Partisans & Parasites

Some days I really love this list. I never would have discovered an album by a klezmer band founded by an American living in Berlin. I loved it!

What Daniel Kahn and The Painted Bird serve up here isn't entirely new. Their description of themselves as *"Verfremdungs-Klezmer: Yiddish Punk Cabaret"* might sound unique, but you'll hear echoes of Gogol Bordello, Kurt Weill, The Dresden Dolls, Tom Waits, The Pogues, Oi Va Voi, and even The Tiger Lillies scattered throughout the album. Yet it never feels like a copy. Kahn and his multinational Berlin collective bring enough of their own personality to the mix, helped by the switching between languages every now and then, and the sense that this music grows naturally from the city's cosmopolitan cultural scene rather than being a theatrical exercise. The cabaret and Weimar influences are impossible to miss, but unlike some artists working in that tradition, this feels more authentic than performative. The songs are funny, political, melancholic, and often surprisingly uplifting. Most importantly, they sound like they're being played by people who genuinely believe in them. It's music that puts me in a good mood and make me want to join the revolution

holy hell this was good! and so refreshing here an anti zionist song like Six Million Germans! amazing stuff - 10/10

A very politically themed album. And also edgy in a punk way. Very enjoyable

Now more then ever, in this troubled age, we need to promote such examples of modern Jewish artists drawing from diasporic, Bundist / Yiddish-inspired traditions. Coming from a leftist Brechtian background, Daniel Kahn's public stances about what's going on in Israel - Palestine have obviously been clear for decades, and he hasn't changed course in the recent years: he keeps on denouncing fascistic and fanatical monstrosities, wherever they come from. If only for this, I might be tempted to give four stars to whatever record he has released... Of course, it doesn't hurt that this one album is such a great entry point into the artist's body of work. The lively klezmer and other Yiddish music vernaculars those songs mostly draw upon are perfectly performed and recorded in this LP. Even better, you have quite a few bangers for the genre. Here's how you can make "local" traditions sound universal. Things start off nicely with two cuts whose political undertones are only subtly suggested: "A Patriot" and "Parasites". The latter song is very precise in its depiction of quite incredible natural parasites. Quite a songwriting feat. Then, a couple of tracks later, two *very* political highlights surge. One is a cover of the snarling "Embrace The Fascists", a song originally written in the thirties, whose message unfortunately hasn't aged a day: said fascists are about to reach power in my homeland and the so-called "liberals" in charge right now (or the ones around me) are doing everything they can to pave the way for them, whether they realize this or not. This is what the song is about, and I am afraid I will play this track again in the years to come to help me abide. The other song "Six Million Germans" is about the very disturbing (and historically real) Nakam conspiracy once attempted by a handful of Holocaust survivors wishing to avenge the millions of Jews murdered by the nazis. The lyrics are clinical and try to avoid ready-made judgements about those real-life characters, yet towards the end of the song, there is also a clear indication that unsolved trauma has led us to the horrors of today... What's incredible here is that as dark the subject matter is, there is still a sense of fun seeping through the music ("Six Million Germans" has an infectious chorus for sure!). Same when Daniel Kahn and The Painted Bird use more American-sounding arrangements (harmonica, New Orleans Jazz flourishes) on the album's second side, especially on those two songs about the Katrina hurricane, but also on the heartfelt closer "Where I Rest", calling for a burial place in nature instead of industrialized whereabouts. Some time before that, you have the (thoughtful) joke at the heart of "A Rothschild In Your House". Even in this interlude, a love of "hereness" is conveyed, just as it is conveyed in "Vampirn", a footnote harking back to "Parasites" and what it was really about. Lessons about class struggles have rarely sounded this fun. The real centerpiece of the record is not a "fun" track but a very moving song, however -- one whose message about peace between the "people of the crescent moon" and the "people of the star" must be repeated again and again. This song is "Dumai / 'Think'". a) This is a terrific composition whose main vocal hook will haunt me for days to come. b) I admire Daniel for saying one very important thing as early as 2009 in this song: without some amount of justice, there can be no real peace. Here's me hoping that "partisans" of *hereness* and progressive values will prevail over "parasites" one day, and this everywhere in the world. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 3.5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 120 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 136 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 300 (including this one -- my rationale is that for music so heavily drawing from "traditional" sounds without actually pushing the needle forward in terms of the artistry, you'd need another list on the side: no way all of them can be properly represented in a finite listing of 1001 items). ---- Salut Émile, Tu pourras lire ma dernière réponse sous le *Little Criminals* de Randy Newman. A+.

This was fun. I liked the mix of klezmer and punk. Is there any klezmer on the original list? I can't remember. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Slight yes

A distinctly Judaic cultural product picking up humor from Tom Waits and energy from The Pogues. Touching on a number of historical/political issues that intersect with the Jewish identity, Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird deliver engrossing tales intertwined with Klezmer-styled compositions. Kahn's vocals are easily the highlight, as his performance gives so much personality to this album. A treat for the ears! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A little too under-the-radar for this list, but still a great suggestion.

Interesting to hear something else than mediocre American bands.

I applaud the intention and it's certainly different and beats the majority of the uninspiring dross that ends up here but it's not my thing I'm afraid. As someone else mentioned in the reviews this is more akin to a theatre musical soundtrack.

Certainly among the most Jew-y albums I've ever heard. It was interesting. I wanted to like it, especially because he's from my home town, but it came off as sort of kitschy, almost musical theater-like, which I'm not a fan of. I don't know, overall it was just okay for me. 3 stars.

Always appreciate when the list reveals one of my cultural blind spots and fills me in a bit. I’ve heard some klezmer before, but didn’t know the label existed. This was a good listen once I settled in to the mix of protest lyricism against lavish string band instrumentation – some of the tracks run 1-2 choruses too long, but for the most part are equally entertaining and principled. Mixing Yiddish protest music of old with modern artistic sensibilities is a potent artistic platform, and it’s a niche I never would have discovered on my own.

Partisans & Parasites is a modern klezmer album by German band Daniel Kahn, Painted Bird. It is entertaining, but not really special. Comparing it to artists like Tom Waits and Woody Guthrie makes no sense at all. It contains decent klezmer sounds and some other folky/bluesy style songs. The performance and production are ok, but it does not excel anywhere tbh.

German, accordion music?

I appreciate a different genre of music being submitted to this list. However, this is not for me. Thank you for understanding.

Never heard of Klezmer but this makes sense. Whoa did not expect this guitar solo halfway through the first song. Unfortunately those cool guitars were few and far in between. I don't think Klezmer is for me.

I first heard of Kelzmer through a book that I read to my kids, but this is my first proper acquaintance with it. Granted I think this is probably a punked-up version of the traditional roots. I'll say this the result is pretty much aligned with expectation -- traditional instruments with more than a fair share of accordion and oboe/clarinet/something-reedy(?) forming into a polka-esq stomp. Once again, this falls into the category of music that isn't bad, but just isn't for me. Now with that said, I would absolutely welcome chancing upon this performed live at a fair or something -- feels like a kind of music that would make for a good romp.

Klezmer is extremely fun and sounds extremely distinctive. Was super excited to draw this one

What in the Gogol Bordello is this? Oh hang on, wait, it's actually quite a fun listen. I mean, Gogol Bordello are also a fun listen. Carry on.

Det här är lite kul. Tänker på Gogol Bordello när jag hör detta. Det är som en berättelse eller skådespel. Tankarna går även till Marc Almond som även han gör plattor som är rena föreställningen.

A cross between Yiddish Cabaret and German Carnival music gives this album a pretty unique sound. Kind of fun to listen to, not sure I'd listen to it regularly. Standouts: Six Million Germans, Yosl Ber / A Patriot, Dumai/Think,

What in the heck with all of these sea shanty type songs. Was very strange but also strangely enjoyable. Parasites was one of the weirder songs I have ever heard. SIX MILLION GERMANS This ended up as a surprise low 4

June 22, 2026 HL: "Rosen auf den Weg gestreut / Embrace the Fascists", "Six Million Germans / Nakam", "Dumai / Think", "Mayn Rue-Plats/Where I Rest" Enjoyed! A dark cabaret & political folk borscht that would make Tom Waits proud Bonus points for submitting an album (partly) in a language I don't hear all that often (Yiddish)

it turned me onto this artist which is cool. 4s.

Not the usual fare… interesting in both a musical and historical way.

Klezmer, punk rock, folk. Está bien. Un 4.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Yosl ber, Dumai

It confused but in a good way. Should not have started listening just before lunch.

Well, klezmer music is certainly a change of pace. I liked this album, but I wish it would have featured the music more and his vocals less. He's a fine singer and he writes some interesting lyrics, but it feels weird to base your band around a type of music that is really energetic and fun, and then treating the album more like a folk album in terms of the lyrical approach. I liked it okay, but it was ultimately a bit of a disappointment because I just wanted to hear some fucking klezmer music 3/5

This is what you get if you mix Gogol bordello and sabaton together. A very unusual sound to this album that is oddly endearing the more and more it goes on. Very interesting I’d give it maybe a 3.5.

I like the music. Klezmer with some Irish folk influences. The lyrics are awkward: very anti-Nazi, yet radically nationalist. Strange combination.

Some pretty good klezmer

It’s certainly different and an under represented genre, that alone is enough of an argument for it to make the list. Not really my personal taste though, doubt I’ll return to this one.

And now for something completely different...

It was fine

The folk punk soundtrack to a terrifying musical

A kinda fun album whose schtick grows tiresome before the end. It's a neat little novelty but I sort of "got it" after a few tracks.

Not sure what to say about this

Klezmer has never been a big factor in my musical diet, though I don't dislike it. This is solidly performed and clever. A little heavy on the quirk for my tastes. But I don't begrudge the time spent listening to it.

Weird and bad