Gogol Bordello

Gogol Bordello often gets dismissed as “that crazy gypsy band,” infamous for insane live shows and the kinetic shenanigans of Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hütz. None of that is untrue, but it overshadows the craft, complexity, and uncut joy the band puts into its albums, including 2010’s Rick Rubin-produced LP, Trans-Continental Hustle. An amalgam of everything from punk and prog to Eastern European folk and avant-garde classical, Gogol Bordello’s head-bending style always keeps both feet on the dance floor (not to mention in the mosh pit), and has earned the group a devoted subculture that seems to include Liev Schreiber and Madonna, both of whom cast Hütz in their respective directorial debuts, Everything Is Illuminated and Filth And Wisdom.

Updated 04/05/2011