It’s funny how the music our parents laugh at us for listening to can end up going toward a good cause. Music with a mission has really caught on in the past few years and this summer especially. For my column this week we’re going to glance at two records with a mission. One to raise money for our oceans and the other to make four old guys feel young again.

Mom (or Music For Our Mother Ocean) is the Surfdog/Interscope benefit album to raise cash for the Surfrider Foundation. The 21-song compilation rocks the summer with a modern surf-rock sound truly spoken in Silverchair’s “Surfin’ Bird” remake or Porno For Pyros’ shoreline boogie “Bali Eyes.”

Mom cooks things up from the start with Pearl Jam’s 1964 cover of “Gremmie Out Of Control,” a near sequel to their last benefit album single “Leaving Here.” Vedder and crew have perfected the sound this time around, a scary thought to us fans begging for another Ten.

California punks Pennywise add another great cover with “Surfin’ USA” while The Ramones’ toss their done before version of “California Sun” (it doesn’t start with 1-2-3-4) onto the record.

Soundgarden contributes to Mom with “My Wave,” a favorite from its Lollapalooza set. Beastie Boys embarrass their high status with the pointless “Netty’s Girl,” one of few disappointments on the record.

Newcomers Blink 182 and Common Sense add to a massive roster that includes Primus, No Doubt, Helmet, Jewel, Everclear, Seven Mary Three, The Reverend Horton Heat and Sublime. The genius, though, behind this album is how all of the bands have crafted their sounds to create a summertime feel. Producers Dave Kaplan and Pierce Flynn blend the work with perfection, leaving only one or two niches.

Mom strikes a lot of similarities to the Tibet Festival held earlier this summer in California. All the fun and for a good cause, too.

Kiss’s comeback effort You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best is now available to bring the Kiss reunion tour into your own home (minus the pyrotechnics). You Got The Best mixes Kiss tracks taken from Kiss Alive and Alive II, adding in four never-before-heard live tracks.

“Room Service” kicks off the disc with the familiar “the hottest band in the world — Kiss” introduction. Now it’s hard to rip on a track recorded in Iowa (in Davenport to be exact), but for that to be true it would take a lot more than just four make-up wearing rockers living in the early ’80’s. I understand the “hottest band in the world” label was actually recorded in 1975, but beginning a comeback record with that kind of statement is a bit bold. After all, we all know that Hootie is the hottest band in the world.

Now on with the review. You Got The Best is the perfect live album, only a decade too late. All the classics are there, they just don’t fit in anymore. Even the “Rock And Roll All Nite” anthem doesn’t strike the same energy it did five years ago. Rock music has gone on, and without Kiss.

On a brighter note, late night host Jay Leno contributes to the record (minus the make-up) on “Kiss Tells All,” a 17 minute interview by Leno with Paul “Starchild” Stanley, Gene “Demon” Simmons, Peter “Catman” Criss and “Space” Ace Frehley. The four tell some great stories, making the track the most enjoyable.

Kiss is back, but not on this record. Save yourself the cash and start looking through your vinyl; that’s where Kiss belongs.

Corey Moss is a freshman in journalism from Urbandale, Iowa.