Punk O Rama: 8

The double-CD PUNK-O-RAMA 8 continues in the vein of its predecessors with a batch of songs recorded by a wide variety of punk artists culled from the Epitaph Records stable. Timed to precede the 2003 Vans Warped Tour, this compilation casts a wide net in featuring old-school punks from California (Pennywise, Rancid), New Jersey (The Bouncing Souls), and Boston (Dropkick Murphys). Not surprisingly, this eighth installment in the series also includes stalwart outfits from the label's early years, such as Bad Religion, NOFX, and Pennywise, as well as younger critical faves like Swedish garage rockers the (International) Noise Conspiracy and Division of Laura Lee. The tempo slows down on the Black Keys' sludgy, fuzzed-out blues rocker "Thickfreakness" and the crackling hip-hop of Atmosphere's "Bird Sings Why the Caged I Knows." With 32 songs for less than the cost of a movie ticket, PUNK-O-RAMA continues to showcase the biggest and best talent offered up by Epitaph for the discerning punk fan.