Record Label: Soup Bowl Records
Genre: Ska Punk
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

Chicken Poodle Soup follow rules 4 & 5 of www.readjunk.com/article.php?rv=119 ska name suckage: A three-word name with Soup being one of the words. It’s sad to see a band make such a fatal mistake. Mock Turtle Soup, anyone?

Especially a decent band like this one. Yes, a band called Chicken Poodle Soup does not suck. This is not your typical post-1997 ska-punk band that is really a shitty punk band with bad horns and tuneless snotty vocals. These guys are straight-up mid-90s third wave from the dorky vocals to horn-carrying melodies to the all-around feel-good dancey vibe.

I love ska-punk bands that know how the pieces work. The horns shouldn’t just add garnish to a shitty punk song – they should be at the forefront, providing the catchiness and direction. Guitars should be upbeat with only lapses into punky distortion. Drums shouldn’t overdo it; they should be poppy with a hint of island flavor. Chicken Poodle Soup got it all down, with a polish.

They remind me of Mustard Plug and pre-Question the Answers Bosstones (check out the Bad With Plaid-like disco funk of “Don’t Tip The Flowers”). The vocals are the only weak point, but slightly nasal/off-key vox are a staple of third wave, so the nostalgia is complete.

Good third wave ska is a rarity these days. Since the ska boom and bust, new bands are either punk-with-horns or boring trad. It’s great to hear a band that isn’t ashamed to revisit the dorky fun of mid-90s upbeat ska.

Bottom Line: A rare throwback to bouncy, poppy third-wave ska.
Notable Tracks: Occupational Hazard, Learn To Run
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