Luminescent Orchestrii
Neptune's Daughter
Nine Mile Records (www.ninemilerecords.com)

Brooklyn-based Luminescent Orchestrii jams Balkan fiddling up against klezmer, hip-hop, and punk with a wise-cracking New Yawk attitude. The group features the honeyed voices & fearless violins of Rima Fand and Sarah Alden, the guitar of Sxip Shirey and the bass of Benjy Fox Rosen. Fans of the Warsaw Village Band, Gogol Bordello and Balkan Beat Box will find a lot to love here.

The disc kicks off with a thrashy rendition of a traditional Moldavian tune, ramping up from a sleepy intro into a frenzied slash of fiddles. The Shirey-penned "Nasty Tasty" is a lascivious number in the vein of "Pasties and a G-String." Indeed, it sounds like what might happen if Tom Waits joined Flight of the Conchords. The vaguely sinister, sinuous "What the Water Said" paints a turbulent ocean with swooping vocal harmonies and crashing cymbal waves. The title track continues in the nautical mode. If Dan Hicks & his Hot Licks did sea chanteys, this is what they might sound like. Guest clarinetist Greg Squared contributes a soaring solo to "Dreaming in Turkish," shored up by Mathias Kunzli's throbbing drums.

The band creates some traffic-jam worthy noise that grates joyously up against your ears, yet can be smooth and tender when the situation calls for it. The sweet "Di Zun Vet Aruntergeyn" has sorrowful vocals over a soft guitar tremolo and gentle violin harmonies. The swaying, romantic Cuban song "La Tarde" is ballroom-ready.

Luminescent Orchestrii is the perfect storm of chops, an adventurous spirit, and a sense of cheeky humor. Everything you need in a good party band. ~ Peggy Latkovich

The band's web site (Caveat: not updated in many years!)

CD available from cdroots

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