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Times-Picayune Journal, Feature >>
Austrian duo Attwenger to perform Friday, March 16 at Cafe Istanbul
The accordion-and-drum duo Attwenger – a cult favorite in their home country of Austria - have been playing together since 1990, with influences running the gamut from American rockabilly to traditional Austrian music to hip-hop and techno (though from Internet videos, it looks like the pair’s set these days is a blend of multilingual, vintage Sun Studios-style rock n’roll and zydeco.)
The Austrian band Attwenger performs Friday, March 16 in New Orleans.
As part of the band’s first U.S. tour, Attwenger will perform Friday, March 16 at Café Istanbul. I chatted with drummer Markus Binder about zydeco, Jerry Lee Lewis and the amazing gold suit he wears in the video for the song “Shakin’ My Brain,” below.
How did you get interested in American rockabilly and early rock n’roll?
I think it was Chuck Berry, actually. I had a time, some years ago, when I used to listen to Chuck Berry, Little Richard, this fifties rock n’roll. I don’t know why. Maybe because it’s so energetic, and so funny.
The way you use the accordion is very similar to zydeco. Is that also an influence?
I heard this zydeco and Cajun music when we started doing our Attwenger thing, because our record label, Trikont in Munich, released records of zydeco and Cajun music. And I was very fascinated with that music, because the combination of accordion and rhythm and singing really affects me a lot. It’s good to hear you say our music reminds you of that. You know, we never analyze our influences so exactly. We’re listening to so many kinds of music here and there, and something of it comes out. But this, the Cajun and the zydeco influence, I think is really one of the biggest. And since the beginning of our Attwenger thing, we’ve wanted to go down to Louisiana and see a place where they’re performing live. I don’t know about a place in New Orleans, but we have a car.
I think you could find something in the city. Or you could drive to Lafayette, or to Eunice. So, also, I didn’t mention that you also use elements of hip-hop and techno, as well as Austrian traditional songs. That’s a very diverse collection.
We play some tunes that are quite traditional, and we also are bringing in these other influences – hip-hop, Cajun, techno. We had an album in the middle of the 90’s where the techno thing was big. And this album called Song (1997), it has three pieces that are 15 minutes long, it has electronica and techno but also the influence of African music, because we performed there in ’93. So that is another ingredient in our pot. And we’re looking forward to the next one.
I watched your video for “Shakin’ My Brain,” and I have to ask – where do you get fancy suits like that?
We live in Vienna, and there is a huge shop – you can’t imagine – of carnival costumes. It’s really huge. They have every kind of costume you can imagine. And once I saw there these golden suits. And when we had the “Shakin’ My Brain” thing, it came into my mind that it would be funny to go there and buy some golden suits and make the video. I have to say it’s like a Little Richard or a Chuck Berry thing, or even Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry Lee Lewis had the verse, “you shake my nerves and you rattle my brain.” The music is from the 50’s, and the suits are from the late style of Elvis, from the early 70’s. So the sound and the suits are not really from the same time, but it’s funny.
Attwenger performs at 10 p.m. Friday, March 16 at Café Istanbul in the New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St. Claude Ave. The Cliff Hines Band featuring Sasha Masakowski follows at 11 p.m. Visit cafeistanbulnola.com or call 975-0286 for details. 03/15/12 >> go there
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