Polka. Yes, Polka. Awesome Polka. Think Tom Waits stripped of hipster’isms. Celebrating Polka’s roots through its American evolution via seven vital musicians/groups born and raised in ethnic centers throughout the Midwest. Not too much English sung anywhere, but instead Polish, Czech, Croation, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian. These are contemporary, or at least fairly recent recordings by artists born with accordions in their hands and kielbasa in their mouths. Excellent bios and history and track by track descriptions included in the liner notes. Songs are either urgent fun 2/4 polka or more swaying smiling ¾ waltzes. Eastern European languages sound strange and exotic. Drinking fun stuff that fits anywhere. Don’t be shy.

1-4) Polish “Honky” Chicago style, clarinet and trumpet 3 is in English
5-7) Croation, no drums, tamboritza (mandolin-like), old world trad. sounding
8-11) Czech, brass band feel w/ tuba, nice clarinets
12-15) Slovenian, female lead and played, electric bass rocks this, w drums, heavily accordian centered, all instrumental
16-19) Finnish, no drums, folky mellower feel, instrumental except 19, track 18 is Tom Waits all the way w/o hipster gloss
20-23) Dutch , rings of germanic homeland tuba oom pa pa
24-27) English/Norwegian/German used in track 24, the greatest ode to beer ever written east of the Pecos (a traditional German song). In fact, this last group perfectly exemplifies the roots of old western hillbilly in european folk polka waltz. All four of these tracks are lovely.