“Rancid”

Rancid Rancid is a punk band. A thrashing, grunting, sweating punk band. They are punk to the bone, and they are not afraid to let anyone know. Fans and critics of the band may have been unsure of the Operation Ivy-spawned quartet’s direction following the band’s successful, radio-friendly album, “And Out Come the Wolves,” and the experimental, reggae-inspired “Life Won’t Wait.” Rather than moving further away from punk or changing their name to Rancid-182, the band has reached back and embraced their punk roots, recording an album that is both distinctly punk and refreshing. Containing 22 tracks and lasting barely over 38 minutes, “Rancid” is a solid album that wastes no time on processed, MTV-friendly choruses. There are still songs that are catchy and sure to elicit screams from listeners. These screams, however, won’t be the high-pitched wall of sound Carson Daly hears when the latest Britney Spears video is number one on “TRL.” They will instead be the kind of screams emitted by drunken, English pub-goers who are watching Manchester win a soccer match. Many tracks end abruptly, like the abrasive “Don Giovanni,” a 35-second scorcher. The longest song on the album, “Radio Havana,” is also probably one of the best. It clocks in at a hefty 3 minutes, 42 seconds. Though lead vocalist and guitarist Tim Armstrong spits out his words in his trademark rasp for the bulk of the record, he actually makes use of harmony and melody on the song. Lead guitarist and vocalist Lars Frederiksen’s guttural voice blends well with Armstrong’s yelps, in an odd combination that somehow works. However, Frederiksen and Armstrong are both outdone by bassist Matt Freeman’s vocal additions to the album. Though Freeman plays some of his most complex and melodic basslines to date, he outdoes himself with his Cookie-Monster-gone-punk vocals on a few tracks. “Black Derby Jacket” spotlights the bass player’s voice, opening with the line, “Books of Emerson, books on Thoreau, but all I read was maps of the road.” The song tells the story of being on the road and thinking of a girl, an old concept that feels strikingly new. It’s a parallel to the entire album. Rancid takes punk rock, a genre that seems to have been stripped of nearly all its ideals (a topic addressed in the venomous “Rattlesnake”), and makes it sound like thugs using buzzsaws rather than the Backstreet Boys playing guitars. – Jon Dahlager “Mobysongs”

Moby Since the release of “Play” in 1999, countless songs by techno artist Moby have been licensed for use in movies and TV commercials, allowing the album to gain deserved commercial success and critical acclaim. In response, Moby’s former record label, Elektra Records, released “Mobysongs: The Best of Moby -1993-1998,” a compilation of tracks from four previously released Moby albums. While Elektra describes “Mobysongs” as “The Best of Moby,” it’s not convincing. The 16 tracks are mainly piano driven, sleep inducing instrumentals that are more appropriate as mood music for a rainy evening rather than a dance party. Even the dance tracks are lacking. “Move (You Make Me Feel so Good)” only makes you want to press the skip button. “Go” gives the world an unnecessary remix of the theme to the cult TV show “Twin Peaks.” Only a few songs show the promise that Moby fulfilled on “Play.” “I Like To Score” is packed with earth-shattering bass, and “When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die,” is the only song in which vocalist Mimi Goese doesn’t sound like an Annie Lennox impersonator. The only thing this album is good for, besides taking $14 from naive Moby fans, is that it proves to the listener that hard work and prolific outwork is eventually rewarded. – Tori Rosin “Playmate of the Year”

Zebrahead Proving they are one of the most underrated bands in the industry, Orange County, Calif. natives Zebrahead know how to make a super catchy song that rocks just right. The band’s second major label release, “Playmate of the Year,” recaptures the same energy that made their record, “Waste of Mind,” one of the best albums of 1998. Zebrahead represents what it means to be original. The group couldn’t be tighter as rapper Ali Tabatabee and singer Justin Mauriello put forth catchy and contrasting vocals. Amazing guitar riffs from Greg Bergdorf and the pounding rhythm section that includes drummer Ed Udhus and bassist Ben Osmundson also strengthen the band. Clever lyrical content helps make the record fun to listen to. The first single, “Playmate of the Year,” is about that one special girl who comes around once a year or so. Mauriello sings, “She’ll change every year/ Even pretty without beer/ She doesn’t care about my hair/ My car, my tiny pee pee/ In the mirror.” But the band also has a serious side. Toward the end of “What’s Going On?,” there is talking in the background about different disturbing facts relating to rape and youth violence. “Playmate of the Year” is different than “Waste of Mind” in its songwriting. Zebrahead mixes it up more this time, allowing Mauriello to do a lot more vocals. But much like “Waste of Mind,” every song is super catchy and fast-paced, displaying all the elements of a hit. Though this record leans toward the pop genre more than the first, it rocks hard enough to stay out of the category of pop. – Kyle Moss “Our Time With You”

Relative Ash With all the members of the Chicago five-piece being right around the legal drinking age, Relative Ash is definitely one of the younger bands in the vastly growing scene that is hardcore. Introduced on a dirt bike compilation last year with the song “5:30” fans have been awaiting the release of Relative Ash’s debut for too long. But they will find that “Our Time With You” was well worth the wait. Vocalist Marcus Harrington screams with an intense emotion but also has a dynamic vocal range and an incredible sense of melody. Nothing on the album screams “radio hit,” but all the songs are nothing short of a well-crafted hardcore album. The re-recorded version of “5:30” may be the best song, but “Pout” and “Bounce” shine almost as bright. Relative Ash also breaks new ground lyrically. While many of the songs on the album tackle basic topics, Harrington somehow finds a way to twist them into something completely different. On “Hymen,” a song about Harrington’s father dying of AIDS, Harrington finds anything but a simple way of getting his message across, “Approached and wrapped up tight/ I’ll share much more but please don’t dig deep and grow thick skin/ Know this I watched as he grew thin.” Relative Ash is definitely one of the more groundbreaking acts in a genre that is being flooded with wannabes and copycats. – Dewayne Hankins “Wasting Time”

Mest Under the production of Goldfinger frontman John Feldmann, it’s no surprise that suburban Chicago pop-punkers Mest draw some similarities. After all, the band openly admits Goldfinger as an influence, not to mention Blink 182, Green Day and MxPx. Trying to break waves on mainstream radio with their single “What’s the Dillio?” shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The song has the right formula plus an extremely catchy sing-a-long chorus, “What’s the d-d-d-dillio? What’s the d-d-d-deal?” However, there is much more to “Wasting Time” than its “hit.” Although Mest doesn’t break any new ground with their major label debut, they do dish out a quality album. Songs like “Richard Marxism” and “Drawing Board” display the band’s ability to not only make songs stick in your head, but also give credit to their above-average song writing skills, something that is usually lacking in pop-punk. Vocalists Tony Lovato and Jeremiah Rangel write songs that deal with the subject of girls, but there are a few bright spots. On “Change,” a mellow ska tune, Lovato sings about the two-faced and ever-changing record industry. “Tell me what can I do?/ Tell me what can I say?/ Is there even a time for change?/ Or is it just one following another?” Although Mest won’t break the mold that is pop-punk, they can certainly give fans something new besides “All the Small Things” to sing along to. – Dewayne Hankins