If It's Too Loud...

From the singles we've heard, it sounds like Gogol Bordello are changing up their sound on their upcoming album. The latest single, "Ignition," is more of a dance party than we're used to from the gypsy punk legends. Everything we've always loved about them is still here, but they're also adding in a little pop and even some shreds of techno. Of course, this is a more organic version of techno than we're used to, and "Ignition" ends up being an absolute blast. This is still Gogol Bordello, though, so now matter how fun the song may be, there's going to be an underlying darkness. It's always great to see a long lasting band not be afraid to change up their sound, especially when it's as great as Gogol Bordello are here. Frontman Eugene Hutz says of his band's upcoming album: “Gogol Bordello has always been a cross-pollinator. And 'We Mean It Man! ’ brings all our original inspirations together more than any other: punk, gypsy m...

Photo by Willy Somma Gogol Bordello have always been an eclectic band, but they expand their sound even further on their latest single. "We Mean It, Man!" is the band's first original song in three years. It takes their usual "gypsy punk" sound and adds in some 80's electro clash to create an absolute frenzy of a song. The song sounds as desperate as these times feel, and even the music seems to be pleading to anyone who will listen. There are also crazed elements of metal and jazz within "We Mean It, Man!," somehow all working together in unison in the way that I wish the entire world could. Frontman Eugene Hutz says of the band's latest single: “‘We Mean It, Man’ is like taking the inner temperature of the eternal seeker and surfer of positive vibrations. It’s someone who is bellydancing on status quo-tables and healing itself from the world’s lies and irony while reaching for rays of joyous healing unity. This is the inner temperature of Gog...

Last weekend was St. Patrick's Day weekend, and typically everybody in New England clings to their Irish roots, no matter how small, and goes out to see any band that also has any Irish roots they can cling to. It was refreshing to see how many people went out to The Strand Ballroom on Saturday night to take in the gypsy/Latin punk hybrid of Gogol Bordello. Those that did were treated to one of the best shows I've seen in years. I had been trying to get out to see Gogol Bordello for years, ever since their stripped down performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 2011. I've wanted to see a full band set from them, but it just never has worked out for me. This week I had a close friend in from out of town which inspired me to finally pull the trigger and do it. I couldn't be happier that I did. I had ridiculously high expectations, since Gogol Bordello was one of the highlights of that year's NFF, a year that included The Decemberists, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Coste...

Busiest week in a while, so we're splitting this up a bit. More tomorrow! Album of the Week : Artist : Kitty Album : Miami Garden Club Quick Description : 90s-tinged electro-pop. Why You Should Listen : This is an unexpected delight. Overall Thoughts : I don’t know how I tripped up on Kitty however long ago, but while the rest of the musical universe is tripping over itself for their take on the new Taylor Swift song (short answer: it’s not great, but it's catchy as all get out), here’s Kitty doing some really interesting indie electro-pop with a 1990s-era sensibility that I fear is going to be completely ignored. Kitty isn’t reinventing the wheel at all here, but she is doing a good job working within the existing tropes to develop something worth your time whether you’re a fan of the genre or not. I love this album quite a bit, and I keep thinking about it long after I first heard it. Recommendation : Absolutely worth it this week, one of the best listens of the m...

The good news is that we're finally out of the summer doldrums in terms of new releases. The bad news is that, even with a lot of new releases this week, they kind of run the gamut from average to disappointing. Probably best to go in order: The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas reissue : It's weird to do a reissued "remastered" version of an album originally recorded on a boombox, but All Hail West Texas is probably in my top three Mountain Goats albums, and Head Goat John Darnielle apparently found some songs from the session to justify the reissue. At the very least, the reissue provides a good reason to revisit the album, and the bonus tracks are pretty good, too. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes : I may be the only person who wishes Alex Ebert would cease with the hippie rock and go back to Ima Robot, but the reality is that "Home" was a killer song a few years ago, and while I didn't love the...