DeVotchKa Conquers Paradise

by Lucien Flores
The original version of this article was published on March 29, 2011 for the Daily Free Press.

The eclectic indie rock outfit DeVotchKa brought their Eastern-European romps, Latin flair and theatric indie-rock to the Paradise Rock Club on Saturday in what proved to be a tremendously fun evening. The opening act, Mariachi El Bronx – a side project of hardcore rockers The Bronx – fully embraced their traditional Mexican alter egos. Dapper in ornate black charro outfits, they got the audience dancing to the harmony of vihuela, Guitarrón, trumpet, violin and more. After El Bronx’s lively 30-minute set, DeVotchKa took the stage, kicking things off with “The Alley,” the opener of their most recent album, 100 Lovers. While DeVotchKa seems intent on reaching the cathartic highs of bands such as Arcade Fire on 100 Lovers, they still are an act that’s ripe for intimate settings reminiscent of their early burlesque days, and their showing at Paradise certainly reflected that.

Urata Parties On During "Ranchero"

Lead singer Nick Urata delivered lyrics in his perfectly sultry voice. His graying scruff, a perfect complement to his passionate croon, heightened his suave wine-swigging, all-black-wearing persona. While Urata was certainly not a man of many words, he forged a great connection with the audience. During the band’s indie-classic, “How It Ends,” Urata had the audience take over, turning his microphone to the loyal supporters who returned the love by sharing lyrical duties.

DeVotchKa pulled from all over their collection in their 19-song set.  Highlights include “The Man From San Sebastian” with its sinister cinematic Spanish flair, their menacing Mexican Western “The Enemy Guns” and the unexpected and simple accordion and guitar cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.” However, it was DeVotchKa’s many Eastern-European romps that really took the show to higher level. Songs such as “Basso Profundo” and “Vengo! Vengo!” got the audience moving and grooving to the sounds of accordion, violin and a sousaphone ornamented with multicolored Christmas lights.

The band closed with “Ranchero,” a track with modest beginnings that soon transformed into yet another buoyant European number. What made the piece even more stirring was Urata’s use of two unconventional instruments, the bouzouki and Theremin, the former being a Greek mandolin-looking instrument that delivered an unexpectedly dark vibe while the latter is an eerie sounding electric device. Throughout the song, Urata frantically played his bouzouki while performing a leg-kicking jive reminiscent of a Russian folk dance. Urata then ventured over to the Theremin, playing both instruments at once, much to the delight of the audience. After what felt like 10 exhilarating minutes, Urata thanked the audience, took a swig of wine, raised his arms and spilled all over himself. This didn’t perturb him, and he nonchalantly went back to playing the bouzouki, this time with the wine bottle.

Overall, DeVotchka’s worldly roots blended effortlessly with their indie rock for a captivating show. They played a lively hour and a half in front of a highly energetic crowd, proving that the bouzouki can certainly be badass.

DeVotchKa "100 Lovers"

We're aware that we haven't written much recently so we're going to overwhelm you with posts today.  The first of many will be an album review of DeVotchKa's 100 Lovers.

by Lucien Flores
The original version of this article was published on March 18, 2011 for the Arts Fuse.

DeVotchKa, 100 Lovers, Anti-, 2011

The members of DeVotchKa call Denver, Colorado home, but the quartet is not your standard indie rock outfit by a long shot. Eclectic to the point of the omni-cultural, the band is one of those rare musical acts that, like Beirut and Gogol Bordello, makes use of the rhythms and riffs (Slavic, Romani) of Eastern-European music and dares to go further, experimenting with Mariachi, Indian, folk, punk, and more.

Lead singer Nick Urata croons passionately with a distinctively slurred, almost accented voice while also playing a hodgepodge of instruments from the standard guitar and piano to the more unusual (at least for indie rock) trumpet, theremin, and bouzouki. Other instruments the quartet uses are the sousaphone, violin, and accordion.

When DeVotchKa effortlessly meshes these global influences and uncommon orchestration, the results can be galvanic, from amazingly fun, Eastern European romps (“C’est Ce La”) to grandiose, indie-rock anthems (“How It Ends”). And its sound is finally being recognized by a broader audience. After struggling as a burlesque band for a few years, the band’s 2004 effort How It Ends made some real noise on the indie scene. However, it wasn’t until after being nominated  in 2006 for a Grammy Award for “Best Compilation Soundtrack” for the film Little Miss Sunshine that the band garnered more recognition.

The group’s most recent album, 100 Lovers stays true to form, featuring a multitude of musical influences. Eastern European riffs predominate, though mariachi and Latin sounds dominate the last few songs.

The album’s opening song, “The Alley,” is a microcosm of the album itself. A trance-like ambiance is established and followed by a marching snare; the tune’s daze is finally blasted away by crashing cymbals and Urata’s eerie voice. The model for the track is the fireworks of Arcade Fire: the group comes closest to that sound with “All The Sand In All The Seas,” one of the strongest tunes on the album. The menacing (at times) track is driven by rollicking piano, ambient guitar, and marching drum.

“100 Other Lovers” is the album’s catchiest and strongest number. After generating a dreamlike spell, Urata’s  vocals jolt us awake, while the sounds of strings and a delectable organ supply some charm. At the end, the song returns us to the opening trance and fades out, which brings the indie rock segment of the album to an end.

On “The Common Good,” DeVotchKa experiments with an Indian sound, commencing with hand-claps and frantic strings. However, the Indian influence is abandoned after shimmering strings and a rollicking snare are introduced. The experiment with an Indian sound is admirable, but the latter is used so halfheartedly that the attempted fusion with indie rock doesn’t come off.

Starting with “The Man From San Sebastian,” the album embraces a wealth of Latin influences. “San Sebastian” is a remarkably fun song with sinister Spanish influences; bright accordion and undulating guitar combine to create an atmosphere that’s ripe for danger, sword fights, and pencil thin mustaches. The bright horns of mariachi make their way into “Bad Luck Heels,” while “Contrabanda” has an almost-cumbia flair to it. On the unique “Ruthless,” Urata flirts with Spanish lingo and guitar, supported by timbales, quicksilver accordion playing, and theatrical strings.

The one exception to the second half Latin explosion is “Exhaustible,” a light, lazy afternoon love song with a whistle chorus and cheery background vocals. Ending with the group bursting into laughter, the whimsical song is a nice change of pace from the busier tracks.

Overall, 100 Lovers strikes me as DeVotchKa’s admirable and ambitious effort to create a grander sound. The band reaches for the brilliantly combustible heights of Arcade Fire’s magnum opus Funeral. At times it ends up working too hard and falls short. But listeners expect nervy diversity from DeVotchKa, and the group delivers on its efforts to make indie rock with plenty of exotic flair. DeVotchKa comes to Boston’s Paradise Rock Club on March 26, which will be its only Massachusetts stop. If nothing else, when else are you going to see a sousaphone live? 

Overall Grade: 7.5