Bim Skala Bim

When people think of Boston music, it’s usually the J. Geils Band, The Cars, or Aerosmith that spring to mind. What many people aren’t aware of is that Boston is home to the most prolific ska scene in the nation today. Sure, California has a great scene, but the state is huge! New York City has a big scene, but Boston still has a much higher ska-per-capita ratio. We can boast several nationally known ska bands that have helped put Boston Ska on the map. Our biggest ska export: the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who just released their sixth full-length CD, Let’s Face It. People who don’t know what ska is (see sidebar), or for that matter, don’t consider the Bosstones ska, now hear the word ska thrown around thanks to their hit song “The Impressions That I Get” getting splashed all over radio and MTV. For those with an interest in or some knowledge of ska, you know that Boston is home to Bim Skala Bim, The Allstonians, Skavoovie & The Epitones and Thumper. These bands have had an enormous impact in the ska community that reaches far beyond route 128. Each band sports at least one full-length CD (Bim has seven) and has scored no fewer than eight appearances on national ska compilations.

For best results, experience ska live! The most challenging part of recording ska is capturing the energy, excitement, fun, and karma that can only be experienced at a live show. Luckily for all the fans, Skavoovie spent four months last year on the road and this year they expect to spend six months touring the States. Bim has been to Europe three times, and Thumper just recently returned from a three-week tour of the Eastern US with another planned for June. As many will tell you, the live show is what makes a good ska band great. So let’s take a look at several Boston bands, their backgrounds and immediate future in Boston Ska.

For many people in Boston, Bim Skala Bim defines ska and has been doing so since 1983, although they started using the Bim moniker in 1985. Now with six studio and a live album under their belts, they still play about 150-200 shows a year and keep the crowd skanking. Bim’s music covers many musical genres: reggae, ska, calypso, world beat, rock, pop and punk. They are equally at ease doing “Simple Song,” a slow instrumental, as they are playing “Johnny O’Reilly,” a hyper-fast, heavy-sounding punk(ish) song. This year and this album bring changes in the Bim camp with the departures of longtime trombonist Vinny Nobile and percussionist Rick Barry (both with the band for 10+ years). While the arduous task of filling the big shoes left by Vinny has been achieved with the lively chops of Mark Paquin, the band has skanked on sans deep percussion and now presents a less world-beat oriented and more gritty guitar sound. The new album, Universal, demonstrates their stalwart depth and professionalism. From the poppy opener, “Pete Needs a Friend” (possibly about masturbation), to the reggae-flavored “Rings of Saturn,” Bim eases through the styles, giving the listener a case of happy feet.

Want to learn more about Boston ska? Visit www.bostonska.com and sign up for the Boston Ska Emailing list (or send an email to sub@bostonska.com). The emailing list is sent out weekly with the latest information about what Boston’s ska bands are doing, as well as what shows will be heading toward Boston.