Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike
Author: Mikey I. McClelland
Release Date: August 9, 2005
Label: Side One Dummy
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Oh, dear God, what are they going to do to Sally?
As a rule, fifteen-year-old girls from Nebraska have no business consorting with the likes of Eastern European nomadic peoples. To those familiar with the surrealist Ukrainian-Israeli-American cabaret that is Gogol Bordello, the mere thought of fifteen-year-old girls involved, well, raises several questions not excluding just what the hell is the age of consent in Nebraska? And yet, there is Sally amidst the clapping, mounting fervor of Gypsy Punks' fade-in:
"Sally was a fifteen year-old girl from Nebraska/ Gypsies were passing through her little town."
Oh, dear God the Prostitute, what are they going to do to Sally?
With no great fanfare the Gypsies have returned. That is, the gypsy-punk 'revolutionaries' of Gogol Bordello, the accordion-wielding, english-as-a-second-language-screaming, under-stated underdogs of World Revolution. Just what are they revolutionizing? Good question.
When Eugene Hutz formed the Gogol Bordello, his collective was quickly mislabeled. Various people called it 'Russian rock'. The band's eclectic (to put it mildly) live act involving costumed dancers and acrobats lent the band an 'art rock' label. Worse yet, some people called it ska. Putting an end to the rumors (by starting one of their own), Gogol Bordello pronounced themselves 'Gypsy punk,' and the genre was born.
Today, the ethnic Gypsy scene is growing, especially in New York City where acts like Gogol Bordello and Slavic Soul Party! have risen their profiles to a peculiarly noteworthy status. Even The New York Times recently extolled the virtues of the Gypsy revivalists-turned-pioneers, and A&E's Grammy-nominated "Breakfast With the Arts" even profiled Gogol Bordello between segments on Sting and Tracy Bonham.
Chalk these mainstream mentions up to a definite buzz in the scene, and yet, outside of New York, the Gypsy punk movement remains a novelty. Hutz is set to change that--Gogol Bordello is aiming high with their Underdog World Strike.
The album is rife with the ethnic blends of classical Gypsy guitar and Latin influence; Gypsy Punks is the crossover hit from Coney Island to Pelham Bay, a mix of every emigrated style that New York can put together, and Gogol Bordello continues to speak to audience that bore it into this world.
Like any good revolutionary, Hutz spreads his message while speaking pointedly to his faithful. Which is why it may be difficult for anyone outside his crowd to find a way in. Understanding the emotions of transplanted nationality and the life and times thus included is difficult to understand outside of living it yourself. So, without diluting his message, Hutz does attempt to share some lessons:
On "Avenue B", Hutz cautions our little Sally, "all empires fall," and bemoans the fact that "nobody learn no nothin' from no history," cynically citing examples like Russians selling arms to Chechen rebels, and then digressing into a Ukrainian rant. While Hutz's core crowd may understand and nod approvingly, many first-time Bordello listeners like little Sally may be looking around, confused, unsure of the message. For their benefits, Hutz concedes a point Sally will certainly understand: "Sally, your shopping techniques are amazing."
This is the counter-counter culture sarcasm that is winning over followers to Hutz's World Strike. It's a sort of learned sarcasm that comes from the immigrant experience, and a growing one at that as minority-turns-majority, at least in New York; as more and more rockers and scenesters grow disillusioned with a stagnating circuit here, lines like Hutz's on "60 Revolutions," carry significant weight:
"Posers and models with guitars?/ I make a better rock revolution... with my dick!"
Time will tell if Hutz himself can carry the message to fruition, but one thing is certain: Gogol Bordello is a breath of fresh air in a stale, vast wasteland of punk-minded bands. Finally, we have a band with something to be bitter about, and one that makes good music built from sturdy roots and ideas. Here's hoping the cool breeze mounts to a storm.
And as for little Sally? If she keeps listening, she'll be just fine.
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Reader's Comments:
Elrenia G :: 13:14 Tuesday 14 FebTis very true.
Let the Gypsy punks rock on!
That was kind of cool.