About ten years after its decline, third wave ska still seems like an oddity in the history of rock and roll. One principal tenant of the genre was the cover song. It was sometimes a formulaic practice, but it continues to be a way for the ska community (yes, such thing exists and its bonds are stronger now than ever) to take ownership of an outside song. Here are the six best covers by ska bands. Let us know your favorites in the comments (ska-ments?) below. Skank you very much.
6. Save Ferris - "Come On Eileen" Save Ferris was a decent enough female fronted ska band. The group was stuck in a career purgatory, lacking the crossover success of No Doubt and the credibility of Dance Hall Crashers. Its biggest success was its version of "Come On Eileen" by Dexy's Midnight Runners, which received moderate airplay back when bands like Save Ferris could actually receive airplay. Of particular note is the end chorus, where the group follows an accelerating bridge with climactic stops and shifts tempos for maximum drama.
5. Mu330 - "Vacation" The local boys in Mu330 know all about vacations. When the band released its cover of The Go Gos' "Vacation" on a split 7" with Chicago's Blue Meanies in 1997, the group was traveling constantly (between 1988 and 2001, Mu330 had racked up over 1,300 shows). "Vacation" is the perfect fit for the band - slightly punky, happy but not too happy, and the band treats it like a stadium rock anthem.
4. Less Than Jake - "I Think I Love You" Less Than Jake is known for turbocharged, sugar-buzzing pop punk with horns, so it initially seems like a poor fit for a slasher film. The band's contribution to the Scream 2 soundtrack was The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You." Even though LTJ barely changed an ounce of the song's core, its version comes off as sinister.
