RPC frameworks available?

I am looking to use a RPC framework for internal use. The framewo开发者_如何学Crk has to be cross language. I am exploring Apache Thrift right now. Google protocol Buffers does not provide RPC capabilities exactly. What are the choices I have got apart from Thrift. (my servers will be primarily Java and the clients will be Java, Python, PHP).

There is also MessagePack which claims to be faster than Protocol Buffers and have more features than Thrift.

I would look at REST as a first option because it is ubiquitous and no-nonsense.

If performance and representation really needs to be compact, I have heard good things about Apache AVRO and my fingers are twitching to try it out in anger.

There also seems to be ICE: which uses Google Protocol Buffers for RPC.