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A legendary Czech jazz-fusion/rock band from the old days, Abraxas broke up in 1984. While a lot of old Czech bands have gotten back together to make "comebacks," the return of Abraxas was perhaps all the more predictable in that the band's lead singer, Slavek Janda is the brother of Petr Janda - whose own band, Olympic, breaks up and gets back together almost like clockwork. Abraxas is back together in almost its original composition, and they promise to play all their old hits as well as some new songs. It's hard to liken Czech rock of the 70's to some international trend, but if Abraxas is comparable to anything, it's a bit akin to Canadian rock of the late 70's.

The leader of the band got his start in the north Bohemian rock scene about twenty years ago. Vlada Rod (his friends call him Jeff) is an exceptional trumpet player, and his first forays into the musical world with his band "Biograf" were more jazz / rock than the funk / rock he plays today or the 1950's classic rock he played in the 1980's as a part of the Lemon Nashville Orchestra. After recording one very successful album in the late 70's, "Biograf" fell apart - as did Jeff, who fell victim to alcohol and drug abuse. Jeff resurrected his own band in 1991, after he left the Lemon Nashville Orchestra, where - incidentally - he played with Jaroslav Jerabek, who is a member of Garage today.

One of the Czech Republic's oldest - and biggest - "big beat" bands, Brutus isn't from Prague, but from Rakovnik - a town northwest of Prague where some of the best hops in the world are grown. They play covers from bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but they have enough of their own original tunes to fill the CD they released a few years ago as well. Brutus has specialized in playing village fetes for something like 20 years, so they are expert at getting everyone to dance and they are used to playing for a really really long time.

This funk-rock band from Pilsen first became popular in 1993. They've put out two albums so far and their music could almost be described more as "easy-listening" than as straight rock. The lead singer is actually a classically-trained trombonist, but he's given up the horn for the guitar - and he also excels at vocals - so much so that he's been in several musicals since the fall of communism. Burma Jones play together only very rarely, which makes any show by them one you won't want to miss.

Buty has become the darling of the Czech music scene since sweeping the Czech "Gramy" music awards in 1995. Their most popular song has a catchy tune and nonsensical and non-rhyming lyrics about a boy named "Frantisek Dobrota," but it isn't their only hit by far. Altogether a solid and fun band, Buty can only become more popular, so it's worth it to see them when you can.

Joe Carnation also plays in the legendary Prague rock group, Garaz, and Bob Solomon - which is a band, not an individual - is from the town of Liberec. Both these underground Czech bands are popular with audiences at home, but their blues-influenced music is rarely heard abroad and in fact, they are largely ignored by the Czech music establishment.

Cirkus Praha is another half-American, half-Czech local band - this time, playing straight easy-listening rock'n'roll music with some modern blues influence. The Ksichties - whose half American / half slang Czech name defies translation - are an all-girls' band, which is always a refreshing change on the male-dominated Czech rock scene (and indeed, the world rock scene in general). They've been around for about three years, but have just put out their first album.

This is one of the oldest Prague bands that's still around - though it no longer includes all of the original members. The band often invites special guest stars from the most popular bands of the 1960's (many of whom don't play anymore) to join them. They don't play any original music - the songs are mostly covers of (surprise) classic rock and roll songs. As such, you're likely to know them well, and it's a fact that they are lots of fun to dance to. Especially if you missed Mick Jagger and the gang when they were here, this is an excellent chance to sit back and enjoy a cold Czech beer as over-50's rockers prance around on stage.

These two bands don't play often, but when they do they are likely to be together. Both these bands are made up of 30 to 40- something musicians, a generation that was greatly influenced by groups like Madness, and sounds like Ska and Punk - but whose own music is much harder than the first two of these, and still sounds as underground as it did before the Velvet Revolution. Both bands are made up of bass, two guitars, and drums. Karel Vavrinek, who sometimes plays bass and sometimes guitar for Domaci Kapela, is the owner of the very first rock club in Prague - the occaisionally closed Ujezd (sometimes known as the Borat); while Umela Hmota's sound has been described as "thoughtful sound and fury - and yet more sound and more fury!"

Tony Duchacek has been around in Prague's rock scene since the early 1980's. Garage started out as Garaz and rose to the pinnacle of the underground scene in Czech rock in the 1980's, only to fall apart shortly after the Velvet Revolution. Band leader Tony Duchacek is a big fan of Iggy Pop, and this is clear from his music.

Duniva Katerina are often compared to the UK's "Wedding Party" and have been playing their particular brand of indie since about 1991. Look for them to play their most popular and danceable song, "Zemi pripouta" - it's also band leader Roman Rejzek's favorite, right after "Corinthians 13."

In the 1950s Czech teenagers were going gaga for rock and roll just like their counterparts all over the world. As in other parts of the world, their parents were none too pleased about this, but unlike most other places, in the then-Czechoslovakia and in the Stalinist 50's they were also often jailed for it. It was in this atmosphere that groups like Olympic, Sputnik, and Golden Cadillac were founded. The band has gotten older as time has gone by, but their repertoire hasn't changed since they first began to play as fresh-faced teens: covers of songs in English by Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and the like. The songs are sung in rather halting English by Pavel Sedlacek. Provided that none of the musicians dies of old age between now and the concert, this is a unique chance to see some of the founding fathers of Czech rock and roll.

Ivan Hlas and Nahlas are a Prague-based blues-rock band with folk influences. They have been playing together for about six years, and come originally from the same Prague 6 scene at the Houtys bar that spawned the ever-popular Yoyo Band and a number of other groups which began playing in semi-secret under the last days of the communist regime. Their best-known song, "Karlin," sounds suspiciously like Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," but they have any number of other favorites that are just as fun to dance to as well.

Hypnotix is one of Prague's most populous bands, with about 7 - 10 members performing on any given night, depending on who has time to show up. They are also one of Prague's most successful bands - and at the same time, one of Prague's least-known bands. This paradox is explained in that the Hypnotix usually ply their craft in Germany, where the gigs pay more. This is unfortunate, as Prague has too few good reggae bands to be allowed the luxury of exporting them. They also dabble in african-style music and percussion, which sets them apart that much more.

This silly Prague trio's name is a play on the name of the legendary Czech band, the Plastic People of the Universe. They have just released their second album, and describe their music as "hard funk" or "crossover core." Since they hardly ever play, it has been easier in the last few years to catch their show in clubs in the Benelux countries than here at home.

This popular Czech rock band has been around since 1985. Originally from the town of Most, they blend Funk, Jazz and Fusion to make a very dance-able musical mix, something like early Talking Heads. With the demise of Sum svistu, they now put on the best stage show in Prague. During the summer months, you may catch them at the fairgrounds at Vystaviste performing "Ritual." "Ritual" is a special program they put together for their summer performances at the Krizik Fountain - a unique outdoor stage that adds Letterman-style elements of spurting water and colored lights to shows ranging from opera and ballet to rock music.

When Marsyas started playing together in the 1970s, they were probably the best Czech band going. Taking their inspiration from the Mamas and the Papas, theirs is a blend of guitar folk-rock strong on supplementary instruments like the tambourine and the maracas and with an emphasis on singing in harmony. Their albums have traditionally sold well, proving that their popularity spans generations.

Vladimir Misik has been a mover and shaker on the Prague pop scene since the 1960's. In the 1970's, he performed mostly as a soloist - either alone, accompanied by his folksy acoustic guitar, or as special guest with some other band. He put together his own band, Etcetera, at the end of the 1970's and, with a few changes of a member or two, they have been playing classic rock music together ever since. Their most recent hits, all of which were composed and written by Misik, include "Gambrinus" (named after and very well paid for by the brewery that puts out the beer of the same name), "Co ti dam lasko" (What'll I Give You, Love) and "Vecernice" (Evening Star).

A concert by Ivan Mladek and his band always promises an evening of banjo-twanging fun. Even as Woody Allen plays the clarinet in his own jazz band, so Ivan Mladek, who admires Allen a great deal, has his own band. He also, like Allen, is middle-aged and writes silly short stories. But so far, he doesn't have any film credits to his name. One of the only musicians with any element of fun or freshness in his music under the communists, Mladek is well known and well loved by all generations here. And when he and his banjo band performed in 1995 at the Trutnov festival - in the middle of scores of hardcore and punk bands - all 5,000 fans at the festival suddenly perked up and started to dance. As with most things coming from Mladek, the "Best of Trutnov" reference is meant with a twinkle in the eye.

Olympic is one of the oldest bands in the Czech Republic - even if you count all the times they have been broken up over the last thirty years or so. Their mellow guitar sounds first thrilled the Czech public in the 1960's, when they scored hits with their popular albums "Jedeme, jedeme" (Let's Go, Let's Go) and "Zelva" (Turtle). They are definitely worth seeing, as the band does not play live all that often - and you never know when they might break up again.

A legendary band from the old days, Prazsky Vyber plays avant-garde rock and was screamingly popular with the dissident crowd under the communists - not so much for its music as for its politics. Which is not to say that the band members aren't good musicians - they are. That Prazsky Vyber broke up after democracy hit the country is not unusual, as many bands did the same - yet the main catalyst to this particular breakup was unusual. The leader of the group, Michal Kocab, needed more free time to devote to his new duties as a parliamentarian in the first freely-elected post-communist government. He was elected on a platform that contained a single plank: he promised to get the Russian army, which had occupied Czechoslovakia since the Soviet invasion of 1968, out of the country. After he'd symbolically escorted the last Russian soldier to the airport in 1991, he resigned - yet the band did not play together again until 1996.

Going to see this group of fat white Czech men rapping in Czech can be quite interesting in a social sciences - anthropological sort of way. Their biggest hit to date is titled "You are a Slimy Snake" (Jses slizkej had), and the bandmembers' favorite leisure time activity is getting drunk and rowing with policemen, and their fans are quite like them in many ways. This may or may not be why one club closed the day after their show for a "Sanitary Day" - that is up to you to decide.

While not a new band, the Rookers don't play all that often - so any opportunity to see them should be taken. The Rookers play mostly original modern rock songs with English lyrics; the music is pleasant and easy to dance to - and very occasionally, they throw in a rockabilly selection or a cover version of an old favorite (like "Hey Mr. Tambourine Man") as well. They don't have any records out yet, but there is a studio promo recording of their work floating around town. If you ask them very nicely after the show, they may even give you a copy.

Jiri Schelinger was a talented Czech singer on the cutting edge of the music scene at the end of the 60's and beginning of the 70's - at the time, that meant that he was the very first "hard rock" singer in the country. His career was cut short by his tragic death by drowning in the Danube River on a drunken night out in Bratislava in the early 70's (it's unclear whether his death was an accident or a suicide). The Schelinger revival band is led by his brother, Milan Schelinger - who was chosen after a long search to find a singer with a voice similar to that of Jiri's. The band plays mostly Schelinger's original songs - including "Holubi Dum" (The Dove's House) a sappy-sweet anthem which is as popular in the Czech Republic today as it was when it was first recorded.

In the middle of the gray eighties, a new wave of Rockabilly and rock and roll revival bands came into being in Prague. The newest bands then had names like the Lemon Nashville Orchestra, Bobcats, the Rockin' Teddy, and Screwballs; and they usually played at unknown and semi-legal spaces and pubs around Prague. Of those groups, only the first and last of that list are still playing; and of these two bands, only the Screwballs are still playing with all of their original members. They sound a bit like a resurrected Eddy Cochran might - which is no wonder, as the man was their biggest influence of all. An added bonus to attending their concerts is the sight of their fans - most of whom are about 30 years old now - dressed up as teenagers from the 1950's (or even worse.)

You probably thought that after lead singer Lenka Dusilova and guitarist Petr Prchal left to join bands Pusa and Los Panchos, respectively, that that was the end of Slunicko. Think again. Remaining rockers Marek Zeleny (now on guitar and singing, too), bassist Frederik Janacek and drummer Marcel Pindel are joined by songstress Kamila Pejsek for an old-new look and feel - and sound.

One of the more entertaining bands in the Czech Republic, this Liberec-based group plays mostly Madness-style ska with all the energy and light-heartedness that it needs. Any band that has as much fun onstage as they do is worth seeing.

This punk / rock band started out as a student group in the late 1980's, when they were all studying at the Technical University in Prague. It wasn't long before they cut their first album, "Na Kovarne," in which both the title track and the LP itself are named in honor of the band's favorite pub in the Branik district of Prague. What's unusual for a Prague band is that the album was an instant hit - and even made some money for the group. Tri Sestry have not disappointed fans since then - with a solid musical style and surprisingly clever lyrics which often poke fun at the mainstream. The band is made up of guitar, bass, drums and the accordian - really! - and is well worth seeing.

One of the most popular bands in Prague, Uz jsme doma have just finished playing the music of the Residents in the Prague world premier of the anonymous group's Freakshow stage production. Their own music is also progressive, but is much more standard fare than that of the Large Eyeballed Ones from San Francisco. Their name translates literally as "already we're home," but idiomatically more like "Eureka!"

It's interesting that the stunningly popular bands of old in this country (aside from the Beatles) are not usually all that popular elsewhere. Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground are two cases in point. The Velvet Revival Band is the original "Revival" band in the Czech Republic, and it's thanks to them that all the other cover bands today which focus on a single group or individual use the word "Revival" in their name. While they were one of the best gigs going under the communists, they play only rarely these days - like with Maureen Tucker at the gala opening of the Bunkr Rock Club in 1991, or in the pre-gala opening program at the long-awaited Palace Akropolis space.

This Slovak band was popular even under the communists. Their music is fun to listen to and easy to dance to, possessing elements not only of New Wave and Rockabilly, but also showing influence from music of the 1950's and 1960's. They blend this with usually silly lyrics, and their most popular song in the past was "Vidiecan" (Villager). They disappeared from the music scene for a few years after the Velvet Revolution of 1989, but this disappearance was luckily not permanent.

Prague's most famous (or was that infamous?) punk rock band back in the early 1980's, Visaci Zamek ("Padlock") are best known for their song, "Zetor," which is all about the Czechoslovak tractors of that name. Things have changed a lot since they first started playing together during the darkest days of the former communist regime - for one thing, members of the band and of the audience are no longer routinely arrested during concerts. Their new songs are also less punk and more mainstream rock and roll - though it is not known whether this should be attributed to the fact that the bandmembers are now in their 30's or to the fact that they finally learned how to play their instruments. Despite both these facts, the band is still largely ignored by the Czech music "establishment" and remains part of Prague's underground scene.

The band takes its name from the name of the river that runs through Prague. Known as the Moldau in parts west, its Czech name comes from the Celtic Vlt (wild) and Va (water). Led by Vaclav Nebrensky, Vltava plays what they call "minimalist rock," in which the music has been stripped down to its simplest elements, the lyrics have been stripped down to their simplest elements, and critics say the 'rock and roll' has been stripped completely out. While it certainly is not floor-pounding dance music, it is very pleasant; and while it's on the very verge of being easy listening, it remains very hip.

Lead singer Ondrej Hejma, like a lot of us, always wanted to quit his day job and start a band. He finally did so when he was well into his 30's, and Zluty Pes has been a smashing success ever since. They've been big since the 1980's, and their classic, easy rock sound and fuzzy visages have led some to compare them to ZZ Top. Although Hejma, a translator, is perhaps the country's biggest aficionado of American slang, the band sings in Czech. Their recent hit "Sametova" (Silky) is one of the best (and most popular) songs on the Czech rock scene since the Velvet Revolution in 1989.

Zuby nehty (Tooth and Nail) are a punky girls band known before the Velvet Revolution as Dybbuk. Their sound is less discordant today than it used to be, and remains fresh despite that the group members are now all 30-something moms.

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