Artist description There is just something mind-bogglingly unreal about the Reptile Palace Orchestra. Unreal, surreal, and captivating. I can honestly say that I've never heard anything quite like them before. And I've listened to a wide range of styles, thanks to Folk Tales. These guys are a breed all unto themselves. Every time I thought I'd found a way to nail down just what this group was about, they'd switch tracks completely, hopping from one train of thought to the next like musical hobos. Part Bulgarian, part Colombian, part swing, part Balkan, part guy-with-an-iguana-head-riding-in-a-motorboat-with-three-kids, the Reptile Palace Orchestra certainly can't have any rivals for whatever the heck it is they do. For one thing, I don't know if the world's big enough to support more than one of them!

Music Style Balkan Lounge Funk - world music that ROCKS

Similar Artists 3 Mustaphas 3,

Artist History Elvis + Armenia + Funkadelic + Bulgaria = RPO. Sublime Gypsy Rock with handrums, clarinet, violin, cello, guitar and vocalist Anna Purnell. “the city’s favorite pan-ethnic ensemble” - Tom Laskin, Isthmus

Group Members I'll say this, they play more instruments than I ever dreamed existed. The liner notes' listing of the musicians that make up the RPO, and the instruments they play, runs like this: Siggi Baldursson: drumkit, dumbek, surdo, shakers, percussion, vocals Seth Blair: Jenson 6-string electric cello, vocals Doug Code: clarinets, saxophone, accordion Bill Feeny: guitar, vocals, Arp Odyssey Anna Purnell: lead vocals, trumpet Robert Schoville: surdo, bells, shaker, cajon, other percussion Biff Uranus: electric and acoustic violins, Mandoblaster, Stratocaster, Therolin, balalaika, vocals

Instruments dumbek, electric violin and mandolin, bass, cello, trumpet, sax, clarinet, sitar guitar, balalaika

Albums Early Reptile, On The Wings of a Skink, HWY X, Iguana iguana

Press Reviews AMG EXPERT REVIEW: From Madison, WI, Reptile Palace Orchestra casts a net over the globe and the ages, gathering together sounds from different cultures and different times. Released at a time when genre multiplicity was de rigeur, Iguana Iguana still managed to sound to the ear a fresh and exciting blend of ethnic and vintage sounds. With enough swing to be fun dance music, this album skips from track to track with an upbeat tempo. Reptile Palace Orchestra draws from a varied palette of instruments. Accordion, cello, clarinet, violin, doumbek, other percussion, and more are heard here. The enhanced CD portion exhibits material from the band's website and ten extra tracks. These tracks are live and in MP3 format, representing 38 additional minutes of music. — Tom Schulte http://allmusic.com/cg/x.dll?p=amg&sql=A413881 "...musical neotraditionalism at its zaniest..." - Dolan, MPLS City Pages "...seems to be the trademark sound of the Star Wars Cantina Band" - Snyder, MNPLS Revue "Meant to be danced to... Fast paced trance-inducing fun... Sultry and haunting... " - Natasha Kussulke, Madison Newspaper’s Rhythm "The line between reverence and gonzo subversion blurs beautifully..." - John Noyd, Maximum Ink "...The more I hear of RPO, the more it sounds like psycho-clown carnival music. As opposed to, well, normal carnival music..." - Andrea Norie, Alibi Music "...when RPO played at the CCC, gyrating dance circles immediately appeared in the aisles the crowd laughed and and sang along..." - Holly Day, Ink19 "a stunning, transcendental set from Madison, Wisc.'s Reptile Palace Orchestra. Singer Anna Purnell was mesmerizing, and as buzzed on Lotus as anyone else. She couldn't stop raving about it from the stage as the snake-dancing crowd soaked up their alien reptilian mambo." Jim Manion, "Whole lotta Lotus", Bloomington Independent

Additional Info http://beeftone.com/rpo

Location Madison, WI - USA

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