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The boisterous rhythms and inebriated horn bluster of the Raya Brass Band have all the swaggering, infectious bravado of a Balkan brass combo. On closer inspection, however, its members' names betray a marked lack of crammed-together consonants and their builds seem more suited to a Brooklyn hipster bar than campfire caravan swilling. Yes, it's another manifestation of young American musicians' love affair with Eastern European horns, placing Raya alongside the likes of Slavic Soul Party and our own West Philadelphia Orchestra. The NYC quintet pulls the sound off with vigor, nailing the most important elements (i.e., those that force audiences to get up and move with the power of the eighth cocktail of the evening) while infusing their own wry humor and jazz influences, veering away from tradition for a dose of avant-sax blowing or basing a tune around a cell-phone melody. 06/07/12
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