Recommended: SKM Banda – “Panontikon”

The answer provided to the “Genre” question on ŠKM Banda‘s Facebook page is “Who cares?”  It would be a trite, almost cliche answer were it not for the fact that every note by this band shows they live and breathe by that motto.  A quartet consisting of a variety of stringed instruments and percussion, they mix in folk, jazz, pop, post-rock and dashes of plenty of other influences for a deliriously enjoyable concoction of what happens when you just don’t care about genre.  For this session, they’re titling it Panontikon.  A few sharper edges and more frequent bursts of intensity, but definitely comparable to recent albums by similarly genre-immune acts like I Think You’re Awesome and Tunto.  This Slovenian group just settles in and makes fun, tuneful music that greets the ear with a warm smile and a big embrace.  Difficult not to like.

That’s it.  I just wanted to get in a quick mention of them today.  I’m really enjoying this album.

Your album personnel:  Mitja Sušec (electric & acoustic guitar, ukulele), Iztok Koren (electric & 12-string acoustic guitar, banjo, kalimba), Jernej Koren (bass guitar, percussion), Jernej Sobočan (drums, xylophone) and Guests:  Dani Kolarič (cimbalom) and Miha Kavaš (violin).

Released on Kapa Records.

Music from the Beltinci, Slovenia scene.

Check out more music by SKM Banda on their Bandcamp page.

The band’s name refers to a local hero of World War II, Stefan Kovac-Marko.

Available at:  eMusic | Bandcamp | Amazon MP3