Best National Punk/Ska Act

Rancid

Rancid. The Clash. Figured we'd get that out of the way, since critics seem unwilling or unable to discuss the East Bay quartet without making comparisons to their English forebears. Of course, the analogies aren't without merit: both bands had important predecessors (Operation Ivy and the 101'ers). Both bands began their careers by releasing two straightforward punk albums, and both bands hit creative and commercial highs with their third releases, which delved into Jamaican rhythms. Hell, Rancid even covered "Cheat" for a recent Clash tribute album. But with the release of 1998's Life Won't Wait, Rancid made a step toward becoming the band against whom critics will measure all future punk bands.

It's apropos that Rancid won the Punk/Ska category, because Life Won't Wait is packed with both. And we're talking real ska here, not your watered-down, generic punk-ska. But don't worry, there's still plenty of shake-your-fist-in-the-air punk anthems. And their songs' subject matter has expanded beyond the East Bay. Tunes like "Leicester Square" depict harassed punks in England, while "New Dress" concerns the war in Bosnia, and "Warsaw" discusses civil violence in Poland. The boys also turn a watchful eye toward these shores with songs like "Cash, Culture, and Violence," complete with a guest appearance from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' Dicky Barrett.

Everything you've always loved about the band -- Matt Freeman's gliding bass work, Tim Armstrong's slurred vocals, the band's powder-keg energy -- is still present but now augmented by maturity. And they can still rip it up on stage.

Of course, the Punk Credibility Watchdogs frown on Rancid's success and experimentation, and write them off as mere Clash wannabes. Hey, if they want to miss out on this generation's most exciting punk band, so be it. Let's not forget the most important similarity between Rancid and the Clash: both bands absolutely rock.

-- Joe Gagne