DeVotchKa

This article is about the Denver indie rock group. For information about the New York punk band, see The Devotchkas.
DeVotchKa
Origin Denver, Colorado, USA
Genres Gypsy punk Indie rock
Years active 1997–present
Labels Dago Records

Cicero Recordings, Ltd.

Ace Fu Records

ANTI-
Website Devotchka.net
Members
Nick Urata

Tom Hagerman

Jeanie Schroder

Shawn King

DeVotchKa is a four piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble that fuses Romani, Greek, Slavic, Bolero, Mariachi music with American punk and folk roots. They take their name from the Russian word 'devotchka' (девочка), meaning "young girl". Based in Denver, Colorado, the quartet is made up of Nick Urata, who sings and plays theremin, guitar, bouzouki, piano, and trumpet; Tom Hagerman, who plays violin, accordion, and piano; Jeanie Schroder, who sings and plays sousaphone and double bass; and Shawn King, who plays percussion and trumpet.

Originally a backing band for burlesque shows, in their early years DeVotchKa also toured with fetish model Dita von Teese. Numerous nationwide tours in support of self released records earned the band an underground following. Their song "How It Ends" introduced the band to a wider audience after being featured in the trailer for Everything Is Illuminated, a Gears of War 2 TV spot, and in an episode of Everwood (Season 4.) Their performance at the 2006 Bonnaroo music festival was considered a breakout event.[citation needed] In between tours, the band was picked by first time film directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris to score Little Miss Sunshine,[1] a 2006 film that would go on to garner four Academy Award nominations. DeVotchKa, along with composer Mychael Danna, composed and performed the majority of the music for the film's soundtrack and were nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack. The main song, "The Winner Is", was also used in a commercial by the French-based environment and energy company Suez and the Dutch pension fund PGGM.

Arcade Fire singer Win Butler suggested to DeVotchKa that they cover the Siouxsie and the Banshees song "The Last Beat of My Heart". The musicians found the idea interesting and they recorded that song for the now critically acclaimed Curse Your Little Heart EP.[2]

DeVotchKa's latest studio album, A Mad & Faithful Telling, was released on March 18, 2008. The band did a worldwide tour in support of the album. The album reached #9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and #29 on the Top Independent Albums chart.[3] "New World" and "Head Honcho", were featured in a season 4 episode of the Showtime television show Weeds.[4]

In 2008, Boston newspaper The Phoenix named them the Best New Band from Colorado.[5] How It Ends reached Number 101 in the Uk Singles Charts [1]

Members

Discography

Other album appearances

  • Live at KEXP Vol.5- "How It Ends" (2009)
  • "Songs From The Point !" - Harry Nilsson cover album (2009)

References

  1. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449059/soundtrack
  2. ^ DeVotchKa.net biography"Could the band itself even have predicted what would transpire of the Arcade Fire’s Win Butler’s suggestion to the band that they take on ‘The Last Beat of My Heart?’ The end result is the center-piece of the EP, a grand and soaring take on the song"
  3. ^ Billboard, Allmusic
  4. ^ http://www.sho.com/site/weeds/music.do Music on Weeds
  5. ^ 50 Bands, 50 States, The Phoenix. Published July 4, 2008.

External links