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It seems like Eastern Europe is finally starting to get some respect from Americans. Nico Bellic and the GTA giant made thick accents cool. Gogol Bordello has been able to take his mustachioed gypsy punk to a mainstream audience while smaller acts like Golem and The Sway Machinery are putting a fresh spin on ancient sounds.

The Sway Machinery’s Hidden Melodies Revealed: “Anim Zemiros”

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The Machinery boasts an incredible lineup of musicians who’ve played with Arcade Fire, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tom Waits and the Wu Tang. “People ask all the time what kind of music do you play, and I say ‘New York music,” says saxophonist Jordan McLean. The rollicking blend of music is nearly impossible to define. Inspired by Cantorial music and guided by the warped mind of Balkan Beat Box maestro Jeremiah Lockwood, The Sway Machinery are an organic mashup of world styles from Mali blues to Polish dances.

Playing such a selection basically dictates the band understand musical theory, world cultures and history, so it’s not a surprise that the five band members can be cerebral and mystical. “We’re moving beyond style and into idea,” says McLean, “because we’re creating our own myth with this music. We invite the audience to explore and create their own myths along with us—and kick their fucking asses at the same time.”

The underlying party rhythms of dance music is a huge influence for JDub labelmates Golem, a six-piece also out of New York. Golem began years ago covering klezmer traditionals, and has slowly evolved a hybrid rock version of the ancient songs. “It was originally party music so it’s not an academic pursuit for us,” says singer and accordionist Annette Ezekiel Kogan.  “The energy in the music is party energy,” she says. The new album, Citizen Boris, spins together accordion, horns, fiddle and feedback into dance rock that stands out for its creativity. History never sounded so fun.

By Jacob Cottingham

 

The Sway Machinery’s Hidden Melodies Revealed “Tell it All to Me”

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Golem’s Citizen Boris: “Tucheses & Nenes”

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Golem’s Citizen Boris: “Mirror Mirror”

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