Full Throttle
If the mainstream success of No Doubt and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones has whet your appetite for third-wave ska-and you're an open-minded skanker who welcomes the gonzo mixin' and matchin' of musical genres-you'll agree that Chicago's Blue Meanies are one of the finest bands in the universe. The second full album by these seven over-amped lunatics combines ska, early Replacements-styled punk, free jazz, Captain Beefheart, and klezmer music, with the kitchen sink (or at least a bit of theremin) thrown in for good measure. This is party music for the new millennium, but tunes like "The 4th of July" (about the Oklahoma City bombing) and "The Great Peacemaker" (a diatribe about handguns) will make you think while you're moshing.Jim Derogatis