In the late 90's, few bands were like Firewater. The NYC band was mixing Balkan folk with contemporary post-punk for sound that would eventually inspire others like Gogol Bordello, Balkan Beat Box, Devotchka and even Beirut. Led by former Cop Shoot Cop frontman Tod A, Firewater became musical world travelers as they added other musical styles to the mix, including Hindi dance, Mexican banda, Latin American salsa, Jamaican ska, and Russian tango. While their songs were always irreverent and anti-establishment, in past years, Tod A took to traveling the world to record parts of his last two albums in areas considered exotic or remote, if not off limits, to most Americans: South East Asia, India, Pakistan and Turkey and other places in the Middle East. In fact, his latest release, International Orange!, was recorded almost entirely in Turkey and Tel Aviv during the height of the Arab Spring. What Tod A and Firewater bring back to listeners is more than sound clips and field recordings but an on-the-ground worldview that challenges a TV news informed public. Recently, Firewater brought East to the West as he stopped by KEXP on his whirlwind trip to perform songs from the new album:
Full Performance:
Anacortes: gateway to the Washington's San Juan Islands. Home to artists like Karl Blau, Phil Elverum and The Lonely Forest. Soon to be know for another new band, BellaMaine. The young indie rock group, led by married duo Nick and Julianne Thompson, immediately caught the attention of KEXP's Mornin…
With their ridiculous number of side projects and other interests, it's amazing that songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith IV continue to make killer albums together as Pinback. As ever, on Information Retrieved, their fifth LP, the San Diego duo expertly craft…
