SAY SOMETHING, SING SOMETHING
The Bosstones speak out mightily on new release
Dicky Barrett has a formula for deciding what music he digs. “Whether it's ska or punk or rock 'n' roll, it has to sound good and say something,” the Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman said ahead of the band's Cranking & Skanking Fest tomorrow in Worcester. The formula might seem simple, but it works, from Janelle Monae to Bruce Springsteen to the second-wave ska bands Barrett grew up seeing at Boston clubs in the '80s. The sound good/say something approach has also guided
Barrett when putting together Bosstones records.
The band's new album,
“While We're
At It,” feels at times like a sequel to their mega-hit “Let's Face It,” and, in other moments, a strange, wonderful sonic experiment. “After the Music Is Over” goes from a big band jam to a military march to a classic two-tone ska romp over five minutes. It also says a lot. In our current political climate, Barrett rages at ignorance and intolerance.
“Do I have the answers? No, I wish I did,” he said. “But
I can recognize problems and, because I have a forum,
I am going to point them out.”
A handful of songs address the Trump administration and the culture of chaos — the almost rocksteady “Unified,” the old-school Jamaican-style boogie “Divide.” But the hardest punch tells the story of bassist Joe Gittleman's grandparents. A classic ska punk powerhouse, “Hugo's Wife” chronicles the couple's struggles when conservative powers blacklisted them from working in Hollywood during the communist witch hunts of the '50s. “This is a story that came from the `Leave It to Beaver' era, when people thought things were perfect but actually people in power didn't give a (expletive) about other people's rights or beliefs,” Barrett said. “A story like that goes hand-in-hand with what's happening now.”
But “While We're at It” isn't a rant. The political moments mix with songs celebrating the legacy of ska. To reassure old fans, the Bosstones begin the album with “Green Bay, Wisconsin,” which lyrically (and sonically) references ska kings the Pietasters, Skatalites and Madness. Just in case anyone questioned the Bosstones' allegiance to the genre, their Cranking & Skanking Fest proves their absolute devotion. The first festival features Jamaican icons Toots & the Maytals, '80s ska/punk/funk pioneers Fishbone, such locals as Big D & the Kids Table and more.
“Just like we come back every winter for the annual Hometown Throwdown, we want to come back every summer, and this seems a great way to do that,” Barrett said. “This isn't designed to be another Lollapalooza or Coachella. This is a working-class tribute to ska punk featuring like-minded friends and heroes of ours.”
It's a fest that sounds good and says something — mostly that the Bosstones still love their home state. The Cranking & Skanking Fest, with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Toots & The Maytals, The Bouncing Souls, Fishbone, The Planet Smashers and more, outdoors at the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester, tomorrow. Tickets: $38.20-$55.00; thepalladium.net. — jet.gottlieb@bostonherald.com