B Is for B-Sides

Rooted in the smart-alecky pop-punk vein of Blink-182 and Good Charlotte, Less Than Jake achieved remarkable success with 2003's ANTHEM, earning them an invite onto the Projekt Revolution Tour, and a brief Warped Tour appearance. As a treat for the fans who'd be turning out en masse across the country during these summer outings, LTJ scooped up a dozen obscure European B-sides and previously unreleased cuts to release in the form of B IS FOR B-SIDES. These tracks are just as delightfully hook-filled and engaging as any of the band's better-known far. There's the double-time "Jay Frenzal," and the equally frenetic existential rant "Showbiz? Science? Who Cares?" There's even a wee bit of social commentary amid the self-loathing on "Sobriety Is a Serious Business and Business Isn't So Good," not to mention the American Dream-skewering "National Anthem." Luckily, horn players Buddy and JR use enough punch in their playing to add a bit of ska-like levity to proceedings.