BAHMM!

A new band that's hitting the ska scene recently is the band known as Beebs and Her Money Makers. The ska genre today can be described as an upbeat mix of punk rock and reggae that uses all the traditional rock instruments, as well as brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones. What sets BaHMM apart from many of the current popular ska bands is the way that they incorporate funk and blues into their songs. The kazoo tooting Beebs and her super hero band is definitely on the rise in the ska industry.

If you like bands such as No Doubt, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Reel Big Fish then this group is for you. They made their first splash in 2012, the year in which they were first discovered. With the release of their EP "Welcome to Barter Town" they had multiple record companies looking to sign them for a record deal. The most popular songs of the EP are "Handout," "Ms. Captain Kangaroo,"  and "In This Love." The first one is a great example of the band's funk influence. Beebs uses her signature kazoo to give the song an upbeat feel, and the bass lines and low pitch vocals add the funk. The next song, "Ms. Captain Kangaroo," is one of the heaviest, if not the heaviest song the band has released thus far. The song's verses have a very "bluesy" vibe about them using very low bass, vocals, and guitar to do so. Then the song does a complete 180 in the chorus which reverts right back to the upbeat ska sound, and higher vocals. The last song mentioned is my personal favorite. It is extremely upbeat, and sounds very much like the heavily reggae influenced classic ska. It's a song that gives even the shyest people the urge to start dancing. The best part about the track is how Beebs uses slow, low pitch vocals, but the band still manages to keep the song's upbeat sound. You can listen to the entire EP here: https://myspace.com/beebsandhermoneymakers/music/songs

Despite their success, and the countless record companies striving for their signatures, BaHMM decided to remain unsigned and produced their own album. This is an act that any ska band as well as ska fans would deeply appreciate. This past May they put out their first studio album named "No Sleep Tonight." This album's most popular tracks to date are "Jumpin'," and "Master Plan." The first of the two is slower and more blues oriented, as well as involving funk and of course ska. The second is the more upbeat of the two sticking to their trademark ska-funk vibe their fans know and love. The band also recently released a cover of Miley Cyrus's "Wrecking Ball" via YouTube which better than the original in my opinion (and I actually love the original). With their recent and impending success there's no telling where they will end up. They are currently touring with two of the biggest ska bands of all time, Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger. BaHMM are known to be extremely friendly and interactive with their fans. Every show Beebs pulls up a group of fans onto the stage to dance with her and the rest of the band. After most shows they meet and greet with the fans too, and have no problem giving out autographs and hugs, as well as having long talks with fans. I can attest for both these things because I have seen the band perform twice, and they did each both times. BaHMM is also working on a self-titled comic book in which they are super heroes if anyone is interested in comics. For those of you who are interested in the band, there tour dates are here: http://www.beebsandhermoneymakers.com/tour_calendar Thanks for reading, keep on rockin'.

-TR