| Polkas for a Gloomy World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Genre | Polka, Tejano music, Latin music | |||
| Label | Rounder [1] | |||
| Producer | Brave Combo | |||
| Brave Combo chronology | ||||
| ||||
Polkas for a Gloomy World is an album by the American band Brave Combo, released in 1995. [2] [3] The band intended for it to be a return to their traditional polka fusion roots. [4]
The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Polka Album". [5]
The album was produced by Brave Combo. [6] The songs are sung in English, as well as in Spanish, German, Russian, and Polish. [7] "Flying Saucer" was inspired by frontman Carl Finch's observation of bizarre illuminations over Marfa, Texas; the standard "In Heaven, There Is No Beer" contains additional, original lyrics. [8] [9]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
The Washington Post wrote that the album "proves the polka can be every bit as invigorating as a Cajun two-step, another dance music rescued from wedding-reception hell." [12] The Chicago Tribune stated that Brave Combo "plays Polish polkas and waltzes, German polkas, Czech drinking songs and conjunto and tejano tunes, or 'Mexican polkas'... With the exception of the waltzes, the music careens at breakneck speed." [13]
The Sunday News determined that the album breaks down "snob barriers with a feel-good feast for the ears and feet." [14] The Omaha World-Herald deemed it "a tasty mix of polka, country and blues—all with a hard-rock attitude." [15] The Post-Tribune concluded that Polkas for a Gloomy World is "upbeat and silly—but really, you only need one Brave Combo album in your collection for novelty's sake." [16] The Columbus Dispatch labeled it "a typical exotic mix of polka, norteno and tejano music"; the paper later named it one of the best albums of the year. [17] [18]
AllMusic called the album "a collection that finds the meeting place between Eastern Europe and the Tejano brand of accordion demolition music." [10]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hosa Dyna" | |
| 2. | "Flying Saucer" | |
| 3. | "Eloina's Marbles" | |
| 4. | "The Faithful Hussar" | |
| 5. | "Near the Karpat Mountain" | |
| 6. | "Quiero Que Sepas" | |
| 7. | "Mystery Spot Polka" | |
| 8. | "Potato Chips Polka" | |
| 9. | "Breslau" | |
| 10. | "Pije Kuba" | |
| 11. | "Buscando Tu Curazon" | |
| 12. | "Katiusha" | |
| 13. | "Camino De Dolores" | |
| 14. | "In Heaven, There Is No Beer" |
Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of Czechia. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas.
Brave Combo is a polka fusion band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for more than thirty-five years. Their music, both originals and covers, incorporates a number of dance styles, mostly polka, but also some Latin American and Caribbean styles like norteño, salsa, rumba, cha-cha-cha, choro, samba, two-step, cumbia, charanga, merengue, ska, etc, all performed with a rock/worldbeat energy.
Eddie Blazonczyk, Sr. was an American polka musician and founder of the band The Versatones. He was inducted into the International Polka Hall of Fame in 1970, and was a 1998 National Heritage Fellowship recipient. He has been called "one of the most important figures in the creation of the contemporary Polish-American polka sound." He released more than 60 albums.
Tejano music, also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican and US influences. Typically, Tejano combines Mexican Spanish vocal styles with dance rhythms from Czech and German genres – particularly polka or waltz. Tejano music is traditionally played by small groups featuring accordion and guitar or bajo sexto. Its evolution began in northern Mexico.
The Grammy Award for Best Polka Album was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for quality polka albums. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
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Esteban "Steve" Jordan was a jazz, rock, blues, conjunto and Tejano musician from the United States. He was also known as "El Parche", "The Jimi Hendrix of the accordion", and "the accordion wizard". An accomplished musician, he played 35 different instruments.
Carl Finch is a guitarist, keyboard player, accordionist, vocalist, songwriter and record producer who co-founded the Grammy-winning polka/dance band Brave Combo in 1979 in Denton, Texas.
Polka is a music and dance style that originated in Bohemia in the 1830s and came to American society with immigrants from Europe. A fast style in 2
4 time, and often associated with the pre–World War II era, polka remains a dynamic "niche" music in America.
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Polka Party with Brave Combo: Live and Wild! is an album by the American polka band Brave Combo, released through Easydisc on April 7, 1998. In 1999, the album was Brave Combo's first nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Polka Album. The album was recorded live at Sons of Hermann Hall in Dallas, Texas, on September 26, 1997, and at Rick's Place in Denton, Texas, on September 27, 1997. This was the second Grammy-nominated album by the Denton, Texas, based band.
Larry Chesky, born Lawrence J. Ciszewski, was an American accordion player, Polka band leader, inductee in the International Polka Hall of Fame, and manager of the Rex Records label.
Zone of Our Own is an album by the American supergroup Texas Tornados, released in 1991. The first two singles were "Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone" and "La Mucura". Videos for the singles were shot in San Antonio.
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