Viva la Bands [CD+DVD] (CD) by Various Artists

Pro skater Bam Margera first rose to prominence as part of the crew of MTV's hit show Jackass. Now, his spin-off show, Viva La Bam, has put Margera front and center. This skateboarder-turned-wild stuntman is featured in multiple Tony Hawk skateboard video games, and now, with Viva La Bands, Margera serves up nearly two dozen of his favorite tracks from up and coming artists.

The opening track is an obvious choice. "The King of Rock and Roll," by Daniel Lioneye, also is the theme song to Viva La Bam. The song is the perfect opener to a high-energy disc, and it sets the tone with a promise of a show that is everything a fan could hope for. Lioneye is the guitar player for Margera's favorite band, HIM, which also appears on the disc with the song "Soul on Fire."

Margera's compilation lives up to Lioneye's promise of an excellent show. The album has the kind of energy that fans would expect, and it gives exposure to a number of otherwise obscure musical acts. Finland's The 69 Eyes weighs in with the haunting "Lost Boys," which is a song about vampires living under the cloak of darkness and thriving only when the night begins. It is a captivating song, and the bonus DVD includes a video of the song directed by Margera himself.

At the other end of the spectrum from a song about the walking undead is Turbonegro's "All My Friends Are Dead." This infectious punk number from the Norwegian band explains -- more cheerily than eerily -- that his friends have succumbed to the horrors of war. It's actually much more fun than it sounds, and this death-punk anthem definitely makes Turbonegro a band to watch (and listen) for.

Margera's older brother, Jess, is represented on the disc with his band, CKY. The band's moniker stands for Camp Kill Yourself, and this track, "Familiar Realm," is a riff-laden number from the band's new album.

"Sleeping My Day Away" is one of the album's most notable tracks, delivered by the Danish act D-A-D. It begins with a kind of punked-up spaghetti western groove that gives way to a harder-edged lament about being a night person in a daytime world. Rather than facing sunlight, he simply closes his eyes and waits for the night to arrive.

To close out the disc, Margera chose the appropriate "Good Morning Headache," which chronicles the morning-after consequences of playing too hard. The band, Smack, which was an influential '80s Finnish band, knows of which it sings, having lost its lead singer to the drug whose name it bears.

This compilation includes songs you'd be hard-pressed to hear elsewhere, and it makes some introductions to great new or otherwise lesser-known acts. With bands like Kill Hannah, Clutch, and Helltrain, there's something for just about everyone who likes their music on the edge.

The bonus DVD offers good viewing for fans, with everything from music videos directed by Margera to outtakes and even a "lost episode" of the show. For Bam fans, this is a must-have; for the rest of the world, it's just good listening.

By Paula Felps