Top 10 Records of 2014

Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello- live at the Norva.

1. Gogol Bordello- Pura Vida Conspiracy: Gogol Bordello definitely puts on one hell of a show. After recently seeing them just this past July deliver a top-notch performance at the Norva in support of their latest album, "Pura Vida Conspiracy" it brought to my attention that with this album, the spirit of their live show was captured quite accurately.

The groups sixth album features both the expected and the unexpected. With songs like opener, "We Rise Again", "My Gypsy Auto Pilot", & "John the Conqueror (Truth Is Always the Same)"  they gave their audience what we know and love; perhaps more importantly they threw some curveballs our way too with songs like the catchy tempo-game-changer,"Dig Deep Enough" with its shimmering mandolins-- also sporting possibly one of the biggest choruses (of oh so many!) on the entire album-- as well as, "We Shall Sail" and it's hidden-track to follow the folk-fastcore infused, "Jealous Sister".

Pura Vida Conspiracy.

There are more crowd sing-alongs on the majority on this album than not; possibly more than any previous album at all-- with songs like, "Malandrino" (boasting those lovely horns), "Is It the Way You Name Your Ship", and "The Other Side Of Rainbow", and of course complete with it's soaring quality, gorgeous hand-percussion and instant-accessibility, "Lost Innocent World". Gogol Bordello delivers knock-out performances with each show, and with each album release they grow more and more--- and its both their relentless energetic shows and ability to evolve on each album that make us so eager for whatever it is they are doing next.

2. Night Birds- Born To Die In Suburbia: I reviewed this a while back after purchasing it for the mighty-turntable and listening to it obsessively. Quite simply an infectiously high-energy punk rock record with a sense of fun and memorability that most bands that try to tear it up this hard are severely lacking in. Worth every penny.

3. New Pornographers- Brill Bruisers: Perhaps a return to form for them, nevertheless this album is both everything you have come to expect and love from the New Pornographers. Somehow this many albums on (this is also album number six for them--- I guess it's a lucky number, go place your bets!) and they still managed to churn out this chest of indie-powerpop gems.

Brill Bruisers.

The album has an incredible range of seemingly ever-present hooks: the rise and fall effect in the title track, that brilliant sense of here-it-comes with, "War on the East Coast", and the shiny vocal harmonies of, "Another Drug Deal of the Heart".  As usual Neko Case has her wonderful lead vocal moments combined with the keyboard-driven stuttering of, "Champions of Red Wine" and again to a similar effect on, "Marching Orders".

Eastern Moon Rising.

Perhaps most notably, Dan Bejar might've  stolen the show with, "Born With A Sound" for the title of most-addictive-tune on the album. The New Pornographers never disappoint and never get dull, not even for a second.

4. Boris Kovac & La Campanella- Eastern Moon Rising: A beautiful release by an insanely talented multi-instrumentalist and composer along with his incredible band La Campanella featuring the textures of soothing saxophone, accordion, guitar, stand-up bass, and a full drum kit. Boris Kovac blends his native Serbian style with various other Balkan styles, as well as tango, and chamber music for a beautiful unique orchestral flavor from this impressive ensemble of instrumental virtuosos.

5. Thurston Moore- The Best Day: Yet another solo release by Sonic Youth's frontman, and its another excellent one. Despite the fact that its sad to see a phenomenal band like Sonic Youth go there separate ways, there is a bright side to this:  the solo projects and all the new side projects of each member that arise from it-- and not just Thurston's solo album, but also his Chelsea Light Moving project--- as well as Kim Gordon's Body/Head project, and Lee Rinaldo & the Dust's recent, "Last Night On Earth" to name a few.

The Best Day.

With this particular album, unlike it's predecessor, "Demolished Thoughts" with its intricately finger-picked acoustic guitar, lush orchestral swelling, and sprinkles of harp throughout its chamberpop-like approach--- "The Best Day" is both a somewhat surprising and yet also comfortable return to the characteristics of Sonic Youth (only to an extent though).

The album begins with the brilliant, "Speak To The Wild" and it's trance inducing quality casts a shade on the whole album as the song fades into, "Forevermore" with its chiming upbeat pulse and shimmering haunting guitar hiss, as it elevates into the chugging opening riff and its layers continue to build; stacking higher and higher until Thurston finally declares, "That's why I want you forevermore" making this possibly the best eleven minutes to suddenly have gone by you've ever heard.

The pitter-pattering of, "Tape" as it hums into its jingling guitars continues the album forward as it gradually rises and falls into the title track. "The Best Day" flares its rock'n roll nostrils with a gritty riff and its lyrical tale, with even a pinch of cowboy lurking in those riffs somewhere, before bursting into a spastic aggressive bluesy solo and returning to a calm after the storm.

"Detonation" gasps before launching off into what feels like the most familiar of Sonic-Youth territory on this album yet, with its slight dissonance and churning rhythmic force coupled with the songs anxiety. Guitar birds chirp on, "Vocabularies" as Thurston's day continues into the shoegaze-ish, "Grace Lake" before finally fading into the closer, "Germs Burn".

Thurston Moore didn't simply front an amazing band called Sonic Youth. He didn't simply write a string of solo albums, some of which are similar (and some not) to Sonic Youth's material. He consistently finds a way to dig into his craft and maintain the stance of a recognizable artist within his own framework and simultaneously make great albums that stay fresh and don't simply recycle old ideas; he walks the very fine line of constant expansion versus staying inside his own box. 

Man Man live at the Norva.

6.  Man Man- On Oni Pond: After having the pleasure of watching Man Man open up for Gogol Bordello at the same show mentioned above. Gogol Bordello can't be an easy band to open for, and despite Man Man being such a different band-- I don't know if anyone else could've pulled it off better that night.

Man Man showcases a sound wild enough that putting this beast in a cage was probably just the right way to package this album (the songs on this album came across so much more in-your-face live--it's not that the band doesn't translate well on record though-- it's really more of just that their frontman Honus Honus seems larger than life onstage).

The group has an expansive sound complete with propulsive guitar, keyboard/synths galore, thumping bass, a variety of horns, a full drum kit and additional hand percussion plus mallet percussion/marimba too. On Oni Pond is a record full of variety possessing a groove and danceable charm, dashes of folk, and an overwhelmingly sense of style that reveals its layers more with each spin.

Pale Communion.

7. Opeth- Pale Communion: Another interesting chapter in the gradual evolution of Opeth's style. It's been of note in any article, interview, publication, etc. that with its predecessor, "Heritage" they took on a more prog-rock stance; however, to be fair they've always possessed elements of both, and if anything they simply added more weight to the prog-rock side of the scale with that album (as well as this one), but elements of metal and their older material can still be found here as well.

The music itself is an impressive landscape as always: crisp clean vocals, dramatic organ textures, gliding guitar solos, complex song structures, intriguing time changes, some of the most killer drumming of our time--- parts of this are practically jazz, but still under the umbrella of metal. Any fan of Opeth shouldn't be disappointed with the incredibly skilled performances taking place here-- some bands could spend lifetimes longer in the rehearsal room and still not achieve a sound this equally precise, heavy, and expansive. The only bummer about any Opeth album being released is simply the fact that it'll be at least a couple years before another one comes out; but on the bright side, you'll be so entertained, by their latest album, and that with repeated listens more and more details of the album reveal itself-- you won't mind the wait a bit.

Kaffepunch.

8. Habadekuk- Kaffepunch: This Danish group have added one hell of a notch to their belt with this release with their latest album, "Kaffepunch" winning the Danish Music Awards, "Folk Album of the Year" as well as the, "Tradition of the Year 2014" proving this band has no fear of a sophomore slump.

The machine of this album is built of many different stylistic bits and pieces: its full of celtic flare, hopping polka beats, and even sprinkled with jazz and swing-- reviving some old Danish folk tunes along the way. The album portrays instrumental virtuosos performing anything from jazz to polka to salsa and beyond with plenty of jigs, reels, and polka to spare; soaring horn work, bouncing piano, melodic accordion, flashy fiddle-work, topped off with a full drum kit for a huge colorful sound.

9. Sharon Van Etten- Are We There: With the fourth album in, Sharon Van Etten has really hit it out the park with this one. Her voice is bursting to its full potential, flaunting her soothing tonality and soulful range. The album displays the strength of her craftsmanship alone, with every song perfectly shifting into another; textured with the gliding piano accompaniment, the gentle strumming guitars, the breezy woodwinds, and soft glittering organ.

Are We There

The album is a gorgeous mist of one sappy tale after the other-- its so incredibly bare, and it seems that its all wonderfully held together by a single thread: Etten's voice.  She doesn't hide behind anything, her voice just floats along the top and she just scoops it up along the way; planting little treasures in the daze of this brilliant album from start to finish. Something so sad sounding seldom manages to be so sincere and yet make you so happy all at once.


10. At the Gates- At War With Reality: I have to admit, though I've always liked them, I had never followed At the Gates too closely either-- but they are both grabbing the attention of old and new fans across the board with their latest album, "At War With Reality". Through various interviews, especially a particular one that comes to mind with Decibel Magazine-- it seemed like a huge concern for both the band and their core audience was the fact that they were finally doing another album 19 years later after stating they would never do a new album, topped with the predicament of being caught in the shadow of their own, "Slaughter of the Soul".  The bands latest offering not only prevails, it exceeds expectations. True, "At War With Reality" is a grower, not a shower, or perhaps more accurately--- it's a grower at first, and then a shower.

At War With Reality.

The songs are somewhat complex and aren't necessarily an instantly accessible brand of metal, but the listen is more than just "rewarding after repeated listens"; it's a layered metal album, that with each listen reveals itself more, each scream grows in emotional intensity-- each riff stacks the chips higher, and the weight of the album grows. With that growth, every previous album served as a building block to achieve the massive effect  instilled on this album. The pulsating rhythm explodes, the tremolo picking guitars, the gliding across the strings on the shredding solos, and the sheer relentless energy of the group boils throughout the album better than ever before--- topped with the signature calling of pure adrenalin setting in with the trademark scream of Thomas "Tompa" Lindberg commanding this record full-speed ahead.

It's not, "good for a comeback album"-- it's simply a good metal album, period-- from guys who pioneered a unique subgenre of metal often imitated but never properly duplicated. This album is evidence of them having this reputation: no one could make an album like them and not be anything more than simply a copycat. "At War With Reality" shows they were hailed by those bands attempting to capture what they created with good reason, and that no one else could ever top them at their own game.

Playing w/Fighting Jamesons at Indy Irish Fest, Notre Dame Pep Rally, the Norva, & more.

at the Notre Dame Pep Rally.

In September we had the pleasure of performing at Indy Irish Fest, a fantastic annual festival that featured the Bastard Bearded Irishmen, Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers, the Hounds of Finn, along with countless other great acts!

 I was lucky enough to get to catch at least one full set of each (if not more) and each group had something exciting and fresh to bring to the festival: Bastard Bearded Irishmen were incredibly high-energy each night, the Hounds of Finn were wonderfully melodic, and the Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers sported a great set that boasted some super catchy originals! Perhaps this festival seemed particularly special because of such a great line-up; there was just so much variety throughout the festival-- it was full of both traditional and fusion groups that blended the best of both worlds at every corner.

This trip was also particularly memorable for a lot of extra-curricular activities we were thrilled to be a part of: we were up bright and early to perform on the Smiley's Morning Radio Show-- we arrived at the station, and despite it being so early that didn't stop the drinking game as well as a quick jam on the air of our, "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" cover before heading back to play more at the festival. 

on Indy WishTV.

We also made an appearance on a local TV morning show, which was really neat-- we set-up in the same room that they did the other portions of the show: the talking bits with the host, the cooking, etc. I also caught a glimpse of this really neat machine, it was basically a giant robot-camera on wheels (wish I had a picture of that!) it was a massively impressive atmosphere.

On October 12th we had the honor of playing at the Notre Dame Pep Rally which was a unique and memorable experience for us as a band. The occassion was a packed, televised event with more green than possibly even the festival somehow. We played a variety of stuff from our latest album, "Every Day Above Ground" with slices from the first album and of course the usual traditional tunes. We belted out a fun rowdy set and then quickly jumped in the van and hurried back for another set that night at the festival.

October 17th was a lovely return to Hard Times cafe in Fredericksburg, followed by Harrisonburg on the 18th. We celebrated the end of October with Halloween night in our home town of Norfolk at the Norva. The Norva was perfect for the Halloween bash: complete with a costume contest (my personal favorite was the dude who was Forrest Gump during his bearded jogging stage- I was rooting for him!), the Framers opened with a killer set, and we got to give it all our and perform almost entirely all of each album as of our special brew of traditional covers too. Congratulations to Tim and Carla, longtime supporters of the group-- who also tied the night right there on stage!

Halloween night at the Norva

As for November, we've been doing fan-appreciation month and have been giving away digital downloads of our albums! So keep your eyes peeled on our website and social media for your chance to download them, and of course if you miss it-- no worries, you can always stream it for free directly from our webpage as well: www.thefightingjamesons.com

As for this coming December, we'll be getting back on the road right after Christmas!

A dimaond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: Exodus classic thrash-metal w/Bonded By Blood

Cover to Exodus's, "Bonded By Blood".

I'll never forget the day I scooped up this thrash gem up for $3 at Birdland Records! They don't usually carry metal, or almost even at all! I have often wondered if the only reason I got this for such a steal is because none of the staff seem to have interest in metal, and boy am I lucky they don't! Exodus is a band that for some reason is arguably highly underrated and not often credited enough throughout history of thrash metal. If your a thrash fan then you know "the big four" refers to: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. I often think this list/phrase should be extended five and throw in Exodus (but then again while were at it there is also Testament, Vio-Lence, Overkill, Celtic Frost, Death Angel, Pantera, Kreator, Dark Angel, and so many more! I know that's a ton and too many for a quick easy credit, but they're all phenomenal and in their own way just as significant as any. That being said, this album is of highly significant and exciting for being one of the big staples in contribution to a healthy thrash-metal diet.

Back of, "Bonded By Blood".

One thing I've noticed, especially after repeated listens from this original to its re-recorded, "Let There Be Blood" (w/Rob Dukes behind the mic, instead of the now deceased Paul Baloff) is how strikingly different these two frontman are. It's actually quite surprising, Paul Baloff technically should be a terrible idea for a frontman; yet in reality his sheer energy and heart drives the record along. Rob Dukes does a great performance of course, but the difference is: Paul Baloff doesn't even sound like he's performing at all, he's just a guy so in love with heavy metal who is just going off, and doing so long before a thrash-blueprint if you will really existed.
His intensity transcends from the record into the air and takes you along. The vocal production is (of course quite dated) but also really interesting, and despite an obvious effect of that era, it's very interesting and actually much more unique than some of the more modern productions that we hear now. Then again the production as a whole is rather interesting for that same reason, sure you can tell it was recorded in the 80's--- but it doesn't matter, it still has a classic element to it and its so raw in a fun way that is actually more rewarding than the polished re-recorded version (thought the polished version is also a lot of fun to listen, it's amazing how different recording techniques give a different vibe to a band that played everything note per note basically the same).

Inside lyrics/picture sheet.

The riffs on this album are incredibly iconic, it's no wonder that this is a go-to album for so many bands of the genre to follow, these guys along with the other big four really basically built almost from the ground up the entire thrash-metal wheel musically for so many others after them to follow. Every riff feels larger than life, pummeling, and crushing. The leads are more in the Slayer-league of doing things, "Catchy melodic solos? Who has time for that!? We just wanna shred!" The drums are a fierce pounding thunder and so raw, the timing is dead-on, bands using digital recording couldn't be this tight without the help of Pro-Tools; this band is legendary for a reason!

Inside lyric/picture sheet.

Lyrically this album is possibly the best representation of thrash metal in itself because it really sings about heavy metal culture in itself, it embraces the glory of thrashing around in the pit and going wild, and also the area of the record that partially departures from reality a bit with the violence; Exodus never killed anyone, at the same time it's not like bands like this relate to the hippie generation of acoustic guitars, flowers, and throwing up a peace sign-- it's heavy metal, if it were about kittens and rainbows it would throw off the energy of this album--- most importantly, like many many metal bands its more of the atmosphere that is trying to be captured here, it creates an incredible alertness and urgency; above all its mostly to create that mischievous sense of reckless fun that is associated with thrash-metal. The lyrical content reminds me of an Iggy Pop quote in reference to MC5, "everyone would just get all sweaty and gloriously beat up" and that also basically applies to Exodus.

An incredible debut release and an absolute must for thrash metal fans. Exodus's, "Bonded By Blood" is a relentless explosion of thrash metal, the energy within this album is remarkable, it will withstand the test of time even after Exodus themselves are long gone--- along with other classics like Slayer's, "Reign In Blood", Megadeth's first two albums, early Metallica, Anthrax's, "Among the Living", and so forth-- Exodus's first album will also be forever ranked in the thrash hall of fame.

A diamond in the rough, from my vinyl vault: Dischord's Faith/Void split- a DC Hardcore masterpiece!

Cover to Faith side

When I was younger and diving into the treasure chest of punk rock's glorious past, along my way I like many other people of that age interested in that music, inevitably stumbled across Minor Threat. Arguably more interesting, or certainly at least equally interesting-- was when I looked on the back and noticed the small logo reading: Dischord Records.

So naturally, I was curious-- what label put this out!? Do they have more stuff like this!? Why this light-bulb hadn't struck my peers as well and/or more often, I have no clue! Next thing I knew, I was looking into the label and its amazing catalog of material, and at some point while digging around stumbled on this record; not realizing my new favorite album in this realm of hardcore would soon be more appropriately thought of as simply an all time favorite. Recently I made a little trip to Skinnies Records to pick up this classic split.

Faith and Void were two powerhouse D.C. hardcore bands in, and also rather different from each other as well. Part of what makes this record particularly intriguing is that though they might not have been the most groundbreaking bands of their time, within punk or hardcore-- but they were certainly different from most bands of their style. Even more so they were rather different from each other, making this an extremely neat pairing of groups for a split.

Faith side of lyrics sheet

Faith was a high-energy band fronted by a particularly striking front-man-- Alec Mackaye who gave off a rather sincere style of both his lyrics coupled with his aggressive delivery behind the mic. Faith was surprisingly at times rather melodic for a hardcore group, and what made them so unique was how well written their songs are, it's strange to bring up terms like poppy and dare I even say digestible, and yet strangely they also feel rather appropriate when Faith comes to mind.

When the record suddenly rips open with, "It's Time" and its grooving heavy riff, the energy just keeps building and mounting together-- until Alec belts out his grand declaration in the chorus with, "I'm gonna' make society bleed!" Its very interesting that this opening song is actually quite slow for this band; yet the bar for the level of intensity on the whole record has been set in this one moment, and it almost seems unthinkable that it could never once let up or fall below when the bar was set so high from the get-go.

"Trapped", is an amazing song-- a song that often after listening to side A of this record can get stuck in your head for hours-- who knew hardcore could be this catchy!?! Its approach to social situations is the perfect example of how lyrically this band is above and beyond other hardcore groups. "You're X'd!" is another classic song, a propulsive tune bursting with an emotional depth to the lyrics on the subject of straight-edge quite possibly never matched by anyone ever since.

Cover to Void side.

Void is insanely interesting from start to finish. Their style was so explosive and wild, which is no small accomplishment in a form of music where things are already high-speed and blaring full blast at all times.  Although Void is very guilty of something most hardcore bands always try to do: play as fast as possible at all times! However, unlike most other bands-- Void executed this to the max and almost effortlessly!

The guitarist Bubba Dupree played wild licks and solos-- shredding and bordering on heavy metal (which they later would stylistically shift to), yet rhythmically and song structure-wise still within the confines of hardcore. He had amazing control and technique with the whammy bar, and it's definitely a key component in what made Void so much more exciting and drastically different from other hardcore bands.

Void side of lyrics sheet

The ferocity of vocalist John Weiffenbach and his mischievous behavior behind the mic are trademark to the bands sound as well. Lyrically, Void was also very interesting, but for totally different reasons than Faith. They had an eerie spooky vibe to their content full of violence with songs like, "Time to Die" and, "Condensed Flesh; as well as a confrontational in-your-face attitude with their anthems, "Ignorant People" and arguably the highlight of side B, "My Rules".

This reissue edition of the record comes complete with a digital download, and a killer lyric/photo sheet inside. This is definitely a must-own for any punk/hardcore collectors, and if you somehow haven't managed to come across this yet, then you are about to have that same light-bulb mentioned earlier shine your way!

John Weiffenbach

John Weiffenbach

A diamond in the rough..... from my vinyl vault: Sarah Gorby's, "Russian Melodies"....

Front cover of Sarah Gorby's, "Russian Melodies".

Here's an interesting world music album I picked up here in Alexandria, a small trip from my apartment to the closest record store, the Record and Tape Exchange. Although it's a tiny shop with not a lot of choices, I've found a few good picks here and there once in a blue moon. When Stephanie and I first moved here, months later we passed by it on accident and stopped in, and although the world music section was rather small- it was also virtually untouched by any of their other customers or even anyone who worked there. This is another one of these neat records I got  on a whim and I'm glad I did-- as I didn't really know who Sarah Gorby was- but it was only a dollar or two, and certainly appeared up my alley so to speak; world/Russian folk music, the title says it all-- so I decided what the heck, I'll pick this one up.

Although the material itself isn't surprising given the straightforward title, it's still a  great album. The record opens up with a lively number called, "My Sweetheart Lives Up North" featuring a hopping alternating bass line paired with a pulsating thumping folk beat, topped off with a incredibly simple but very effective catchy chorus. Next is the incredibly gorgeous tune, "Autumn Wind" with Gorby's vocals reaching a climatic mournful peak; such a beautifully written piece, one would dare say its possibly the strongest on the album, or at least certainly the strongest on the A-side.

Half-way thru the A-side, we reach the violin led, "Be Sorry For Me"-- a melancholic instrumental soaring that though peaceful and sweet, is the appropriately placed but also only dull moment on the first half of the album. The next two tunes are fun dancey accordion-led Russian numbers, "The Enchanted Circle" and, "Love Of A Gypsy" wrapping up the first portion of the album on a high note.

Back of Sarah Gorby's, "Russian Melodies".

Side B kicks off with, "Black Cat" another foot stomping charming Russian folk tune. Then things calm down a considerable notch, "I Will Not Come Back" another gorgeous tune, similar to, "The Autumn Wind" from the A-side, with bursts of energy and jangling guitars.

Halfway thru the B-Side, we reach, "The Coachman" a beautiful and quite recognizable instrumental piece-- I can't ever place where I first heard it, but it's a very memorable famous Russian song. Next is another highly recognizable song, "On The Road To Her" a beautiful typical Russian song that slows and speeds back up gloriously over and over beautiful bringing us to the closer, "Take Your Guitar"; which wraps up the record on a wonderfully simple rhythmic guitar and Gorby letting her voice take the reigns on this weepingly pretty tune.

I don't know much or own any other material by Sarah Gorby, but after I quickly googled her and based on the wonderfully effortless display of Russian folk on this particular album, I will certainly say it'll be worth keeping both an eye and ear out for more.  

Out on the road again with the Fighting Jamesons....

The Great American Irish Festival in Frankfort, NY.

We headed south for our first stop in July to Corolla, North Carolina for a fun night in a beach town, so we felt right at home. Then we came back up north for the Annapolis Irish Festival in Maryland, it was a nice setup with several stages spread out along multiple closed blocks, it had a similar atmosphere to that of the Rockville street festival a while back. My fiance Stephanie managed to get to come out with a friend and also some folks she knew through work; she doesn't always get to come out, but since we live in Alexandria-- Annapolis isn't more than a hop and a skip away-- and it's always special for me when she can come out. We played a killer set, and had a awesome night before gearing up for the long haul to our next stop in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

 In South Kingstown, RI.

Now that I stop to think about it, we were lucky to get to be on so many beaches this month! South Kingstown, Rhode Island was a lovely beach vacation town with a really pretty atmosphere and a relaxing vibe. We arrived early with plenty of time to set up, and hung out a bit with the locals. We thrashed out our usual celtic rock mayhem, before packing up and heading home for a few days off before our next stop the surprsingly not so spooky- Amityville, NY!!!!

We arrived in Amityville relatively early with time to spare, so naturally- how could we NOT go see the Amityville Horror House? It was neat to pass by it, but as a heads up to any tourists-- you can't actually go inside, people live there-- so while it was neat, and luckily just a few minutes down the road for us, you wouldn't want to go out of your way to see it- I'm sure it's probably freaky in the historical sense, but from the outside- it's quite honestly just a normal looking house. But hey! It's not every day you get to check out a famous haunted house, right? Unfortunately, Amityville wound up being cancelled- however, on the bright side we will be doing a make-up date for it soon, and the details for the make-up date will be on our site in the near future.

The Great American Irish Festival in Frankfort, NY.

We closed up July with two nights at the Great American Irish Festival in Frankfort, New York. It was a fantastic outdoor setup in perfect weather, completed with enormous white big-top tents. It was our first time being a part of this particular festival, and it was a great experience-- the crowds were really energetic and we enjoyed their enthusiasm to the fullest on that first night with the 8 PM slot--- by the end of the night they were on their feet and dancing all over, and those folks up front were certainly a rowdy bunch!!

The second night we played the 5 PM slot, and were greeted once again by a wonderful audience- some familiar faces from the first day, and some new ones too! Mike's family even managed to come out, and his daughter hopped up to do a bit of Irish dancing on stage. By the end of the night, a ton of folks came up and danced around as we cranked out the Irish Rover to bring the night to a thrilling finish.

We are about to kick back off here in August with a return to New York for the International Celtic Festival at Hunter Mountain! We can't wait to see all of their smiling faces there!! Stay posted to our site for other tour stops. See you soon!!!!!

A diamond in the rough.... From my vinyl vault: Night birds, "Maimed For the masses" EP + "Born To Die In Suburbia" LP

Night Birds, "Born To Die In Subrubia".

Night Birds aren't a generic copycat punk band, they are an original outfit blending elements of hardcore with surf and added just the right sprinkle of pop into the mixture. Recently signing to Fat Wreck Chords, they've rerecorded some material for their debut Fat Wreck Chords seven-inch record, "Maimed For The Masses" (which is named after the song on the A side and will be on the upcoming debut LP for Fat, and was also on the previous Grave Mistake Records LP), and their latest full-length album via Grave Mistakes Records, "Born To Die In Suburbia" is the best breathe of fresh air for this style of music in a while.

I first heard them a while back when browsing what was new at the time on the Grave Mistakes Records site and stumbled on them. I often set up my i-Pod with all albums I've never heard before, so that when I'm in the van with the Fighting Jamesons or on my long 4 hour commute from Alexandria to Norfolk for our practices so I can use that as an ideal time to check out new music. I had downloaded, "Born To Die In Suburbia"-- and I was in the van with the band at the time, and I remember specifically that wonderful light-bulb moment you get when a record really connects with you, and thinking to myself, "man, these guys really hit it out the park with this album". I instantly became obsessed with this album, and it became a must-own from that very moment. Later I picked it up on my down to Norfolk from home at Richmond's, Vinyl Conflict record shop.

 

"Maimed For the Masses" EP cover.

With the, "Maimed For The Masses" EP  sporting its flashy intriguingly blood-drenched cover as  the first recording under Fat Wreck Chords; the band features a nice re-recorded version of the infectious, "Maimed For The Masses" EP on the A-side of the record. The B-side then picks up the intensity with the barbaric, "Barred Out" before its intentionally train-wrecked into the tom-rolling introduction of,"Last Gasp"; a fist pumping rager that then leads into the snare rolling of, "Boat Trash" with the surf guitar-lead instrumental bringing this 45 to a close.

back of, "Maimed For The Masses" EP.

With, "Born To Die In Suburbia"-- Night Birds have pulled off what a lot of bands intend to do, yet fail to actually do. They've taken their influences, some of them even rather obviously, and instead of simply just emulating them- have harnessed them into there own sound, while still coming across as original. The group presents a sound linking them stylistically in some ways to the likes of the Adolescents, Gang Green, the Ramones, A.O.D. (Adrenalin Overdose), the Ventures, and others.

The record starts off with an intriguing tremolo-picked short and sweet surf-rock instrumental number, before exploding into its incredible high energy-packed title-track anthem, "Born To Die In Suburbia". All the right dashes of catchiness happen with choruses like that of, "Modern Morons" and, "Nazi Gold" or the hooks in, "Pretty Poison" or ,"Maimed For the Masses".

"Maimed For The Masses" insert.

Night Birds have cranked the volume all the way and captured their adrenalin fueled spirit, and are so incredibly dialed-in-- the speed and fury is executed with sheer perfection, and more importantly-- isn't overdone either. The melodic elements of the songs take shape without the songs ever losing momentum, ranging from everything from the duel guitar lines to the vocal delivery. Every detail on this record is surprisingly spick and span and yet in a manner not intrusive to their ferocious music (even the reverb level on this album is goldie locks!)  Everything about this record is so precise and well written-- its kind've shocking that for a punk album-- yeah punk, a genre so notorious for being such a so-called "sloppy" area of rock 'n rolls domain-- could be so um perfect.

back of, "Born To Die In Suburbia".

With the excitement of their recent switch to Fat Wreck Chords, it will be really exciting to see what kind of record they will crank out next with that kind of label support behind them. As band that has already made such an impressively balanced record, it will be truly special to see what they manage to come up with next as their story continues to unfold.

They signed to Fat back in July, and it will be worth keeping our eyes peeled to see the full-length arriving fairly soon!

A diamond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: Burzum

Burzum's 1st album

I was lucky enough to scoop up a good deal on this particular record at Skinnies Records in Norfolk. There were also some really nice re-releases of Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Burzum there as well that hopefully I'll get around to picking up eventually. It wasn't an easy process of elimination that day between those choices-- as each of these groups helped start an entirely new style of heavy metal, but I figured why not start off with this intriguing classic as a very first for the Black Metal section of my collection.  Rather than be redundant of other blog and/or site that has spoken of Varg Vikernes controversial past and points of view (none of which are what interests me in him), I have chosen this record because of its importance to the history of heavy metal. Its significant for its rather large role in supporting the creation of the black metal sub-genre, and especially for the concept of the one-man black-metal band.

To outsider ears of heavy metal-- some will struggle to hear the difference between death metal and black metal. Especially since in the time since the original scenes have moved on, newer bands have embraced both styles and infused them. At the time though, these original groups made every effort to musically state that they were separate and a new breed if you will. This album encompasses practically all of the characteristics of black metal: unlike death metal, where the guitarist often did just power chords or even just drop-tuned and played the top three strings to create the deep chugging-riff style typical of that style-- black metal guitarists were often using full bar chords (particularly as minor chords) with tons of distortion. The vocal styles are both screaming yes, but rather then simply write it off, its notably a different technique: death metal was distinct in its low-guttural approach (such as the Swedish death metal band Entombed for example) whereas black metal vocals tended to be not necessarily high-pitched, but not concentrated on achieving a low growl, more of just the most fierce scream of terror the frontman could deliver. The drumming certainly had the most similarities: lots of double bass and often blast-beats as well.

Inside of album gatefold.

Rather than give you a track-by-track detail (as there are more than enough of those reviews on Metal-archives of all sorts of opinion)-- I'd rather sum up the sides of the record and also make note of its overall atmosphere. It's important to realize that black metal is about atmosphere. Both the first self-titled album, and the included Aske mini-LP included are loaded with tremolo-picked blistering icy distorted guitar, pummeling drums, blood curdling eerie vocals. Surprisingly, there are strange creepy ambient noise moments, a bit of calm before the storm. The entire record is a unique blend of heavy metal, that is both haunting and eerie. There is a unique air to this style and sound, it possesses a strangely addictive quality-- it technically should be considered one of the worst things you've ever heard, since it breaks a lot of rules musically and also for recording production. Yet the fun in this musically speaking is much like Halloween-- it's an entertaining form of heavy metal to be sorta scared of at the same time. This might sound strange at first, but historically speaking this is not dissimilar to anything before with say Screaming Jay Hawkins popping up out of a coffin during his songs, or Alice Cooper "executing" himself on stage-- its now just taken on its own form within the realm of heavy metal.

Some other quite interesting and rare things compared to even other black metal acts at this early point in the movement, was that Burzum never played live, and never has played live (and quite possibly maybe never will). This was very rare at the time, as how was a record supposed to draw any attention at all if you never performed it to help make it known? So naturally this struck people as odd. Also, Burzum was simply just Varg Vikernes--- he played all the instruments and recorded it entirely by himself, so unlike Darkthrone and Mayhem- he was strictly a one-man band. Not only was this very uncommon for black metal, but this is extremely not common for metal in general. Quite possibly the most important thing would be the intentional direction of the production of this record. Varg chose intentionally "bad" sounding things. He made the guitar scratchy with too much overdrive, he only has the drums set up to be just audible enough without trying to a achieve the "big" drum rock'n roll sound that most bands aimed for in the studio, and he allowed the vocals too scream and clip over-top of the recording sometimes (apparently he recorded these by screaming into a headset as he stated in the documentary Until The Light Takes Us). He intentionally used the cheaper equipment, and did things not recommended for the "ideal" sound, and sloppily selected reverb and mix settings. Hahaha, can you imagine how weird this was for the recording engineer? Weirdest day at work ever!

Back of record.

Some have argued that this is an overrated album in the vast amounts of black metal now available since its heyday in the nineties. However, before judging so harshly it should be considered that this album created a template in which most bands of this style after Burzum would follow. It should be kept in mind at the time this album came out, other than Mayhem & Darkthrone-- there was virtually nothing else that sounded like this. Though of course Bathory is a huge influence, and there was also Venom before-- while groups such as these made vital contributions to the very existence of black metal-- it didn't truly become its own style until Burzum, Mayhem, and Darkthrone put out their significant releases marking the turning-point of this new music). Everything about this record was musically rebellious to the current thriving thrash and death metal of the time: the style, the production, the theme, the look, and the atmosphere were all unique. This album in particular was not only significant to the birth of black metal, not only a blueprint for the enormous amount of black metal to follow in its footsteps, but also forever put Norway on the map for heavy metal and has wrote a very interesting chapter in the story of heavy metal.

Out on the road with the Fighting Jamesons.....

Our lead guitarist Geo Bauman.

We kicked off May with a pleasant return to McGrath's Pub in Dalton, Pennsylvania. We had a great time, as Dalton is a beautiful mountain town, and the owner Jimmy is a huge fan and highly hospitable towards the band; he and his staff treat us like kings, every time we visit his place is something to look forward  to. The next day we played nearby in Scranton, Pennsylvania for the Scranton Celtic Irish Festival as well. It was a great festival set inside, with a multiple stage layout; we were really stoked to be headlining it and hope to return to it again.

Niagara Falls, NY.

Following that, we did a make-up date at the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls New York on May 18th, as our original date back in March got snowed out by the blizzard at the time. Rapids is truly a blast, its an incredible venue full of history, charm, and style. The building is massive, the sound in the room with its immaculate mural ceiling is incredible, and the owner and the staff are the greatest any band could hope to have the pleasure of working with. It used to be an opera house and still has a very neat intricate look to it on the inside. Also, as we found out on the ghost tour last time- apparently it's haunted and was once even featured on the  TV show Ghost Hunters. Luckily while we were there I also got to take a quick peak at the falls for the first time, definitely an impressive sight to see.

at 9 Irish Brothers Lafayette, Indiana.

Shortly after the Falls, we came back down for a street festival in Rockville, Maryland. The event had a great layout with several stages spread across the area with multiple blocks shut down, completed with numerous vendors lined up in between. Following that, were several dates playing for the independent 9 Irish Brothers chain again in Lafayette, Indiana. We were really excited for them to have us back again after having us last March, although the new location was delayed its grand opening, we played the other two locations for three days and had an excellent time. We're looking forward to whenever we do return and the new location when it is ready, but in the mean time we had a blast playing the other locations.

Next up in was Rehoboth Beach, Delaware at the Dog Fish Head Pub, where the beach crowd was definitely a fun bunch of people to play for, they were ready to dance around and have a great time; we gave a killer set and were glad to finally make it a stop along our route. It was particular interesting since it was a new stop for us, and we always love exposing our music to new audiences everywhere. The next day was Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey for their 42nd Annual Monmouth Irish Festival. It was located near the horse races, it was a nice family oriented event; with both traditional Irish acts and more fusion groups such as ourselves.

Last stop for the month of June was the Fairfield County Irish Festival, it was a wonderful large outdoor event, with 3 beautiful tent stage setups, food and beverage stands, topped off with a nice roster full of a variety of different acts-- both music and dancing groups. During the day we were lucky enough to have some down time to watch some of the other groups, pipe bands, and some dancing, before setting up on the main stage to have the honor of closing up the night as headliner. We'll be hitting the road again in July, and in the mean time are cooking up some ideas for some new original material. 

D.C. Hardcore film, "Punk the Capital" on Kickstarter + from my vinyl vault: Faith's, "Subject To Change + the First Demo"

DC punk/hardcore film: Punk the Capital

When I first heard that there was a film being made that will be tackling the history of punk/hardcore in Washington D.C., I  totally flipped out!!!! I'm a huge fan of punk & hardcore in general; specifically the D.C. scene and many of the groups on Dischord Records that were very involved and integral parts of it.

As a kid/teenager, I was incredibly inspired by this scene. I spent all weekend usually with a small group of friends jamming to early D.C. hardcore bands; we'd play covers of Government Issue's, "Bored To Death", "Asshole", and, "Hour of One",  the Faith's, "You're X'd!" and, "No Choice", the Teen Idles, "I Drink Milk", S.O.A.'s, "Draw A Blank"and, "Gonna' Have To Fight"-- the list goes on! At that particular time we were too young to drive to go to many shows ourselves, much less play anywhere at that point in time-- we just hung out all weekend, and took turns switching instruments; teaching each other any new covers we learned, printed out the lyrics and all took turns doing vocals for a couple covers each, etc. Even though we weren't a serious band at the time and didn't gig, it was such a great time, and also provided the insight necessary to develop in order to be in bands that went out and played later on.

Faith's, "Subject To Change plus first demo" LP.

So naturally, when I discovered that they were having a Kickstarter to help complete the project, I was super excited and ready to contribute. In my choice of contributing $40 to the completion of this film I not only get to go to a private screening at the Black Cat for it, but also later will receive it on a 2-disc DVD. Perhaps most importantly, in a neat small way-- I get to give something back towards the scene that was a huge inspiration to me and one of the principal reasons I decided to play music in the first place; by contributing, it helps ensure this music will be properly documented as it rightfully should be.

I've also been happily immersing myself in the reissues Dischord has put out of some older and previously never officially released material; most recently being Faith's, "Subject to Change plus first demo. I just ordered this about a week ago, and it just came today right in time for all the excitement and hype of this film, as members of Faith are some of the many people interviewed in the film, as revealed in a trailer that has been posted.

Back of, "Subject to Change".

On this particular re-release of, "Subject to Change" the original 8 tracks that consist of that album are all put on to side A. The only thing excluded is the ridiculously long and exhausting looping laugh that was at the end of the record. Instead, now side B contains all of the bands first demo, which after being remastered; sounds full of new life and perfectly captures the intensity of the group in their earlier stages as a band. For a demo, its surprisingly incredible quality; its just as great quality-wise and just as impressive as the other side of the record, despite being a demo.

What's really exciting about, "Subject to Change" was that for this particular album the group had expanded their line-up to now also having Eddie Janney on second guitar, which really added to the dynamics and brought a new sense of melody into their sound. The contrast of this stylistic change with the demo featuring just the single guitar of Michael Hampton on side A is interesting and shows the groups growth and change of direction, its still furious relentless hardcore, but the melodic undertones of the additional guitar did make a significant change compared to the average run-of-the-mill hardcore bands that unlike Faith don't stand the test of time.

Inner sleeve cover w/Eddie Janney

What sets aside the D.C. hardcore scene of that time and Faith was the incredible songs that these bands were writing. Musically these groups certainly had similarities being within the genre "constraints" (for lack of a better term) of hardcore; however, the spirit and energy of the D.C. hardcore scene of that time will probably never be matched or surpassed. These groups, and Faith in particular proved themselves a force to be reckoned with, by presenting unique song structures into hardcore along with a sense of melody (see the song, "Untitled" for example). The lyrics were also incredibly passionate, and thought provoking.

Back of inner sleeve w/lyrics.

You could pick up your finger and randomly point to any song on the lyric sheet and find an intelligence that is quite contrary to the stereotype often expected of hardcore. "Untitled", "In Control", and "No Choice" are all just a few shining examples. Behind a great hardcore band is a great frontman-- in this case Alec MacKaye. The guy not only penned the groups incredible lyrics, but his undeniably unique tone to his voice and remarkable stage presence (if you youtube some live footage, you will definitely see!) created a channel for the energy of this relentless hardcore sound to travel.

I'm extremely thrilled that I'll be attending a fundraiser at the Black Cat this Tuesday for Punk The Capital that will have a Q & A with the filmmakers Paul Bishow and James Schneider, and hope they succeed in documenting this incredible moment in punk music. For any of those as equally as excited for this film as I am, here is the Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1137256310/punk-the-capital-straight-from-washington-dc

Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers at the Black Cat!!!

Shilpa Ray @ the Black Cat.

I owe a seriously huge thanks to my friend Doug for first telling me about this band a couple years ago; he had seen them at a festival I believe, and one day mentioned that he thought I would be interested. He definitely hit the hammer on the head with that statement. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers gave an energetic and exciting performance, as I was lucky enough to witness it firsthand on Memorial Day at the Black Cat in Washington D.C.

Shilpa Ray uses a harmonium. A harmonium is a neat free-reed instrument, with a a keyboard and a drawer in the back that you repetitively open and close in order to pump its bellows. Sort of like if you took the bass/button/left-hand off an accordion and then laid it down flat. It's certainly an interesting factor in part of the creation of their unique sound; it's not a common inclusion in a band, especially not often so heavily used when included. Although the harmonium is perhaps most commonly associated with Indian music, her usage of it in this band is rather separate from that-- and probably has more in common with Nico's (yes, the same Nico from the Velvet Underground) solo albums than the latter. 

Shilpa Ray has a rather peculiar voice, not dissimilar to the spirit and charm of Patti Smith or the soulful grunting and howling of Janis Joplin. Yet her voice is certainly strong enough to stand on its own, and only faint reminders of others artists come to mind; just enough to make it seem somewhat familiar, but just different enough to be exciting and fresh. This is also true of the music itself-- it's equal parts early first-wave punk, indie-rock, and sixties psychedelic/acid-rock; all thrown in with  time-signature curve-balls, grooving melodic bass lines, buzz-saw guitar galore, and a propulsive rhythmic drive.

At this particular performance, the group did I believe all or just about all four of the songs off of their latest EP, It's All Self Fellatio; along with a healthy handful of selections from their debut album, Teenage & Torture. One thing I noticed right off the bat and was immediately caught up in was their drummer, John Adamski. This dude is a seriously hard-hitter!!!! He also had some rather intricate ways of doing things; not necessarily out of the ordinary, but a bit uncommon. He held his sticks more like a jazz drummer than most in rock outfits, he performed at least the first several songs with no cymbals-- all toms, bass, and snare. He stops and starts on a dime, and pounds away like there is no tomorrow. He was truly an impressive percussionist.

Shilpa Ray at the Black Cat.

Nick Hundley the bassist, had some very interesting melodic moments, and some rather fanciful walking lines here and there-- occasionally switching roles with the guitarist and often doing some pedal-steel guitar himself. Guitarist Andrew Bailey gave the audience both the attitude and immediacy of punk with his rhythmic playing, but also the stylistic chops and skills of a lead blues guitarist in his shining moments.

Though there was no opening act, it was honestly wonderful to just skip to the main attraction right away. The group gave a performance nothing short of impressive. They filled the room with hauntingly beautiful melodic drones, danceable grooves, and a crunchy guitar assault; with Shilpa's voice leading the way through their hard-hitting, sweat-drippping, blaring unique blend of indie-rock-- all topped with a wonderful and very brief split-second of awkward silence at the end of each song. That perfect delayed moment of realization that they just made your jaws drop to the floor before the room erupts into applause.

A diamond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: Jo Basile & His Orchestra, "Play Music From The Hit Musical Cabaret"

Jo Basile's accordion covers of, "Cabaret"

I picked up this particular record on a special trip to meet my girlfriend/now fiance's parents for the first time, and also to help her drive her car back from Texas. On the way back we stopped to visit her brother in Missouri before coming back to Virginia, and while we were there we stopped at an antique place near her brother's house where I was lucky enough to score this Jo Basile album.

The title basically says it all, but for those who aren't familiar with Jo Basile and his albums; what is quite peculiar about this album is that he often just does accordion instrumentals of folk/world music and each album usually tends to just focus on one country/ethnic style at a time. Never before have I seen or heard of him doing a musical, usually he always sticks to a certain country as the basic theme per each album. So common was this particular stance of his, that I don't know if besides this and the, My World album (Jo Basile also played clarinet- but often did not mention, reveal, or perform any clarinet on any of his other albums much at all or possibly ever- except the My World album).

Basile continually churned out countless incredible albums with various standards from around the globe and performing them into beautiful arrangements for accordion from one album to the next. This album is no exception, except for its focus being on the musical, Cabaret. If you've ever seen the famous film verison of the musical with Liza Minnelli, then you already should be aware that its a perfect fit for the accordion; due to its usage of it in various scenes throughout the duration of the film.

The main theme itself soars beautifully as the record first starts spinning; the backing music of this manages to be both aligned with what you would expect and somewhat parallel to the film version, but somehow more energetic and sincere and minus the comedic aspects. Basile's version of the title track is in itself a showstopper, full of pizazz and excellent showmanship. Things then get to a finger-snapping groove with the swinging number of, "Don't Tell Ma". A transition into, "Pineapple" starts with a bouncy and circus-like introduction; flowing into a smooth calming moment before coming full circle where it started. "What Would You Do" is both mysterious and suspenseful; full of ticking and clacking in the backing percussion before fading into the cheery, "Meeskite". "Meeskite" is a particularly neat number, with equal amounts of swing and melody, both catchy, and also boasting a nice saxophone solo.

Back of cover.

As we flip to side B, the charm continues with, "Willkommen"- a rather addictive melody, and quite a climatic point of the album, appropriately placed at this middle moment of the record. Things take an exciting melodic turn with the enchanting moods of, "Married" with its bicycle-bells and light waltz backing rhythm, fluttering melody fills with the main melody re-inserted by the light and breezy lead guitar. This then blends like musical camouflage into, "So What?" where the chorus picks up with a loud crashing energetic rather fast waltz chorus, complete with a booming tuba as the backbone of the alternating bass line. The record comes to a close with the light, "Tomorrow Belongs To Me", a pretty little number that helps the record give this instrumental dedication to Cabaret the perfect touch with the final ring out being the closing curtain of another show well done. Jo Basile's albums are always a delight, never a dull moment. As far as accordion instrumental albums go, his are always a must. In fact, he's pretty underrated compared to say Frankie Yankovic or Dick Contino for example; his music is just as talented and just as skillful, and arguably is melodically and stylistically more beautiful.

A GINORMOUS diamond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: Gogol Bordello's, "Super Taranta!"

Gogol Bordello's Super Taranta!

This merry bunch of immigrant-punks have been knocking out their trademark sound of gypsy-punk since 1999 with their first album, Voi La Intruder. Gogol Bordello pulls from various forms of European folk music: Eastern European & Klezmer, Ukrainian, especially Balkan, and many others combined with intense heavy doses of various rock influences. A perfect pinch of each is put into mix, creating a glorious union of genres while creating a style that is truly their own.

Gogol Bordello has been building a steady fan-base along the way of constructing seven studio albums since Voi La Intruder. Though it was with their third album, Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike, that the bands momentum truly took off. During the earlier period of the social-media craze with Myspace, each month a new band with a single and/or video was posted that millions of users would see/hear before logging in. Gogol Bordello was once featured on the front sporting their promotional single, "Start Wearing Purple" for the album and garnered the band even more attention.

Building upon this momentum, their next and fourth album to follow was Super Taranta! After the initial statement was made with Voi La Intruder, then stylistically harnessed with Multi Kontra Culti Vs. Irony, and then they were full embraced with the success of Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike. By that third album, and by switching to from Rubric Records to a more mainstream label with SideOneDummy Records; the group hit a critical turning point, they've gained both the attention, but now also the support they need and became truly limitless as a band. SideOneDummy Records being a bigger label, had the necessary muscle to provide better distribution for the bands records and related methods of support. At this point the band had mastered their craft; this album in particular, is arguably a creative high-point for the band and the results produced are arguably their best album up until that point-- or perhaps even yet!

Gatefold design containing two LP's.

The record is packaged brightly with a nice green background while portraying the band with nice cut-outs from live performances. What lies inside after you unfold the the stylish gatefold style cover, is an even more thrilling album properly dished out over the course of two LP's.

Things kick off rather bold with, "Ultimate" and then into a highly singable crowd-pleaser with, "Wonderlust King". Don't be fooled though, Gogol Bordello isn't a band that cares about playing it safe, things get to a wild chugging beat on, "Zina-Marina" and then explode with a brass-heavy chorus guest-starring Slavic Soul Party. Yuri Lemeshev then charms us his catchy and skillful accordion introduction on, "Supertheory Of Supereverything" with the energy constantly climbing before fading and wrapping side A of the first record.

The hard-hitting, "Harem In Tuscany (Taranta)" is ans infectious energetic tune, rich with melody and flaunting the bands instrumental showmanship; complete with an undeniably catchy chorus. The song gallops to an incredible climax and drop us out with an exciting transition into that irresistible chorus just once more before cooling things off just a tad with, "Dub The Frequencies of Love". The tempo keeps chugging along with the introduction of, "My Strange Uncles From Abroad" and possesses a dramatic fiddle line by the one and only Sergey Ryabtsev. Approaching end to the second side, Yuri belts out a fantastic and uplifting solo; followed by another solo by Sergey, and another chorus that has you shouting along in no time. As the first record comes to a close, the intensity has hinted the party has only just begun!

Back side & label.

 The second record jams out a fun shouting sing-along, "Tribal Connection" with just enough pace to keep things upbeat without losing any variety. Thomas "Tommy T" Gobena's bass line gives the song an incredible groove, and Yuri's reverb-drenched accordion provides a wonderful sense of atmosphere to the tune. Now that the band has given you a nice change of pace, they take you by storm with the thrashing speed of, "Forces of Victory". The flaring melodies jammed into the tight spaces of such a fast-paced song on this number is truly impressive. At the same time, you don't get the sense that they are simply trying to cram notes in or simply show off; it's a well written song full of melodic intensity-- the fact that they are showing off is merely coincidental. This song serves a great sense of purpose to the record in terms of tempo variations for side A of the second LP. They begin to wrap up side A of the second record with a calmer tone in, "Alcohol" ; and then conclude this side with "Suddenly... (I Miss Carpaty)" a high-voltage tune, where the band continually starts and stops on a dime.

The final side of the second record starts to spin with, "Your Country" is a neat song full of variety in changes, even featuring a neat synthesizer moment in the mid-section; this song really surprises you at every turn; it's kind of weird even, but incredibly fun and makes its mark as a unique number on the album. "American Wedding" sees the band launch into another gypsy-punk party, complete with another undeniably catchy chorus, and once again backed by the fantastic brass work of Slavic Soul Party.  The final closing song of the album, "Super Taranta!" features a brief return to the melody introduction from, "Supertheory of Supereverything" before launching into a world of its own full of rolling tribal-like percussion, and a highly danceable Balkan-like melody. The melody continues to build momentum, and the percussion continues to rumble with intensity layered by delayed guitar; the fiddle scrubbing away at the melody more, before rebuilding that intensity back up again. Finally exploding into a full blast of punk fury and dramatically ringing out, and then yet again fooling us and building us up yet once more; with those Balkan melodies still jittering above the surface before finally letting go.

For a band that single-handedly coined the term, "gypsy-punk"; who have mastered their unique fusion of these styles, and practically responsible for its creation altogether. Gogol Bordello really made an incredible album this go around, filled with rich melodies; ripe with hooks and strong choruses. It's an album that's loaded with fun, flare, and energy. It's put them on a fast-track to where they are today with the records that followed, "Trans-Continental Hustle" and most recently with, "Pura Vida Conspiracy" and proved them a force to be reckoned with.