7.28.2007
[Gogol Bordello + And The Winner Is]
"First I might have read the Bible, it had struck me as unwitty. I think it may have started rumor that the Lord ain't got no humor."

It occurred to me the other day that I ask if I'm crazy for liking a certain artist or group a lot on this blog, but I don't think I've ever meant it as much as I do now when I ask that question again for Gogol Bordello. If you haven't already assumed it from the picture above, Gogol Bordello is a group far from average, far from normal. Made up of a great deal of immigrants, Gogol Bordello embraces all aspects of the word "foreign".

With an array of instrumentation, most notably the use of the accordion and fiddle, the sound of Gogol Bordello is likened to one hell of a party going down at some secluded gypsy camp somewhere. In fact, their sound is so amazingly keen to that description that I have absolutely no reservations in calling this unhinged group "modern gypsies". Crazy antics, wildly paced rhythms, foreigners flying all over the place! Gogol Bordello is Fiddler on the Roof slapped silly while drunk on Main Street. I can't even begin to imagine this group's stage presence. The pictures alone of Gogol Bordello's live events pretty much melts my face off. I feel like these guys would be the ones entertaining me had I lived behind the Iron Curtain in some Commie Russian satellite state.

Now here's where I come down a little. I'm gonna be honest, when I was first introduced to this group, I just absolutely knew I would never listen to them again. About 30 seconds into the video for Start Wearing Purple, I closed the window and had no intentions to come back to it or anything else in his discography. No more than 15 minutes later the chorus from Start Wearing Purple danced around in my brain, and I was hooked. So I'm gonna admit, you may not be keen on to this group at first, but if you're not back in less than 15 minutes downloading these tracks, you're just as crazy as these guys are...



From Super Taranta! (all songs are right click - save as):
Supertheory Of Supereverything

From Gypsy Punks:
Start Wearing Purple
Bordello Kind of Guy

Gogol Bordello is currently touring the homeland, check out their site for more info
.
Be their friend!

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Otherwheres - Congratulations to the winner of Monthstravaganza! Anna Ferrero, look to your mailbox...

Otherwheres - Never one to hold back from throwing a good party, Party Ends teamed up with the Austinist to throw a Summer Extrav-o-ganza...

Otherwheres - We've only got about a week left of peskering you about our own event at Emo's on August 2nd, so I'm gonna keep going with it. Go!
9 Comments:
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Well I'll be damned if you weren't right about that 15 minute rule.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I saw them first on Jay Leno. It was so unbelievably unique and strange we haven't stopped listening to them since. I can't believe how many people they had on stage and then suddenly more came dancing from off-stage.

Look up Musselini Verses Stalin by them.

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I was under that very tent at Bonnaroo and it was just absolutely wild. "Foriegners flying everywhere" is so true, you have no idea.

very interesting posts, i love them!

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Wow, these guys are so crazily cool!
Thanks!

Blogger Mike said...
Bizarre....just bizarre...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
if you guys like Gogol Bordello even just a little, you'll love Manu Chao!! He has a new album coming out Sep. 4...until then, check out his myspace
www.myspace.com/ManuChao

Anonymous Anonymous said...
I got by about 8 minutes - sneakingly infectious this guy...

Blogger Unknown said...
Anons - There's no use denying the 15 minute rule. It's not even theory at this point, it's law...

Ned, Sara - I'm jealous of how you've even seen Gogol on stage. I've yet to see him live, and I really just can't contemplate what kind of experience it would be...

m!ke - Bizarre is certainly one of the many words that come to describe this group...