Devotchka - "A Mad And Faithful Telling" (Anti- / Epitaph)

Devotchka is a four piece, multi-instrumental group that sound like nobody else. Their strange but beautiful combination of Gypsy, Greek, Slavic, and Mariachi music was featured in the soundtrack of Little Miss Sunshine, and the band has toured extensively the past four years, including tours with the likes of Calexico, Belle & Sebastian, and Flogging Molly. However, that description cannot begin to describe what Devotchka is all about... you'll just have to listen.

Songs like "The Clockwise Witness", "Transliterator", "Along The Way", and "Basso Profundo" certainly are exotic, but without very much pretense. Utilizing instruments like bouzouki, violin, trumpet, accordion, and various and sundry percussion, they perform with a verve that's so lacking in a lot of music nowadays. The carnival atmosphere just adds to the proceedings, rather than get in the way. There’s absolutely no way these guys can't be extremely fun to see live.

A Mad & Faithful Telling is a sometimes manic, always interesting musical adventure.

Written by Dan Reed