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Bim Skala Bim

Big beat

Another year, another victory for Bim Skala Bim, who are not only the reigning kings of local ska, but one of the few bands that can regularly command a packed house after a decade together. Last year at this time, local ska looked like a thriving trend; now it's more of an institution -- pick any weekend night and at least one club will be featuring three or four ska outfits. Bim have done their best to nurture this scene -- the Mighty Mighty Bosstones are among the many bands who first appeared on the Bim-sponsored Mash It Up! compilations -- but they've never been strictly a ska band either. They've done funk, they've done reggae, they've done goofy covers (but outgrew them), and their last album, Eyes & Ears (BiB), was built more on songwriting than on rhythm. But there's no lack of the big beat in their live shows, which remain some of the sweatiest in town.

-- Brett Milano

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