I don’t know whether it was the spectacle of playboy peasants being harassed by Stalin zombies or the sight of a stripped down – balsam saturated Mikhail Gorbachev shooting lasers from his eyes, but I felt compelled to post this music video from the metal band ANJ.

According to the director Tom Stern it’s a ‘half Russian History allegory as told through an old zombie movie made in the Soviet Union, and half animated Soviet Propaganda posters.’

Enjoy!

Just finished reading two books from the lesser trodden ends of the musical spectrum which are definitely worth a look:

‘Noise/Music – A History’ by UCC’s Paul Hegarty details the dissonant journey music has made from John Cage and Pauline Oliveros (who will be performing at the Quiet Festival in Cork at the end of this month) to the Boredoms and Autechre. Included also is the mandatory chapter dedicated to ‘the paragon of noise’, Merzbow. Hegarty does his best to pack in as much as possible and chapters on free jazz are correlated to subsequent chapters on industrial and punk music making for a varied narrative on the subject of noise music.

The second book which has provoked an obsessive reaction to the music dealt within it is ‘Japrocksampler’. Written by Julian Cope (who also brought us ‘Krautrocksampler’) it is a detailed account of the mayhem incited by the arrival of Western music and the effect its collision with 1960’s Japan had, from it’s avant-garde foundations to its culmination into a psychedelic mutiny of the ‘long-haired teenage futens’. Cope, while providing a historical background to Japan’s musical landscape also goes into detail on the central bands that paved the lysergic pathway for the rest to follow, the controversial ‘Les Rallizes Denudes’, ‘Speed, Glue and Shinki’ and the naked bikers gracing the books cover, ‘Flower Travellin’ Band’ seen performing in the clip below.
Well worth a look.

Daedelus, a Los Angeles producer lauded for his uniquely genre sampled releases, which owe a lot to his musically spoilt background in jazz and electronic music not to mention his aptitude for an array of instruments; has released this similarly dappled album.

A feature of his music which has thankfully been sustained in this release is his signature indulgence in musical anachronisms amid electronic backdrops. Throwbacks to Glenn Miller big band era and samples of ragtime piano relate his keenness for distinctively era specific samples and particularly for those belonging to the 30’s and 40’s. The frenetic whiplash electronic interruption in ‘Drummery Jam’ for example is fed to us through an oneiric depression era chorus in its introduction.

Daedelus is at his best cutting up samples of unusual sounds and blending them into chaotic collages rather than a concentration of a single style. Unfortunately this is made all too clear on tracks such as ‘Hrs:Mins:Sec’ and ‘Bass In It’ which due to their sparse use of this skill cause him to shoot wide of the left-field hip-hop that he successfully produces on the track ‘Touchstone’.

But these weaker moments only serve to emboss the albums highpoints, tracks such as ‘If We Should’ where doppler-esque glissando is cut short by synths sighing beneath Laura Darlington’s ambient vocals. Also the catchy ‘Make It So’ and the albums opener ‘Fair Weather Friends’ both feature the same endearingly optimistic beat.
It’s Daedelus’ willingness to introduce soundscapes paved with everything from samba drumbeats to electronic bleeps and cut-ups of noise turned music that redeem this album from the more forgettable tracks that unfortunately score through the continuity of its better tracks…

It may have said Jimmy Edgar plus very special guests on the tickets, but it was the ‘very special guests’ who really left the impression of the night, in Spy last Thursday.

Initiating the night of electronic revelations was Ciaran Byrne, who unfortunately got the shorter of the straws and played to the scant number of early birds at the gig. Though this did not stop him from playing through his more up-tempo tracks, it is definitely a shame that he was not given more time to play through his more ambient selection as this is where he shows particular prowess. Having already released his debut ‘Galtrim’ on the Psychonavigation label, he is set to release his follow-up ‘Nine Lives Causeway’ on the 30th of May and if the tracks on his myspace are anything to go by it promises to be awash with plenty of tidal synth lines and atmospheric nostalgia akin to Boards of Canada.
Definitely a release to look out for.

The constraints of time having left us all slightly parched for more of Byrne’s set, it is just as well that his performance was followed up by Byrne’s label-mate ‘Rarely Seen Above Ground’, a one man compendium of sound on the more aggressive side of the tracks. From behind his fort of percussion, Jeremy Hickey fronted his band whose presence was displayed exclusively in the visuals projected up behind him, featuring himself in all his various other instrumental guises. Drumming tenaciously through to the end of the set, interrupted only by his abrasive vocals his persistence definitely paid off, leaving the crowd impressively stunned at his performance.
Finally after these two artists having paved a nice standard, Detroit’s Jimmy Edgar stepped up to the platform to perform his set, providing a more dance-heavy pulse to play out the night.

Rarely Seen Above Ground will be performing in Kilkenny at Murphy’s Whit Festival on June 1st and Ciaran Byrne can be seen performing at Techfest in Offaly on May 31st but until then you’ll have to be contented with this…

Initiating this month of anticipated music video releases is Bjork with the ocular feast of Wanderlust. Never one to shy away from visual spectacles this video certainly indulges our expectations, is definitely worth a look and can be seen best in its hi-res form. In a voyage which sees her rafting on a herd of buffalo while simultaneously wrestling a sinister and apparently very angry waif from her rucksack, it permeates Bjork’s endearingly outlandish charm that make her and her videos retain their innovation and originality.
However, induced by the appearance of Paniks hand-drawn music video via boingboing.net I have become an admirer of the lo-fi approach and its effectiveness. In complete contrast to Bjork’s epic scale creation, it utilises smudgy animation and frames which fade into each other, making it meld brilliantly with the band’s raw energy and its ‘From dusk till Dawn’ tenacity.

Another band that have exploited this approach are the Quebec duo Tricot Machine with this really impressive animation for their track Les Peaux de Lievres which was created from over 700 knitted frames by Lysanne Latulippe.

Also in stagnation on youtube are a fan’s endeavour to prove that even a simple idea can be translated into a pretty good video with a little perseverance (although only 45 seconds worth) on the Boards of Canada remix of Clouddead’s Dead Dogs 2 and Shitdisco’s OK which uses the format of a pop-up book.

Underworld, the era defining duo famed for their techno infused anthems, most notably their infamous Trainspotting cameo Born Slippy, return with a new release to coincide with their recent string of highly praised gigs.On this album we see them shy away from their “Lager Lager Lager” days and take a chance on some nice layering that creates broad ambient flavoured tracks like Good Morning Cockerel. In addition to this, songs like Glam Bucket certainly do the album title justice as its insistent bleeps dot its ethereal synthy climax.The inclusion of the beautifully illuminating melody of To Heal taken from the soundtrack of Danny Boyle’s Sunshine saves this album from its weaker moments such as Faxed Invitation whose organ conclusion arrives a little too late for complete redemption.For fear of neglecting their former fans, the album recalls typically sounding Underworld-esque tracks such as Crocodile and Beautiful Burnout with their trance like repetition, monotone vocals and floor shaking basslines.

Steve Reid, a veteran improvisational jazz drummer collaborates with seven other artists on this new release, which was recorded over three days in Africa. The ensemble also features Steve Reid’s self-confessed soul mate Kieran Hebden (Four Tet), who has already enjoyed successful collaborations with Reid.

The album opens with the cheerful melody of the appropriately named Welcome a song that allows the warm vocals of Isa Kouyate to melt over the rhythm.
Other tracks like Dabronxxar entertain; with its bass heavy, keyboard prominent riff and Steve Reid’s emphatic drumming. Don’t Look Back, the album’s concluding song allows Kieran Hebden to exercise his aptitude for all things electronica, which except for the echoing indulgence of Jiggy Jiggy is kept to a subdued minimum.

Daxaar is an album a lot more accessible then Steve Reid and Keiran Hebden’s previously released volumes of The Exchange Sessions and will appeal to a wider market then perhaps those of the Experimental, Free Jazz orientated.

With a shimmer of delicate notes tingling through the introduction, Battles launch into the relentless and possessive track Tonto. Following on from their critically acclaimed release Atlas, Tonto has no easy task of rivalling its predecessor’s success. Although lacking the brilliantly ambiguous lyrics of Atlas, Tonto tumbles through its melody, snagging itself on idiosyncratic sounds until Tyondai Braxton’s hollers lead us to the song’s superb climax. Finally the jingle of bells leads its sedated bass lumbering towards a shrill pitched conclusion.

Remixes include one by The Field whose only triumph seems to be in forcing you to endure seven minutes of what sounds like an old printer noisily chewing its way through fragments of the song. Another by Four Tet remains more loyal to the original song and it’s all the better for it giving us a bass-soaked Tonto worthy of the dancefloor.

Also included are two live performances, one of Tonto, the other of Leyendecker, which allows Battles to smugly display how amazing they really are. Lastly the Hip-Hop inoculated remix of Leyendecker will leave you shamelessly chanting ‘I live in the hood’ over the seditious bass and vocals of Joell Ortiz.

The notorious, euphoria-inducing Belgian band Soulwax continued to do what they do best and destroyed an Ambassador full of people’s inhibitions with their pounding remixes from their new release, Most of the Remixes.
Re-workings of LCD Soundsystem, Robbie Williams and Felix da Housecat ignited an already charged crowd into strobe-esque movements while we pogo-ed in unison. Wincing as sweat-filmed skin peeled on and off my own, arbitrary elbows from some blur in the crowd jabbed the air and stilettos haphazardly syringed my feet, I took a moment to look fondly back on more hygienic times when only a little while earlier I had been sitting comfortably upstairs in Soulwax’s changing room. Greeted by the Dewaele brothers, core members of the band, they wasted no time in making us feel welcome, offering plenty of champagne, beer and other various food and drink littering the room. Displaying equal benevolence with their time, I got a chance to ask them a few questions…

You’ve just released your new album – Soulwax, most of the remixes… and it has loads of different stuff on it from Kylie, LCD Soundsystem. Did you find it hard to get copyright clearance from anyone?

David: Eh no, the reason we did the album with EMI, is because they own the rights for most of the artists.
Stephen: Yea it was really convenient ‘cause most of the people used to be on Virgin or like Parlophone.
D: It was really easy.
S: They were like-‘hey yeah, we got 15 other tracks you guys can remix.’

So there wasn’t anyone who you remixed who you couldn’t put on this CD?

D: No I mean they had a few, people who wouldn’t pick up the phone, that kinda stuff and the next week they did, it wasn’t kinda, nothing…
S: No big stories
D: Kinda boring
S: All boring stuff

(Voice in the backround: Make it sound exiting!)

D: Oh yea, well ok, the Klaxons they were real assholes.
S: Those guys especially, and LCD were rude, they were just rude.
(Same voice in backround: LCD Shitsystem, that’s what.)
S: Ooh quote/unquote…And Justice they were being French to us, you know like, ooh I don’t like your remix, Daft Punk they don’t even acknowledge the fact that we exist.

I hope you do the same to them.

S: Yea I ignore them, I’m like Robot? No you’re not! No actually it was all really easy, there’s a couple that we didn’t put on there, very few, but there’s one from a Mexican Band called Moderato which we did a couple of years ago which we really liked. But there’s only… we didn’t have enough… there wasn’t physically enough time on one c.d. to put it on and it was also a really fast tempo so we didn’t put it on there. That would have been one that we would have really loved to put on there, but which we skipped but maybe now, some kid will put it on a blog and it’s out there…

So you’re not going to be playing it tonight, it’s not going to be included?

S: The Mexican song? It’s really hard ‘cause we don’t understand what he’s saying, we actually did a remix and we completely did the remix without knowing what he’s saying but they love it. So I guess we kinda made some sense, cause we cut up his vocals a little bit but there’s no way I could sing that cause I don’t even understand what he’s saying, so we’re not playing that one, maybe we should if we go to South America, it’s a really good idea…
D: I hate to be the theoretical analyst but Mexico is really Central America not South America.
S: Yea you’re right.

Have any of the artists you remixed responded to your mixes?

D: Well I guess 75%, or maybe 72% of the people that are on the album are friends of ours…(thinks) maybe 68%.
S: How bout 23?
D: And you know we know them personally so, either they were…either they didn’t tell us honestly what they thought of it and they just lied, but most of them said they liked it.

Do you feel more pressure to do a good remix because you know them?

D: Yea it’s tough, it’s tougher for… there’s a few that we don’t know but we love, like Daft Punk and when we got to get asked to do DJ Shadow we were like ‘oooh Shadow!’ and it’s tough. It’s tough because there’s other people like say Robbie, who we like but we didn’t really care about the track, it’s easier to remix a track that you don’t really like.

Cause you feel like you can improve it?

S: Or fuck it up.

Or have a different take on it?

S: Yea yea, yea, but Shadow was hard cause, like we said yes, but we listened to the track and we were like ‘ahhh, this is like really slow, folky’ and I mean it’s nice when it’s someone you really respect but it’s easier when it’s someone who you can be like ‘ok let’s see what we can do with, like Robbie Williams or the Sugababes or something like that.’

Robbie Williams, Sugababes, they’re kinda like mainstream, do you find that people dismiss mainstream artists today, how do you feel about it?
D: Yea we do the same, yea booo, no I mean, why would you say today, yea we like mainstream. I mean we could get into a longer discussion about the mainstream but it used to be good, it used to be really good.
S: When was that?
D: I think, anytime between 1955 and …

S: Long pause, long pause.
D: No I’m trying to think….89?
S: 89? So 91 the mainstream sucked.
D: No I’m just saying as a general, obviously there were good things in the 90’s that were hits
S: Like Spaceman by Babylon Zoo, would that be great or would that be seen as…
Midnight Mike (to David) : What identifies the thing that made this great shift?
D: Money
S: Yea but that was always one of the biggest factors.
MM: Yea but more money being made
D: Yea so more shit being made

Do you think artists feel obligated to make the same kind of records because they are under pressure from their labels not to deviate from that?

D: It’s not necessarily the labels, its just the whole… everyone’s scared, everyone’s just scared and I think that when the music industry was really booming say, 70’s, I think that there was just like this spirit of yea lets just make a crazy record and we’ll sell millions. People were more open-minded then they are now. It’s a shame and you know it’s getting worse and worse ‘cause 5 years ago there were still things in the mainstream that I think were great quality but to give a good example someone like Bowie today, he wouldn’t get signed by any record company because he’s too much of a risk. Even if it’s good, it’s potentially good, it’s too much of a risk and people don’t take risks anymore.
S: (to Midnight Mike as he leaves to perform) Watch out for the mainstream!
MM: It’ll take me away like a river

How do you approach remixing, how would you go about choosing the songs?

S: Every remix has a different story and I think the ones that are the coolest are the ones where we decided to choose the song ‘cause we liked the song and we played it, like the Gossip song. They asked us to do a remix and we never actually had time and when ‘Standing in the way of Control’ came out we played it as DJ’s but we found it was not fast enough and we wanted to make it sound bigger and we actually asked them can we remix it and that’s a good way of doing it cause it’s the reverse way but we knew what we wanted to do. It was clear from the beginning that was the thing that needed to be done. I think the Justice one is the same in the way that it went but then they’re all different, each one has a different story, they’re all like… its not like we… cause the Shadow one, like Dave says, and the Daft Punk one, you’re kinda intimidated but that’s it, but at the same time I respect as much James Murphy from LCD. I rate him as high as I rate Shadow and all these people but I know him so that makes it even harder for us, but I think we’ve learned to deliver what people want. In the beginning we used to do, say the Kylie one, we used to be a little more like stubborn and do rock versions but now I mean people just want to dance, want to go crazy, want to put fluorescent glasses on.

So you got Soulwax and 2 Many DJ’s, do you feel like your background with performing with instruments in Soulwax has helped you in djing and making the remixes?

S: Yea definitely, I think the fact that we are all good at playing our stuff, we play instruments, we play live, like say tonight we play the remixes live which is pretty hard. Steve has to change his drum sounds every song, I have to manipulate the vocals to sometimes sing the vocals, like in the Gossip and like Kylie I can’t do it so we found this thing where we can fuck them up live on stage but it’s hard work. But I think the fact that, it’s a little bit the same with LCD, we’re all rock kids or punk kids and we’re all used to playing in bands and we all know what its like to be on a bus and play in toilets so all of this is a holiday, it’s a fucking picnic, its amazing, its really amazing and I do think we challenge ourselves to be more, I wouldn’t say emergent but I think we have the same attitude as rock bands but we play it with synths, so we kinda change the guitars for synths although today we will use some guitars.

With 2 many djs and with your remixing, would that ever influence what you are doing with Soulwax?

D: Well to be quite specific about it, all the remixes were made as Soulwax, but they were made with the intention of playing them as 2 many DJ’s so not many 2 many DJ’s would influence Soulwax.

So they’re not completely separate?

S: We don’t separate them, we have to put lines, we have to do it sometimes cause otherwise we are like ‘aahh’ but it actually is the same thing for us, we DJ, we play in the band, we remix, and for us it’s just another discipline.

As regards influences, you mention explicitly Ghent in the very long title of your album, it must be an influence on you, or is it?

D: The city? It’s just where were from, I don’t know, I mean obviously wherever you live is a massive influence on whatever but I don’t know if it’s tangible.

Do you think though if you grew up somewhere else, like has it got an especially good music scene or…

D: Well first of all its apathetic, there’s no way you can know, but yea we do think that we’re kinda like a product of partially of where we live but I don’t know, I don’t know if we would have grown up in Poland it would have been different.

S: There’s like 250,000 people, it’s actually a small town but there are a lot of students and there’s a lot happening, like it was the first place to have a techno label called RNS and I always think that a lot of people from the north of France and Holland always came to Ghent. It’s in between cultures, it’s always been an interesting place, but it’s also never, it’s also small, tiny which is the reason why, I think a lot of people haven’t heard about it and maybe we kinda fucked it up. But it’s such a small town, the more people from outside come in, the more people from there start thinking oh we’re Paris and they’re like, you’re not. You can drive your bicycle from one end to the other and it’s done.

What other influences would have affected you? Your dad being a dj?

D: No
S: I don’t think his DJing was an influence, I think the fact that all his records were in the house and we stole all of them, that was the biggest influence but it also meant that Dave and me used to go to gigs and concerts when we were young and we would be… it was a different upbringing to a lot of other kids. I do think we had access to all these things but then some other kids whose dads we know who were also DJ’s ended up being dentists.

You said that heavy rock bands would have influenced Soulwax, but what would have influenced you as 2 many DJ’s, dance-wise?

S: I don’t know. I do think as 2 Many DJs we were influenced by a lot of rock stuff, I don’t think there’s one particular dance band or people or DJ that really influenced us but I think it was a lot of things, but it wasn’t only dance music so… and I do think as for Soulwax, I do think that we were influenced by Kyuss and Monster Magnet and all these bands. I do think that’s always been our core, as rock bands we like rock music. I like 15% of dance music but there’s 85% of bullshit. But I love…and it’s something that really gets me going, I say the first Daft Punk record was really a big influence on us cause I think it showed you that you could make electronic music but have the same attitude as a punk record or like a metal record or something.

Is DJing just something that you fell into?

S: The 2 many DJ’s thing is just something that just happened but I mean we always DJ-ed before like when we had the band, and I started DJing with Steve and then he left for a girl to New York, it’s always a girl, and then I asked Dave to DJ with me and we became 2 Many DJs and it’s all because we were bored. Playing with the band we’d spend so much time doing nothing and we’d be like cool let’s do…and we’d always be done at like 9 o’ clock because we’d be doing support for some band, let’s say for Muse or something like that, which was fun but you’d be there and be like cool what will we do now and you would always end up in a bar, at a club and be like hey, cool let’s ask if we can DJ and that’s how it all started.
It’s really…there was no plan like hey let’s do this, and I think we started playing a lot of stuff that people were either pissed off about or like really happy about. People were like ‘you can’t play the Stooges you have to play house music’, and then other people would be like ‘yea you played the Stooges’ and we’d be like ‘okay cool’.

Do you have any favourite remixes that you have done, or maybe a fairer question would be to ask if there are any remixes that you are especially proud of?

S: No it always differs for us, but I think I really like the last one we did for LCD Soundsystem ‘Get innocuous’. I really like that one, but that’s not even on the album so therefore and I always think that it’s going to be the last thing that we’ve done because it’s newest. But it’s fun like tonight to play live, it actually shows that we put a lot of work in there. Yea they’re more then sometimes remixes, we have to re-write the whole song sometimes.

So you’re proud of this?

S: I’m proud of this, I’m proud of night versions, of 2 Many DJs, of Soulwax, of stuff that we’ve done as production. I mean for me, I know it’s all different for people but it’s the same for me, everything is the same for me, it’s all music and me having fun with it.

Is there anything in particular that you play that everyone goes crazy for?

S: When we DJ or when we play with the band? Cause they’re very similar.

Both.

S: I think when we play with the band and we play the Justice remix they go crazy. They go really nuts.

So do you enjoy it because of that?

S: No actually no, its extra, its extra when you do something that you really like and people are like wow, you can tell some tracks really…but its good because you start understanding how crowds react to things, to dance music. A build up, a breakdown, it’s a bit like the Pixies. You have the verse which is like the bass line, the drums, the vocals and then when the chorus comes in it like kicks in. Its like build, un-build, there’s a structure to music, music has a definition and I think the more we play it the more we understand how it works. (laughs) We unlearn it then.

Would you tend to follow these structures or do you try and experiment with different ideas?

S: You mean in the studio? No I think we try and fuck it up but I mean there’s always going to be a build up, a breakdown, something, but say in the Robbie one, we stretch it out, and people are going ‘ahh give us something’. I think we’re really really really…I mean someone told me that when you’re on E or something and you come to see us DJ or something, like it really freaks you out because we play with it the whole time and apparently when you’re on drugs its not good. I don’t do that many drugs so I don’t know, I’ve never done drugs in my whole self, but Steve once I think, was on a lot of drugs and he was like ‘you guys are freaking me out’.

Your tickets should have a warning on them…

S: Yea it’d be a good warning though, (puts on a cheerful voice) ‘Don’t go when you’re on drugs’

What have you planned for Soulwax or 2 Many DJs or do you have another project on top of that?

S: I think we’re going to start making a new 2 Many DJs record and new Soulwax record soon, we’re going to produce Tiga’s record, we’re releasing a new movie that we’ve done that Sam’s been filming the last 2 years and actually there’s footage of Electric Picnic, there’s a lot of good stuff on it, it’s good.

And when is that coming out?

S: I think it’s going to be February.

And is it going to be a DVD release?

S: I think it will be DVD but we’re going to try and film copies so we can play at venues and show it.

That will be good.

S: I know, I think it will too.

Devotchka, a Denver-based quartet whose unique brand of music has brought them critical acclaim, stormed the tiny venue of Crawdaddy on the 24th of August in a display exuding vibrant colour and sounds that inter-railed through the melodies of Eastern Europe and South America.

The band strode out onto the stage which was cluttered with various instruments, a barrage of percussion behind a beautifully ornate accordion, and two guitars at its side as a mandolin kept them company, all the while under the watchful gaze of the domineering presence of an upright bass. Nick Urata took his position behind a retro microphone, scuffed acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, bottle of red wine in one hand, waiting in muddied boots while the other members prepared themselves; Tom Hagerman’s formal attire complimented with the delicate frame of a violin; Jeanie Schroeder, hair garnished with a red orchid, embracing her fairy light adorned sousaphone; and Shawn King who took his place behind them amid an assembly of drums.

Their array of instruments reflects their partiality for a fugue of different influences: South American, Eastern European folk and American punk with interludes of ballads and catchy pop. The culprit for creating such a unique fusion seems to be the monotonous ubiquity of rock that has greyed out in the US. “I was really burnt out on the whole rock ‘n’ roll formula of the US, and I just wanted to branch out and invite other styles into it”, Nick Urata, the lead singer admits to me, also crediting his move to Denver as ample inspiration. “There has always been a really kind of diverse underground music scene there … mariachi and kind of some weird western acts have sort of developed [there]. It’s always been sort of a transient city, people coming from all over bringing different influences”.

Having opened for such diverse acts as Gogol Bordello, Marilyn Manson and even a burlesque show, they credit their positive reactions to the fact that they are able to “touch on a little something for everybody”, although Urata admits that it didn’t go too well with Marilyn Manson. “Yea, his fans are kinda jerks. Well,” he concedes, “they’re just aggressive; most of them [pauses and thinks] are marginalized twelve year old boys. They weren’t ready for what we were doing”.

Having established an already formidable following in the US, they recently released their album ‘How it Ends’ in Europe and embarked on a European tour. They self-financed their first three albums which were only released in the US and signed a deal with a European label which brought about the European release of ‘How it Ends’, albeit two years after its American release. A little over half way through this tour and they have already a rapidly growing European fan base. “We’ve had really good reactions so far,” Urata comments.

Known for their live visual spectacle as much as their aural one, they have spoiled their audiences with aerial artists, belly dancers and video montages to enhance their performance. However, on the tiny stage of Crawdaddy, it would have been hard to clutter any of these in, perhaps explaining their exodus into the crowd, initiated by a nod of the head from Nick and acknowledged by Jeanie with a wry smile and a grimace as she manoeuvred her upright bass into the wings. The crowd’s slightly confused gazes followed her off the stage down the steps and into the area where we all stood bemused. Immediately behind her was Nick, his scuffed acoustic guitar in hand, Tom still grasping his violin, followed by Shawn who had swiftly replaced his drums with a trumpet. Taking intimacy to unexpected levels, in true Mariachi style they broke into their South American-infused song, ‘We’re Leaving’. Their arrival was greeted with an appreciative applause as they attempted to condense themselves and their instruments amongst the crowd.

As Hagerman’s fingers spider up and down the violin through a hopscotch of notes, you cannot help but join Urata in the admiration that he possesses for all the members of the band. “I was lucky enough to find some serious musicians, music students, players and these guys wanted to kind of give a go at it” he informs me, adding that he “was on the same page”. Jeanie demonstrates this musical dexterity as she freely trades her double bass for a sousaphone and vice-versa, while Shawn gallops through the rhythm of songs behind the subterfuge of drums but seems equally content to radiate the audience with the warm sound of a trumpet. It’s this vast musical understanding and bartering of ideas and sounds that allows them to create such a diverse and unique fusion that dips its toes into everything from Mariachi, Eastern European folk to American punk.

As they play through their songs, a cheer erupts from the crowd with the instantly recognisable introduction into their song, ‘How it Ends’. The song is taken from the album of the same name and also appears on the soundtrack to the surprise indie hit, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, although its presence on the latter was attributed more to luck. “The director just happened to hear one of our songs on the radio in Los Angeles by chance and they heard something that evoked the sound they were looking for and we got in touch and started working together”. A score composed and performed mainly by Devotchka and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack in 2006, the band were startled by its success in America and Europe. “It was a very small independent production when it started so we were doing stuff over the phone, there wasn’t any contracts or that sort of thing, nobody even knew if the movie was going to come out in a big way,” Urata reflects, adding that this contributed to his apprehension in licensing the band’s music to the film. “I was so wary at first, ‘cause the songs meant so much to me because some of them were pre-existing songs … so we had to kind of put a lot of trust in these people, and I didn’t know what the repercussions of that were going to be”. It’s hardly surprising therefore to discover that he turned down a McDonalds advert. Cringing at the very thought of it, he explains how “they chose a very personal, sweet song” of his and he “saw it associated with a McRib sandwich”. “I woke up the next morning in a panic,” he exclaims. “I couldn’t live with it”.

Playing through various songs from their earlier albums such as ‘Une Volta’ and ‘Supermelodrama’, they also included ones from their most recent album of covers ‘Curse Your Little Heart’. A risky endeavour for even the most accomplished artist to indulge in, Urata acknowledges that such an album can be a possible menace. “Yeah, I thought it was really risky, cause we chose some sort of sacred territory,” referring to such legendary performers as Sinatra, the Velvet Underground, Lou Reed and Siouxsie and The Banshees, artists generally cordoned off from emulation. However, with the band’s far-left take on the songs, they managed to bring a fresh and innovative twist to them. Although Urata comments, “I met the guy from Siouxsie and The Banshees last summer and he came over and I thought he was going to beat us up,” but he adds, “he actually liked it a lot. So that was kind of a good redemption and I think most of the other people are dead so we’re safe there … except for Lou Reed (laughs) … and he looks dead!”

After nearly two hours of vigorous performing, Devotchka relented to the time constraints and allowed their instruments some repose, instigating a perpetual applause from the crowd which ultimately degraded into shameless baying for an encore. Our efforts were remedied by the presumed return of Devotchka for one last song to satiate our short-term withdrawal, provoking syncopated claps and debauched dances to dapple the crowd. Closure was brought to the gig in the form of Nick Urata raising his bottle of vino to the crowd and defiantly knocking it back, affording a drop or two to the pint glass of an audience member.

As they embark on the final leg of their European tour, the future looks bright for Devotchka and promises a lot more characteristically kaleidoscopic sounds. “Luckily we’re just finished up another album. We’re almost done with it and that will be released quite soon by the company in Europe … not two years from now!”

So, will Devotchka be returning to tour Europe any time soon, I question, before the gig in Crawdaddy has commenced. He responds with prophetic words. “We’ll be back. If people like us, we’ll be back”.