The best music is always the result of a culture clash. Afterall, had African music never met European, there would be no rock 'n' roll. Somehow the cacophony of traditions brushing against each other nearly always morphs into something sonorous.
Gypsy punk is one genre that takes particular advantage of the close cultural quarters of modern life. It's a label that encompasses a swath of music that incorporates contemporary Western music, frequently punk rock, with traditional instrumentation, often Eastern European. Usually, bands are made up of immigrants from a handful of different places and who bring with them their country's musical traditions.
That said, not a single band neatly fits into that package. Some bands are more gypsy than punk, some more metal than anything else and some don't even have an immigrant connection. What they do have in common is a genre-bending combination of rock and world music that requires a whole other category just for them.
Because their influences and experiences vary as much as the places their members are from, the bands below are a short introduction to just what gypsy punk can mean.
Gogol Bordello
www.gogolbordello.com
The originator of the gypsy punk nomer, Gogol Bordello is perhaps the band that most purely exemplifies both gypsy and punk influences. According to their (somewhat confusing) official history on their Web site, the group began as a cabaret act in rural Ukraine known as the Bela Bartoks. Their shows included, among other indicative feats, reverse striptease. Their burlesque roots are visible in their legendarily raucous live shows.
Many songs contain the heavy, driving beats that characterize early punk rock, as well as their subversive attitude. The band, however, weaves their immigrant experience and traditional instruments into the genre making something entirely new. "Immigrant Punk" off their first full-length album, "Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike," perfectly encapsulates this combination. The song intelligently comments on the cultural differences immigrants face while also providing a worthwhile hook to mosh to. While the drums and bass of punk rock carry the song, gypsy accordion is also a defining presence. Other songs feature heavy Latin influence, and band members come from places as diverse as Russia, Israel, Ethiopia and D.C.
Gogol is easily the most recognizable gypsy punk band, if for no other reason than their mustachioed lead singer Eugene Hutz. Hutz is best known for his performance as Alex in the movie "Everything is Illuminated." The band's song "Start Wearing Purple" is also featured in the movie. Hutz is a "premium dancer," as his character Alex notes, and makes Gogol's live shows something to be remembered.
Kultur Shock
www.kulturshock.com
If you're looking for something that is less gypsy, more punk, Kultur Shock typifies that half of genre. If your ears are cocked for The Buzzcocks, though, listen for a more recent sound; Kultur Shock has garnered comparison on several occasions to popular alt-rock band System of a Down. Despite this, Kultur Shock creates somewhat more complex rhythms than the "Toxicity" troubadours and oozes metal glory in several languages.
Surprisingly, the original members of the band came to the U.S. from Sarajevo with Joan Baez, who had been touring their country post-siege. Though they may not sound like Baez, Kultur Shock does have some folk influences, just ones from outside the U.S. Samba, bossa nova and Balkan folk are all clearly present in their songs.
DeVotchKa
devotchka.net
It's kind of strange to call DeVotchKa any sort of punk at all; the band is downright classy. You won't find a mosh pit at their shows, but you will find a smattering of 30-something couples alternately holding each other and bopping along with the quickly syncopated string section.
Still, according to the band's Web site, drummer Shawn King escaped from Mexican rehab and found mariachi. What's more punk rock than that? And lead singer and theremin virtuoso Nick Urata, aside from being a dead ringer for Johnny Cash, is the son of an actual gypsy. The band has street cred, it's just hidden by sharp suits and a practically instrumental, resounding wash of vocals.
Beirut
www.beirutband.com
By far the least punk and the least gypsy, Beirut is the promising child of gypsy punk-proper. Twenty-two-year-old Zach Condon makes up the entirety of the band, though the stage act contains more people simply out of necessity. The music takes its cue from Eastern European brass bands and a gypsy sensibility. Moving from New Mexico to Brooklyn (like all good hipsters), Condon fully embraces his own personal glimpse at a nomadic life.
Condon's most recent album, "The Flying Club Cup," practically exhales wanderlust. His original twee dabblings peek through in many songs; plinky piano is contrasted with ukelele and a prevailing horn section. Like DeVotchKa's Urata, Condon's robust voice makes him something special.
Beirut is gypsy punk's safety line to the shore of mainstream music. It oftentimes seems like Beirut bears more resemblance to indie favorites like Final Fantasy or Rufus Wainwright than his punk neighbors.
You can reach this staff writer at kpowell@theeagleonline.com.
