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.

A diamond in the rough... from my vinyl vault: David Bowie's, "Let's Dance"

Front cover

Though certainly not rare, its definitely a great album. I actually have two copies of this, one I got at a thrift store in Chesapeake and one from Birdland- I spent only $2 or $3 on each copy (only reason; back when I temporarily didn't have my own turntable, I had my records boxed up and didn't realize I had it after-all).

I remember- I actually first heard this when I borrowed the CD from a friend of mine's older brother, and I recorded it onto a cassette and I would walk around our block after school on Fridays or on the weekend and listen to this on my Walkman pretty often- it was one of the first obviously dated records from 80's I got really into. I don't mean that in necessarily a negative way, but with the production and especially the drum sounds on this- it's chock full of features typical of an 80's record, and the first record with that kind of style and sound- somewhat the "new wave" era, that I got interested in and exposed to.  However, unlike many other records from this period in music- this was a record that was very, with-the-times so to speak- that has also managed to withstand the test of time; not an easy task, as most pop music from this generation becomes the butt of bad jokes, outdated, and/or only thought of highly in terms of nostalgia.

Things kick off with a great boom, the opener and one of the lead singles, "Modern Love", still a classic from the album today; a ridiculously addictive catchy upbeat number, boasting a rip roaring sax from Steve Elson, all within the course of 4 and a half minutes. Worthy of countless repetitions, the strength of the album could stand on the shoulders of this song alone (but don't worry, it doesn't- it only gets better). Things take a semi-surprising turn as the opener fades and glides into, "China Girl", the famous David Bowie/Iggy Pop number; featuring a distinctive tinkering melody, another lead single from the album; Bowie's voice etched in the stone of the song, it's another trademark of the album. Third track in, "Let's Dance" boasts the famous Beatles ah's in it, but more importantly- this slight insertion discredit the song, instead it shows it standing on its own two feet; reinventing that moment musically for a whole new era. "Without You" is a particular tune, that just doesn't quite get enough of the credit it possibly deserves, the insatiable huge hook of, "There's no smoke without fire. You're exactly who I want to be with. Without you, what could I do?" It's a high point of the album, an understated tune and a climax for the first side of the record.

Backside.

Flipping over to side B, things get very rhythmically interesting and quite different with, "Ricochet". The energy gets cranked up with, "Criminal World", a song that also could've been a huge hit from this record. It's a song that boasts all the right moves, it has the perfect feel, the right hooks, the right everything. Things cool down just a bit, as we near the end of the record with, "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"; Stevie Ray Vaughn really shines on this particular song, and shows of his chop- flaring and waving in and out with his fancy fretwork in between Bowie's crooning. The closing track, "Shake It" ends on an upbeat feel, a grooving funkadelic bass line, both awesome and ridiculously amusing background vocals. The lead guitar weaves intricately in the perfect moments to provide excellent texture for the track, and the synth/keyboard lines provide the same funky-ness the bass groove does. Fading out, it's a record rolls perfectly back into itself again; it has to be played time and time again. Unlike so many other records of its time, though full of characteristics typical of 80's pop records; David Bowie's music, and this album too will always remain timeless classics.

Some home-state shows with the Fighting Jamesons....

You wanted the best... you got the best!

We recently finished up some Virginia shows in Roanoke, Fredericksburg, and Harrisonburg- also a show in Raleigh, North Carolina. Wrapping up the end of March, we played at Hard Times in Fredericksburg where we got to be KISS for just that one night (Mike got them to change the lights behind us to KISS lol). I'm a big KISS fan by the way, and I'm possibly semi-responsible for causing Mike to impersonate Paul Stanley from time to time (in the sense that I encourage this lol). My favorite Paul Stanley-ism is, "Why you people are hot! Why you're so hot- you're... HOTTER THAN HELL! (*then they roll straight into that song)- lol classic. Anyways, they really had some highly flashy stuff with the lighting in that place- and it made for a funny picture too. It was a great space, a long deep room- people were hopping around and having a good time, and the staff couldn't have been nicer. It was a rewarding feeling knowing we'd won the audience over that evening.

Starting things off in April, we headed out to Roanoke, Virginia to Martin's Downtown. The show was opened by Black Mountain Revival, a bluegrass band consisting of stand-up bass, acoustic guitars and mandolin. Though it was my first time meeting them personally, they go way back with the older members of the band- we had a great time hanging out and playing shows with them; they were a definitely a nice group of guys. Their frontman Chris was especially hospitable to us, and also really hilarious.

Justin the, "Irish Thor" Connor at Martin's Downtown

We got a chance to stroll around Roanoke a bit before we played; definitely a pretty town, nice atmosphere. It was wonderful to see some dedicated fans that have been into the Fighting Jamesons since the beginning both before and after the show; showing up with older Jameson's t-shirts. It means a lot to us in the band, because it's very inspiring to see their enthusiasm when they come out to the shows. Also, after speaking with some of them, they seemed highly pleased about the new record and the direction the band has gone in on the new album.

The next night, we headed out to Raleigh North Carolina to play at Tir Na Nog. It was a great venue, a beautiful large Irish bar- ripe for the Jameson's to set up and play our brand of Celtic-rock/punk. We got a great response out of the audience that night, including a nice couple who had seen us previously in March while on one of our dates with Lucero who liked it so much they said they had to come back- along with a nice handful of some fans from previous stops in the Raleigh area.  

at Madipalooza.

Lastly, was our show for, "Madipalooza" at James Madison University. For me personally, this one took the cake! The JMU students went nuts- I have a great batch of some very fun new memories of how wild that crowd was: the "Dr.Pepper-shirt dude" (he was my favorite) crowd-surfing in a giant circle was pretty epic, the gentleman's mosh pit crew to the left-front-center, the purple tank-top dude, the "you with the glasses" girl on her friend's shoulders, the security dude who did the "2-3!" on the Irish Rover- the students at Madipalooza were a rowdy bunch and they definitely know how to rock a Jamesons show. It was wonderful chatting with the students afterwards and conversing with folks at the merch table too. If and when we go back in the future- I'll be thrilled to play there again. These past few shows have been a great run- it's been great seeing older fans return, but also making some new ones along the way. In the meantime, we've got a great handful of shows coming up in May with a lot to look forward to.

A diamond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: Judy Garland's, "Judy In Love"

Judy Garland's, "Judy In Love"

Judy Garland immediately brings to mind Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz; some people are totally unaware that she actually also recorded a ton of swing albums. Not to say that the Wizard of Oz isn't a timeless cinematic classic of course, but it's kind of a shame that her solo records didn't receive as much attention as they perhaps deserved. She had a precise way of selecting songs, a very keen sense of style; she really drove them home. Garland's voice goes toe to toe with the even the best of jazz vocalists.

I picked this particular record up at Birdland Records in Virginia Beach used for just $3. After downloading it, I quickly became a fan of her take on the classic swing sound. So once I got lucky and found it in the used bin, I had to pick it up. After initially discovering this album on the net and reading that she actually had quite a huge discography of recordings; a large chunk of albums that were completely separate studio projects from the vast material on the musicals and films she had also worked on. Musically, it's in the same playing field as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, etc. Jazz vocal pop at its best backed with swing/big-band instrumentation. Though she's not throwing any curve-balls at you, every pitch is perfect on this record; she's a master at her craft.

Judy In Love is her fourth studio album, excluding some previous film soundtracks, and was released in 1959 (well, Wikipedia claims 1958, but my record says 1959). The album kicks off with, "Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart" (this was also recorded for the film Listen, Darling). Originally composed by James F. Hanley in 1934, This opener was recorded by countless others, including (but definitely not limited to...): Frank Sinatra, June Christy, Dinah Shore, and countless others; not surprising since these are all artists in the same genre (as that applies to the whole album), and all doing standard jazz tunes if you will. Arguably, Garland's version steals the show to all the other versions out there- yup, even Frankie's. Things cool down a notch, as the needles glides into the soothing, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" another classic jazz standard tune, originally written in 1928 by Jimmy McHugh. I first heard this sung by a character in a somewhat cheesy yet amusing B-Rate movie not worthy of mention, but the familiarity and the charming lyrical moments in this song shine through, and Garland's performance of it not only contends with the best, but oddly enough- for a considerably old song and older form of music, feels almost timeless. The energy and sensational power of Garland's voice really gets to show off during, "This Is It", possibly one of the most climatic points on the album, the momentum behind her voice in this moment feels limitless."More Than You Know", also notably done by Mildred Bailey (a popular 1930's jazz singer- she's definitely an underrated one worth checking out as well) this is another light breezy number, setting us up for another emotional high to come with, "I Am Loved" (a treasure from the famous Cole Porter songbook) wrapping up the first side of the record.

Side B starts off with a slow-dancing, "I Had't Anyone 'Til You", a Ray Noble tune from 1938 and gently rolls into another Poter tune with, "I Concentrate On You" which starts with a similar feel and then builds to a controlled tension, and ends magnificently with a climatic release; an eruption of trumpets blaring and fading into, "I'm Confessin" and then once again returning for a Porter song with, "Do I Love You?". Though she selected Porter tunes more than anyone else, it seems her voice and his writing were perfect fits, as all three Porter tunes on this record demonstrate the many moods those songs encompass and really give Garlands vocal cords a chance to flex their muscles. "Do It Again" starts strolling us along for the close of the record with, "Day In, Day Out". 

All in all, why Garland isn't just as known for her music as her film rolls? Just dumb-luck I guess. On the bright side, she left behind a legacy of classic swing/jazz vocal-pop recordings, just as good- if not better- than all the other singers who performed these standard tunes, and if you are interested in what her solo records were like, "Judy In Love" is a great starting point. 

A diamond in the rough.... specificially, a Greek diamond..... from my vinyl vault: The Golden Bouzoukia Ensemble's, "Dancing in the Isles"

Golden Bouzoukia Emsemble's, "Dancing in the Isles"

I've had some lucky finds at Birdland Records in Virginia Beach in the past. One day, I'm browsing through the used stuff and I stumble upon this eye-catching record. Hmmm What's this? After the initial conclusion its obviously world music based on the folkloric attire of the people on the cover of the record, my interest is now peeked. I look a little harder at the translation (the Greek alphabet is very peculiar looking by the way- I must admit I'd probably never really taken a hard look at it until then) and find it's a group called the Golden Bouzoukia Ensemble with an album entitled, "Dancing in the Isles". I start reading the back of the record- where if you look very closely behind the guys holding the bouzoukis, you'll notice an accordion player to the far right (for obvious reasons- this record now has my full attention). I read the back of the record, and found out it was some form of Greek music I'd never heard of until then called rembetika (aka rembetiko- it seems to go by both spellings as far as I can tell). Rembetika is often said to be the Greek version of the blues; however, musically it's very different sounding than what most Americans would think or recognize as the blues. Apparently, the similarities are more cultural than musical; as the lyrical content is where its comparative moments lie. Rembetika was said to be the music of people not on board with societal norms. Parallel to the American blues, what serves as the basis of such a comparison is that the soul of the music lies in its tales of troubles, its sincere attitude, and tone of despiar. Typical subject matter of the lyrics often serving harsh jail sentences, usually a result for smoking hashish, or falling on hard times: frustrated romantic relationships, drug addiction, death and grief. Musically however, there is little room to compare the sounds being created. The scales (known as, "roads") are drastically unlike our blues, followed by rather different rhythmic choices, and the tonality of it is quite possibly its most notable feature. And as I'm standing there (not even aware of the definition of rembetika at this particular moment in time)- I'm thinking ok, I'm looking at  a very affordable, exotic, Greek folk record- of a subgenre I've never even heard of-  so I'm in! So for $3 I bought it. The record itself is in pretty great shape- the sleeve is mint/worn- but otherwise, she works great!

Back sleeve to, "Dancing in the Isles"

I take it home, while wondering if I'd found something good, and set the needle on the record. Within seconds I was highly intrigued. This exciting shimmering melody filled the room; a new world of music had instantly flooded my ears. Bouzoukis were plucking away at shuffling melodic lines that seemed to appealingly tug at your ear. Bouzoukis are basically pretty similar to mandolins in the way that they sound (the tone is a tiny bit different), and somewhat similar looking in the sense that they look like strange tiny guitars. They are rounded on the bodies at the end, and have a similar string scenario: 8 strings, four sets of paired strings, just like mandolins. I'm assuming they are tuned the way mandolins are as well, but I've never seen or touched one in person to be sure. The accordion serves the record mostly rhythmically, but gets a moment to shine for a solo on, "Dance of the Brave Men" a very energetic hopping number. The rhythm section consists of a mostly relaxed, but highly effective bass and simple drumming section. This entire record is instrumental, with the bouzoukis in the foreground taking the leads. The extraordinary qualities of the Greek melodies plucked note by note have highly memorable characteristics to them, galloping from one song into another throughout the course of the thirteen tunes that compose the record. What is most striking to me about this album, and this could be just because it was my first record to put me into contact with the sound of rembetika; is that every track is sonically unique while still adhering to the defining elements of this very particular style of Greek music. This a very unique record, and though I hope to find out more about this group (if there is anything else out there from them to find)- in the mean time, I'm glad I'm finding out more about the type of music it introduced me to in the first place.

A diamond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: S.O.A.- Demo EP

S.O.A's demo EP 12/29/1980.

After recently posting about Dischord Record's 1981: The Year in Seven Inches compilation, I couldn't resist also posting about how stoked I was after ordering this record that I just received in the mail a couple days ago! Here we have S.O.A.'s (State of Alert) 12/29/1980 demo EP, containing previously unreleased versions of the some of the same songs that were also done on the, "No Policy" contained on the compilation mentioned above.

The recordings all from the same session at Inner Ear Studios; the EP contains 8 tracks total. "Disease" and, "Stepping Stone" are the same versions that wound up being selected for the, "Flex Your Head" compilation. The version of "Gonna' Have to Fight" made the bands official EP. The other 5 tracks: "Public Defender", "Gang Fight", "Draw a Blank", "Warzone", and ,"Riot" are all previously unreleased alternate takes; separate from the sessions that made the EP. 

The record itself came in a neat bright red disc, complete with awesome live shots from their gigs, past flyers, and even a neat recruit flyer for the brief period when they switched from Simon Jacobsen to Ivor Hansen. Before (at least I believe it was before) they were called S.O.A. for a brief period they were the Extorts; it seems a demo under that name exists. There are some bootlegs of the Extorts demo out there that contains 5 songs: "Draw Blank", "I Hate the Kids", "Not For Free", "Curfew",   and , "Stepping Stone". As to whether the Dischord Records has any intentions of releasing that particular demo I don't know at this time, as they haven't stated so on their webpage about it in the news about reissues; but I suppose its not impossible that they may choose to release it later on.  I don't know how the process for reissuing these demos really works; in regards to transferring the masters (as most of these were most likely originally on cassette tape form I think)

The inside sleeve of the record indicates that S.O.A. only played 8 shows total: December 13th 1980 at a party on Calvert Street, December 17th 1980 at D.C. Space for the Unheard Of Music Festival, January 9th 1981 at D.C. Space again, January 10th 1981 at the 9:30 Club, April 4th 1981 at the Wilson Center, May 9th 1981 at H.B. Woodlawn Highschool, May 22nd 1981 at the Rumba Club, and July 10th 1981 at  the Starlite Ballroom-Kensington in Philadelphia, Pennsylvnia (there only show ever outside of their hometown area before disbanding).

I'm not entirely certain if S.O.A. disbanded as a result of Henry Rollins joining Black Flag, or if they had broken up anyways and he coincidentally joined Black Flag shortly after? He seems to rarely mention or talk about S.O.A. at all in his interviews/spoken word shows, etc. However, there could be something I'm not aware of- and I haven't read all of his books, so it's possible he maybe mentions it on there. Again however, it seems to rarely be a topic he addresses, or quite possibly is never even asked about since he's much more known for his work with Black Flag and Rollins Band.

Ad for drummer on back of sleeve.

It's not that I'm not raving this release; but to go too into detail about the material would be overly redundant of the material I discussed for the, "No Policy" EP review. The recording quality is definitely equal/on par with the, "No Policy" EP. As for the alternate takes of some of the same songs that were on the official EP, they don't sound drastically different, and they are all great takes. It's hard to say whether they are better or worse? I don't know if that's really even a valid concern. They more of just are what they are: the difference is noticeable, but also somewhat subtle. Most people probably wouldn't notice the differences too much; only those who are really familiar with the material will notice it. The songs themselves are the blistering furious iconic D.C. hardcore you can expect. This is a wonderfully packaged great reissue of an interesting and short-lived band, worth grabbing if you collect punk/hardcore; definitely a must for the genre.

Another huge diamond in the rough.... from my vinyl vault: Beirut's, "Gulag Orkestar"

Beirut's,"Gulag Orkestar".

Considering my last post was a huge influential record for me, I feel Beirut's,"Gulag Orkestar" is an appropriate and equally inspiring record to follow up that post with. This record came out the summer of 2006 (released by Ba Da Bing! Records),  I remember my oldest sister Holly got it as a gift for me when we were in Relative Theory Records together in Norfolk. I remember walking up to the desk and asking to hear it at the listening stations they had. Once it started playing it wasn't what I expected, it all felt entirely new to me; simultaneously, it had qualities that made you feel like you knew it, even though you know you never had before. Beirut has consistently often been labeled as indie-folk, which is not untrue, but I would argue a tad bit misleading. I remember the handwritten note by one of the clerks had also filed it this way, but honestly its leaning categorically much more towards world music in general, and projected through a thick pop music lens. Regardless of what you want to call it, it is a brilliant modern take on folk music infused heavily with Balkan and traditional world music.
The personnel on this album consists of both memebers from a the somewhat similar Hack And A Hacksaw: Jeremy Barnes (also formerly of Neutral Milk Hotel fame) on accordion and percussion and Heather Trost on violin, Perrin Cloutier is credited as cello (however, its worth noting he currently is doing accordion at their live shows and specializes in both instruments; and according to liner notes and online sources, it seems this is the only recording he didn't perform as the accordionist on), Hari Ziznewski on clarinet (notably was also involved with Alaska In Winter's, "Dance Part In the Balkans- a group also from Albuquerque, New Mexico that even featured Zach Condon some), and then of course last, but certainly not least- Zach Condon on (basically everything else! Are you ready for it?): lead vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, ukulele, also percussion and accordion, mandolin, organ, and piano. If that wasn't enough, he recorded a considerable chunk of the record in his bedroom, finishing the rest with said lineup.

The 11 songs that shape this record are wonderfully crafted gems full of European melodies, with  Condon's soothing vocals gliding over each tune, and the instrumentation truly transcends you to a different sound of the globe. The opening title track gradually lifts you off into Beirut's unique brand of folk, and ever so carefully slides you into the gorgeous waltz of, "Prenzlauerberg", then sweeping into the the strum patterns, "Brandenburg". All the while, the energy carefully pulling you in as the needle draws more and more near the center of the first side; the trumpets blaring in all the right places, fading into what has become the hit of the album (and with good reason!), "Postcards From Italy" with its charming vocal melody unfolding the poetic story of the song as it builds into a climatic moment and slowly dies back down to transform into the waltz of, "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)". Once again, Beirut makes you get lost in the record, Wroclai creates the desire to shout the chorus along with them, like a chapter inside a marvelous novel, you are compelled to immediately flip to side B to see what's happening next!

The divide picks up right where Wroclai left off and, "Rhineland (Heartland)" continues with that same intensity and then just when you thought you knew every trick up Condon's sleeve, a glimpse of his past electronica project Realpeople (which he resumed again for the other half of the March of the Zapotec EP; quick interesting fact about Realpeople: he released an LP under this pseudonym before forming  Beirut entitled, "The Joys of Losing Weight"- it seems semi-rare, but worth checking out for fans of Condon's music) with, "Scenic World" (later to have another wonderful alternate version on the, "Lon Gisland" EP). The momentum of, "Bratislava" of perfectly transitions in the soft build-up of, "The Bunker" before once again bursting into another gloriously uplifting chorus. As we start to come to a close, "The Canals of Our City" helps wind us down into the final cries of, "After the Curtain".

Back of, "Gulag Orkestar".

Gulag Orkestar is a momentous occasion every time is spins on the turntable, a genius album full of songs that prove themselves as carefully constructed tunes rich harmony, melody, and an overwhelming swarm of controlled emotion. The record is constantly building and rolling from one song to another. Even more so, with each listen- little details seem to reveal themselves to the listener every time.

I had gotten it on CD from my oldest sister as mentioned above, and years later when I saw them perform at the Norva- I decided that I needed this classic for my vinyl collection, and was lucky enough to have a brief encounter with Condon himself and he was kind enough to autograph my copy, which as both a fan and a musician was a huge honor. This record is one of the absolute main reasons I decided I wanted to start playing accordion. Though the accordion lines on this record are mostly rhythmic, and serve more as muscle tissue around the bones of the songs- with Condon's voice and the trumpets/horns taking the lead- it doesn't matter. Every line it plays in the record though is so important, regardless of it not always being in the foreground. Its simply the overall execution, and the end result that matters; this record is a case of the sum being greater than the means. The big picture of this record, is its transcending qualities, and the way it creates the feeling of floating musically and drifting you up into a stratosphere. Gulag Orkestar is an all time favorite of mine, and has captured the hearts of people with its iconic song writing and unique sense of taste and style.