Szabó Balázs Bandája
25 July, 8:30 pm, Palya-udvar, Kapolcs
Szabó Balázs Bandája, a band mixing folk with rock, funk and blues as well as its own lyrics with poems, for example ones written by Miklós Radnóti, is becoming increasingly popular. They are radio regulars, and they were even featured on Nagy-szín-pad, a Hungarian talent show for musical acts, where they made it into the finals. The band was founded in 2009, and has gone through a number of line-up changes since then. Their latest album called Élet elvitelre came out earlier this year. Their music is for everyone: for dance enthusiasts, for satchel-toting humanities students, and for the sensitive souls, too.
Middlemist Red
25 July, 7:30 pm, Elevenkert, Taliándörögd
Arguably the most talented band of youngsters in Hungary today, Middlemist Red is influenced by the British psychedelic rock of the sixties. Not too long ago they emerged victorious from the international talent show organized by Deezer, and this summer they will hit the stage at the Valley of Arts as well. After releasing their debut EP As If You Could Mess This Up, Soma Nové and co. are working on their first album, which will come out in the fall. Their versatile sound will fit right into the rural atmosphere of the Valley.
Képzelt Város
25 July, 9:00 pm, Elevenkert, Taliándörögd
The music of Képzelt Város is an exciting blend of mellow sounds and sweeping, grandiose post-rock tunes. Their third record Anatolij, released to great success last November, is a concept album telling the story of a lost cosmonaut couple, and will give the foundation of their set at the Valley this year. They have recorded several video clips for the album – this is the second one called Theodor, which “showcases the insignificance of human life compared to the infinity of space”.
Kaláka együttes
26 July, 11:00 am, Kaláka versudvar, Kapolcs
Kaláka együttes is an institution, which only sounds pretentious if you don’t know their music: the private universe of Vilmos Gryllus and his fellow band members is a fusion of poems, folk tunes, chansons, urban songs and a thousand other things, and it is for everyone from the age of nine to ninety-nine, just to throw in another potential cliché. Their concert will feature songs from their album called Ragyog a mindenség.
Ponikló Akusztik
26 July, 5:00 pm, Blues Pot Café, Kapolcs
Amber Smith (or: amber smith), one of the old foxes of the Hungarian indie scene, is currently working on new material. The band came into existence in 2000, and has recorded five albums, their last release being the EP Another Way from 2013. Imre Poniklo, the guitar player and singer frontman of Amber Smith and the only member with the band since the beginnings, makes solo appearances in clubs from time to time, playing his songs with acoustic guitar and cello accompaniment. This will be the set-up for this year’s Valley of Arts as well.
Muriel
27 July, 6:00 pm, Palya-udvar, Kapolcs
Muriel, the four-member ensemble characterized by a mix of funk and artpop, brings the Californication and By the Way era of Red Hot Chili Peppers into mind, but they ultimately remind you of themselves really. They have already opened for 30Y, Kiscsillag and Carbonfools, they have recorded a bunch of top quality records (Check In: 1 and Check In: 2, to be exact), and now it’s time to rock out to their headbob-inducing, roots-inspired rock tunes at the Valley club set up by Bea Palya.
Romengo együttes and Mónika Lakatos
27 July, 8:00 pm, Muharay udvar, Kapolcs
Romengo is one of the most exciting bands of the Hungarian Roma-folk scene. The five-member group plays the music of the Hungarian Olah Gypsies, with their latest (second) album Nagyecsed-Budapest, released in May, making it onto World Music Chart Europe. Apparently the story of the band started by one of the members, Mazsi Rostás proposing to another member, Móni Lakatos. In addition to playing Gypsy folk songs, they also perform their own melodies, several of which you will have a chance to listen to in Muharay udvar.
Morningdeer / guest appearance by Veronika Harcsa
27 July, 9:30 pm, Harcsa Veronika udvar, Kapolcs
Morningdeer is the artistic-experimental, “slightly twisted” one-woman project of singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Krisztina Dányi. The structure of her songs is decidedly pop-inspired, but she incorporates tunes characteristic of jazz, baroque, electronic and contemporary music as well, and the clacking of spokes or the sound of window scrubbing are not out of place in her music either. Concert On a Twig, her most recent record, came out in the summer of 2013 in Hungary, Japan, the UK and the US. Veronika Harcsa, the hostess of the concert venue, will also make a guest appearance during the evening.
Kipu
28 July, 10:30 pm, Elevenkert, Taliándörögd
Reliable Hungarian alternative rock with drums, a bass and an electronic guitar, a singer, and the notable influence of Kispál és a Borz, 30Y and Foo Fighters, all of this from Pécs, of course – this is Kipu. This could be a recipe for a terribly boring rock band, but lo and behold, Kipu is not like that at all. They’re loud, witty, lively and a bit grungy with awesome dance tunes. They pop up regularly at summer festivals, they have opened for Supernem, Y or Vad Fruttik in the past, and they even have an album called …és medvévé változott. Their next concert will be in the Valley – what better news does one need?
colorStar
30 July, 10:30 pm, Palya-udvar, Kapolcs
Playing pop songs tweaked with some electronic, world and psychedelic rock music, colorStar came into existence in 1996. The line-up has changed quite a few times, with singer and guitarist András Keleti, a familiar face from Budapest Bár, and Péter Szalay, also playing in Korai Öröm and a new band, Stukker, remaining the only original members. Their latest material, including their 2014 EP called Reaction, builds more heavily on pop structures and singing, which is not a bad thing at all because modern classicism suits colorStar perfectly. We will definitely check them out!
