The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
An American Ska band active since 1983 and one of the main groups involved in the ska punk genre, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones are recognised mainly for their fusion of ska and Hardcore Punk and the distinctive growling vocals of frontman Dicky Barrett. They became prominent in The Nineties during the height of the Third Wave ska revival and had a very successful hit with "The Impression That I Get", which topped the modern rock charts in 1997, and the platinum album Let's Face It. After going on hiatus for several years in The Noughties, they reformed in 2009 to release a new record, Pin Points and Gin Joints.
The group's line-up - particularly in the horn section - has fluctuated over the years, but the most recognisable and longest lasting members are probably Dicky Barrett (vocals), Joseph "The Bass Fiddleman" Gittleman (bass guitar), Joe Sirois (drums) and Ben Carr (manager, dancer and "Boss Tone"). Other current members include Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton (saxophone), Kevin Lenear (saxophone), Chris Rhodes (trombone) and Lawrence Katz (guitar).
- Anti-Christmas Song: Not quite fully "anti-", but "Xmas Time" is about being alone in Boston during the holiday season, with little money and no real place to go.
- Cameo: Jimmy Kimmel ocasionally sings/plays with them live. Usually he gets to sing the Impression That I Get (also incorrectly known as "Knock on Wood") or play the oboe with them.
- Drowning My Sorrows: "Another Drinkin' Song".
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"Gonna dive into a dive I've dove into before" |
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- Guttural Growler: Dicky Barrett's best known vocal style, although he does sing with cleaner vocals as well.
- Face of the Band: Dicky Barrett and maybe Ben Carr, the band's manager and "Bosstone", who dances on stage during concerts.
- Hey, It's That Voice!: Dicky Barrett is the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Lyrical Dissonance: Like most ska bands, they're quite good at it.
- Older Than They Think: They had most of their success during the nineties, so it can be a surprise to learn that they started up in the mid-eighties when the band members were in school.
- Trope Codifier: The Ska-Core, the Devil and More EP is probably the codifier for for the sound of ska-core.