What can I say. This album could make a person smile for hours. The Chinkees a California ska band whos 1999 album "Peace Through Music" covers many racial issues in the world today. Front man Mike Park who owns Asian Man records also sings about his last months with his father and people who have died because of hate crimes and he even wrote a song that a Japanese exchange student sent to him. The song is clevery titled "Japanese Exchange Student."

This CD sounds very much like the other popular ska bands like Reel Big Fish, and Potshot, but where the Chinkees Stand out is with their lyrics. Instead of being a ska band that has the normal fun poppy ska lyrics, the Chinkees have lyrics you wouldn't expect from a ska band. The songs that stand out in this CD are Big World, Breathe Out the Fight, and Japanese Exchange Student. The first song "Signature" is a different kind of song. For a lot of the song a man speaks about the Asian Race and how they are all labled as the "same" even if they are Korean or Chinese or Japenese etc. The rest of the song is non lyrical but has a simple catchin beat to it. Signature was writen by The Chinkees drummer (Richard Morin) for his dad.

Another reason why the band rocks is whatever the Chinkees make 10% goes to anti-racial organazations. To end with I would like to clear up the name the Chinkees. On the back of the CD Mike explains the name. "The Chinkees Name is not meant to be a racial slur, but just the opposite! It's meant to be a direct look as racism and the reallity of its presence."

This album is a must.