New words must be invented to describe the sound of Gogol Bordello from Brooklyn, NY. If I had to put a label on their genre I would call it Alternative Gypsy Rock. The band sounds like a mix of traditional Eastern European folk music by Borat with the angst of Kurt Cobain. Their live shows include a troupe of live dancers that frolic around the stage while lead singer and guitarist Eugene Hutz works his mustache and the microphone. The shouting choruses remind me of Irish drinking songs but the feel is totally Fiddler on the Roof.
Gogol has been around since 1998 when the first members met at a Russian wedding in Vermont and started "jamming in A minor." Since then they have played house parties, small clubs and other event spaces till now. Their new album, Trans-Continental Hustle, has just been released and is available on iTunes as well as your local record store.
If you would like to see them live they will be playing two shows in the US (Baltimore 4/30, and Philly 5/2) before heading overseas to the UK, the rest of Europe and even Russia. But if you go to their website you can follow along with updates, tweets and even some free song samples.
As of right now my jury is still out on this band. I love their story and how they have risen through the ranks by word of mouth and playing small parties and venues. The fact that they are the first of their kind is also awesome. The music industry is always looking for something new and right now Gogol Bordello is it.
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How rad is this?