Flat Stanley (Self-released, CD) Vergennes sextet Flat Stanley have been rocking the area for a couple years with infectious, high-octane ska-punk. With a pair of guitarist/vocalists, a trio of horns and a fittingly energetic drummer, the band has an invigorating take on an old genre that just won't die. And its members are barely out of high school. Winners of the 2003 Buzz Homebrew High School Band Search , these kids clearly don't let their tender age hold them back. On their seven-track disc, they blast through tunes that rock with angry-young-man passion and bounce with a hip-shaking skank. As is often the case with rebel rock - think Sex Pistols or Sum 41 - geography plays a key role for the band. "Vergennes Dump City," as Flat Stanley lovingly refer to their hometown, no doubt fuels their angst. But the band doesn't focus entirely on whining about how shit their town is; Flat Stanley commit most of their lyrics to the equally inspiring topic of teenage Love. 'Far Away" kicks things off with a distorted guitar crash and rapid-fire riffing. The horns kick and the track mutates into raging, high-speed ska. The tune lays the framework for the rest of this 20-minute album. "Gently" slows things down a bit with a slinky groove - the tender love song is more Specials than Bosstones. "Sick' rides a loping Caribbean beat and passionate sing-along chorus. "Find the Time" is a highlight. The opening harmonies and spastic jangle can get any listener hopping around the room. "Carnie" sports a dizzying bass lick; Summer Nights" incorporates blaring organs; and "Quite in the Corner" closes with one of the disc's head-spinningest melodies. Flat Stanley blend angst and romanticism in enjoyable tunes that bubble with devil-may-care enthusiasm, the kind that can only be found in a batch of bored suburbanites. Score one for Dump City. ETHAN COVEY FLAT STANLEY, FLAT STANLEY