The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

  • Boston, MA
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  • Rock
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  • 1983
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About The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Official Site: http://bosstones.com


A great deal of the groundwork for the mid- to late-'90s explosion of ska and ska-metal was laid by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who were one of the first bands to cross high-energy ska with hardcore punk and heavy metal and who also helped shift its tone toward testosterone-filled party music. The Bosstones built up a devoted cult following throughout their career, but their level of commercial success never quite matched that of more pop-oriented third wave ska bands, like No Doubt and Sublime, who followed in their wake; however, the band did achieve a long-overdue breakthrough in 1997 with the modern rock radio smash "The Impression That I Get."

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones formed in 1985 in Boston, featuring Tim Bridewell, Dicky Barrett (vocals), Nate Albert (guitar), Joe Gittleman (bass), Josh Dalsimer (drums), and Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton (saxophone), plus dancer Ben Carr. While all the members shared a love of ska, their tastes also ran elsewhere; Barrett, in particular, was involved in the local straight-edge hardcore scene and played with a band called Impact Unit. Originally calling themselves simply the Bosstones, the group appended "Mighty Mighty" to their name after discovering a Boston-area a cappella group with an identical moniker. The group appeared on a ska compilation, but then disbanded temporarily to allow Albert to finish high school. In 1989, the Bosstones re-formed and recorded their debut album, Devils Night Out, which was released in 1990 on Taang! Records. The follow-up, 1992's More Noise and Other Disturbances, saw several personnel shifts; Bridewell and Dalsimer departed, the latter to attend college, and the two were replaced by drummer Joe Sirois, saxophonist Kevin Lenear, and trombonist Dennis Brockenborough, a lineup that lasted through much of the band's career. 1992 also saw the release of the Where'd You Go EP, which contained several hard rock covers.

In 1993, the Bosstones signed a major-label deal with Mercury and released Don't Know How to Party; in spite of their fondness for plaid, a holdover from their early pajama-clad gigs, the group also landed a television commercial for a jean company. 1994 saw the band paying homage to their hardcore roots with a mini-album of mostly covers, Ska-Core, the Devil and More, as well as the full-length Question the Answers, one of their finest efforts. A year later, the Bosstones appeared in the film Clueless, performing "Where'd You Go" and "Someday I Suppose," two of their most popular numbers; they also landed a main-stage slot on that summer's Lollapalooza tour.

Even if their music often strays far afield from classic 2 Tone ska revival (especially their earlier material), the Bosstones, unlike many of their contemporaries, have retained some of that movement's political consciousness. In 1996, the band helped organize the Safe and Sound benefit album in response to Boston-area family planning clinic slayings, and also perform frequently at benefit shows for battered women's groups; most of their concerts also feature information booths from the Anti-Racist Action Group. In 1997, the breakthrough of ska-pop bands like No Doubt and Sublime paved the way for the accessible, 2 Tone-inspired Let's Face It to become the band's biggest-selling album yet; it was eventually certified platinum, buoyed by the success of the anthemic "The Impression That I Get," which fell just short of topping the modern rock charts that summer. Live from the Middle East followed in 1998 as a stopgap release, and the band experienced its first personnel shifts in some time: saxophonist Lenear was the first to leave, replaced by Roman "The Showman" Fleysher, and guitarist Albert departed again, partly to care for an ailing family member and partly to finish his education at Brown University (Kevin Stevenson of the Shods had already served as his temporary touring substitute in 1997). Albert's replacement, Lawrence Katz, signed on after the band completed the follow-up to Let's Face It; titled Pay Attention, the record was released in the spring of 2000 and produced another modern rock radio hit in "So Sad to Say." A Jackknife to a Swan appeared two years later, as did a split with Madcap.

In 2003, with individual members already involved in other projects and essentially having toured nonstop since 1991, the band announced it was going on indefinite hiatus. During this time, Barrett was featured as the announcer on ABC's late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live. The band returned in 2007 by performing several live shows and recording three new songs for inclusion on the compilation Medium Rare. The new material marked the end of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' hiatus, and in 2008 the band released its eighth studio album, Pin Points and Gin Joints. In 2011 the band released the studio album The Magic of Youth, featuring the single "Like a Shotgun." ~ Steve Huey, Rovi

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Music

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  • The Impression That I Get
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    The Impression That I Get
  • Simmer Down
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    Simmer Down
  • Detroit Rock City
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    Detroit Rock City
  • So Sad To Say
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    So Sad To Say
  • Don't Know How To Party
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    Don't Know How To Party
  • Kinder Words
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    Kinder Words
  • Hell Of A Hat
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    Hell Of A Hat
  • The Rascal King
    the-mighty-mighty-bosstones
    Video
    The Rascal King
  • 3967
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    • The Impression That I Get
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/1/3/0/5/8/920885031.mp3
    • The Rascal King
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/1/8/8/4/8/920884881.mp3
    • Someday I Suppose
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/5/1/2/2/8/165582215.mp3
    • Another Drinkin' Song
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g2/5/4/0/5/8/920885045.mp3
    • Where'd You Go?
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/4/7/2/4/8/209484274.mp3
    • The Impression That I Get (Album Version (Edited))
      http://listen.vo.llnwd.net/g1/8/5/2/2/1/105112258.mp3

Photos

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    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
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News

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  • The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Kick-Ass Chick Of The Week: 18-Year-Old Eesha Khare Invents A 30-Second Phone-Charging Device
    Remote Control
    May 24, 2013
    Among the mighty feats that MTV's  " Girl Code " accomplishes is empowering its viewers to laugh off their insecurities and embrace their inner supers...
    Read More
  • The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    New Song: Kat Dahlia, 'Fireman'
    MTV Buzzworthy
    May 21, 2013
    Kat Dahlia likes her "Fireman" BLAZING HOT. If we've learned anything about 22-year-old Miami native  Kat Dahlia , it's that she simply WILL NOT to...
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  • The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    10 Reasons Homeboy Sandman Is Awesome
    MTV Hive
    May 21, 2013
    Last week, Queens-bred rapper  Homeboy Sandman  released his latest EP  Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent . As with anything Boy Sand related, the lyrical...
    Read More

Tour Dates

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  • Jun 14 Friday
    Montebello, QC, Canada Montebello Marina
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  • Sep 14 Saturday
    Baltimore, MD, US Carroll Park
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Discography

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  • The Magic of Youth (2011)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    The Magic of Youth (2011)
    Big Rig Records
  • Pin Points and Gin Joints (2009)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Pin Points and Gin Joints (2009)
  • A Jackknife to a Swan (2002)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    A Jackknife to a Swan (2002)
    Side One Dummy
  • Pay Attention (2000)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Pay Attention (2000)
    Mercury
  • Live From the Middle East (1998)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Live From the Middle East (1998)
    Mercury
  • Let's Face It (1997)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Let's Face It (1997)
    Mercury
  • Question the Answers (1994)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Question the Answers (1994)
    Mercury
  • Don't Know How to Party (1993)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Don't Know How to Party (1993)
    Mercury
  • More Noise and Other Disturbances (1992)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    More Noise and Other Disturbances (1992)
    Taang! Records
  • Devils Night Out (1990)
    The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
    Devils Night Out (1990)
    Taang! Records
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