In 1992, Moon Ska Records captured the perfect portrait of the bubbling Californian ska scene with the California Ska-Quake compilation. Over the next few years, that scene came to a roiling boil, but it wasn't until 1996 that the label decided to take another snapshot of Cali ska, finally releasing California Ska-Quake, Vol. 2. This time around the compilation was overseen by Luis Correa, head of the Californian indie ska label Steady Beat. The artists are well showcased by his sympathetic sequencing, with the tracks smoothly running from trad through 2 Tone and onto ska-pop-punk/skacore. And you can't get much more traditional than ex-King Apparatus Venice Shoreline Chris, one man and his acoustic guitar, playing up a ska storm. Chico & the Hornets deftly shift the set into full jazz band mode, Ocean 11 superbly sweep it into pure ska, but it's los Hooligans who epitomize the perfection of the Cali trad jazz sound. Checkmate, in contrast, have '60s surf down to a finely honed art, while a somewhat out of sequence Mars Villa offer up a sublime take on sweet '60s R&B-flavored ska. Skiptooth, meanwhile, ably deliver up 2 Tone with a real '60s ska feel. Among the out and out skankers, Lone Raspberry is the standout, delivering up bright, breezy, high-energy, and tight 2 Tone-tinged third wave. Melting Pot defy description, as do Pocket Lent, who start off trad, bash through rock, and add funk and jazz to their mix. But there's no mistaking Save Ferris' style and they're upbeat poppy sound. The Hippos add more pop-punk to the mix, Meal Tickets heftier guitars, and G-Spot a sense of delirious fun that just can't beat. Aqua Bats are equally entertaining, and just outright delirious, while the late lamented Janitors Against Apartheid end the comp in anthemic fashion as they swing from frenetic ska to dawdling dub. Ska-Quake was groundbreaking, but as this excellent set illustrates, the aftershocks are still rumbling across the state. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide