Trips to the Past, Future, Jamaica and, Yes, Riverside

There’s plenty of ska, skanking and saxophones in this month’s Sound & Vision, where we rate videos on a scale from 0-100. Ska, a jerky and horn-filled Jamaican style derived from calypso and American R&B;, has been revamped by a slew of American bands--including No Doubt, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Voodoo Glow Skulls--that are infiltrating MTV and VH1.

Like punk-rock a few years ago, ska has now resurfaced as a viable, new-yet-old form of pop music. It started when such English bands as the Specials and Madness arrived in the early ‘80s. As Southern California bands picked up the sound, especially in Orange County, they began playing in many of the same clubs that booked hard-core bands such as the Adolescents and Agent Orange. As a result, the two styles began to mesh, and for the past decade West Coast ska was an underground, suburban scene with a rabid cult following. Then No Doubt’s “I’m Just a Girl” broke big, and today the Bosstones play Lollapalooza and horn-driven bands are springing up like weeds across the country.

So here’s to Orange County and Jamaica (and just to complete the Jamaican theme, we’ll include reggae-style videos by Wyclef Jean and Beenie Man with Chevelle Franklyn)--two worlds that have somehow collided, but couldn’t be further apart.

Crystal Method and Filter, “Trip Like I Do.” Directed by Floria of Marilyn Manson fame, the Glendale-based techno duo Crystal Method steals and documents the thoughts of the hard rock band Filter’s singer Richard Patrick through a series of electrodes attached to his body. These scenes are intercut with footage from “Spawn,” whose soundtrack includes the song, enhancing the futuristic, grimy and apocalyptic feel of this video. In a scene using fast/slow effects and overdeveloped colors, the members of Filter chase Crystal Method through alleys, coffee shops, clubs and men’s rooms, past a cast of gruesome and depressing characters. Like Marilyn Manson’s “Beautiful People,” this video is cold and creepy, but also intriguingly warped. 92

Yo La Tengo, “Sugarcube.” This quintessential indie band--complete with an anti-image and zero stage presence--gets sent to rock ‘n’ roll school by record execs who feel the trio isn’t flashy enough to produce a hit record. A teacher with KISS-style makeup instructs the class on how to smash a guitar and rip up a hotel room, and educates the inept Yo La Tengo on the basics of rock: You must read Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” to write real rock lyrics, remember the Foghat rule--the fourth album should be double live. From instructors reciting lyrics off a Rush album like passages from the Bible to discussions of “burning out versus fading away,” this video simply rocks. 90

Wyclef Jean, “We Trying to Stay Alive.” Designed as a loose parody of “Saturday Night Fever,” the video presents a foxy crowd with big afros and wide lapels ripping up a ‘70s-era dance floor, bumping and grinding to the Fugees leader’s song, which runs over a loop of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” A choreographed fight ensues outside the club, where Wyclef and a troupe of dancing bad boys battle it out with more gusto and gravity-defying dance moves than Michael Jackson’s cast in “Bad.” This video is a great mishmash of kitsch references and pop culture cliches, not to mention a cornucopia of awesome dance moves. 84

Beenie Man featuring Chevelle Franklyn, “Dancehall Queen.” Off the soundtrack of the Jamaican film “Dancehall Queen,” this video takes place in a run-down hotel, full of plenty of red velvet wallpaper, tacky furniture and seedy characters. Jamaican singer Franklyn lets her amazing voice rip while bellhop Beenie “toasts” in the hallways and a troupe of women in brightly colored wigs bust lusty dance moves in the next room. The rich yet decaying decadence of this video makes it work. 75

Voodoo Glow Skulls, “Bulletproof.” This Riverside band, which mixes hard-core punk and ska, cruises the wide boulevards of its hometown in a vintage Chevy, and surveys the streets of its declining, working-class neighborhood on small, tricked-out bicycles. Director Jimmy Hole also had performance scenes shot in a tiny, pieced-together rehearsal space, completing the realistic appeal of this low-budget video and capturing the essence of this scrappy, raw band. 72

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, “Rascal King.” Stealing the idea from Spike Jonze’s Weezer video “Buddy Holly,” director Mark Kohr uses computer technology to place this Boston-based ska band inside the scene of the 1952 Frank Sinatra film “Meet Danny Wilson.” Though the images are crisp and blend well together, it still looks like an overpriced but failed attempt to top Jonze’s untoppable concept. 45

Spring Heeled Jack, “Pay Some Dues.” This video makes lame attempts at slapstick comedy, placing this ska band in skits where incompetent bakery workers pull stupid stunts, including smearing dough in each other’s faces. Interspersed with performances in which the band tries far too hard to make an impression with wacky antics and hyper stage presence, this video is a prime example of what a baby band should not do. 32