Can I be honest with you?
I mean can I get a little real and personal? Maybe this is your first time here, reading about some of the awesome things we've forgotten about as a group. Probably not. I'm guessing that by this point you're familiar with what the general tone is and the kind of things I write about. So in the interest of honesty and promoting the very theme of this site, I'm going to admit a deep, dark truth. I really enjoy The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Why this feels like a guilty admission is beyond me, frankly. I remember getting a first glimpse at the band as they cameo-ed in Clueless, being distinctly du jour in their famous plaid suits. They seemed fun and...I dunno...different than other bands. I hadn't really heard of ska in 1994. I was sheltered.
When they made their biggest album to date, 1997's Let's Face It, the world (for a time) embraced the Bosstones and their ska-punk sound. Propelling the album to larger and larger audiences was the massively popular single 'The Impression That I Get', a catchy major-key number about being grateful for your good fortune. Unfortunately the sounds of ska (and its more punchy cousin ska punk) were deemed very niche and too 90s, too unabashedly enthusiastic and optimistic to possess pop cultural longevity. Not long after the band popped, I began to sense people rolling their eyes at the energy and sincerity in the music. They really shouldn't have.
For me, The Bosstones will always be a harbinger of summer. I remember how hot it was when I picked up their album and how brightly the sun was shining. I had gone to Borders (miss you, bookstore!) with my mom. I think it was someones birthday. I picked up a couple books and this album. Walking out of the store to her Aurora (strange car, right?) the day was bright and clear. I had been a miserable teenager - bright, clear skies like on that day were a rare thing that could break my demeanor. That same weather, coupled with the vibrant, energetic goodness of 'The Impression That I Get', broke through my teenage malaise in a major way. It was as though the world was shown in a different light, my moody mind realizing "Hey, the world can be a sunny, happy place sometimes" even when I felt miserable. It was a great album for the summer, the peppy numbers good for goofing around, the slower numbers good for relaxing and vegging on the couch.
A lot of time has passed since then. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have released a number of albums since then, having broken up and reconvened in that time. They grind away for a devoted audience. There are some songs of theirs that are really fantastic, even if they haven't gotten major airplay on the radio or whatever mass medium we would judge by, these days. At some point in those years, I got the impression that it was kind of (okay a lot of) un-hip to really dig this band. Why? Says who? Hipsters? Forget 'em. Embrace sincerity. Sing along and sing loud. Tomorrow's the weekend. I'll see you there.
