Music

Luminescent Orchestrii

This New York City ensemble features Rom gypsy fiddle-heavy tunes mixed up with flavors of Appalachian, hip hop, jazz, klezmer, punk, and tango. This is the album that got my hooked on Balkan music. At moments haunting, gentle, rude, or lewd, it is spiced with a little of everything I like.

Metric

Nostalgic punk music in the tradition of Elastica or Blondie, but better! That's right, I said better - gorgeous vocals, complex melodies and rhythms, and whipsmart lyrics. Emily Haines writes beautifully about pre-packaged rebellion, bullshit politics, love, fame, loneliness, war, and anything else that needs a good rant.

Tin Hat Trio

Unlike anything else I've heard, this trio mixes a nostalgic western appeal with the sounds of avant-garde jazz, drunken circus music, and old-world gypsy goodness. Along with delicious collaborations with vocalists such as Willie Nelson and Tom Waits, this group has a knack for haunting and evocative instrumentals that will cling to you for days.

Rasputina

I'll be the first to admit that Rasputina isn't for anyone. Bizarre, southern gothic, cello-driven, and intense, when I first got the Frustration Plantation album, I did nothing but sit and listen to it, beginning to end, completely mesmerized. Their songs remind me of twisted Grimm fairytales and fables of childhood gone wrong. With a wicked sense of humor and moody arrangements, the listener is often left feeling strangely inebriated... or maybe that's just me...

Balkan Journeys Close to Home

A Balkan music addict myself, this is a wonderful mix of traditional styles from the area, as performed by four wonderful Canadian groups: Mastika, Staro Selo, Neda Voda, and Altin Yildiz Orkestar. The songs are largely Rom, Macedonian, Bulgarian, and Turkish. Whether you're already a lover of Turko-Balkan folk music or simply curious, this compilation provides a strange and lovely sampling of songs. No better time to break out the slivovic and dance the kolo.

Azam Ali

Persian-born Azam Ali is an outstanding artist and vocalist, drawing largely on her Middle Eastern roots and giving them a sensual modern twist. Beautifully wrought, her music is trance-inducing and heartbreaking. Also worth noting are the two other groups for which she sings: Vas (even more meditative and hypnotic) and Niyaz. Highly recommended for the world music lover and the dancer alike.

Tom Waits

Although I'm mainly trying to introduce artists that might be new to you, it would be remiss of me not to mention Mr. Waits, a pioneer in his own right and a first-class weirdo, in the best sense of the word. Yes, Blood Money is my favorite album, but man it's hard to choose. From one song to the next, Mr. Waits is raging and romantic, violent and soothing, theatrical and drunken and raw, so that regardless of what the man is singing, you want to put your palms down on the table and say out loud, "Yes sir! That's the truth!" But you might feel guilty afterward...

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton

Perhaps better known as the lead singer for Metric , with The Soft Skeleton, Emily Haines is able to focus on her softer side. Largely acoustic, her arrangements are lyrical and meticulous, her lyrics purring and poetic. Listening to an album like this is like reading a stranger's old love letters, intimate and sometimes embarassingly vulnerable.

Bitter:Sweet

I'm going to attempt to write about this album without being inappropriate. This music is like the best of all possible James Bond soundtracks, the ultimate burlesque score. This is a top contender on my list of albums suited for amorous advances. Playful, sexy, and smart, the songs are at once danceable and chill. Mmmm - delicious!

Paris Combo

This French ensemble is just plain fun. Their music is a blend of European jazz, French cabaret, and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern seasonings. Although their studio recordings are great, their live performances are phenomenal - joyous, spontaneous, overwhelmingly artful.