a lot more.

Head First, Feet First – The Skolars

This is the only song by the Skolars I have ever heard and I have no idea why. I really should fix that. If their other stuff is anything like this one, it must be great. This is the opener on the second compilation. Much like the Blue Meanies track, it takes speed to a whole new level. While the other song takes the ska-metal approach, this one is much more traditionally ska sounding, with a definite punk influence. It’s just incredibly fast, with an incredible bouncing guitar.

Art Show (A Polka) – Johnny Socko

There are a lot of other songs I like more than this one over the two discs, but if you like the stuff I’ve already linked, you’ll probably go buy yourself the album and find them for yourself. So, for the last one to share, I thought I’d give you a peek into the more playful side of the album. It was a choice between “Fat Lady Skank” (pretty much exactly what you’d expect), and this one. I opted in favor of giving you all a chance to hear what happens when you combine ska and polka music. The answer? Awesomeness.