Cristina Branco, one of Portugal's finest new fado singers, will debut a new show, starting on the 2nd of February and running until the 24th, at the Jardim de Inverno, Teatro Municipal Sao Luiz. This show will celebrate the music of Jose Afonso (aka Zeca Afonso), one of the most influencial musicians in the history of Portuguese popular music.

Cristina Branco is known for her different approach to fado music, taking it into a new dimension. Classic tracks are given new life with her unique voice and effort. Covering foreign artists or singing in Portuguese from Brazil are among what Cristina has brought into her music and fado, mainly.

Zeca Afonso was born in Aveiro, back in 1929. During his life, he became very active against the dictatorial regime of Oliveira Salazar, using his music as a mean to reach all those fighting against the regime, wanting to change the course and fate the country was sunk into. With all his efforts and achievements, after his death in February 23, 1987, he is still remembered and listened all around the world.

On Cristina Branco Canta Zeca Afonso, Cristina will be joined by Alexandre Frazao, Bernando Moreira, Mario Delgado and Ricardo Dias. These shows can be seen, on February, every Friday and Saturday, starting at 24h.

Discover some of Cristina Branco's music right here.

Another Minimax compilation has just come out. Already on its fourth numer, the Minimax series continues promoting the new sounds coming out of Poland.

This time Piotr Kaczkowski has decided to go more into darker and heavier tunes than ever before. Mainly devoted to heavy metal, hard and classical rock, this 4th release brings us the sound of 16 new bands, including a track by Kombajn do Zbierania Kur Po Wioskach (one of the bands participating on the debut Minimax release). Be sure to get doses of heavy guitar riffs, loud and gutural vocals and some very interesting cross-overs.

Out of these 16 bands we recommend Londyn, Zywiolak, GandahaR, Tramway, Pavulon Twist and Mjut. It's a pity this compilation could not come out as a double album as there were so many interesting projects that could not make it to this edition.

We are glad we could give our support to the new sounds of PL.PT with our free online compilation and promote the new music from these two countries.

For those interested in discovering some of these new bands, the album can be bought right here. Check as well the available previews.

The Oporto-based rock band Blind Zero are to release an acoustic album celebrating their 13th anniversary.

This sextet will release Time Machine (Memories Undone 1994-2007), an album that gathers several tracks recorded during 2006's Confidencias Tour.

You can listen to some of their tracks, right here, at their MySpace.

See them live on the following dates:

10/02 @ Teatro Antonio Lamoso, Santa Maria da Feira

24/02 @ Teatro Vila Real, Vila Real

03/03 @ Fantasporto, Oporto

Tks to Hugo Amaral and his ISO800 for the BZ's live concert photo.

"... Mesdames et messieurs, nous vous souhaitons la bienvenue 'a bord de la navette spatiale des lignes Cosmiques Mathplanete....."

The motto is set. We only have one way out. Go on-board and take part on this intergalactic journey throughout the world of Piotr Skotnicki and Artur Wlodkowski.

This Warsaw-based duo have just released their debut album, Mathplanete, an album that combines jazz elements together with deep house, soul and r&b.

Set for the dance floor, this is an album that travels amidst many genres within the world of dance music. We start of with Intro, a track that takes us back to Dimitri from Paris' Sacrebleu, heading up to an hibrid r&b/house Lunatics, more dancable than before and somehow, setting up the mood for what is still ahead of us.

Free continues on the same path, now with a register closer to a Seal's remix more orientated to the dance floor. Back Up Your Love and Shake Your Brain are more acid jazz, with some breakbeats on the horizon. These latter arrive right next with Thick Skinned. Still on a vocal register close to Seal, now less r&b and but closer to soul. The Real Me, featuring the Polish band Plastic, comes more as a suprise, a very pleasant suprise. Downtempo beats cooled down by a spaced jazzy breeze. A string quartet gives it the ultimate touch, revealing, who knows, the real Mathplanete out there!!!

The album continues with the breakbeats and delicate french words of Natasha Jenkis, on La Nuit, moving forth into the strongly addictive and festive Just One Smile, to the Barry White-inspired soul and r&b deep voice on Out of Joint and Restless.

The album continues on a good pace until I run into Lunatique (french version), a Euro-Pop Trash hymn that could have been avoided at any cost. The Polish version is very interesting but the French sister track cannot avoid comparisons to the worst things coming out of France!!!!

In the end, one of the most interesting releases to come out on the world of dance music made in PL, alongside with Plastic's 2006 self-titled debut.

They were "Born in the XXI Century..."

Tiago Matos, Marcio Duarte, Wagner Fernandes, Miguel Nicolau, Nuno Ruas and Carlos Sousa released last year the so-called Spartak! One EP, their debut EP.

They are pop meets electronica; they are Madchester XXI century; they are melodic tunes, little electronic gizmos and synthesisers.

A promising debut that lets us wondering about their next release.

Hailing from Coimbra, this four-piece band has shown us the way to salvation, with their brand new Luna Dance.
After the 2002 EP Too Flop Too Boogie and the 2004 album Trying To Lose, Bunnyranch are back to rescue you from temptation, and save your soul!!!

Kalo, on vocals, drums and percussion, Pedro Calhau, on bass, Joao Cardoso, on organ, piano, and vocals, and Andre Ferrao, on guitar, continue delivering us doses of furious, fast and melodic rock 'n' roll.

Inside My Head was the first single to be taken out of Luna Dance. On the prescription it's written that it shall be listened at maximum volume.

Do not resist! It is futile! Embrace the salvation!!

Somehow you find yourself in the wild west. Step into the saloon right next door!!! There's a band playing on stage. It starts slowly, with a slide guitar.

We're part of a film. A Western. Soon, the bad guys will come in and everything will change. No, they're already inside. They're 5, and they're playing dirty bits, spitting every word they say. The music, contagious, starts having its effect. Take off your shirt, scream out loud and dance!!!! The music comes bursting out of the speakers!!!!! The wild west is no longer!!!!

Welcome to the world of the Green Machine. Please join Joao Pimenta, Bruno Costa, Angelo Sousa, Pedro Oliveira and Rude on their mission. These 5 lads storming out of Barcelos, are rampaging not only Portugal but Spain as well. Prepare yourselves for this rock'n'roll machine. Expect nothing but guitars, dirty, noisy and damn fast, vocals, spitten and screamed out loud, uncontrolled bass sessions and drum sounds bursting out of your stereo.

Sometimes there's only one way out! No looking back!!! Run fast, as fast as you can!! Eyes closed, heart beating wild, sweat coming out of every pore, no time to rest.

This adventure kicks in with I Can't move (but my head runs like a horse), the album's first single. Catchy chorus, guitars played fast, dirty and noisy. After this track, there's no switching off. Summer boys continues in the same mood. In case you didn't surrender after the first track, you should be pretty convinced by now. Still, you've only gone through the first two tracks. There's five more to go.

Joao Guincho, Paulo Franco, Joao Leitao and Pedro Cacao released last year an album that breathes melody, punk and rock music; that crosses references such as Black Sabbath, Queens of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Clash or Fu Manchu, among many others.

Their music is to be listened loud and non-stop. Each track grabs you in such a way that you cannot stop dancing, you cannot resist it.
Feel the music coming out of the speakers! Feel the adrenalin going up! Feel .......... Ready!Set!Go!

Enforce The Funk is D-Mars and D-Fine debut album. After the adventures under the name of Rocky Marsiano, D-Mars returned and this time with a new project and a new partner, to what has revealed itself as one of the most interesting debuts in 2006.

In Enforce the Funk, we are asked to discover the new sounds of funk, to open our minds to the electro hip-hop, and to have an idea of what would have been if Afrika Bambaataa would have released something last year.

The Portuguese post punk electronic rock power trio returned last 2006 with Side Effects. The band of Joao Vieria, Fernando Sousa and Rui Maia brought us an electric rock and punk rooted album that has continued what was recorded on their 2004 debut album, Feeding the Machine.

Raw and fast guitar riffs, 80's synth atmospheres, catchy electro sounds, fit for the dance floor!!! Beware on these Side Effects!!!

"...Legendary Tiger Man is a one-man band show following the tradition of the roots and original Blues from the Mississippi's delta, where the blues-men performed playing and singing alone, and improvising rythms in the dance halls of the deep South...."

Paulo Furtado released Masquerade, his third adventure into the world of rock 'n' roll, soul, gospel and blues music.

On this album he managed to continue exploring his characteristic sound and still delivering an album that breathes freshness. The melodies, the slide guitar screaming sounds and the catchy tunes that put our feets moving to the beat and you singing along are all there in a wonderful shape!!!

Worth mentioning Nel Assassin's scratch on the track Say Hey Hey and Dead Combo on Let Me Give It To You.

This cd was released as a special edition together with a DVD with several films, a documentary and three videos.

You know what? Honey! Honey, you're so much......

The Oporto-based Alexandre Monteiro released last year one of the most interesting debut of the year. Cruisin Alaska brought us a new hope in the Portuguese pop music scene.

Likened to The Beatles, The Beach Boys or Syd Barrett, this is pop music at its best, with a touch of novelty and sophistication. Smooth electronics, delicate vocals, pink fluffy and dreamy melodies, children series' soundtracks, lyrics about love, hope and people. Lyrics about you and me.

In the end, this is an album to be listened several times. As the tracks swift constantly from one direction to another, we never get fed up of it, and on the contrary, we listen to it more and more!!!

"... If you only have one wish, You better make it big..."

From time to time, some try to renew Fado. Some make it , others don't.

A Naifa, with Joao Aguarela, Luis Varatojo, Maria Antonia Mendes and Paulo Martins leading the boat, have been doing it for quite a long time and last year they released their second album 3 Minutos antes de a mare encher, after the sucessful debut album Cancoes subterraneas.

If Musica, on Cancoes subterraneas, was an instant hit, now, Monotone and A verdade apanha-se com enganos do the same for this 3 Minutos antes de ......

Imagine the sound of Fado and the Portuguese guitar. Imagine the best of pop. Now imagine them merging. Did you manage to? Then, you've found A Naifa.

".... fui apanhado aos vinte e dois anos
em plena capicua inocente e rua
em amantíssima posse viral
a verdade apanha-se com enganos...."

Karlon and Praga, aka Nigga Poison, released last year Resistentes, an album that gathers the sounds of hip-hop, reggae, dub and Cape Verde musical roots, transforming it in one of the most danceable and damn explosive releases to see the light back in 2006.

It all started back in 1994. Later on 2001, they would release their debut album, Podia Ser Mi. 5 years later, the confirmation arrived with Resistentes and tracks such as the corrosive Governo Gosta de Di Paka, the danceable, funky, beat crowded Fazes Parte Deste Mundo featuring the sensual Romi, the fast forward spoken word and repetitive loops of Deixa Di Leru Leru and the bombastic and arse shakin' Yes Man.

Yes!!! The time has come for you to dance to this incredible duo.

Cindy Kat go back to the year 2003. Last year, their self-titled debut album hit the stores.

Paulo Abelho, Joao Eleuterio and Pedro Oliveira, together with very special guests Gomo, Sam, JP Simoes and Pedro Abrunhosa, are responsible for the spacey synthesiser and minimal electronic sounds, for the pop dating back to Setima Legiao, for the funk and groove of Nova Convention and Fix My Phaser, for the experimental Manifesto and the magnific Miudo, with JP. Simoes in charge of the vocal register.

2006 saw one of many Armando Teixeira's projects returning in great shape. A Grande Mentira was Balla's return, and what a comeback.
10 tracks where pop rules, always spiced with the best electronic in the house. Special note for the great new look on Mao Morta's Oub'La.

On Balla's third release, after 2003's Le Jeu, and 2000's self-titled debut album, he has returned with one of his best albums so far. Great lyrics, sensual sometimes, other times straight to the point, sexy and smooth vocals, full-bodied chorus, amazing arrangements, dressing up each track so elegantly and tempting. In A Grande Mentira we find some of the best pop production for 2006 and one of Portugal's best producer and composer.

With guests Joana Mateus (vocals on Saltei de Mim), Nanu (string arrangements on O Fim da Luta), Nel Assassin (scratch on Fugir?Ficar?), Vladimir Orlov (teremin on Construi uma Mentira) and Sylvie (vocals on Ola John Difool) we see these 10 pieces getting close to the universe of the film noir sountracks, blinking an eye to Jay Jay Johansson's pop, moving close to the elegant and sensual pop of Roxy Music and to the smooth electronics of the French band Air.

"... Gosto de ver-te passar,
Anseio por ver-te passar,
mas eu nao vou, nao vou...."

Lisbon-based Tora Tora Big Band is a collective of 12 musicians that make jazz their day to day language. .... but not regular jazz. Tora Tora is packed with warm and festive vibes.
Hailing from six different countries, Miguel Goncalves (Brazil), Johannes Krieger (Germany), Ze Maria (Portugal), Guto Lucena (Brazil), Lars Arens (Germany), Claus Nymark (Denmark), Peter Wetherill (USA), Filipe Raposo (Portugal), Francesco Valente (Italy), Hugo Menezes (Portugal), Andre Pacheco "Junior" (Portugal) and Davide Rodrigues (Portugal) have combined musical elements from African, Asian, Brazilian, South American and Caribbean music.

Spreading their musical happiness since 2001, this contagious dance machine grabbed the sounds of the world and delivered us nine wonderful tracks that burst out with vibe, movement, coolness and tunes from out there!!!!

Listen to this amazing cultural mix and to these twelve very interesting characters, each one with its very peculiar story.

"...you should go ahead and play without preconceptions, said an old man ........."

So they did..........
You Should Go Ahead are Pedro, David, Ines, and Tiago. Having heard advice, they did nothing else but taking it quite seriously and last year You Should Go Ahead released their self-titled debut album.

Their sound can be described as a combination of screaming guitars, 70's post-punk, rock and some melodic tunes. Imagine as well, Maximo Park, The Walkmen, Gang of Four or Interpol. As you can guess, their record came at the right time.

You Should Go Ahead, was released on the 29th of May 2006 . The first single taken from the album is this Like When I Was Seventeen, which was mastered by Howie Weinberg, known to have worked with names like Franz Ferdinand, Sonic Youth or The Smashing Pumpkins.

Buraka Som Sistema couldn't have thought about a better name for their first EP, From Buraka To The World.

Hailing from Portugal/Angola, this Lisbon-based collective has been spreading its music across the world. Australia, Sweden, England, USA, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany,.... to name but a few, they've all discovered the new sounds of Portugal meets Angola .

This kuduro, kizomba, d'n'b, dub and hard-techno mix has taken everyone by suprise, making no prisoners. Kuduro and kizomba were a music genre partially ignored by some in Portugal. Thanks to BSS, this sound has conquered Portugal and is taking over the world, being compared to the phenomenon that hit us in 2005/2006 called Baile Funk.

After Underground Sound of Lisbon, back in 1994, taking the new electronic sounds of Lisbon to everyone, twelve years later the time has come to Angola and Portugal say "We're here" once again.

Goncalo Frota, Hugo Frota, Joao Palma and Ricardo Goncalves are the Houdini Blues. After the albums True Life Is Elsewhere (2001) and Extravaganza (2003), they are back with F de Falso, one of the most interesting albums to come out of PT last year.

The record starts with Bailare, the perfect opening track for this F de Falso, starring Adolfo Luxuria Canibal on vocals. Further on, Icaro, Tudo (starring Mito Mendes), Duas Balas, Charles Manson (cover for a Mao Morta's track) and Putuaria, are there to make this musical adventure a more pleasant trip.

Pop music: Joyful, original, fresh and addictive; guitar sounds that flow smoothly, sometimes faster, out of control, sometimes in a spiral; a touch of electronic and world music here and there; intelligent writing; scents of cabaret music; Spanish traditional chorus, samples in French ...........

First it was Punk, then ...... the guitars came...... noisy, arty, melodic.

Linda Martini are Andre Henriques, Claudia Guerreiro, Helio Morais, Pedro Geraldes and Sergio Lemos.

Last year, they released one the most waited and acclaimed albums in Portugal. After 2005's demo, the stakes were quite high for this band. Nevertheless, Linda Martini have successfully delivered us a magnificent 9 track album.

The rampaging guitars and vocals of Cronofago, the first single out of Olhos de Mongol, the melodic, spiral and heavy sounds of Da-me a tua melhor faca, the spacey calm loops and delicately sung Estuque and Quarto 210, the experimental and noisy O amor e' nao haver Policia, the explosive hit Amor combate, have confirmed Lindi Martini as one of the best new acts to come out of Portugal and one to watch for.

6 years after the release of Lupa, singer/songwriter Sergio Godinho came back with Ligacao Directa, one of 2006's most interesting records and one of his best albums released during these past years.

Our singer/songwritter by excellence returned with a marvellous album, an x-ray taken on Portugal year 2006. An album, superbly written, where stories of love meet with those of tremendous irony, humour and clever wit. A caricature of the Portuguese society version 21st century - reality shows, celebrity magazine heroes, our ridiculous criticism, our pessimism with roots dig deep down and, on the other side, our sudden bursts of confidence and happiness.

An album where tracks like A deusa do amor, O As da negacao, As vezes o amor or the great So neste Pais are sure to write their names on the book of portuguese music classics.

After 3 decades sharing with us some of the most beautiful music made in Portugal, we welcome this Ligacao Directa.

Samuel Martins Torres Santiago Mira is Sam the Kid, a 27 years old rapper/producer that has been taking hip hop in Portugal a step forth. Like Fisz Emade, in Poland, he's refused to keep doing more of the same, taking his own path that has led him to become one of the best rappers/producers in PT.

Entre(tanto), Sobre(tudo) and, more recently, the instrumental Beats Vol 1: Amor have confirmed Sam The Kid as one of the most important figures in the Portuguese hip hop movement. Making use of a very intelligent writing, we are talking about an artist that knows no barriers and that can transform every word into a lethal weapon.

Writing about the family, destiny, everyday problems, fake heroes and the illusion on easy success, together with his MPC2000, he comes up with beats, samples (using material such as old Portuguese vynil records, phone calls, recorded dialogues) and words just like a magician takes rabbits out of his hat. Words flowing at 200km/h and beats flying from A to Z never sounded so well.

Together with guests such as Melo D, Cool Hipnoise, Kalaf, Lil'John, Valete, Carlos Bica, NBC, Cruzfader, among others, this has allowed him to create a more organic album, where instruments have found a place to free their voice as well. Tracks like Poetas de Karaoke, Negociantes, Pus-me a pensar, 16/12/95 and Tempo will for sure grab your attention once you listen to them.

And now, Porugal's number One for 2006. Ladies and gentlemen, Dead Combo!!!

"Somewhere in the beginning of the 21st century, they met around the corner, in Lisbon city. Two wanderers, one a thin “fire horse” born in 66, a loner with a top hat and wrinkled face, the other, tall, born in 1970, who came from the dark world of Jazz, starsign “dog”, both swore to avenge the dead and resuscitate the living,
Influenced by Comics, they have misspent nostalgia in their pockets and the deaf soul lost in dark films. They play Lisbon, the city of the countryside, of the chimneys and of the white domes sceneries of a lost past, “fado”, western wanderer everything together in a voodoo of emotions, the Tagus, the lovers that go different ways abandoned angels on the crossroads of destiny, flowers with mixed up colours, saints, flaming chambers, naked guitars, spitted and thrown to the street, basses on fire, top hats chickens on the loose and things that roll in the street. there standing against the wall in the middle of all this mess, both of them bitting apple sins, while looking at you..." Taken from Dead Combo's biography.

Dead Combo are To' Trips on the guitar and Pedro V. Gonçalves on bass, melodica and guitar.
They got together in 2003 in order to record a track for the tribute cd to the great Portuguese guitar player Carlos Paredes. They came up with what was known later as Fado Western.

Last year Vol.2: Quando a Alma Nao e' Pequena saw the very important contribution of The Legendary Tiger Man, Marco Nunes, Sergio Nascimento and Peixe. Together they sung Lisbon; they sung fado and westerns with a double bass and a flaming guitar.

Perfect music for film scores, Vol.2: Quando a Alma Nao e' Pequena, sees Dead Combo taking a step forth into the sounds of South America and the world of Morricone.

With an album where it is quite difficult to chose our favourite track, we would like to recommend you to After peace swim twice, A menina danca #1 and Mr. Eastwood.

2006 saw the release of Motion Rootz Experimental, the debut album by Village Kollektiv (VK), the collective that gathers musicians from Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa (a.k.a. Warsaw Village Band), Masala, Yerba Mater, Swoja Droga and Stara Lipa.

Formed back in the year of 2002 thanks to Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa and Rafal Kolacinski, this 7 elements collective plays music that travels across the sounds of the Bulgarian Shopluk region, the throat singing from Tuva and the yoik of the Sami people. All this, together with dub, drum 'n' bass and more electronic beats. In total, 10 tracks that will easily put your feet moving to the beat and the world music of the VK.

Delicate, sensual, laid back and with a touch of Scandinavia, Patrycja's voice and Jacek's electronic textures bring us to memory the likes of Moloko, Moa, Bjork, Everything But The Girl and Peggy Lee.

4 years after the release of Czy slyszysz, 2006 saw their return in a much better shape. Zgadnij, with its 10 tracks and a multimedia section (where we can find some photos and the video for Iskrzy, iskrzy!!!), is a pearl that requires more than the simple quick listening. It requires to be listened often, paying special attention to the music while it fills your place with its exotic scents.

3moonboys are Wojtek Kotwicki, Piotr Michalski, Marcin Karnowski and Radek Maciejewski. Once Charlie Sleeps and 5 Strona Swiata, this Bydgoszcz-based guitar band takes us on a ride thru the world of little musical gadgets, incredibly addictive vocal loops, hipnotic and progressive guitars riffs, melodic, experimental and spacey tunes that remind us of all those cold and enormous places somewhere in Northern Europe.

With these 10 tracks, totally sung in English, 3moonboys went on a long tour that took them several cities in Germany and Poland.

Bassisters Orchestra is a project gathering musicians from Warsaw and Gdansk. Led by Wojtek Mazolewski, Bassister Orchestra combine hip-hop, experimental and improvised jazz, noise coming from several unidentified objects.

On Numer Jeden among the other usual suspects, Bunio, Emade, Macio Moretti, Mikolaj Trzaska and Fisz, they worked, as well, with Maciek Cieslak (Scianka), Tomek Duda (Baaba) and Mauricio Takara and Rob Mazurak (both from Sao Paulo Underground).

Together, these twelve songs award us with some of the best lyrics and music composed in PL. Do not forget it, To Jest Test

George Dorn Screams are an alternative rock band, likened to Mogway and the ambient atmospheres they create, but somehow sounding more melodic with a song structure well present. This Bydgoszcz-based quartet has on Magda's lo-profile and seductive voice, on the guitar, bass and percussion dialogues, on the sometimes pop, experimental and noisy guitar swirl driven alternative rock their major characteristics.
Their 9 track album, is a nice suprise on the Polish music scene. It does not fit into any post-punk look-a-like band, neither brit pop nor any other trendy music genre. Tracks like the excellent album opening 69 moles, Phoney, Winter of deceit or The woman with a bow will catch anyones's attention after first contact. It happened this way with me.

Last year, the band of Artur Rojek, Wojtek Powaga, Przemek Myszor, Jacek Kuderski and Wojtek Kuderski brought us another magnificent album, Happiness is Easy, where we are taken throught the sounds of Bowie and his Ziggy Stardust, blinking an eye to some electronic sounds and where a dreamy and inteligent "tra la ra" pop is happily saying "present". Everything, of course, served with their unique rock sound.

This is one of Myslovitz' best releases so far, where pop and rock music are explored further to deliver us 13 extraodinary tracks.

Take you time and discover yourself, that after all..... Happiness is Easy.

Rock is something C.K.O.D. know about, even though their name comes from the British pop band, St. Etienne.

These boys are Krzysztof Ostrowski, on vocals, Jakub Wandachowicz, on bass, Marcin Kowalski, on guitar, Jacek Fras, on drums, Kamil Lazikowski, on keyboards, and Wojciech Michalec on guitar.

Proud of having some of their tunes already played on Steve Lemacqs program at BBC 1 FM, last year they released 2006, their latest album, where fast guitar riffs meet with angry and spit out vocals. In this record they have release their demons and the result is tremendous. Spaliny and To Nie Zdarza Sie Nam are in our favourites for last year.

Do Mi No, Pustki's last record increased definetively the number of followers. I'm one of those.

Their songs work quite well both in record as in concert. Tracks like Balagan, Tchu mi brak, Slabosc chwilowa or Proba Sil work perfectly and manage to put everyone dancing and singing.

The band of Radek Lukasiewicz, Janek Pietka, Grzegorz Sluz, Filip Zawada and Barbara Wronska released last year their third and most accomplished album so far. Raw compositions meet melodic songs; the 70's, 80's and 90's all celebrate together the arrival of Do Mi No.

Music to dance to! Music to celebrate! To celebrate life and death, sadness and euphoria.

They are Jaroslaw Bester (accordion), Oleg Dyyak (percussion, accordion and clarinet), Jaroslaw Tyrala (violin) and Wojciech Front (double bass). Back in 1997 Jaroslaw decided to form the Cracow Klezmer Band (CKB) with his smoking break fellow colleagues.

Weepy accordions, seagulls trapped inside a double bass, frenetic violions and amazing percussion. This is but a few of what CKB is capable of. Their sound breathes balcan-like music, Jewish music, gloomy tunes, jazz and folk music.

These four magnificent musicians released this year Balan, another volume to John Zorn's Masada project, on the Tzadik label. Live, all their music becomes so intense, with such energy and emotion, mainly due to their dedication, that every song is transformed into a very unique moment. It is as if music could fly away, spread its wings and land closely by your side, surrounding you with warth and a cosy feeling.

Bartek Weber and the rest of the gang released this year Poope Musique, the latest record by Baaba. Amusement park synths, chinese ding 'a' longs, minimal beats with an happy smile, Michael Nyman gone disco ........ all this is to be found at Baaba's Poope Musique.

As the tracks move forth, we depart in a musical journey. Experimental jazz served in a cocktail glass, colourful and with electronic sunny beats saying Hello!! Then, we move smoothly into another direction. We're still talking jazz, but now, it's been stripped to the bone and set free...... This is the magical world of Baaba. This is the world of Bartek Weber, Tomek Duda, Wojtek Mazolewski and Maciek Morus. Please say the word and step inside.....

On their second album Downtown, released last October, Old Time Radio combines harmony vocals, catchy, fluffy and spacey electro pop tunes, electronic beats and analogue synthesizers with atmospheric shoe-gaze guitars, jumping sometimes back to the early 80's electro beats, giving an astonishing look to their songs.

2006 saw the brothers Fisz and Emade returning with Piatek 13, an album where 14 tracks, meet Fisz at his best, sarcastic and corrosive, with his speech flowing so smooth but pointy as an arrow, and Emade's beats giving the perfect soundtrack to this revolution.

Taking Polish Hip-Hop one step ahead is what Fisz and Emade have been doing for the last years, either undercovered as Tworzywo Sztuczne or in the several other projects they've been involved.

This record would not be complete if guests such as Envee, O.S.T.R., Bunio, Pablo Hudini, Ada Antek, Jurek Zagorski and Iza Kowalewska wouldn't give their contribution to this Firday 13th (Piatek 13).

Mitch, Mitch, Serious Mitch, James Boned Mitch and Mrs Mitch take us to a world where pop and rock music, kitsch, old tunes and love songs, nonsense, western blues sountracks and Morricone all have seem to live happy. As they say, "....It would all have been different if Jobim hadn’t written ‘Desafinado'..."

Last year saw the release of 12 Catch Tunes (We Wish We Had Composed), an album dedicated to "....their personal heroes and godfathers, our homage to the musical geniuses who have undeservedly been forgotten by... well, everybody...".

Having selected several tracks from a bunch of unknown composers and other artists, Mitch & Mitch and their 12 covers, delivered one of the freshest albums seen in 2006.
If you as well, haven't heard about Arkiun Tekkelaki, Hekoki Motherfuckers or Antek Sobol, do the same as I did: Buy the album!!!

Maciej Cieslak, guitar and vocals, Arkady Kowalczyk, drums, and Michal Biela, bass and vocal, deliver us a record where noise, experimental sonic trips, bizarre tunes, sweet melodies and drums out of control all get together in order come up with one of the most enthusiastic releases in Poland, this year.

Nevertheless, do not think this is one of those albums you'll fall in love at first time. This is an album that requires more attention. This is an album that you will learn to love. This is an album that you'll have to listen again, and again, and again. It was this way with me and most likely, the same will happen to you.

The first track, Boje sie zasnac, boje sie wrocic do domu starts slowly, with the guitars and drums evolving into a thunderstorm. Wielki Defekator continues this sonic legacy. Prepare yourself then for what's next.

Jazz music has always been quite important on the Polish musical scene. During several years, this was one of the most prolific music genres.

Today, it reflects on some of the most interesting bands to come out of this country. Skalpel, Fisz, OSTR, Stealpot, among many others, have somehow created a unique sound by mixing several other genres with jazz.
Now Muzykoterapia are doing the same. Having released their album on Asfalt Records, home to some of the most innovative Polish projects (OSTR, Fisz or Noon), their music breathes freshness.

Iza Kowalska, on vocals, Wojtek Traczyk, on contrabass, and Dominik Trebski, on trombone and electronics, came up with an album difficult to define. Call it nu-jazz or downtempo; call it etno-swing; call retro-pop rumba; call it............whatever.

60 minutes and 52 seconds. This is the result Kuba Kapsa and his brother, Bartek Kapsa, both ex Something Like Elvis, came up with on their debut album as Contemporary Noise Quintet.

This quintet, complete with Tomek Glazik, Wojtek Jachna and Pawel Urowski delivered one of the most enthusiastic records on the Polish market for 2006.

Jazz music, with a touch of improvisation. Perfect for mute, black and white film soundtracks (Goodbye Monster); ideal companionship for those cold and snowy winter afternoon, the beats and breakbeats, the astonishing sax tunes, the wild drums, the continuously "in crescendo" and tragic tunes on Even Cats Dream About Flying, make this album, a pearl to keep close to you and listen again and again and again.

To keep close to all the great masters of Polish Jazz.

Adrian Jakuc-Lukaszewicz, Maja Chmurkowska, Pawel Dudzinski and Przemyslaw Gorski landed on this corner of Eastern Europe to give us one of the most interesting debuts this year, and one of the best Polish albums for year 2006.

Just as many artists decide to isolate themselves in search of inspiration, Zerova did the same. Taking themselves to the countryside, their music was then gifted with the cold whispering winds of the Baltic Seas, with the relaxing ambients from Iceland, with the melancholic and smooth electronics from Sweden and Amelie Poulain's beloved Paris, and the mysterious folk sounds of darkened Poland.

In their music, one can find influences from the sounds of Scandinavia but not only ....... Sigur Ros, Mum, Yann Tiersen or Orb ......... all of them, found space in their music. Enchanting melodies, ghostly whispers, hypnotising synthesizer backgrounds and a marriage between sci-fi soundtracks and folk bring us the unique sounds of Zerova.

More on this record right here.

Do you remember King's of Convenience remix album? or even Badly Drawn Boy's melodic but faster and rockier tracks? The Car Is On Fire do as well.

With one hour approximately and 23 tracks, Lake & Flames can be seen as the transition between their self-titled debut album and what's coming in the near future, as one can still listen to some tunes likened to their debut and an effort to go forth with their sound.

The album kicks in with The car is on fire early morning internazionale and the magnific Can't cook (Who cares?), the first single to be taken out of this release. The music continues playing and we hit Parker Posey, a mellow post-punk track that could be compared to a supposed Damon Albarn, The Rapture and The Clash project.

As I move on, I run into some tracks I think we'd be better without. North by Northewest, Ex sex is (not) the best (title) and Kiss kiss take me back to the voice register (or call it tone) that I couldn't stand on their debut. Gladly, I quickly forget these tracks as I find what's next. The irresistible Newyorkewr (with a violin making it sound so charming), an hello to the Beach Boys with Oh, Joe, the synth-pop It´s finally over and the clap your hands, merry-go-round Love.

Surf rock, poppy indie tunes, acoustic melodies, a smile to the post-punk scene and the inclusion of a sax, clarinet and violin make a hell of an effect on this return. This is an album that might take more than one listening round to really appreciate it. It's worth it, believe me.

2006 saw another release of Kasia Nowicka's long play debut.

Tricks of life gathers 11 tracks. Each one of them was produced by someone different. Envee, Smolik, Tomasz Zietek, Mariusz Szypura among others gave their contribution to these eleven tricks. As the cd starts rolling, delicate pop rain drops start falling. The minimal beats combined with Novika's sweet vocals and the dreamy tunes dropping out of the harp make this Depend on you a track to dream with, one of those we close ours eyes and fly away, and away.

Tricks bursts right next. Envee produces here, together with Mikawa Miya, one of the most interesting tracks to come out of this album. Soul, breakbeats, house and funk with a touch of a bass clarinet and Sqbass' powerful and warm voice..... All shaken not stirred....

More on this release right here.

And here is our Polish number One for 2006. The elected is Smolik's 3.

Soul, pop and chill out. Electronic breezes, scents of jazz and those dreams..... those melodic dreams. Smooth and warm vocals, a chest full of burning soul chorus and a sax defining the beat. Ambient sounds hand in hand with dreamy and delicate whispers, subtle orchestral arrangements conducted by spoken word lullabies.

After two highly acclaimed albums, this producer is back with one of the best albums of the year. This time he has left most of the electronic memorabilia at home and returned with his most organic record so far. More acoustic than ever, more soul than ever, more beautiful than ever.

A superbly produced album, with such guests as Novika, Artur Rojek (of Myslovitz), Marsija (of Loco Star), Mika, the Brit Victor Davies (a fantastic soul contribution to this record) or the German Maya Singh, Kasia Kurzawska, among many others, this is an album where pop music is the king.