Toy Box (Omnium Records OMM 2047, 20100
Felonious Bosch has released an intriguing album titled Toy Box. The boundary breaking album includes a mix of original eccentric folk with a punk attitude, as well as pieces from various European cultures, including Medieval Spain and France and folk music from Hungary.
Felonious Bosch is a six-piece band from Minneapolis-Saint Paul, an area known to Americans as the Twin Cities. Members include two women and four men led by vocalist and songwriter Katy Thomasberg and music composed by Scott Nieman.
The whole concept behind Felonious Bosch is rather mysterious, with cryptic lyrics by Thomasberg, music that may suddenly change direction, and an album package with unusual illustrations by D.C. Ice, known for her ‘frighteningly wonderful’ artwork.
For additional mystery, the liner notes are not easily visible. You have to pop the enhanced CD into a computer to find a media file that contains extra goodies like a live video of Felonious Bosch playing the song “Baby Sly,” full recording session credits, and high-quality MP3 copies of all the songs.
Felonious Bosch includes Renée Bracchi on drum kit and percussion; Steve Clarke on saxophones and flutes; Drew Miller on bass guitar; Scott Nieman on bouzoukis, cittern, guitar, and melodies; David Stenshoel on violin and saxophone; and Katy Thomasberg on lead vocals, overtone singing, and lyrics.
Toy Box is a box of musical surprises by some of the most talented and unconventional musicians in the Twin Cities area.
Buy the album:
- In North America: Toy Box. Other recordings available: New Dark Ages
- In Europe: Other recordings available: New Dark Ages
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
