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Taraf de Haidouks - Band of Gypsies

Advantages: Fast, lively, talented, rare sounds
Disadvantages: None that I can think of except it might be difficult to understand lyrics

...a little bit about the band as I notice there is a distinct lack of reviews about them. Taraf de Haidouks are the Buena Vista Social Club of Europe, they're unbelievably talented musicians from a small village in Romania. The band line-up changes and they are forever willing to experiment with other musicians. Having been to a few live concerts of them myself, I can say that they are very open, friendly, talented and create a vigour and excitement ...
...on to the album - Band of Gypsies was recorded in Bucharest in the year 2000, it was the 4th album put out by Taraf De Haidouks, looking to integrate other Balkan styles they invited Kocani Orkestar (from Macedonia), Filip Simeonov a clarinet player from Bulgaria and percussionist Tarik Tuysuzoglu from Turkey to play alongside them on this masterpiece. Apart from the aforementioned songs, there are also a collection of live songs taken from a concert ...

dangaroo 28.04.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Band Of Gypsies [Digipak] - Taraf De Haidouks

Excellent album from Max Pashm

Advantages: Superbly fun and eclectic album
Disadvantages: None

Max Pashm's album Never Mind The Balkans is my new favourite album of the year, possibly even knocking Firewater's "The Golden Hour" off it's perch. It's incredibly danceable, I struggle to keep my hands and feet still whilst listening on public transport and it is bound to cheer up any day, no matter what the weather or circumstances. The album was released at the end of September, 2008 by Elektrikos/Organikos (don't quote me on this but I think ...
..."Imnul Kish Mayn Tokhes". Never Mind the Balkans is without a doubt an album that has to be listened to, an eclectic, fun piece from the genius that is Max Somers and his enterage. Having worked in the past as a producer with The Sex Pistols, he's mimicked their Never Mind The Bollox album cover on this interesting new album. 1. Imnul 2. Fight On The Streets 3. Rembeteli 4. I Neno 5. Klezmernaki 6. Anarchy 7. The Calling 8. The Tongue 9. ...

dangaroo 21.11.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Never Mind The Balkans Here's Max Pashm - Max Pashm

Kal - Self-titled album - The Coolest Band Ever

Advantages: A sublime fusion of roots and more modern music
Disadvantages: Not as good as some contemporaries

This is the self-named album Kal by Kal! Kal are a Serbian band from the small village of Valjevo but are now based in Belgrade, they fuse traditional roma music with a very slight amount of pop/crooning, they are one of very few Serbian artists that still play Balkan music in the traditional sense as Serbian music is these days liittered with keyboards in general. Kal (Romani for black) were once described by a BBC journalist in Leicester as "the ...
...spot on in this case. Kal dress in black suits and hats which instantaneously gives them a mafia look, this image is quickly broken though as they're jolly outlook on life woos the crowd where ever they are quite quickly. The band themselves do a lot of work in Serbia to integrate the roma people in to Serbia in general through theatre productions spanning from Budapest to Belgrade and Bucharest, each year they also run a school (Amala School in ...

dangaroo 26.06.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Kal - Kal (1)

Slightly brassed off

Advantages: Some catchy numbers, Hysni Zela's vocals
Disadvantages: Not all wedding music, not enough Hysni Zela, over-produced

...are not unknown in traditional Albanian music, there has never been the tradition of brass bands such as this. Although the band members are all serious and (very talented) musicians, they decided to form a brass band as a joke to create a tradition that never existed - brass bands travelling from town to town playing traditional music at weddings which is very common in the other Balkan countries of Southern Europe. Even if all that never existed ...
...styles and sounds that reflects Albanian culture and history. It was only in the latter part of the twentieth century that the doors of Albania were closed to the rest of the world. Before that Albania, like her Balkan neighbours, was a meeting point of east and west. For centuries Turkey - or more correctly the Ottoman Empire - was the dominant force in this part of Europe and there are obvious reminders of this in the songs on this CD. There are ...

fizzytom 25.09.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Albanian Wedding (Brass Explosion) - Fanfara Tirana

Introducing... Warsaw Village Band ~ 'Uprooting'

Advantages: Exciting; unique; passionate; challenging
Disadvantages: Well, it's in Polish, so some may find that a disadvantage...

In recent years, the little-known Warsaw Village Band have risen from obscurity to earn some much deserved recognition, playing several high-profile festivals including Glastonbury 09, and even clinching the Best Newcomer award at the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards in 2004. 'Uprooting' is a fine example of the band's capability, and also of their potential to grow and continue. Comprising six young musicians from Poland's capital, the band blend ...
...passionate and hypnotising set of tracks which should be essential listening for any music fan. I had the honour of first hearing the band when they performed at Musicport Festival 2008, a very surreal experience indeed as they were supporting Rolf Harris! Their set consisted of many of the tracks from 'Uprooting'. The performance put on by the band was both aurally and visually stunning, in part due to their incorporation in their music of many ...

littlewiggle 25.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Uprooting - Warsaw Village Band