Every so often a band comes around that blends two different styles of the
same genre. In this case I am talking about traditional American folk music
with Mexican Son music. This might sound like a very strange blend of music
but The David Wax Museum pulls it off. David Wax and Suz Slezak, they are
the core of this band along with 4 supporting artist that help. Releasing “I
Turned Off, Thinking about It” in 2008 and “Carpenter Bird” in 2010. David
Wax won 2010 Newport Folk Festival breakthrough artist of the year, gaining
recognition they went on to win another award in the Boston Music Awards.
“Everything Is Saved” was released in 2011 with critical acclaim, ‘Born with
a Broken Heart’ was named Song of the Year in the Boston Music Awards. Named
one of the best acts at South by Southwest by Craig Duff from Time
(magazine) and at the Newport Folk Festival that same year Rob Kirkpatrick
from The Huffington Post. Their fourth album “Knock Knock Get up” was
released in late summer 2012, with a much more mature sound than their past
releases.
With an interest in Mexican folk music and focusing on different styles of
son music David Wax has created a very unique sound. With instruments like
jarana, quijada and a donkey’s jawbone, David Wax Museum is able to blend
all this instruments in to a toe tapping Mexican son song with English
lyrics that fit seamlessly in to the structure of the song. With song like
“Yes Maria Yes” and “The Persimmon Tree” the Mexican folk aspect of the band
really stands out. More specifically in “Yes Maria Yes” Slezak plays the
donkey’s jawbone and is heard through-out the song manly as a percussion
instrument. Then some songs like “Let Me Rest” are more traditional American
folk and really help diversify the overall sound. Wax and Slezak both take
part in the vocal aspect of it usually Wax is the lead with Slezak as backup
vocals. David Wax Museum is nothing like I’ve ever heard which is fun and
refreshing, I only hope they keep expanding and trying different genres.
Here is the David Wax Museums’ Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music
jorgeb90 