2/11
András Upor – “Let The Songs Work On You”
András Upor is a singer-songwriter-guitarist based in Budapest. He is currently signed to one of the most exciting Hungarian labels focusing on local singer-songwriters, Lone Waltz Records, which released his debut album, “Let The Songs Work On You”. András’s style has its roots in Delta and country blues, but his songs are equally influenced by folk and ’60-’70s rock music. As a solo artist, his energetic performance, diverse vocal qualities, and expressive guitar playing will grab you by the throat and won’t let you go until the record is over. With his original compositions and powerful reinterpretations of traditional songs, András has demonstrated to his audiences that blues and folk music are still very contemporary – if you don’t believe us, hear it for yourself!
3/11
Ivan & The Parazol – “The All Right Nows”
The Hungarian torchbearers of the ongoing vintage rock revival released their third album, “The All Right Nows”, last November. Produced by their keyboardist, István Beke (aka Bex), the music is equally inspired by the Beatles, legendary Hungarian bands of the ’60s (Metró, Locomotiv GT, or Illés), and modern rock bands like Black Lips or Alabama Shakes. On their first two albums, the band proved that they are capable of writing three-to-four-minute-long groovy party-rock songs, but with “The All Right Nows”, they’ve started experimenting with their sound. The result is a collection of psychedelically sexy midtempo jams, which shows their ability to mature with their audience and to incorporate new elements into their world. If you are a fan of blues rock, Hammond organs, or the early albums of the Black Keys, this is your music.
4/11
Various Artists – “Orbán Népe”
“Orbán Népe” features both original songs and covers from four bands of the current Hungarian hardcore punk scene: Rákosi, Diskobra, Norms, and Youth Violence. While it has a strong political charge in terms of lyrics, it’s much more than a political statement: a snapshot of the status quo, a raw, honest and aggressive representation of what it’s like to live on the periphery. Musically, it’s much more diverse: Rákosi’s music has a strong eighties hardcore vibe – think of bands like Black Flag or Teen Idol. Diskobra, led by Gábor Kobera of Human Error, plays crusty d-beat and hardcore punk, as fast and raw as they can. Norms is a four-piece noisy hardcore punk act, who’ve covered a Modells song for this split. And last but not least, Youth Violence mixes grindcore-ish hardcore terror with some midtempo jams, with enough hate coming from the vocalist to burn down an entire village. Clearly this album is not for everybody, but if you are interested in the state of Hungarian punk, this is a must-buy.
5/11
Jónás Vera Experiment – “Tiger, Now!”
Singer-songwriter, looper, and guitarist Vera Jónás guides us to a fresh and unique world of music. Original songwriting, a powerful voice, and a sweet stage presence. Personal songs performed with good taste, mixing live electronics (looper, delay) with fully acoustic instruments and sounds. Her sound has maturity and soul that’s bound to be discovered. It’s not a surprise that she won the Junior Artisjus Singer-Songwriter award, and her second album, “Tiger, Now!”, will only secure her position: compared to her debut, “GAME”, it’s a bit more experimental and eclectic, the rock ’n’ roll influences are more clear, and Vera plays the electric guitar with such fury that it leaves no doubt that she is the tiger the title refers to! If you miss Kate Bush or wish Florence & the Machine would rock harder, this is your album!
6/11
Fran Palermo – “Fran Palermo”
The music of Fran Palermo is like a kaleidoscopic mixture of colors: it constantly changes and re-forms itself, yet still, in all its elements, creates an exciting and spectacular unity. Their style, tagged as vagabond rock and roll, is inspired at once by indie, desert rock, folk, and even Mediterranean moods, dominated mainly by guitars, drums, winds, and keys. Sometimes it feels like what you are listening to is a forgotten Beach Boys song, other times it’s like you are jamming with the Riot City Blues-era Primal Scream – but mostly you will be transported to a hidden beach somewhere in Italy, where you have nothing to do but enjoy the sun and the sea. If you already started counting down the days to summer of 2016, here is something that will make it easier.
7/11
Margaret Island – “Egyszer volt”
Margaret Island is one of the newest bands in this roundup; they are a trio playing acoustic folk-pop – think of Passenger, Ben Howard, Tom Odell, Fleet Foxes, or Mumford & Sons, and you’ve got it. Although we called them a trio in the first sentence, that’s not entirely true: the core of the band consists of three musicians, but they are joined by others onstage and in the studio. In an interview with them, the band said that they want to spread positivity through their music and with their blue-eyed, charming songs, they absolutely succeed. Be it a rainy afternoon or a sunny morning, their music will surely brighten your day or add a certain kind of atmosphere to it, halfway between melancholy and an uplifted vibration. “Egyszer volt” is a safe bet, so to say: we have yet to come across somebody who has a taste for radio-friendly folk-pop and doesn’t like Margaret Island.
8/11
Fish! - “Idő Van”
The members of Fish! describe their style as hardpop, that is, a mix of punk-rock’s urgency and minimalism, plus poppy song structures and hooks: it’s easy to get addicted to it, and hard to stop listening to it. They cite bands like Rancid or the Clash as their main influences, and you can tell after a song or two that they’ve learned their lessons of how to write kicking three-minute-long anthems that are appealing both for old-school punks and mainstream listeners who wouldn’t listen to this kind of music normally. As one memorable song follows another, you’ll be feeling more and more pumped up and ready for some fist-shaking; that’s a sure sign that you are listening to a quality pop-punk record. Oh, and did we mention that the vocalist of one of the most popular Hungarian metal bands, Feri Halász from Depresszió, sings for one of the songs?
9/11
Middlemist Red – “Supersonic Overdrive”
Middlemist Red is a Hungarian psychedelic-rock quartet, founded in late 2012. The band’s main inspiration channels from late ’60s and early ’70s rock bands like the Beatles and Pink Floyd, as well as bands from the new wave of psychedelic rock like the Black Angels and Tame Impala. Their debut album, “Supersonic Overdrive”, was released two years ago and has everything that gets a fuzzhead excited: psychedelic soundscapes, trance-inducing experimentation, fuzzed-out guitars, a bit of a flower-power homage, and a certain kind of melancholia. And of course, a good songwriting vein, capable of writing poppier hits that will get stuck in your ears. Also featuring the band’s interpretation of Kasabian’s single “Switcheroo”, “Supersonic Overdrive” is a good gateway to the fuzzier side of Hungarian music.
10/11
Ghostchant - “Nations EP”
Ghostchant is a supergroup formed by musicians like Zoltán Jakab (ex-Bridge To Solace, ex-Newborn), Norbert Czetvitz (Nadir), Gábor “Big” Nagy (ex-The Idoru, ex-Newborn), Dániel Kósa (Nadir), and Máté Kocsis (ex-the Idoru). They aimed to create fast, angry, and heavy music, in the vein of Enabler, Converge, Neurosis, and/or Dissection: as you can see, their style ranges from hardcore punk to black-metal riffing. Add Zoltán’s politically- and economically-charged lyrics, and a certain kind of urgency that is ever-present in the hardcore scene, and you have a clear idea of how Ghostchant sounds. Both their first EP, “Slaves”, and its follow-up, “Nations”, are worth a listen, especially if you are into this kind of music.
11/11
The Devil’s Trade - “Those Miles We Walked Alone”
The Devil’s Trade is the solo project of Dávid Makó, also a member of Stereochrist and HAW. His music is rooted in traditional American blues and folk music: Towns Van Zandt, Dorthia Cottrell, or David Eugene Edwards would be a good comparison. Just a man, his guitar, his banjo, and his incredibly strong and emotional voice – it could have been boring or sentimental, but although we’ve heard these elements countless times, Makó still manages to come up with something that’s both unique and touching. He avoided sentimentalism and instead managed to release an intimate, personal and well-written album. Highly recommended.
