The Sway Machinery - Hidden Melodies Revealed
(CD/LP) JDub Records, 2009-04-07

Tracklisting :
01. Intro
02. Anim Zemiros | MP3
03. Story 1: When I first came to this country
04. A Staff of Strength in the hands of the Righteous
05. Tell it All to me | MP3
06. Avinu Malkeinu Z'khor
07. Ahavas Olam
08. I Shall Chant Praises
09. Adiray Ayumah
10. Story 2: The Mask
11. Drinking and Driving
12. Ki Hinei Cachomer
13. Story 3: The Princess
14. Wedding Blessing
15. Ivdu es Hashem

Links :
swaymachinery.com
myspace.com/theswaymachinery
jdubrecords.org
acebook.com/pages/The-Sway-Machinery
youtube.com/user/JDubRecords



Press Release :
The Sway Machinery is an all-star collective of innovative visionaries lead by guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box. The Sway Machinery also includes Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on drums, Stuart Bogie and Jordan McLean of the Antibalas horn section on tenor saxophone and trumpet respectively and Colin Stetson on bass saxophone.

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. Konigsberg, one of the last great exponents of Cantorial (songs sung in Synagogue) singing , initiated Lockwood into an understanding of the soulful, mystical and ancient heritage of Synagogue music.

Though The Sway Machinery carefully cultivates Lockwood's deeply felt connection to his musical roots, his accomplished colleagues bring to the table the sounds of afro-beat horns, unassailable rock beats and an astutely contemporary musical sensibility. Lockwood layers the haunting notes of his Cantorial-influenced vocals over the energetic, celebratory rhythms of afro-pop, hard-hitting drums and the blues. Hidden Melodies Revealed showcases pieces based on text taken directly from the Jewish prayers and reconfigures them in a startlingly new musical landscape. Lockwood's ambitious melding of styles results in what The Village Voice has called a most joyful synthesis.

Buy on :
CD http://store.jdubrecords.org/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=196
LP http://store.jdubrecords.org/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=208
CD+LP combo http://store.jdubrecords.org/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=201

Biography :
The Sway Machinery is an all-star collective of innovative visionaries led by guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood of Balkan Beat Box. The Sway machinery also includes Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's on drums, Stuart Bogie and Jordan McLean of the Antibalas horn section on tenor saxophone and trumpet respectively, and touring member of the Arcade Fire Colin Stetson on bass saxophone.

Lockwood layers the haunting notes of his Cantorial-influenced vocals over the energetic, celebratory rhythms of afro-pop, hard-hitting drums and the blues. The EP showcases pieces based on mystical texts taken directly from the Jewish High Holiday prayers and reconfigures them in a startlingly new musical landscape.

The Sway Machinery's sound stems from Lockwood's rich musical relationships with his grandfather Cantor Jacob Konigsberg, and with his mentor Carolina Slim, the renowned blues player who fondly guided Lockwood's musical development. Konigsberg, one of the last great exponents of Cantorial singing, guided Lockwood into an understanding and love of the soulful and ancient heritage of Synagogue music. Lockwood's deeply personal relationship to these two musical traditions helped him to forge a unique musical language of his own, as he learned to move from singing in his grandfather's study to playing with Carolina Slim in New York City subway stations. The Sway Machinery was borne out of this dichotomy.

Though The Sway Machinery carefully cultivates Lockwood's deeply felt relationship to his musical roots, his accomplished colleagues bring to the table the sounds of afro-beat horns, unassailable rock beats and an astutely contemporary musical sensibility.

Lockwood layers the haunting notes of his Cantorial-influenced vocals over the energetic, celebratory rhythms of afro-pop, hard-hitting drums and the blues. The EP showcases pieces based on mystical texts taken directly from the Jewish High Holiday prayers and reconfigures them in a startlingly new musical landscape. Lockwood's ambitious melding of styles results in what The Village Voice has called a most "joyful synthesis."

The latest indie supergroup has a sound that.... well, you just have to hear to describe. Listen now!" - SPIN.com

"Just when you were sure the word "supergroup" violated FCC regulations, members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Balkan Beat Box, Antibalas and Arcade Fire are teaming up as The Sway Machinery" - CMJ.com

"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, not to mention what New York is all about" - Village Voice