We will do cd reviews for bands that either play polka music or music that might appeal to lovers of polka music. To get a review of your cd that you can use on your own website (or anywhere you want for that fact) please mail a cd to:

Bestpolkabands c/o DJ Companion Records
1623 Military Road #509
Niagara Falls, NY 
14304
Attn: Rob Savickis

For people who who would prefer to mail to a Canadian address please mail to:

Bestpolkabands c/o DJ Companion Records
2820 Mars Crescent
Niagara Falls, ON
L2J 3Y5
Attn:Rob Savickis

NOW ---------------------ON TO THE REVIEWS:

The first hit off this album I had heard not from the album but on the Wild Wilson Show www.wildwilson.com this past summer. It was track #3 on the album, Cowboy Sweetheart with vocals by Mollie Busta, USPA 2008 female vocalist of the year, yodeling action and all. I was blown away by this song and must have listened to it 50 times back to back. This is one amazing song.

The next time I came across Squeezebox they were the first band in the lineup for Jimmy Sturr's Polkapalooza on Friday Oct 16, 2009. Based on the song I had heard I was expecting a lot from this band and they delivered. I thoroughly enjoyed their show from beginning to end and was so impressed that I bought both their albums, this one and their debut album "Squeeze Me".

In the car on the way back from the show I had a long 4 hour drive and I listened beginning to end to both albums. I remember thinking that I have many greatest hits albums in my collection that have nowhere near the quality and consistency that these albums deliver.

Squeezebox covers many songs on this album, both from the polka and popular world of music, along with presenting excellent versions of many traditional songs and even an original song written by Mollie Busta. To me a good cover song is one that is better than the original and in every case where I heard Squuezebox cover a song, their version is more lively and in fact is better done than the song I previously knew.

I did some research on some of the songs. Cowboy Sweetheart was originally a county & western song. Written and first recorded in 1935 by Patsy Montana, it was the first C&W song by a female artist to sell over one million copies. Since that time it has been covered by many artists and I have heard versions done by the Dixie Chicks, Lynn Anderson, and LeAnn Rimes. No one, I repeat no-one performs the song better than Squeezebox and no-one sings the song better than Mollie Busta.

Similarly, another highlight of the album is a medley of Johnny Cash tunes that Squeezebox has put together. Specifically they do a perfect blend of three of his songs, Ring of Fire, I Walk the Line and Folsom Prison Blues, which are probably Johnny Cash's 3 biggest songs. I have always had an appreciation for those songs, but Squeezebox brings them to a new level of enjoyment. This medley is so good it is possible I have listened to it over 100 times, though of course I wasn't counting.

Another of my favorites is the last track on the album is an excellent version of Sheb Wooley's "I Just Don't Look Good Naked Anymore". There are many versions of the song out there but this version is undoubtedly the absolute best.

I haven't stated awarding stars yet to albums, but if I was, on a scale of 1 to 5 this would definitely be a 5 star album. I can hardly wait to see what Squeezebox will come out with next but whatever it is it will be hard to top what they have already accomplished with their first 2 albums. Get both of them. You will not be disappointed. Also be sure to visit their website www.squeezeboxband.com  .

Happy Birthday Tom Brusky. Tom just turned 40 back in November . And to commemorate this milestone he has released a new album which although somewhat unique is thoroughly a pleasure to listen to and excellently produced. Joining along with Tom on this cd are also many of the biggest names in today's polka world, including Don Hunjadi, Eric Noltkamper, Dan Wojtila, Kathy Zamejc Vogt, Steve Meisner, Dan Tutsch and Ron VanDenboom.

When you first listen to the album, don't let the first song throw you off. Brusky gives you a sample of the first cassette he had produced back in 1989. As he himself writes "I released my first recording, Song of Lecco, exactly 20 years ago. At the time, my skills as a musician were rather negligible and my recording equipment was rather crude, so I thought it would be interesting to include a snippet from that recording on this CD. So please don't cringe when you hear the first track! It is only to help demostrate how far I've come along in the last twenty years."

I actually do like the melody of that first track, and would be interested to know if Brusky has re-recorded it or has plans to re-record it.

There are 3 waltzes on the album that I particularly enjoyed. Laendler in A Flat, arranged by both Jim Brusky and Tom Brusky contains beautiful harmonies and brings back memories of the Sound of Music. Blue Dancing Shoes, with an extremely strong vocal from Dan Vojita brings me memories of The Blus Skirt Waltz and is an outstanding listen. Play From The Heart (which I think should become a Christmas staple in polka musician families) is a Brusky original which is based accoding to his liner notes on a true story, that of his father. He had asked his own parents for a new sled for Christmas, but instead of a sled they surprised him with an accordion. Of course the rest, even for the next generation down, is history. I have listened to these 3 waltzes at least 20 times each now and each time I listen they sound better and better, which is the best sign of a great song.

Brusky also pays tribute to Milwaukee's Polka King, Louis Bashell, who was born July 1, 1914, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a family that had recently emigrated from Slovenia, then a part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and later became known as Milwaukee's Polka King. Bashell passed away slightly more than a year ago on December 17, 2008. I am sure that Brusky's tribute song "Louis Our Polka King" will result in many people, including myself, discovering the great music that Bashell spent a lifetime creating.

Another of my favourites (well, let's face it, they're all great) is the Swingin' Sinatra Medley which is an outstanding mix of 3 Sinatra classics, Let's Get Away From It All, The Way You Look Tonight and Fly Me To The Moon. The sound quality here is as good or better than anything I have ever heard from Sinatra or any of the other people who have covered him in the past, so I was astounded to hear that according to Brusky's liner notes "the drums and bass in the Swingin' Sinatra Medley are real, but the rest of the instumentation was painstakingly performed in real time (without the aid of a computer) on a single keyboard patched into several MIDI sound modules." I swear, it actually sounds like a 20 piece big band, which is testament to Brusky's abilities as a producer. Also, I should note here that the vocals are done by Steve Meisner, another polka king, and who sounds better covering Sinatra than almost Sinatra himelf.

Brusky even delves into the Latin flavor with track 4, "Let's Go Dancin' Darlin'". According tho the liner notes it is "a heartwarming song about an elderly man who reminisces about dancing with his wife back in the 1950's. Though not nearly as graceful and nimble as he once was , he asks his wife, who he still adores, for one more dance."

The term last but not least definitely applies to the final track on the cd, The Cleveland-Style Polka Medley. This is an absolutely perfect cover medley of 12 songs all of which blend seamlessly. Brusky recorded the song in tribute to the pioneers of the style, the composers who wrote the songs found in the medley itself and to musicians who continue to write polkas and waltzes to this day. Having been a DJ myself for over 20 years, I can also note that this is the perfect catalog addition to any DJ who occasionally needs to take a bathroom break. Put on this medley and your guests will be entertained for 16 minutes while you can go take care of your business.

There is one more note I should make. I was so impressed with the production quality of this album that when I saw in Tom Brusky's website that he also does mastering work for other bands, I have made a note to contact Tom about possibly doing the mastering on some future DJ Companion Records cds that I produce.

Talking about the future, now that 40 years have passed I can't wait to see what Tom Brusky does in the next 40. By the way, he has already promised that assuming his health holds out to the year 2049 when he turns 80, he will release "The Second Forty Years" in VHD (Virtual Holographic Datastream) format. Tom Brusky, here's to the next 40 years.

Polka Playin' Fool is John Gora's 8th album and it is a pleasure to listen to from beginning to end. The album consists of a variety of songs both in English and Polish and on one song there is even a bit of French thrown in. Every song on the album is very good and some are truly great.

The title track Polka Playin' Fool starts the album off with a bang and in my opinion should become a polka classic. As well, for those of you who are into videos, Dan Gury has on Youtube put a very nice lighthearted video to this song at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4od_tOclgI .
I have also linked that video to the John Gora band listing at www.bestpolkabands.com .

Some of my other favorites are Out Behind The Barn, featuring vocals by Ted Lange and Daddy's Hands, sung by Mollie Busta who has been honored as the IPA Female Singer of the Year. Listen to her sing and you'll know very quickly why she received that honor. Halleluyah is a very stong cover of the Leonard Cohen classic. My favorite waltz on the album though is an original John Gora composition Dudni Woda Dudni.

Another of my favorites on this album is a medley of 3 songs, "Melody of Love", first made famous by Bobby Vinton, then continuing with the classic "You Are My Sunshine" and ending with a traditional French Canadian folk song for which I am not sure of the exact title but it contains the main line "All The Strawberries, Raspberries, Good Wine That I Drank". The 3 songs fit and blend together perfectly and this was one medley I was listening to over and over and over again. Probably about the 15th time I played it I probably would say the 3rd and final song both grew on me and became my favorite of the 3.

I must also commend John Gora and/or his graphic designers for the excellent packaging and design of this cd. Too many polka cds don't go the extra step, as this one did, of creating not just excellent music but also an attractive package for the purchaser of the cd. To purchase this cd go to John Gora's website www.johngora.com .

Daj Mi Buzi is the fourth release from Tom Mroczka and The Music Box and I would say it is their best. This cd also contains the vocal talents of Nicole Cuglewski and her voice gives the album a whole new dimension. Nicole has come to be known as the "Daj Mi Buzi" girl after he appearance on the TV Show "Deal Or No Deal" where she succeeded in getting the show's host Howie Mandell to kiss her not once but twice. She was also one of the shows more successful contestants and cashed out with 247,000.

Getting back to the music however, Daj Mi Buzi is a very conistent and exciting album from start to finish. From the second you hear Nicole exclaim "Zosia" at the start of the first song you know this is going to be an entusiastic fun filled album with lots of surprises. My absolute favorites are tracks 1 (Zosia Polka), the title track, #2, (Daj Mi Buzi Give Me A Kiss Polka), track 3 (Happy Louie Polka Medley) - I like medleys as you may have noticed from other cds I have reviewed, track 8 (What's So Funny Polka), track 10 (Who Stole The Kiszka Polka) and track 11(The Happy Wanderer Polka).

The album even contains a bonus track, which is a beautiful rendition of Lee Greenwoods "God Bless The USA" sung by Nicole. It is the perfect ending to a fantastic cd. To order your own copy go to http://www.themusicboxtmb.com .

For those few of you who may not be familiar with the Polkaholics, I must warn you. This is NOT your daddy's (or grandpa's) typical polka cd. This is a rock-sounding cd with some far-removed polka (and waltz) beats, some  would even call it punk, but I think what they have done is great. Wally is the 6th cd released by the Polkholics and one of the few cds in the polka genre (though there are many in other genres) that has a conistent theme and story throughout (hence the name Opera). And they certainly do carry on, in their own words, the polka "tradition of do-it-yourself fun and good times."

Wally refers to Li'l Wally (August 1, 1930 – August 17, 2006), who was one of the top Polish-American polka musicians from Chicago. Although he had lots of hits, his most famous song was probably "No Beer In Heaven". Other hits included "I Wish I Was Single Again.", "Li'l Wally Twirl," "Johnny's Knockin'," "She Likes Kielbasa," "Seven Days and Seven Nights," "Take Me Baby," "Chicago Is a Polka Town," "Lichtensteiner Polka," "Two Bucks Polka," and "To Be in Love With Someone." Walter "Li'l Wally" Jagiello was renowned for his drumbeats and slower, more danceable tempo, which became a mainstay of "Chicago Style" Polish polka sound.  His nickname was derived from his relatively short height (5 foot 6), especially during his youth, when he often stood on a picnic table to sing. He  appeared several times on The Lawrence Welk Show, and was one of the first two inductees into the International Polka Association's Hall of Fame in 1969. In total, he collected 17 gold and 4 platinum records. In his later years, he retired to Miami Beach, Florida, but continued to perform and record nationwide. Li'l Wally died in 2006 in Florida at the age of 76.

The Polkaholics have taken the story of Li'l Wally and present it in a series of songs that pay tribute to his life from beginning to end.
The first 3 songs on the cd ("Son Of A Gun", "Caldwell Woods" and "Teacher") pay tribute to L'il Wally's childhood. I think that "Teacher" could easily be a good addition to a list of other school anthems such as the Ramone's "Rock & Roll High School, Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2" - ie. We don't need no education, and Brownsville Station/Motley Crue's "Smokin' In The Boys Room".  Caldwell Woods refers to Chicago's northside district where  Walter Jagiello grew up, and where as a boy he began singing with polka bands.

The next 3 songs document L'il Wally's rise to fame and is highlighted by a very imaginative interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" in this case replaced by "L'il Wally Superstar". The song ""Division Street refers to that part of Chicago referred to as "Polish Broadway". "Polish Broadway was the strip of Division Street between Ashland and Western where from the 40's to the late 60's Polish polka artists performed nightly in the many gin joints that lined the strip, and where it was that L'il Wally rose to fame.

The second half of the cd covers L'il Wally's later retirement to Florida with songs such as "Miami Beach" , "Sea And Sand" and "I Miss Chicago Again".  The Polkaholics had brought him back to Chicago for a number of shows prior to his death in 2006. Two of the songs in this latter half are interpretations of L'il Wally's own compositions. "I Miss Chicago Again" comes from L'il Wally's own hit "Wish I Was Single Again" and "Zakopane Waltz" comes from the "Lucky Stop Waltz". "Miami Beach" should become an anthem, in my opinion, for, well, Miami Beach. Of course, "The Day The Polka Died" is about L'il Wally's own passing and the song evokes memories of the day Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper died in 1959, often referred to as the day that music died.

I am hoping (as I am sure are the Polkaholics too) that not only does this album become a big hit, but also that this music brings new legions of fans to the music of L'il Wally and polka in general. Just a few other notes: I think the artwork on this cd is incredible, one of the best I have seen in a while and it fits in perfectly with the theme of the cd. Also, when you get to the end of the cd, don't stop because there is a hidden 13th track. I had asked Don Hedeker, who heads up the Polkaholics about the 13th track and this is what he had to say:  "That is a "hidden track" called "If Johnny Met Wally." It's about a fictional meeting of Johnny Thunders (my (ie. Don Hedeker's)  favorite guitar player - and really our sound is kind of like a combination of Johnny Thunders and Li'l Wally) and Li'l Wally, and it was actually the first song that I wrote for this Wally project. However, after recording the other songs, it just didn't seem to fit well with the story line, and so we decided not to include it in the polka-rock opera. But since we did record it, we thought it might be fun to include it as a hidden track. so that's the long and short of it. "