the sound: Formed in 1985 in Boston, the Bosstones heavily reflect the influence of earlier 2-tone ska bands, such as The Specials, Madness and Bad Manners. Comprised of all the usual band elements, plus horns, the Bosstones turn out songs that large, tattooed men are unashamed to dance around to. On its own, a Bosstones album is lots of fun, but you can’t beat a live performance. Singer Dicky Barrett has a voice like a rock tumbler, and he knows how to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Boston fans are the most voracious in the country. They love their city, and they love to hear it mentioned over and over again. Simple, fierce drumbeats accompany thick bass lines while Barrett snarls poetic. On “Hope I Never Lose My Wallet,” he ruminates on the idea of age. “Never lose my hair, I would hate to go without / never lose direction and wander all about / never lose my courage, never lose my hope / never lose my girl, it would make it hard to cope/ HOPE-I-NE-VER-LOSE-MY-WAL-LET!” The Bosstones may never be accused of having deep lyrics, but every horn-laden minute pleases the crowd, and there’s nothing like a horn section to help drive your point home.

the background: “It’s that time of year again!” howls Barrett as the album opens. Recorded live at the Middle East in Cambridge, The Hometown Throwdown is an annual multi-night event the Bosstones stage at the end of December. Lesser known punk and ska acts open for the band each evening, followed by the Bosstones ripping through a 20-song set. Barrett addresses the crowd between songs (“Hey, guy, get your feet on the floor, you’ve done enough damage”) and gives away gifts to hardcore tweed-outfitted fans. The Bosstones give the impression that they’ll never tire of playing the same songs over and over again until the end of time. Certainly, Barrett’s voice can’t get any more coarse from wear. While the tunes really are catchy and well-orchestrated, on the whole, the Bosstones are all about having fun. This is a band, after all, that has a band member, Ben, who just stands onstage the whole time and dances—skas his little butt around stage the whole night.

the significance: If you can’t attend a Throwdown, listening to one on compact disc is a fantastic substitute. You can practically hear foamy beer sloshing around in plastic cups as the crowd sings along to such Bosstones classics as “Devil’s Night Out” and “Cowboy Coffee.” Although the Hometown Throwdown takes place around Christmas (and the stage is decorated with a tree, lights and a giant Santa), “Live from the Middle East” is often passed over as a holiday album. Sure, there are no actual holiday songs on it, but there’s nothing like chugging back some rum-filled eggnog and listening to “Devil’s Night Out” to make you want to put Grandma in a headlock to thank her for the sweater. In December 2007, the Bosstones revived the Throwdown after a four-year hiatus and sold out all four nights almost immediately.