The Reptile Palace Orchestra has long been one of Madison, Wisconsin's most inventive, eclectic bands, playing an engaging set of material ranging from torchy lounge to klezmer to Turkish dance songs to Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing." The band takes its time releasing albums, with just six since its 1994 inception, and all of them are fun, weird and worldwide in scope. The most recent is 2003's We Know You Know. "No mammals, fish or reptiles were harmed in the making of this record," claims the band's website, "however some insects and isopods were sacrificed." (The band's puckish sense of humor is also evident in its bio, which includes a quote from David Icke, a well-known British eccentric who believes that the world is secretly ruled by super-intelligent reptiles.)

- Twin Cities Onion A/V Club Review, April 2006