DeVotchKa

Many people don't realize that DeVotchKa are from the United States ― Denver, to be exact. The worldly four-piece, who crafted their own gypsy-punk sound with albums like How it Ends and A Mad & Faithful Telling, sound a bit less Euro and a bit more gringo on 100 Lovers. Recorded in the Arizona desert with Neko Case producer Craig Schumacher and featuring members of Calexico, DeVotchKa pepper songs with Tex-Mex influences, like the dusty violin-meets-handclap intro of "The Common Good," the full-bodied strum-and-mariachi workout of "Bad Luck Heels" and the salsa-induced rhythms of "Contrabanda." Reinventing his melodies, singer/songwriter Nick Urata clips away at the verses, keeping them short, sharp and much more biting. Retaining their unique vision and style while adding an entire genre into their repertoire turns out to be a brilliant idea, keeping DeVotchKa fans satisfied, impressed and guessing as to what they'll do next.