Daily Staff Writer

“Live From the Middle East”

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

When it’s all over and third wave ska is officially declared dead, a few recordings will stand out as fundamental pieces of the musical puzzle.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ new live album strikes fiercely, demonstrating the power and impact of the band’s music.

Not because of its impeccable musicianship, or the frenzied energy of small club shows, but because it represents a different aspect of the style — the one which generated widespread recognition and media attention.

The Bosstones paved the way for alterna-ska bands like Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger without compromising to major label Mercury Records. The band developed support and eventually outgrew the underground clothes that bound them, only to slip into a new suit that fits them well.

The CD is served best as a comprehensive lesson in the mighty mighty ways of the band.

What’s in the mix? A musical mishmash highlighting songs from each of the band’s seven studio recordings.

All the favorites shine through like: “Devil’s Night Out,” from the 1990 debut album; “Kinder Words” the upbeat opener from 1994’s “Question the Answers;” and the infamous songs that led to the group’s sweeping popularity like “The Impression That I Get” and “The Rascal King.”

And they couldn’t leave out classics like “Where’d You Go,” “Someday I Suppose” and “Lights Out.”

Lead singer Dicky Barrett’s always scratchy voice has never sounded more phlegm-drenched than on this live album. Although it’s annoying, Dicky’s voice is a principal part of the Bosstones’ sound.

Comparing it to live ska albums put out by the Pietasters and the Scofflaws, “Live at the Middle East” captures the interactive nature and overall revelry that embodies a Mighty Mighty Bosstones show.

Who’s the boss? The Bosstones, of course.

4 stars out of five

— Conor Bezane

“Live Monsters”

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Live records used to be gourmet dinners — the kind of heavenly meals served once or twice a year on special occasions.

Bands whose performances could not be described in words — The Who, Queen, Joe Cocker — released live records.

Now, they are appetizers.

They simply tide fans over until the main course is ready.

Releasing a live record to warm up fans has become common game. Counting Crows served one in June; Aerosmith is serving one now, and 311 will serve one later this month.

But the problem with appetizers is they have to be delicious to be remembered — and they rarely are.

“Live Monsters” is a decent plate of nachos.

There’s a lot of variety scattered over the dish, but when it comes down to the nitty gritty, it is simply chips and salsa.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters has been serving soulful folk rock for 11 years and it shows.

Todd Park Mohr’s tuneful storytelling fits snugly into the Mountain-rock rhythms provided by bassist Rob Squires and drummer Brian Nevin.

Soothing grooves carry classic tunes like “Bittersweet” and “Broken Hearted Savior” into one ear, through your entire body, and out the other.

“Poor Miss” showcases Mohr’s sultry voice, while Led Zeppelin’s “Tangerine” proves his ability to prow into the minds of his listeners.

“Live Monsters” has all the right ingredients of a lily-white compilation — only they’re not enhanced.

Big Head Todd doesn’t spice up the record with the flavor it needs to be better than an appetizer.

Nachos are tasty, but prime rib is savory.

2 1/2 stars out of five

— Corey Moss

“Roseland NYC Live”

Portishead

Portishead continues to defy all rules of modern trip-hop with its latest release, “Roseland NYC Live.”

Combining a full orchestra with an already diverse array of instruments, the band displays skillful musicianship in its truest form.

Portishead consists of six members playing everything from keyboards to turntables. Slow hip-hop beats filled with scratching, jazzy trumpets, and light, funky guitar riffs set the stage for a cool and mellow evening at the sold-out Roseland Ballroom.

The record begins with “Humming,” which starts out with an intro solely played by the orchestra, topped with strange sounds springing from the DJ’s turntables. This sets a somber and melancholy tone for the entire disc.

Soon, the beat kicks in and lead singer Beth Gibbons soothes the crowd with her emotion-filled and laid-back lyric style.

This easy-going intensity becomes a pattern throughout the album, with the group exploring its abilities on guitar, drums, keyboards, turntables and vocals.

The full orchestra elevates the music and takes it to another level — a level on which Portishead is more than ready to exist — giving bands like Morcheeba a run for their money.

Portishead maintains its reputation as some of the best trip-hop musicians, proving they can produce a good product not only in the studio, but on-stage as well.

4 stars out of five

— Sam Johnson

“311 Live”

311

311 has always been known for its high-energy live show, a trait that won the group Club Tour of the Year in 1996 and helped paint the numbers 3-1-1 all over MTV and radio.

The Omaha fivesome’s latest record is the group’s way of providing fans with a better-than-bootleg-quality live performance on CD and a compilation of some of the best 311 tunes to date.

The sound quality of “311 Live” is undoubtedly better than the dozens of insanely-priced bootlegs, but it is still difficult to capture the animation 311 puts into a live performance, and although this album tries, it doesn’t quite pull it off.

Unable to convey the personal feel of a 311 concert, vocalist S.A. Martinez and bassist P-Nut make it a hard listen for anyone who has seen the group play.

One cool thing about the disc is the instrumental solos displaying the band’s amazing talent.

“Nix Hex” boasts a Tim Mahoney solo to show his outstanding melodic way of playing the guitar. Chad Sexton pounds in an excellent solo on “Applied Science,” and P-Nut “beats his thang” in the infamous “Feels So Good.”

But the record’s song selection could have been better.

“Hydroponic” and “Who’s Got the Herb,” the two pot-promoting songs near the end, are pointless and pollute the album with idiotic praises to marijuana.

It was nice to see 311 did not end the album with the traditional last song, “Fat Chance,” whose redundant “fuck the bullshit” lyrics are always annoying.

“311 Live” is a fraction of the fun of a 311 live show.

2 1/2 stars out of five

— Kyle Moss

“Choice Cuts”

Jackyl

What happens when a band comes and goes?

It comes back again.

Jackyl’s new greatest hits album seems more of a retrospective than a comeback, however. Sporting stories of past bar gigs and down-and-dirty rock ‘n’ roll music, the liner notes serve as a memento of just another early ’90s band that faded away.

Instead of whining about getting kicked out of the musical picture, Jackyl cuts right to the chase, dishing out the songs that made the band famous.

One of the signature songs from Jackyl’s self-titled debut, “Lumberjack” (of course), features a chainsaw buzzing over a blues number. It is followed by other songs that received decent radio play, such as “When Will It Rain” and “Down on Me.”

Showing off the favorites isn’t always a sure bet in an age already overwhelmed by every band from the Eagles to Motley Crue making a comeback.

But Jackyl seems more interested with pleasing its fans by including rare tracks like “Locked and Loaded,” featuring Brian Johnson of AC/DC. Successful covers of Grand Funk Railroad and the Beatles are also included in the mix of beer-swilling mayhem.

Jackyl does seem to realize its era is over. “Choice Cuts” is an acceptable offering from the band, directly to the people who have enjoyed its music in the past.

But with nothing cutting-edge put forth on the album, listeners are better off waking up to what’s current.

2 stars out of five

— Ryan Rogness

“Jay-Z Vol. 2 … Hard Knock LIfe”

Jay-Z

Whether you call him Rock-A-Fella, Jigga, Jay-Hovah or the name his mamma gave him, the fact still remains that Shawn Carter, a.ka. Jay-Z, is one of hip-hop’s most ready, willing and able lyricists. And on this album, he proves his skills as an executive producer.

The joint, “Jay-Z Vol. 2 … Hard Knock LIfe,” marks Jay-Z’s second album, and let’s just say the brotha does hit the mark on this one.

While two successful albums in a row isn’t something many artists can boast, especially in hip hop, Rock-A-Fella proves he can do it in the span of less than two years.

“Jay-Z Vol. 2 … Hard Knock LIfe” features two songs that also appear on other albums, “Can I Get A …” from the “‘Rush Hour’ soundtrack,” and “Money Ain’t a Thang” from Jermaine Dupri’s “Life In 1472.” But by no means do these songs make the album. In fact, there are songs which may even be worthy of more notoriety.

The first, “Nigga What, Nigga Who,” has an eerie feel to it.

It is the type of song you play in your car while you’re driving home late at night.

The second, “Paper Chase,” featuring the sultry Foxy Brown, has the ability to become the new Bonnie and Clyde theme for the ’90s. Foxy’s vocals and sensuality mix well with Jay-Z’s masculinity and overpowering poetry.

Minus the songs with DMX and the too old Too Short, this album is nearly flawless.

3 1/2 stars out of five.

— Rhaason Mitchell