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Come along and dance! dance! dance!
Down and out with your meaningless existence? Full of aimless wonderings and pointless days? Need a pick-me-up? Don’t call a shrink. Instead, boogie on over to the local record shop (or here) and seek out Brave Combo’s 1995 recording, Polkas for a Gloomy World.
This is not the traditional polka you hear on NPR or at the local Oktoberfest. It is nuclear polka — accordions with a bang, if you will, accompanied by trumpets, guitars, harmonicas, and the flugelhorn. This Denton, Texas-based sextet whips in tejano, ska, and occasionally even some mild techno elements with the predominant flavor of uppity polka. Many songs are famous compositions from the giants of the genre and popular in the polka community. Most tunes are in English, but as the style transcends borders and cultures, the group will sing in any language — Polish, Russian, Czech, German… Spanish if necessary.
What it all boils down to is Brave Combo creating a unique brand of goofy feel-good music without being boring merry-go-round purists. To boot, their music has something for everyone. Been dumped lately? You’ll identify with “Hosa Dyna” (Damn It All!). Bored with the Earth and want off this damp chip? Indulge in the second track, “Flying Saucer”. Angry? Well, “Pije Kuba” should temper your spirits, the message being, as read in the CD jacket, “If you don’t drink with us, we’ll hit you with a big stick.”
One more wonderful thing about these guys is they are always on tour, the Grateful Dead of polka. Check out their web site for dates at Brave.com. While you’re there, look at their huge discography with releases from 1979 to present-day.
