Dance Hall Crashers
"Lockjaw" CD (510/MCA)
Goofy smiles, fun pop mixed with ska and punk. Oh sure, it doesn't sound especially innovative anymore, at this stage of the game, it's not innovation but rather skillful assimilation and construction that counts. The Crashers pull this off with ease, fusing pop song structure, ska rhythms and punk guitars with vocal harmonies provided by Karina Denike and Elyse Rogers. The result is quite tasty and enough to inspire a quick skanking break in the middle of laying this thing out. Oh, by the way, "Sticky" rules and because of it, I have a new appreciation for Bit-O-Honey.