Artists
Artist Profile
The Sway Machinery
- Contact
Label: Dan Greenman, JDub Records
- Links
Artist Website: swaymachinery.com
Following their critically acclaimed debut Hidden Melodies Revealed, the Sway Machinery accepted a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to travel to Timbuktu and perform in Mali's world-renowned Festival of the Desert. In Mali they found inspiration in the form of Khaira Arby, a legendary Malian singer, and out of their epic journey the new album House of Friendly Ghosts was born. Collaborating with Arby and Super 11, the Sway Machinery have exceeded all expectations and returned home with a new brand of cross-cultural music epic in its scope and depth. replica watches
The Sway Machinery's sound stems from Lockwood's rich musical relationships with his grandfather Cantor Jacob Konigsberg and his mentor Carolina Slim, the renowned blues player who fondly guided Lockwood's musical development. Lockwood's deeply personal bond to these two musical traditions was brought to life in the band's debut album, Hidden Melodies Revealed. Mixed with the sounds of afro-beat horns, hard-hitting drums and the blues, the album re-contextualized the Cantorial tradition into the broader spectrum of world music to critical acclaim. "Lockwood's arrangements of Jewish cantorial songs whip up a frenzy wherein all the world's music can do that which music does best: celebrate. Such joyful synthesis is what music is all about," wrote The Village Voice. rolex replica watches
House of Friendly Ghosts may be less overt in its connection to traditional Jewish music, but the road to its conception followed a similar pilgrimage into the mythic past. In January 2010, the Sway Machinery became the first-ever Jewish band to perform at the legendary Festival of the Desert in Mali, a traditional Muslim country. During an impromptu performance with Khaira Arby, legendary songstress replica breitling from Timbuktu, Lockwood had "a moment of musical clarity." When introducing one song as being by his grandfather, Cantor Jacob Konigsberg, the audience erupted into applause. "They did not need to have any notion of what a cantor is to feel the value of a young man carrying on family tradition," recalls Lockwood, "Seeing turbaned men pumping their fists in the air along with my grandfather's 'Aveinu Malkeinu Z'khor' [was] certainly one of the most memorable and inspiring images from our journey."
The band's experience in the festival tents brought them to Bamako, the capital of Mali, where they recorded House of Friendly Ghosts. While the replica rolex new album has the same basic building blocks as Hidden Melodies Revealed (drums, guitar, bass sax and horns), "the sonic picture is radically different. Traditional African instruments have been introduced into the mix, along with guest lead guitar players and Khaira's distinctive vocals," voicing the multiple tribal languages of her region. Combined with Lockwood's lyrics, which remain rich in Jewish associations and memory reservoirs, House of Friendly Ghosts bridges its own path through religion, culture and tradition to once again connect seemingly disparate musical worlds in a way that never before seemed possible.
Latest_news
JDub at The Atlantic Jewish Music Festival
For the second year in a row, the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival is featuring an amazingly talented JDub band! Last year, both Girls in Trouble AND DeLeon traveled south to perform for our friends down under (the Mason-Dixon line). This year, The Sway Machinery heads to Georgia to perform at the festival’s closing night concert celebration. They’ll be performing songs off their newest album, The House of Friendly Ghosts Vol. 1!
After speaking with AJMF representatives, we came to the conclusion that our supporters in Atlanta deserve all we can give them– for this reason, The Sway Machinery’s new album is going to be available for the discounted price of $7, when paired with the festival’s Closing Night party ticket (total $25).
Details for the festival are below: if you’re in the area, go and support great Jewish music!
SXSW Recap: The Sway Machinery
The Sway Machinery returns triumphant from an amazing South by Southwest experience! Their three shows could not have been more different, or more fantastic. First up was their End of an Ear in-store performance. The retro feel of this venue made for a perfect match, and The Sway Machinery’s horn section practically blew the roof off.
In the midst of running to shows, Jeremiah Lockwood took a few moments to sit down with a writer from Fruit Fly Life, who was awe-inspired by his ability to wear a polyester suit while the rest of us were schvitzing under the Texas sun.
Next performance took the band (and JDub) outside the downtown area to a “Bring Your Own Chair” party– which turned out to be the greatest, biggest block party we have ever attended! There were bouncy castles, puppies, a dumpster-size bin of free beer, and amazing bands.
Photo by Jason Diamond
Almost immediately after leaving this show, the band was stopped along the street by a reporter from the Austin Statesman (another case of reporter being instantly attracted to the band’s slick suits). He asked if they wouldn’t mind making a video for the Statesman, so they shot this acoustic version of “Pilgrimage” which is now featured on the Statesman’s homepage video player!
Finally, the band took the stage at Nat Geo Music’s showcase at Habana Bar Backyard, where the video below was shot by the incredible Bob Boilen of NPR Music!
In all, an incredible experience at an incredible music festival. Most exciting– The Sway Machinery’s new album, The House of Friendly Ghosts Volume 1, is now available on iTunes and Amazon! The physical copy, available on Amazon, features an 80 page booklet chronicling the band’s journey to the Festival of the Desert in Mali through photographs, essays, and song lyrics. Support this amazing band by purchasing a copy of their newest album and leaving a review!
The Sway Machinery To Debut New Album at SxSW
The Sway Machinery has almost completed their album release tour! Having already made stops in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Denver, The Sway Machinery heads next to the SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST music festival to debut The House of Friendly Ghosts, Volume 1 in three amazing showcases. The press they received in Pitchfork, AOL Spinner, and The Huffington Post can give you a taste of this band’s energy and artistry, but nothing beats a live performance, on stage, at one of the world’s greatest music festivals. See details below…
The Sway Machinery at SxSW:
Thursday, March 17th
End of an Ear
2209 South 1st St.
Austin, TX 78704
In-store Performance @ 5PM
Saturday, March 19th
BYOC Day Party
2401 E. 6th Street Courtyard
Austin, TX 78702
Performance @ 3PM
Saturday, March 19th
Habana Bar Backyard
Official SXSW Nat Geo Music Showcase
708 E. 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Performance @10:30PM
The Sway Machinery with Khaira Arby: Album Release Tour
The Sway Machinery—a Brooklyn-based all-star collective that performs a cosmopolitan amalgam inspired by ancient Jewish Cantorial music, blues, afro-beat and rock—today releases The House of Friendly Ghosts, Volume 1 on JDub Records! The band has begun their album release tour, with stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Denver.
The new album, which features Timbuktu vocal superstar Khaira Arby, is already garnering interest thanks to features on Nat Geo Music, AOL Spinner, and The Huffington Post.
Chronicling Sway Machinery founder and mastermind Jeremiah Lockwood and company’s journey to Mali’s “Festival in the Desert” and subsequent collaboration with Arby earlier this year, the album explores ideas of diaspora, pilgrimage and spiritualism by pulling together an array of content including Arby’s songs, Lockwood’s compositions and field recordings captured along the way. While at the remote festival gathering the band performed with numerous Tuareg ensembles and watched as its broad base of influences meshed with those of some of the region’s most crucial artists.
In celebration of their album release, the band will be touring as follows:
3/5/2011
New York
The Bell House
149 7th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
8PM Doors, 9PM show
$15 advance, $18 day of
This is the one and only NYC Sway Machinery Release Show!
The Sway Machinery featuring Khaira Arby at the Bell House is both an album release show and benefit for Mali. A percentage of the proceeds will go to benefit ASSADEC, a consortium of 300 women’s groups from small desert villages which provides AIDS information and instruction in the nomadic context. They are evolving into seeking capacity for micro finance of local women’s projects and other learning bases projects.
3/8/2011
Los Angeles
The Echoplex
1822 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Tickets: $12 advance, $14 Day of Show
The show is 18+
Opening: Khaira Arby
Headlining: The Sway Machinery
Sponsored by The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
3/9/2011
San Francisco
Great American Music Hall
859 O’Farrell St
San Francisco, CA 94109
8PM
$16 General Admission
Opening: Khaira Arby
Headlining: The Sway Machinery
Sponsored by the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund
3/12/2011
Portland, OR
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie
Portland, OR 97202
$15
The Sway Machinery and Khaira Arby Co-Headline
3/13/2011
Seattle, WA
The Crocodile
2200 Second Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
8PM show
$15
The Sway Machinery and Khaira Arby Co-Headline
3/15/2011
Denver, CO
Hi Dive
7 South Broadway
Denver, CO 80209
8PM show
$15
The Sway Machinery and Khaira Arby Co-Headline
New Music from The Sway Machinery
We’ve got a treat for you, courtesy of the Sway Machinery. “Gawad Teriamou (45 Edit)” is the outcome of the Brooklyn-based group’s collaboration with Malian music legend Khaira Arby, and the first taste of things to come.
Listen to the song in the player below or head over to iTunes or Amazon to purchase “Gawad Teriamou” and “Skin To Skin,” two songs that will appear on the Sway Machinery’s February release, The House of Friendly Ghosts, Vol. I.
The Sway Machinery featuring Khaira Arby: “Gawad Teriamou (45 Edit)”
Video
-
The Sway Machinery on PBS
-
The Sway Machinery Teaser
-
The Secret History of The Sway Machinery
Photos
Web Banners
-
Hidden Melodies Revealed 250x250
-
-
Hidden Melodies Revealed
Haunting notes of Cantorial-influenced vocals over the energetic, celebratory rhythms of afro-pop, hard-hitting drums and the blues.
2009
-
Rooftop Roots Volume IV
A JDub Mixtape (v/a)
2008
Out Of Stock
-
The Sway Machinery EP
All star band of NYC underground greats featuring members of Balkan Beat Box, Yeah Yeah Yeah's ad Antibalas
2008
-
-
No events are scheduled for The Sway Machinery.
Artist Music
Latest News
A Punk Life: The Gangsta Rabbi Story
A legend in his own right, the Gangsta Rabbi is a one man machine, playing flute, bass (backwards and upside down) and a myriad of percussion machines and pedals. By day, a town comptroller, by night– Steve Lieberman is the Gangsta Rabbi, a snarling, savage beast on stage and in his home-studio.
Recorded by [...]
Donate to Jewcy, get one of our new spring albums!
I can see those JDub CDs sitting in your virtual shopping cart, waiting to be purchased. Hey, I get it! It’s been a busy spring at JDub, you have 5 new albums to check out, and they are all awesome. Tough decisions…
Allow me to solve your problem: now when you donate $25 to the I [...]