Crab Rangoon is the third studio album by American ska rock

Ska punk

Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...

 band MU330

MU330

MU330 are a ska punk band from St. Louis, Missouri.Formed by students of St. Louis University High School in 1988, MU330 played a self-described brand of music called "Psycho Ska", high energy ska punk marked by manic performances and humorous, often strange lyricism...

, released on Asian Man Records

Asian Man Records

Asian Man Records is a small, DIY record label run by Mike Park in Monte Sereno, California. Park started a record label and began releasing music in 1989 under the name Dill Records, with the Asian Man label established May 1996.-Artists:...

 in 1997.

Crab Rangoon marked a major turning point in MU330's sound, moving from the manic punk rock-infused third wave ska of their previous albums and into a more mellow indie rock

Indie rock

Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...

 influenced direction, a combination that Asian Man Records marketed as "Weezer

Weezer

Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...

 meets The Specials

The Specials

The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...

" and a sound that the band would continue to develop on subsequent albums.

This was the first MU330 album to feature former Skankin' Pickle

Skankin' Pickle

Skankin' Pickle was an American ska punk band formed in San Jose, California that was active from 1989 to 1996.-Biography:Skankin' Pickle first formed in December 1988, made up of students from Westmont High School and Los Gatos High School. The band played their first show on April 28, 1989,...

 trombonist Gerry Lundquist, cementing a five-piece line-up which would become the longest lasting of the band's career.

Music videos were made for the songs "Tune Me Out" and "Father Friendly".

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Dan Potthast except where noted otherwise.

1. "Tune Me Out" - 2:34
2. "Ireland" (Potthast/Moll) - 3:07
3. "Funny Papers" (Potthast/Moll) - 1:47
4. "Neighbors" - 2:42
5. "Father Friendly" - 3:11
6. "Understand" - 2:46
7. "Fragile" - 2:21
8. "Jason" - 2:08
9. "X-mas Card" - 2:00
10. "Around You" - 3:04
11. "Good Homes" - 2:32
12. "The Struggle of Helen" - 1:49
13. "Organic Gun" - 1:04
14. "Now"* - 13:12

• Following several minutes of silence after "Now" is a hidden track identified in the liner notes as "Things That Don't Hurt" (Moll).

Personnel

• Dan Potthast - vocals, guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , tenor and alto saxophone
  Saxophone
  The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
  
  s
• Ted Moll - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  , vocals
• Chris Diebold - bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , vocals
• Rob Bell - trombone
  Trombone
  The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
  
  
• Gerry Lundquist - trombone
  Trombone
  The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...