Norway, José!

Kaizers Orchestra – Bak et Halleluja

I heard about this band from Tom Waits, who wrote one of those my favorite 20 albums things in the Observer (UK). Some of those are great, but it’s also worth looking at the other 9 that he put in the online addendum. All he says about this album, Ompa til du dør (Ompa Till You Die) is, “Norwegian storm trooping tarantellas with savage rhythms and innovative textures. Thinking man�s circus music. Way out.” And that might be the most that’s really sayable. Once you’ve listened to the music, it becomes obvious why Tom Waits likes them – they’ve obviously listened to Rain Dogs more than once; the album even begins more or less the same way as “Jockey Full of Bourbon.” But they’re much dancier and excitable than him. “Bak et Halleluja,” especially, is frenzied and relentless. I had to go somewhere immediately after the first time I heard it, and I was jittery and talkative like I’d done more than just listen to a really fast song.

Kaizers Orchestra sell lots and lots of records and win tons of awards in Scandinavia, but they have crap distribution outside Europe. In North America, you can get it for pretty cheap (US$20) from the Canadian company MusicSelection. I got mine from them, and it came quickly, with no hassles.