Brave Combo
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Brave Combo is a polka/rock band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/keyboardist/accordianist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for over twenty years. They won a Grammy award in 1999 in the Polka album category for their album Polkasonic, and again in 2005 for their album Let's Kiss. Their music, both originals and covers, incorporates a number of dance styles, mostly polka, but also rhumba, cha-cha, choro, samba, two-step, cumbia, charanga, merengue, etc. As part of their perceived artistic mission to expand the musical tastes of their listeners, they have often played and recorded covers of well-known songs in a style radically different from the original versions. Examples include polka versions of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and The Doors' "People are Strange", and The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" as a cha-cha. While their records may have a sense of humor, they are played straight and not usually considered joke or novelty records.
Media appearances
- Finch and other band members made cameo appearances in Talking Heads leader David Byrne's 1986 movie True Stories, set in a fictional Texas town.
- Their song "Busy Office Rhumba" was used as the theme for the 1993 Fox series Bakersfield P.D.
- The band made a short appearance on the March 21, 2004 episode of The Simpsons.
- They wrote and performed the theme song for the 2005 series "ESPN Bowling Night".
Discography
- Polkamania (1979)
- Music For Squares (1981)
- Urban Grown-ups (1982)
- Originals (1982)
- World Dance Music (1984)
- No Sad Faces (1984)
- People Are Strange (1986)
- Musical Varieties (1987)
- Polkatharsis (1987)
- Humansville (1988)
- Music Circus (1989)
- Very Early Recordings (1990)
- A Night On Earth (1990)
- Iijanaika (1991)
- It's Christmas, Man! (1992)
- No, No, No, Cha Cha Cha (1993)
- Ondo Saves The World (1993)
- Allumettes with Lauren Agnelli (1994)
- Hokey Pokey (1994)
- Polkas For A Gloomy World (1995)
- Girl with Tiny Tim (1996)
- Mood Swing Music (1996)
- Kiss Of Fire with Lauren Agnelli (1996) - content similar to Allumettes
- Group Dance Epidemic (1997)
- Polka Party (1998)
- Polkasonic (1999)
- The Process (2000)
- All Wound Up! with Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (2001)
- Kick-Ass Polkas (2001)
- Box of Ghosts (2003)
- Let's Kiss (2004)
External links
- Official website (http://brave.com/bo)