Sunday Music Show | All stories

Never Sol is essentially the solo project of Sára Vondrášková, a songwriter and keyboardist whose rich, smoky voice belies her tender years. Her Jan P. Muchow-produced debut LP Under Quiet – which occasionally brings to mind the likes of Portishead or Muchow’s The Ecstasy of St. Theresa – has been nominated for Best New Act and Best Female Act in the Czech music industry’s Anděl music awards.

Halloween, Czechs always say, is an import, a holiday that has taken root only recently. But the kids love it (at least in schools and nursery schools) and, more broadly, who doesn’t like being scared?

Mandrage is a Czech band which is not easy to place: its music has been described as soft-rock, pop-rock, punk-rock and it has recently been experimenting with electronics. Some critics find it hard to digest but since its formation in 2004 it has been gathering momentum and has built-up a dedicated fan-base.

The first album by the Czecho-Slovak duo Monikino Kino (Petr Marek of MIDI LIDI and Monika Midriaková) reflects the story of a relationship from start to finish in a series of songs combining intimate electronic pop with reflective, playful lyric.

Inspired by US guitar bands like The Pixies and Sonic Youth, Houpací koně formed in Ústí nad Labem in 1991, releasing their eponymous debut LP four years later. While the group – with leader Jiří Imlauf the only constant member – have been ploughing their own independent furrow for years, they won a new generation of fans with their most recent LP, the acclaimed Everest.

The singer, songwriter and film score composer Petr Skoumal, who passed away last Sunday aged 76, wrote hundreds of songs for both adults and children. He will be remembered as an ingenious composer with a great sense of humour and irony as well as a melancholic streak that came out in many of his tunes.

In this week’s Sunday Music we hear work off a of a number of albums by Czech heartthrob, singer, songwriter and actor Tomáš Klus.

The music ensemble GINEVRA specializes in early music, drawing on Irish and Scottish melodies and composing their own songs inspired by local legends. The group’s name harks back to the days of King Arthur, Queen Ginevra and the Knights of the Round Table and their performances at Czech castles and chateaus bring history to life for hundreds of appreciative visitors.

Lots of Czech musicians of the younger generation have recently turned their attention to children.

The Czech band Vltava was established in 1986 by the singer Robert Nebřenský and other renowned musicians.