As part of their live performances, not only do the Čikāgas Piecīši perform satirical songs, but they also do satirical comedy sketches. The sketches poke fun at a wide variety of topics, but the most common motif is the experience of being Latvian while living in the United States.

The latest compact disc from the Piecīši, Jocīgie gadi 1, collects a number of these sketches. Many of these sketches were already released on the vinyl recording Vēl jau viss nav pagalam, but this collection also contains other sketches recorded throughout the group’s career. And because this is a comedy album, there are very few actual songs here.

So do jokes from as long ago as the 1960s hold up? Not surprisingly, some of the material doesn’t age well, but some of it can still provoke laughs even today.

The theme of being Latvian in the United States is a rather timeless one, so there the humor is still relevant. One of the funnier sketches on the album is “Jauktā laulība,” which is about the marriage of a Latvian man to an American woman. The woman finds out more than she wants to know about certain Latvian foods, like asins desa (described to her as pig’s intestine filled with fresh blood) and galerts (compared to frozen vomit).

The sketch “Pēc pilsoņu papīriem” details the travails of a Latvian getting his American citizenship, coached by another “helpful” Latvian about how to best answer the questions. “Kokteiļpartija” also has a conversation between a Latvian and American, with the American being bewildered by some of the Latvian customs that are described.

Generational differences are always good for comedy, as shown by “Draudzīgais aicinājums,” which has an older Latvian going on an extended rant about the way the young Latvians dress, with the obligatory comment about “back when I was young…”

But the political humor doesn’t hold up too well. The occasional reference to President Lyndon Johnson dates the humor.

A few “songs” are found on the album, including “Sunītis,” which is a comical attempt at performing “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” in Latvian.

Most of the texts were written by Piecīši leader Alberts Legzdiņš as well as Uldis Ievāns.

Perhaps some of the recorded humor not working as well as it could is due to sketches having a certain visual aspect. The few photographs that are in the CD booklet show the members of the band dressed up in costumes, which often add to the humor in live performances.

As with most all comedy albums, this CD does not invite repeat listenings. There are more laughs here than I expected, but it is still not a CD I listen to with any kind of regularity. It best serves as an archive of the last 40 years and as a reminder that some humor can be timeless.

Labvēlīgais Tips has established itself as one of the premier Latvian rock acts. The group has carved out a niche thanks to its unique blend of accomplished musicianship and sense of humor. But the group’s songs about ordinary people and ordinary things, in my opinion, are mainly what have given Labvēlīgais Tips its longevity and sustained popularity.

In a break from tradition, April 1, 2002, did not see a new Labvēlīgais Tips album. Having released seven recordings over the past years, and always on April 1, for whatever reason the group decided to take a bit more time with its eighth, releasing the album Mūzika iereibušiem cilvēkiem in late 2002.

If that was the case, then I am glad that the group put a bit more time into this one. Mūzika iereibušiem cilvēkiem is a great album, full of classic Tips tunes.

The album starts off with the uptempo “Trakais,” an ode to crazy people and, apparently, a satirical poke at much of the goings on in the Latvian government. Lead singer Andris Freidenfelds intones in his least sincere, nasally best, “Es līdz šim latviešu tautai neko sliktu neesmu izdarījis un turpmāk apsolos arī nedarīt!” (“Until now I haven’t done anything wrong to the Latvian people, and in the future promise not to do anything wrong!”). It’s a very catchy song and an instant Tips classic.

Songs about ordinary things often times have extraordinary results in the world of Labvēlīgais Tips. A perfect example of that is my favorite tune on the compact disc, “Par riekstiem,” a song about, well, nuts! Singing such dreadfully serious lyrics as “Par riekstiem, es dziedu šo dziesmu svarīgo” (“I sing this important song about nuts”) makes the listener burst out laughing. A “hidden” track on the CD is a demo of this song, and Freidenfelds himself starts cracking up halfway through and cannot finish it!

Another favorite is “Gunvaldis un Nataly,” a song about Gunvaldis, who sadly must spend his name day alone. He longs for his neighbor, Nataly, but realizes that unfortunately he will just get drunk and fall asleep by himself.

The song “11.septembris” is not actually about the events of that day, but is more of an “enjoy life while you can” kind of song. My favorite line is, “Ja griesti ir, tad grīda būs” (“If the ceiling is there, then the floor will be there, too”).

As is usual for Labvēlīgais Tips, the packaging of the album is pretty minimal. No lyrics are provided (they would be helpful when trying to decode some of these songs), but you do get a picture of the band members with what look like paper plates on their ears and fake bunny rabbit teeth.

As with most every Labvēlīgais Tips release, many of the songs might be impenetrable to Latvians who not have spent an extended time in Latvia. But don’t let that scare you away. I still really enjoyed this CD, even though I have never lived in Latvia and haven’t the foggiest what some of the songs are about.

Mūzika iereibušiem cilvēkiem is a welcome addition to the Labvēlīgais Tips discography, a return to form by one of Latvia’s most enduring and popular groups. Containing a number of classic songs, this CD shows that the band is still going strong.

The all-female rock band is a scarce species, but in the past few years one has emerged in Latvia. They are the quaintly named Māsas and their debut album, Dāvā laimi, was released by MICREC in 2001.

The name Māsas is appropriate because the four-member band contains two sets of sisters. Līga Celma is on vocals and guitar, and her sister Daina Celma is on vocals and keyboards. Kristīne Dortāne sings and plays bass, while her sister Ingūna Dortāne sings and plays the drums.

I had heard the song “Dāvā laimi” on the compilation SuperIzlase 2, released in 2001 by MICREC. It is a very catchy, poppy song, and I really liked the lyrics by Līga Celma: “Dāvā laimi, nelaime nāks pati” (“Give the gift of luck, bad luck will come on its own”).

Having only heard that song prior to purchasing this compact disc, I was expecting a recording of mainly pop songs. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case. The music performed by Māsas is hard to classify. The album contains many different styles, giving it an eclectic feel. This range of styles, as well as strengths in songwriting and performing, makes this CD enjoyable and also stand up after repeated listenings.

Some of the songs even have a jazzy flavor. I especially like “Stacija,” a very pretty song about waiting with a loved one for a train. Another song I liked is “Laidīsimies prom,” a more up-tempo tune.

Another enjoyable aspect of Māsas is their sense of humor. This is evident not only in the photos in the CD booklet (showing the members of the band dressed up in some rather absurd fashions, not to mention a bit too much makeup) but in the songs as well. To close out the album, there’s “Intervija ar skumjo govi,” a song about a sad cow. The song even starts out with band members mooing.

The packaging contains the lyrics to all the songs, which was very nice to have.

Make no mistake about it—this is a band here, not just a collection of four female singers. Songwriting and musicianship are top-notch, leading to an enjoyable CD in Dāvā laimi. Adeptly switching between many different styles over the course of the album, Māsas have created a great collection of songs. For those who still might hold the outdated notion that “girls can’t play,” look no further than this album. Māsas can play with the best of them!