Today, I would like to write about a French band Babylon Circus. If you heard never heard them, you will enjoy hearing their funny music. Babylon Circus combines ska and reggae elements successfully. Absolutely, it is not pure reggae or ska. The band combines those elements with rock, swing, jazz, punk, Balkan music, and gypsy music elements. The band was founded as a ska band but, they added new genres and influences in their musicality. Combination of funny music styles and genres make an exciting music. Although lyrics are in French generally, they also have English songs. Sometimes, both two languages are mixed in some of their songs. Their lyrics deal with political issues that they also have anti war themed album. I also suggest the named in Figli Di Madre Ignota, if you like ska influenced music with Balkan elements.
Babylon Circus consists of eleven members. A crowded lineup created instrumental diversity that some of members of the band are multi instrumentalist musicians. They generally use guitar, tambourine, saxophone, clarinet, accordion, flute, bass, trumpet, flugelhorn, timpani, trombone, tuba, barrel organ, and drums. I think it is enough to create funny music influenced by many genres. I have watched their live performance on the internet. I could say they know how to have fun, and let you have more fun. A jubilant effusion creates funny and exciting music. If you like dancing, do not lose the band! France, Lyon based band creates music for dancing like a crazy.
Let us see Babylon Circus discography and some of my suggestions.
- Demo no. 1 (1996)
- Musika (1997) is an album that it is more reggae and ska influenced album. Let me run and Suffering souls are my favorites in this album.
- Tout va Bien (1999) is an EP that it shows development of their music. They improved their sound and musicality in this EP. Mister Spidon is my favorite song in the EP.
- Au Marché Des Illusions (2001) is a professional album that combines ska, reggae, rock, punk, Balkan music, and gypsy music elements successfully. Au Marché Des Illusions, Paul, Ya Ka Fokon, Ah L'humeur De Meche, Don Quichotte is Not Dead, and Lundi 6H are my favorites. I suggest the album highly.
- Dances of Resistance (2004) is the most political album of the band. Main theme of the album is anti war movement. I suggest the album extremely. Dances of Resistance, J'aurais Bien Voulu, Musical Terrorism Act, Sailor's Wife, Lost in the Jungle, and My Friend are my favorites in this album. I really like this funny album. Do not lose it!
- La Belle Etoile (2009) is a perfect album that their sound becomes more professional day by day. Marions-Nous Au Soleil, L'envol (Feat. Karina Zeviani), La Cigarette, Nina, Le Fils Caché Du Pape, and Une Minute are my favorites. I believe that you will enjoy hearing the album. I suggest it extremely. You will never feel regret to buy it!
Babylon Circus is a funny and exciting band that rock, punk, Balkan music, and gypsy music influenced ska and reggae will make you have fun extremely. I suggest the band extremely. I only want to say that they must re-design their website. The exciting band deserves a professional website! You also could visit their official profile to listen to more songs and watch some of their video clips. I believe that you will appreciate the successful band. I hope I could see them in Istanbul.
http://www.myspace.com/babyloncircus
Bye for now!
Today, I would like to write about funny bands. I checked my list and I saw one of my favorites Figli Di Madre Ignota. It is a band from Milano, Italy. Their sound is interesting that it is mixture of Balkan and klezmer rhythms with rock and ska. If you like Eastern Europe rhythms and Balkan music with funny guitar sound, Figli Di Madre Ignota will be an exciting band for you. They describe their music as Spaghetti Balkan. They really have a unique sound that elements of Balkan music, klezmer, polka and the other eastern and middle Europe fused with modern elements successfully. I could say that they reflect Italian energy to their music. You could hear hot guitar riffs and Balkan brass rhythms with funny vocals. 
The Freak Fandango Orchestra is a multi cultural band from Barcelona, Spain that they perform gypsy music with Balkan Music, polka, punk rock and folk elements. Last week, I was trying to find some royalty free music on jamendo.com to post my blog. There are so many groups, performers, and artist in Jamendo to share and distribute their music. While I was thinking I only could find some amateur records, I saw an album cover. Fandango word attracted me firstly. After that I checked the band’s page and found some tags like gypsy punk, rock, folk rock, Balkan and gypsy music. When I open the player, I met with a band performs rock music with Balkan and gypsy music elements very well. I did not expect to meet a professional band but, I said wow, it is perfect! I also appreciated their motto. We don’t want your money, we want your soul. They created their album with Creative Commons License. It means you could copy and share the album as long as you consider conditions given at the bottom of the post. You could press play button on the player has given below to meet the fascinating band The Freak Fandango Orchestra.
Special Note: The album given above created with Creative Commons License and some rights reserved. You could copy, distribute, advertise and play this album as long as you:
The group’s first album is Gadjo (means foreigner in gypsy language) made in 2006. We could listen to Robin Nolan’s guitar in the song named in Django. Gadjo is a good debut album to expect their musicality in the future. The album consists of some funny songs; you could also find some romantic songs. In the debut album, gypsy jazz combined with some modern styles like pop, hip-hop, reggae and rock. Rock influence is a bit less in this album. On the Road Again, Tango, Cry of the Gypsy and Django with Robin Nolan are favorite songs in the album. 
The group involved in so many world music festivals in Europe. In 2009, Mad Manoush released Gypsy R-Evolution album. In my humble opinion it is the best album of the band and I expect new albums from them. Although we could see influence of reggae, pop, hip-hop and gypsy jazz in the album, rock’s influence is very high. Guitar put in the front and it made their music better and better. Their music is growing continuously with gypsy jazz and the other modern world music elements. 
