Image courtesy Death is Not a Joyride

What’s the Deal: Listen to the beginning of “Masochism in the Trade” and try not to be mesmerized. The experimentally shrieking guitars and ghoulish keyboards make the air thick with a carnival vibe that quickly turns into an electro pop number fronted by a singer sounding something like a darker version of Gwen Stefani at times. Add in plenty of violin along with some viola, glockenspiel, mandolin and even a drum machine, and you’ve got a local group that’s easy to get wrapped up in, but hard to classify. You can dance until you drop dead from the consumption with this bleak, experimental, violin-rock.

“Sleeping With Skeleton Keys” off their album, Human Zoo, released in April, is a stellar example of how simply bringing in a violin can change the character of a song completely. Without the crisp hum of the bow across the strings it might have been just another rock song. But with it, the song has a strong sense of drama and seriousness, keeping things feeling pretty organic.

Something Interesting: Within their list of instruments the group plays is “sheet metal”, which must be used sparingly because it’s a little harder to pick out than you would think.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Willie the Gorilla”

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What’s the Deal: Imagine all the fun and high energy of gypsy music, hip-hop and electronica blended into one party of a sound. That’s pretty darn close to Balkan Beat Box. The group operates from a core 6-musician team with additions from others bringing in all manner of rock instruments, horns and electronic beats. Musicians contribute to BBB from Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain, Turkey and elsewhere to this hybrid sound that makes fans throw their hands in the air and dance around in abandon. They’re definitely in the same arena as groups like Gogol Bordello, Beirut and DeVotchKa, but the beats and electronics put them a little more into Shantel category.

The group has released to full lengths and one remix & video CD that doesn’t appear to be available in the U.S. yet. Right off the bat “Bulgarian Chicks”, from the self-titled debut, is an attention-grabber with choppy horns and a clacking beat that reaches out to pull you to the dance floor while the “Bulgarian Chicks” whale in what is probably, well, Bulgarian.

Something Interesting: One member of the group, Ori Kaplan, used to be in Gogol Bordello. Also, their summer tour schedule reads like a list of some of the most appealing travel destinations in Europe and Asia. And, who wouldn’t be intrigued enough to want to go to a festival in the Shitim Desert in Israel?

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Habibi Min Zaman (BBB Remix)” and “Mexico City”

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