Less Than Jake

"Sugar in Your Gas Tank" by Less Than Jake from Losing Streak (1996)

Like most ska bands, Less Than Jake pride themselves on making fun, unpretentious music. That's why I've always loved them. One of my first experiences with ska, and punk rock for that matter, came in the form of Playstation game, Street Sk8er (the '8' is rebellious spelling, get it?): LTJ's "Sugar in Your Gas Tank," as well some H2O, All, Straight Faced, and Gas Huffer, made up the soundtrack of this mostly forgettable (were it not for the music) pre-Tony Hawk skateboarding video game. After getting into LTJ, all I wanted to do was skank around a circle pit and re-learn how to play the trumpet, now that Mrs. Ramsey-Hall has no part in my musical endeavors.

At the heart of it, this is fun, shallow music to juxtapose a lot of the angry political punk that many of the same fans were likely listening to. I, for one, welcomed it with open arms and flailing legs.