VA - Ska: The Third Wave Volume 1 & 2 (1996/1997)

With ska seeding out of the grassroots and into the mainstream, ever more labels were looking to reap the skanking whirlwind, much to the satisfaction of bands who had previously been left to wither (or flourish) under benign neglect. Ska: The Third Wave was originally released in 1995 by Continuum Records, and the New Jersey label inevitably filled the set with East Coast bands. The Dance Hall Crashers alone representing the Pacific coast, while Grand Rapids' Mustard Plug and St. Louis' MU330 hold down the heartland. Needless to say, style in no way equates with geography, and this compilation splendidly presents the entire spectrum of modern ska, with four of the bands -- Mephiskapheles, the Toasters, the Pietasters, and the Skofflaws -- getting two tracks to show the breadth of their own sounds. Skavoovie & the Epitones and the Pietasters both showcase their silky trad skills, the latter also preening in pop style, a genre the Dance Hall Crashers have long staked out, and which MU330 too made their own. Ruder Than You prefer a punkier sound, the Insteps a purer ska style, and Mustard Plug a more frenzied pace. Mephiskapheles are as trad as a Tory on the limpidly lovely "Saba," but storm the world with their blazing "Doomsday," while the normally 2 Tone-loving Toasters enter the dancehall with their toasting extravaganza "Dub 56." In fact, every song here is a standout, and the bonus quartet of tracks on the reissue are also up to snuff. Those four were a welcome addition to a compilation originally hammered for its brevity (competing sets averaged 18-20 songs); there was no complaint, however, about the quality of the music, which is top-notch throughout.

Ska: The Third Wave was originally released on the Continuum label, then picked up by Shanachie, who reissued it with three bonus tracks. That excellent set featured tried-and-true acts from around the nation; this follow-up also boasts a clutch of veteran bands, but the bulk of the set is given over to fresh faces. Age before new kids on the block, though. Returning for encore performances are the always entertaining Mephiskapheles and the ever tighter Ruder Than You. Less Than Jake didn't appear on the last set (a surprising omission), but they're here now, giving further cred to this comp. Former cover kings turned skankers Undercover S.K.A. are a slick outfit, but donning mod suits won't bring them the success it brought Reel Big Fish. Regetta 69 had also been kicking around for over a decade, but have a bright bounce and a lovely lilt that suggests ska has been an important part of their repertoire for many years. The rest of these groups all formed yesterday. Okay, a few had been around for nearly three years, and by contemporary ska standards that was a lifetime. Particularly polished is Thumper, whose light touch here defies the band's love of metal and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Equally good are Downbeat Rulers. Their "Same Old Story" is flawless reggae, delivered in bouncy late-'60s style, while their "Rudy, Do You Know?" dips a few years back into Brit beat and rocksteady. AWOL's "Coffee," in contrast, opens in funk before storming straight into fast-and-furious third wave. The rest of the bands have barely had time to establish their own style, although Insatiable's trad sound is already as tight as a drum. So, musically this volume is not quite up to the extremely high standards of its predecessor, but it is more adventurous in giving a leg up to the then young and impatient.