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Better known in Europe than in the United States, Babylon Circus is a French ska-punk/alternative rock band that has been incorporating a wide variety of influences. The exuberant, horn-driven outfit has favored a bilingual approach; lead singer David Baruchel sings in both French and English--and many of their songs have tackled political and social topics (for example, the Iraq War--which they strongly oppose-- became a major subject for Babylon Circus in 2003). Formed by Baruchel in Lyon, France in 1995, Babylon Circus started out as more of a straight-ahead ska band. But they ended up becoming a lot more experimental and eclectic, drawing on everything from reggae (which came out of ska) to British punk to jazz (especially guitarist Django Reinhardt's Parisian gypsy swing of the 1930s and 1940s) and cabaret. Babylon Circus is an appropriate name for the band because some of their material has, in fact, been influenced by circus music--and their other influences range from French ch...