The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

With a voice like a bulldog with throat cancer, Dicky Barrett and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones keep the roof raised with their tight blend of Boston-based Punk and Ska a la the Specials. Formed in 1985 and making their first recorded debut in 1989, the Bosstones (as they are informally called) were on the Third Wave Ska scene way early. They helped to shape the now wildly popular genre, Ska-Punk. Though they tone down once in a while to take on a more traditional, more subdued Ska style, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones mostly live up to (and beyond) their name and crunch through some serious Hardcore. Even when they're pushing up the pulse of their sound, the Bosstones never sacrifice the horn-rich Ska aspect of the band. Instead, the horn and the up-down guitar sound picks up both the pace and feet -- and sets the kids dancing.