Over a quarter-century on from its development, third wave ska is often pop punk with horns. Maybe it always was. But that’s no bad thing. The genre produced some sturdy music that has withstood Bill Clinton-era commercial alt-rock radio trendiness. But diehards and younglings continue to impress. Among the former are Milwaukee sextet Something To Do, having been at their monochromatic haberdashery and skanking beats since the early ’00s. And yes, they still skank with some frequency on Design For Living’s 15 snappy tracks. The Somethings blend in a splash of dub reggae, a melodic swipe from The Turtles’ greatest hits and other surprises among their style’s traditional off-beats and the surfeit of rocking punkiness. They deliver with songs serious enough to threaten facial harm to a notorious racist, fun enough to reference “Arrested Development” and tender enough to find affinity with punk’s emo camp. Anyone mistakenly mourning ska’s demise would do well to catch wind of Something To Do’s Design.
