Throbbing funk, fiery Balkan brass, Gypsy accordion wizardry, and virtuoso jazz chops make Slavic Soul Party! NYC's official #1 brass band for BalkanSoul GypsyFunk. SSP! has created an acoustic mash-up of Balkan and Gypsy sounds with North American music, weaving the gospel, techno, funk, dub, jazz, and Latin influences of NYC's neighborhoods into a Balkan brass setting. Their original sound has never been clearer than on their new cd Taketron, a surprising re-imagining of brass band dance music that includes only two traditional songs (a blazing Moldovan oompah and a soulful Gospel journey). SSP!'s music has won the ear of fans and musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, and their tunes have been learned by Serbian brass stars Boban Markovic Orkestar and New Orleans funk sensations Galactic, among others. In addition to touring throughout the US and Europe, SSP! holds down a residency every Tuesday in Brooklyn which has become a destination for music fans from around the world.

With a diverse lineup of fine Philly musicians, influences ranging from Bulgarian brass bands to Sun Ra, and a reputation for inciting mayhem, West Philadelphia Orchestra is a bizarre ensemble in today's musical world. They began playing Romanian ballads, Macedonian folk-dance songs, Bulgarian wedding music, and various klezmer tunes in late 2006, and have continued expanding and/or corrupting their sound and repertoire over their 3 blurry years of existence. The band also plays original tunes which blends other sounds, like jazz and classical, together with traditional sounds. As much a community as a band, WPO's performances are celebratory events. With blistering beats and walls of brass, they inspire audiences to hold hands, dance, and slip the yoke of the culture industry. Their debut record, released in fall of 2008 and called 'WPO,' is a unique combination of traditional Balkan music and sounds, and is an expression of their radical collectivity.