- DeVotchKa
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This article is about the Denver gypsy punk group. For information about the New York punk band, see The Devotchkas.
DeVotchKa 
Background information Origin Denver, Colorado, U.S. Genres Gypsy Punk
Indie FolkYears active 1997–present Labels Dago Records
Cicero Recordings, Ltd.
Ace Fu Records
ANTI-Website Devotchka.net Members Nick Urata
Tom Hagerman
Jeanie Schroder
Shawn KingDeVotchKa is a four-piece multi-instrumental and vocal ensemble. They take their name from the Russian word devochka (девочка), meaning "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, double bass, and flute; 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, in a Gears of War 2 trailer called "The Last Day", 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]
The band did a world tour in support of their previous album, A Mad & Faithful Telling (released March, 2008). 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]
DeVotchKa's latest studio album, 100 Lovers,[5] was released in March 2011.
In 2008, Boston newspaper The Phoenix named them the Best New Band from Colorado.[6] "How It Ends" reached Number 101 in the UK Singles Charts.[7]
The band supported Muse at the Stade de France on June 12, 2010, playing to over 80,000 people.
Contents
Members
- Nick Urata – vocals, guitars, piano, trumpet, theremin, bouzouki
- Tom Hagerman – violin, accordion, piano, Melodica
- Jeanie Schroder – sousaphone, upright bass, vocals
- Shawn King – drums, percussion, trumpet, accordion, organ
Discography
Live in Indianapolis on May 10, 2008
- SuperMelodrama (2000)
- Triple X Tango (2002)
- Una Volta (2003)
- How It Ends (2004)
- Curse Your Little Heart (EP) (2006)
- Little Miss Sunshine (soundtrack) (2006)
- A Mad & Faithful Telling (2008) #29 Independent Albums Chart/ #9 Heatseakers (Billboard U.S.)
- I Love You, Philip Morris (soundtrack) (2009)
- 100 Lovers (2011) #74 U.S.
Other album appearances
- Nightmare Revisited - "Overture" (2008)
- Live at KEXP Vol.5 - "How It Ends" (2009)
- Starbuck's Sweetheart - "Hot Burrito #1" (2009)
- "Songs From The Point !" - Harry Nilsson cover album (2009)
References
- ^ "Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – Soundtrack". imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449059/soundtrack. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ DeVotchKa.net biography" The end result is the centerpiece of the EP, a grand and soaring take on the song."
- ^ Billboard, Allmusic
- ^ "Weeds Music". sho.com. http://www.sho.com/site/weeds/music.do. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ "DeVotchKa Embraces The World – A Review of 100 Lovers". Frontier Psychiatrist. http://frontpsych.com/2011/02/21/devotchka-embraces-the-world-a-review-of-100-lovers/. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
- ^ 50 Bands, 50 States, The Phoenix. Published July 4, 2008.
- ^ "Official singles chart" (PDF). ukchartsplus.co.uk. 2008-12-27. http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/UKChartsPlus383.pdf. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
External links
- Official site
- Myspace
- DeVotchKa's artist page at Ace Fu Records
- DeVotchka interview and performance with Nick and Tom for The Current
- Mikel Jollett of Filter magazine reviews the CD How It Ends on NPR's "All Things Considered"
- Soundcrank Podcast Hosted by Shawn King
- Devotchka, Artistas Destacados - Billboard En Español
Categories:- American indie rock groups
- Music of Denver, Colorado
- Musical groups from Colorado
- Dark cabaret musicians
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