Link 80
““The Struggle Continues…””
(Asian Man Records)
Poor Link 80-they missed fame and popularity (not to mention thousands of cute, adoring, teenage fans, and being on the cover of Teen People) by only the letter B and the numbers 1 and 2. Guess what? Link 80 doesn’t care one whit about TRL or sappy, pop punk or that geek Carson Daly and his stupid phone commercial. “The Struggle Continues…” captures angry, ska-punk in the vein of older Suicide Machines’ recordings. Rather than the full brass section, a la The Voodoo Glow Skulls, Link 80 incorporates only a trumpet and a saxophone in this fourteen-song offering off of Bruce Lee’s label. By focusing on quality hardcore beats instead of extended horn-blowing solos, Link 80 is able to maintain their credibility and authenticity as punk rockers, something that has haunted other ska-core bands (i.e. Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Reel Big Fish) in recent memory. Standout tracks include “Nothing New” with its highly skankable refrain and “My Girl” because the beat sort of reminds me of “Our House” by Madness. Buy this CD and wonder how you survived this long without it. And if Link 80 ends up on the cover of Teen People-boy, will my face be red.
