"Everyone jumped for joy to the speed-core melange of klezmer tornadoes, Balkan dances, Celtic reels and bayou-squeezbox war" Rolling Stone
"World music never sounded like so much frantic, frenetic and sweat-soaked fun." Hal Horowitz, Creative Loafing Atlanta
"The Zydepunks are one of New Orleans' most rousing live performers... they surprise with sublime accordion-fiddle fueled playing." Offbeat Magazine
Innovators, renegades, survivors - within a few years, the Zydepunks have grown from underground heroes into one of New Orleans' most talked about bands. Yiddish riddles, Irish ballads, Cajun punk, and original songs in Spanish and German are a small demonstration of why they astound new audiences. Wild folk dances fronted by accordion and fiddle and backed by relentless drums and bass are a testament to the high-energy folk-punk dance craze that is a Zydepunks show.
The Zydepunks began in 2004 and quickly took the New Orleans music scene by storm with their speedy and amped-up versions of European and Louisiana folk music. Vocal stylings in six languages (German, French, Spanish, Yiddish, English, Portuguese) immediately set the band apart. Their own original work has given the band a more cohesive feel while staying true to their sound.
Sadly, no story about any contemporary New Orleans band is complete without mentioning the hurricane season of 2005. What was looking to be a breakout year for five young musicians coming off a national tour turned into a matter of pure survival. Three founding members ended up returning to New
Orleans to houses that were miraculously untouched but a city that
was forever mangled. With their lineup and future in doubt, the band
managed to reunite for a performance at the New
Orleans Voodoo Music Festival. A memorable nighttime show at the
legendary Café Brazil gave notice that the old New Orleans might come
back after all.
The Zydepunks recently released their highly-anticipated third album
"Exile Waltz" (Nine Mile Records) in August 2007 and are currently
in the studios working on a 2008 release.
The Zydepunks are:
Denise Bonis: violin, vocals
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Before moving to New Orleans from Los Angeles, Denise performed with Menthol Hill on piano and violin, and toured with Lisa Germano, adding vocals and autoharp to the mix. New Orleans music credits include vocals and violin on Chappy and her own solo project.
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Juan Christian Küffner: accordion, fiddle, lead vocals
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Juan was fortunate to be able to speak four languages by the time he was 12 years old. His first music gig was playing organ at a local church, which he later dropped for playing with punk rock bands in Glasgow, UK. There his old roommate, John Grant, convinced him to try his hand at fiddle (much to the distate of the others living there). His side projects include Malt Liquor Rebellion and the occasional performance with the G-String Orchestra.
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Joe Lilly: drums, vocals
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Joe Lilly is a drumming virtuoso and almost single-handedly provides the driving rhythm section of the band. He is an occasional session musician and former member of "Robots Marching".
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Scott Potts: bass, vocals
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Scott's well known in the New Orleans music scene for running Guerilla Studios and recording a wide array of New Orleans bands. The Zydepunks are forever his debt for learning 15 Zydepunks songs in one night for a performance at the Freret Street Festival.
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Eve: accordion, melodica, vocals
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Eve spent seven years as a street performer in Europe,
earning her living playing accordion music from around the globe. In New Orleans she has also performed with the Loose Marbles and local productions of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Cabaret".
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Former Zydepunks members include:
Joe McGinty - our original fiddle player and co-writer of "Die Schwimmbadpiraten", Joe now lives in Amsterdam playing in a fine European folk band called Caspian Hat Dance.
Patrick Keenan - our first bass player and chilhood friend of Joe Lilly, Patrick decided that New Orleans wasn't for him after 2005's hurricane season and now fronts and tours with The Winter Sounds.
Anna Jurgensen - replaced Joe McGinty on fiddle after Katrina. A former fire-fighter in Utah, she played and rambled with the Zydepunks in the hectic months of late 2005.
Paul Edmonds - a long-time member of The Fens, Paul played bass for the Zydepunks from 2006 to 2007.
Substitute Members:
David Sobel - a long-time member of the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, David filled in for Joe Lilly when he was injured earlier this year. David plays with different New Orleans rock, latin and jazz groups and has also performed with Soul Asylum and Les Claypool.
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photo by David Zatarain
General Information
Christian Kuffner
zydepunks@gmail.com
Tel: (504) 232-9930
Fax: (504) 754-7539
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