Just in...Devotchka: 100 Lovers

    Maybe you've heard of Devotchka and you've never known it? They did the film score for Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and some of their songs have been featured on TV shows or commercials, such as Everwood and Weeds. Based out of Denver, Devotchka formed in 1997 mainly performing in the underground scene, because they started out playing alongside burlesque shows. Their name comes from the Russian word де́вочка (devotchka) for "girl" and fittingly they compose very folk oriented music, more specifically eastern European.
    Devotchka is considered an indie Gypsy punk band, which means their music is a cross between traditional Gypsy, or Romanian, and punk. The genre first came to be in the 90's, and incorporates traditional Gypsy along with rock instrumentation. Furthermore, the lyrics often change intermittently from English to foreign during the same song. So, the four man group is comprised of the following: Nick Urata on vocals, theremin (a Russian 1928 invented electronic instrument you can learn more about here), guitar, bouzouki (a Greek lute of sorts, see here), piano, and trumpet; Tom Hagerman on violin, accordion, and piano; Jeanie Schroder also vocals, sousaphone (basically a marching band tuba that wraps around the player so they can carry it) and double bass; and Shawn King on percussion and trumpet. If you listen to the album, however, you will hear much more, whistling, strings, tambourine, etc... Devotchka also combines Greek, Slavic, bolero (a Spanish dance form that spread to Mexico and Cuba) and mariachi (think Mexican party band) into their Romanian Gypsy punk.
    So how does Devotchka's March 1, 2011 release, 100 Loves, really sound? Honestly, not knowing their previous albums, the punk label is lost on me. The band strikes me much more as purely indie folk. And I think each song takes a more localized approach to the styles used than one large melting pot of cultural sounds. One song reveals influences of mariachi, such as track 9, "Bad Heels"; while another is very Greek, like track 10, "Ruthless". The underlying texture that seems to hold 100 Loves together as a more complete thought, subsequently, is the blend of strings and piano or acoustic guitar, or perhaps bouzouki in this case. There are also very intense momentum driving rhythms behind the lush roaming lyricism of the strings. The second to last track, "Contraband", almost reminds me of the polka I hear sometimes on weekends on a public access or jazz station; but, almost more of what would have been a 1940's popular singer backed by a full orchestra or something. The last track is purely instrumental, maybe even implementing steel guitar, I sadly cannot tell the difference between a variety of ethnic guitars.
    Well, have yourselves a listen, keeping your ears open for a bit of Beruit, A Hawk and a Hacksaw and Vampire Weekend even in there (beginning of track 4, "The Common Good"). Also, "One Hundred Other Lovers" is in the MixPod for your listening enjoyment!