My recommendation for now:
Hańba!
The band Hańba! (meaning
disgrace or
shame) sets their story back to 30s, when Polish Second Republic had to face consequences of the world Great Depression, domestic social disturbance and confrontational policy from neighboring Third Reich and USSR. Setting their story line 80 years back (for them, today is 2nd August 1939 and the outbreak of war is only one of potential scenarios yet to appear...), being equipped with "backyard band" instruments, such as banjo, trombone, accordion, drums or clarinet, and basing their lyrics on poems from that period (with
Julian Tuwim,
Jan Brzechwa,
Władysław Broniewski,
Zuzanna Ginczanka or
Lucjan Szenwald, to name few of their authors), Hańba! condemns and criticizes incompetent politicians, social injustice, new ideologies promising the dawn of new world (like fascism or communism), as well as capitalism, antisemitism, nationalism and militarism. With passion, energy and rage are they not only describe the reality of 30s in Poland and Europe, but they also show unexpectedly the alternative history of music, where punk rock was born in pre-war Poland instead of England at the edge of 60s and 70s.
Below, their life performance in Nikiszowiec (currently the district of Katowice) recorded by Seattle-based radio KEXP during OFF Festival back at 6th August 2015 (or 1935, as they prefer to say). Although all songs are in Polish, I hope you'll enjoy it.
