Bella's Bartok

When you hear Amherst, MA, band Bellas Bartok play their unique blend of folk, punk, and klezmer, it’s easy to get lost in the atmosphere. The ensemble group draws the audience in with its visual theatricality and keeps their riveted attention with its sonic groove.

But Bellas is more than just good music. The band’s lyrics tell stories of sex positivity, mourning, loss, and societal tolerance. Here are three examples.

The Walking Dead


One of Bellas’ older songs, “The Walking Dead” is a good primer for the band’s eclectic musical and lyrical style. A foot stomping jam and a funeral march, the song touches on two main themes.

First, it draws influence from the eponymous comic book and tv show. The lyrics roughly follow some thematic elements from the story, as the narrator draws a herd of zombies to his “home”:

The dead, don’t do no walking alone
Just ahead, down the road
I’m leading them home
We shortly discover that the narrator is the early volume villain The Governor:

Let’s start again, I lost my eye
The second theme, Bellas frontman Asher Putnam told me, is “the fall out from an abrupt and tragic loss, and scoping your homies going through the motions of grief.”

That theme is also on display in the song as a subtle thread weaving in and out of the dominant apocalyptic narrative.”The Walking Dead” opens with a keening lament for both the pre-zombified world of the book’s characters and a life before loss:

Here we remain the end is nigh
In times like these in days gone by
The Governor asks the audience if grief is natural for humanity, even as he separates himself from that emotion:

Were we born, made to suffer?
You made your call, I’ll see no other
The rhythmic descent of the bassline and lowering chord sets is the perfect backdrop for the mournful singing that sets the mood for the piece.

Masquerade


Duality of message is prevalent in Bellas’ lyrics.

In the accordion-led “Masquerade,” the band intersperses a twenty-first century message of sex-positivity and tolerance with a nineteenth-century narrative of a drug-addicted prostitute, Magdalene, in plague-stricken Europe.

The story is easy to follow. The pimp tells Magdalene to:

put on some lipstick and get to the corner
Clientele don’t want your real name
And that work is necessary to provide a living to Magdalene’s family. She has employment, and can’t worry right now about the intricacies of plague society and those less fortunate than her:
Who’s that feeding from grub on the bottom?
Leering from across the street
I can’t afford to be philosophizing
When my children have no food to eat
It’s easy to judge Magdalene for her choice of work, and Bellas makes sure you know that they know that’s what you’re doing:

I have no time, to be wasting
Defending what I am
As the vocals take the form of an observer, looking at Magdalene, the tone shifts. Now, the lyrics are an incredulous take on Magdalene’s choice to work:

Can’t you stop when you’re breathing
And stop what you’re thinking
And end this disgraceful charade?
When she could be bought easily:

I could buy you right now
With the slums of my wallet
And use you in some Masquerade
However, our observer is only fooling himself- no amount of money will bring him what he really wants, Magdalene’s love. Hence the song’s last line, a forlorn lament:

I need you
Again, Bellas’ lyrics are both a clear, upfront narrative and a subtextual reflection on deeper meaning.”On it’s surface this tune is about 19th century gender inequalities, poverty, and the horror of selling your body to eat at a difficult period of history,” said Putnam, “The song has the intention of a sex positive message... and an end to sex shaming.”

The Strange Ones


The dreamlike drone of the beginning of “The Strange Ones” gives way to celebratory horns and a fighting call for the unsung heroes of society. Unlike “The Walking Dead” and “Masquerade,” “The Strange Ones” is very direct in its message.

Putnam: “This song is for and by weirdos. The ones forgotten by society and those worshiped by it.”

The song’s imagery is striking. We are introduced to the bizarre imagery of a naked old man running through the streets:

Age for the old man is nothing
Running through town, bones on skin
All is seen and all is his if he so desires
And as we watch him run past we live vicariously through him even if we are not brave enough to join him:

Dressed in skin he runs for us
Dressed in skin he lives for us
Dressed in skin he grows young
He does these things for us because we are no longer able to.

On the other end of the spectrum, a young girl rejects her societally assigned gender weakness:

Time for the young girl lacking age
When insulted she fought back
She knows her future has been opened by our friend “dressed in skin” above:

All is seen and all is hers if she so desires
Hers is fortune
An interesting facet of the lyrics to “The Strange Ones” is that the narrator is completely removed from the action, outside looking in. It’s generational- the old man is the elder, released from convention and accountability; the girl is the child, full of potential but not responsibility; and the narrator is the adult, in between and unable to enjoy unaccountability, responsible for maintaining the structure for both ends of age.

So the narrator looks on at the old man and girl, and laments the lack of bravery in their soul:

Where is my spine?
What are all these things we must do?
While forgetting that the world they’re holding in place will allow them to be the former while the latter stabilizes it in the future. The narrator’s subconscious knows this and asks themselves how they cannot appreciate the beauty of life:

In the trees we will remain
In the trees we grow old
It’s all here to inspire you/where’s the inspiration?

Bellas Bartok’s new album, Change Yer Life, is available at record stores and online now.

The band goes on tour for the summer May 7 through the Northeast and the Upper Midwest. Check them out. - Huffington Post

Bella’s Bartok started out as an acoustic cover band (Gogol Bordello, Golem, etc) nearly a decade ago and has crossed many hills and valleys with their lineup. The final lineup of this seven-piece Balkan-folk band from Northampton, was refined at Umass Amherst. Since then, the band has released three EPs. Now they are about to release their first full length album Change Yer Life.

Change Yer Life was recorded and self-produced at Amity House Studios in Amherst, MA in the Fall 2015. The 14 track album was later mastered by Jocko at More Sound Studios in Syracuse, NY. In a Sound Renaissance interview with the band, Cisco discussed the self-producing process:

“Recording in our house at a leisurely pace with no one’s input but our own has been a fantastic experience. It’s a level of freedom that is tough to get when you are on other people’s time trying to get their brains to melt with your brains.”

Fun and vibrant are just a couple of ways to describe this album. Bella’s Bartok shares a lot of common ground with their influences, Gogol Bordello and Golem. For the most part, Change Yer Life embodies an upbeat sort of energy with a mysterious tone on tracks such as “The Strigoi Waltz,” “Satan’s Song,” “So Calm, Relaxed,” “Zora” and “Creepster.” The band even shows their softer side on tracks like “The Strange Ones,” “Mother” and “Ramona.” Despite the differences in some of their songs, Bella’s Bartok always maintain their integral overtones of Bohemian folk, circus and punk infusion.

Change Yer Life opens with a “1-2-3-4” followed by a brief crash of cymbals, screams and horns on “Strigoi Waltz.” It’s almost as if the band is letting it be known that it’s time to throw away all forms of pretentiousness and have a good time. Following the quick intro comes an array of upbeat drums, peppy horns and enthusiastic vocals that encompass an eastern European cadence. The theme of this song seems to be based on entities found in Romanian Mythology called strigoi. This theme is enforced by lyrics like “feel my bite. It’s in the light. You’re a tender one.”

Recently, Bella’s Bartok released “Ramona” via Bandcamp. This song is introduced with the sound of whistling, footsteps and a cat’s meow. A lone bass-line adds a feeling of suspense, but the band wastes no time making headway into a catchy pop-folk medley. The song breaks in the middle for a brief moment and returns to the sound of footsteps and the cat’s repeated meowing. The soundbite seems to yield a hinted theme to go with the lyrics.

After listening to Change Yer Life, I found it difficult to determine which tracks are the most notable. Sometimes trying to decipher the important tracks from the fillers will leave you running in circles. Overall, this album will turn any unpleasant day into a duration of 14 fun-filled tracks that will make you want to dance and clap your hands.

Change Yer Life will be released on March 26, the day of their CD release show with Rough Francis. In the meantime, feel free to listen to “Ramona” from the album. - Sound Renaissance

Within the depths of Western Massachusetts, there’s a band that’s been causing a stir. They’ve also been causing a frenzy, a ruckus and they’re making people dance. Who are these party starters? They’re Bella’s Bartok and they’re one of the most exciting live acts in New England. Hailing from Northampton, this band has a fun brand of gypsy-infused folk punk that has been getting people in the mood to move since the beginning of the decade. They have a new album coming out titled Change Yer Life and it perfectly captures their unique sound.

The rhythms are infectious and their collective multi-instrumental talents add countless dimensions to their material. Jesse Putnam plays accordion, mandolin, guitar and trumpet. Chris “Fancy” Kerrigan also plays guitar and clarinet and assists on vocals. Amory Drennan alternates between the trombone and banjo and Dan Niederhauser and Crisco complete the rhythm section on bass and drums, respectively. With frontman Asher Putnam adding genuine charisma on the mic, this sextet is a force to be reckoned with.

Bella’s Bartok’s new record is a lot of fun to listen to. There’s an abundance of energy and zest from front to back — no wonder they’ve been a hot commodity around the Northeast recently. Speaking of hot commodities, the value of my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week can’t be ignored.

With a groovy bass line starting it off, “Ramona” has jumping tones and Putnam’s mandolin is very much present. The horns also make it a gem. Catchy shouting is all over “So Calm, Relaxed;” the chorus will be stuck in your head for eons. One for the peculiar types, “The Strange Ones” is haunting and triumphant. It’s truly a ballad for the people who like to keep it weird.

Bella’s Bartok will celebrate the release of Change Yer Life at Pearl Street in Northampton on Saturday, March 26 with Burlington, Vermont garage punks Rough Francis. With two heavyweights sharing the stage this is a can’t-miss show. Head to the show and grab a copy of the new album from Bella’s Bartok. Its moving and grooving sensation is rivaled by few.

Stream “Ramona” on Bella’s Bartok’s Bandcamp: bellasbartok.bandcamp.com/track/ramona; Grab tickets to this Saturday’s release show for Change Yer Life at Pearl Street in Northampton, MA: nbotickets.com/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=10&event=10229; Bella’s Bartok’s Website: bellasbartok.com. - Motif Magazine

Bella's Bartok Tops New England's Open Submission Results With Two Others

Bella’s Bartok is a strange mix of a band, and with their absurdity lies their charm. Varied percussion, bright pianos, scratchy guitars, scattered horn sections, and group harmonies give their dancy tunes a distinct bohemian vibe, and their raw sound gives them something of a punk edge. Bella’s Bartok topped our New England open submission with two other bands. - The Deli

Bella’s Bartok released a new apocalyptic EP back in August, “We Are Not a Cult,” which showcases in Technicolor Cinemascope sound just how powerful a band they are — like the psychotic parade of “So Calm, Relaxed,” which would be perfect for Tim Burton’s next ghoulish movie. With some yo-ho-ho and shout-along songs, the seven-piece band will wake up any jaded dozers and take over the Rendezvous in Turners Falls Friday at 9:30 p.m. - GazetteNet.com

Bella’s Bartok released a new apocalyptic EP back in August, “We Are Not a Cult,” which showcases in Technicolor Cinemascope sound just how powerful a band they are — like the psychotic parade of “So Calm, Relaxed,” which would be perfect for Tim Burton’s next ghoulish movie. With some yo-ho-ho and shout-along songs, the seven-piece band will wake up any jaded dozers and take over the Rendezvous in Turners Falls Friday at 9:30 p.m. - GazetteNet.com

No band makes me feel more insane than Bella's Bartok. No band makes me feel saner... - Rambo Calrissian

[...]And then it was time for Sugar Dish. Oh, Sugar Dish. Before Sugar Dish danced across the venue to me (it was definitely to me), I was told that I might have to move or I would run the risk of getting wet. This struck me as a good reason to stay put. So I did. This little number ended with Sugar Dish deliciously posing on the knee wall in front of yours truly. She then got a shower from the balcony above. I didn’t get wet, that is at least, until I started sweating Bella’s Bartok.

Bella’s Bartok, which I’m pretty sure is a reference to the Hungarian composer Bela Viktor Janos Bartok, is a circus rock group that is basically a folkier, poppier Gogol Bordello. This ten piece has a tremendous amount of depth with multiple musicians playing multiple instruments. Having a horn section, a stand up bass, an accordion, a violin, a clarinet, multiple guitars (at times), and grandiose vocals this band is perfectly shaped to play the music they want to play. I took a particular interest in Asher Putnam, who dresses eccentrically, and looks like a cross between Serj Tankian and Jack Skeleton. His vocal work reminded me of the theatrically styled vocals that Roger Waters used on “The Trial.”

Leaving the show there was an intense air of satisfaction. We had been entertained in multiple ways. All of my itches were scratched. Well, all but one. So I headed down the street towards a sign for Chinese food, dreaming of the next night of modern vaudeville. - Allston Pudding

Of Borscht, Flaubert and Hungarian Mustache Wax
Berkshire-grown gypsy-punk-klezmer-jazz band Bella’s Bartok ignore the hyphens and rock out with their accordions out

by Jeremy D. Goodwin on May 11, 2011 · 1 comment

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Bella’s Bartok started out as a party and became a band—albeit, one that comes with an automatic party pre-installed. Since their scrappy origins, busking in downtown Great Barrington, Mass., in the summer of 2008, the lineup of Bella’s Bartok has fluctuated in size from 10 members to a dozen or more. Their sound has expanded from a core of gypsy-punk covers into an original repertoire rooted in a frenetic, klezmer-inflected sensibility that embraces flavors of space rock, circus rock, a touch of country, and hot jazz as well.

Perhaps it’s best to simply ditch the hyphens and call it “borschtcore.”

Dixieland in the Balkans (In the Berkshires): Bella's Bartock. Photo by William Wright

Following the late-2010 release of their first album, At the Kingmakers Ball, and ever-surging momentum on the live circuit of western New England, there’s the sense that this deliciously chaotic band—with several members about to graduate college and find themselves with some extra free time—could be on the verge of that all-important transition from “weekend warrior” status to full-time rock and rollers.

On a recent Saturday night, they’ve just played their nicest venue yet: the Colonial Theatre in downtown Pittsfield. They were the openers on a long, multi-band bill, but because of the band’s size, they’ve been assigned the most generous dressing room.

It’s exactly what you want the dressing room of a nice theater to look like. There are two long counters in front of mirrors lined by little lightbulbs. The walls are covered with posters from past shows at the venue. There’s a little speaker for announcements from the stage manager. And in the corner, a tall guy with a well-waxed mustache and green cardigan is singing a mid-tempo waltz with a dude on accordion wearing black-framed glasses and salmon-colored pants. The set of soul covers played by the closing band, onstage a few yards outside the closed dressing room door, is audible through the walls. Bartok’s trumpet player picks up a tambourine, its bassist starts pounding out the tempo on a trumpet case, and its trombonist, a nascent engineer who also pens complex, multi-part compositions for the band, has turned a wheeled coat rack into a jungle gym. He’s dangling from it, upside-down, and disaster seems imminent.

One gets the sense that the hour or so Bella’s Bartok spend onstage on a given night, churning out their high-energy, Dixieland-in-the-Balkans dance music, is the only context in which this crew can achieve something akin to single-minded focus.

“It’s a dance band at its core,” observes bassist Steve Torres. “It’s a house-party band that got too big, and now we don’t know what to do.”

The band started to coalesce in 2008 around two college friends, James Bill and Asher Putnam, who each shared the relative indignity of housing in freshman dorms at the University of Massachussetts at Amherst after having already lived in the real world for a few years after high school, both starting college in their early 20s. (The band’s members are all, more or less, in their early-to-mid 20s.) Bill now plays electric guitar for Bartok, and the mustachioed Putnam—who endorses Hungarian moustache wax to achieve gravity-defying curls—sings and plays acoustic. They each write songs for the band, joined by acrobatic trombone wielder Sean Klaiber.

Charismatic vocalist and accordion player Heather Fisch joined early on (later leaving the band), and Bella’s Bartok suddenly started playing everywhere, whether on a walkway off of the parking lot of Great Barrington’s Triplex Cinema, an open-air Earth Day festival thrown by that town’s co-op grocery (following the Berkshires’ own family-folk hero, David Grover), or house parties in the nearby village of Housatonic. The setlist included covers like Golem’s “Warsaw Is Kehlm” and traditional klezmer numbers.

“We learned songs because we figured it would be easier than trying to make them up every time we got together,” recalls trumpeter Amory Drennan. “We didn’t expect this band to last past the summer. I don’t think we even intended it to be a band.”

The thing is, they earned an immediate and boisterous following. What should have been a glorious mess turned out to just be kind of glorious. Their highly kinetic sound is indeed all about dancing, but the group don’t settle for woozy riffs and a backbeat. The horn players (plus Chris Kerrigan on clar - Metroland

Of Borscht, Flaubert and Hungarian Mustache Wax
Berkshire-grown gypsy-punk-klezmer-jazz band Bella’s Bartok ignore the hyphens and rock out with their accordions out

by Jeremy D. Goodwin on May 11, 2011 · 1 comment

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Bella’s Bartok started out as a party and became a band—albeit, one that comes with an automatic party pre-installed. Since their scrappy origins, busking in downtown Great Barrington, Mass., in the summer of 2008, the lineup of Bella’s Bartok has fluctuated in size from 10 members to a dozen or more. Their sound has expanded from a core of gypsy-punk covers into an original repertoire rooted in a frenetic, klezmer-inflected sensibility that embraces flavors of space rock, circus rock, a touch of country, and hot jazz as well.

Perhaps it’s best to simply ditch the hyphens and call it “borschtcore.”

Dixieland in the Balkans (In the Berkshires): Bella's Bartock. Photo by William Wright

Following the late-2010 release of their first album, At the Kingmakers Ball, and ever-surging momentum on the live circuit of western New England, there’s the sense that this deliciously chaotic band—with several members about to graduate college and find themselves with some extra free time—could be on the verge of that all-important transition from “weekend warrior” status to full-time rock and rollers.

On a recent Saturday night, they’ve just played their nicest venue yet: the Colonial Theatre in downtown Pittsfield. They were the openers on a long, multi-band bill, but because of the band’s size, they’ve been assigned the most generous dressing room.

It’s exactly what you want the dressing room of a nice theater to look like. There are two long counters in front of mirrors lined by little lightbulbs. The walls are covered with posters from past shows at the venue. There’s a little speaker for announcements from the stage manager. And in the corner, a tall guy with a well-waxed mustache and green cardigan is singing a mid-tempo waltz with a dude on accordion wearing black-framed glasses and salmon-colored pants. The set of soul covers played by the closing band, onstage a few yards outside the closed dressing room door, is audible through the walls. Bartok’s trumpet player picks up a tambourine, its bassist starts pounding out the tempo on a trumpet case, and its trombonist, a nascent engineer who also pens complex, multi-part compositions for the band, has turned a wheeled coat rack into a jungle gym. He’s dangling from it, upside-down, and disaster seems imminent.

One gets the sense that the hour or so Bella’s Bartok spend onstage on a given night, churning out their high-energy, Dixieland-in-the-Balkans dance music, is the only context in which this crew can achieve something akin to single-minded focus.

“It’s a dance band at its core,” observes bassist Steve Torres. “It’s a house-party band that got too big, and now we don’t know what to do.”

The band started to coalesce in 2008 around two college friends, James Bill and Asher Putnam, who each shared the relative indignity of housing in freshman dorms at the University of Massachussetts at Amherst after having already lived in the real world for a few years after high school, both starting college in their early 20s. (The band’s members are all, more or less, in their early-to-mid 20s.) Bill now plays electric guitar for Bartok, and the mustachioed Putnam—who endorses Hungarian moustache wax to achieve gravity-defying curls—sings and plays acoustic. They each write songs for the band, joined by acrobatic trombone wielder Sean Klaiber.

Charismatic vocalist and accordion player Heather Fisch joined early on (later leaving the band), and Bella’s Bartok suddenly started playing everywhere, whether on a walkway off of the parking lot of Great Barrington’s Triplex Cinema, an open-air Earth Day festival thrown by that town’s co-op grocery (following the Berkshires’ own family-folk hero, David Grover), or house parties in the nearby village of Housatonic. The setlist included covers like Golem’s “Warsaw Is Kehlm” and traditional klezmer numbers.

“We learned songs because we figured it would be easier than trying to make them up every time we got together,” recalls trumpeter Amory Drennan. “We didn’t expect this band to last past the summer. I don’t think we even intended it to be a band.”

The thing is, they earned an immediate and boisterous following. What should have been a glorious mess turned out to just be kind of glorious. Their highly kinetic sound is indeed all about dancing, but the group don’t settle for woozy riffs and a backbeat. The horn players (plus Chris Kerrigan on clar - Metroland

My favourites, New England’s most infectious band BELLA’S BARTOK released another batch of songs this week, and o MOTHER are they amazing! Even your father will like them. These songs make me so happy, strangely so calm & relaxed. No sense in wondering – just go here and listen! Gotta love that Asher.

Seriously, this is a band worth seeing. A charming melodic noise party with just the right amount of sinister. Travel if you must. They’ll be playing throughout New England this
fall – pay them a visit.

ps: and read my review of THESE ARE OUR ARMS! - Music Inkoporated

My favourites, New England’s most infectious band BELLA’S BARTOK released another batch of songs this week, and o MOTHER are they amazing! Even your father will like them. These songs make me so happy, strangely so calm & relaxed. No sense in wondering – just go here and listen! Gotta love that Asher.

Seriously, this is a band worth seeing. A charming melodic noise party with just the right amount of sinister. Travel if you must. They’ll be playing throughout New England this
fall – pay them a visit.

ps: and read my review of THESE ARE OUR ARMS! - Music Inkoporated

Recently one of my favorite hard to pigeon hole band's The Lucky Jukebox Brigade posted with excitement about Bella's Bartok getting back together so I checked them out and yes they are back together and have split into two entities, the other being Gallery Gods. and have a new EP 'We Are Not A Cult'
Having three release's in the last three years I don't know where they found the time to split up. Here is an interesting interview from Rock On! Young Musicians Workshop Blog

From their Bio they describe themselves as 'Bohemian Dance Punk' that fits quite nicely, The Talking Heads raised in a Gypsy Caravan. Their sound is multicultural magic.
I really recommend listening to their complete volume of work 'At The Kingmakers Ball' is a free download, the other two release's are Name Your Price. - Popa's Tunes

Recently one of my favorite hard to pigeon hole band's The Lucky Jukebox Brigade posted with excitement about Bella's Bartok getting back together so I checked them out and yes they are back together and have split into two entities, the other being Gallery Gods. and have a new EP 'We Are Not A Cult'
Having three release's in the last three years I don't know where they found the time to split up. Here is an interesting interview from Rock On! Young Musicians Workshop Blog

From their Bio they describe themselves as 'Bohemian Dance Punk' that fits quite nicely, The Talking Heads raised in a Gypsy Caravan. Their sound is multicultural magic.
I really recommend listening to their complete volume of work 'At The Kingmakers Ball' is a free download, the other two release's are Name Your Price. - Popa's Tunes

These Are Our Arms

May 13, 2012

Last night trying to stay awake on a long ride back from Toronto, I started listening to an album that’s impossible to doze off to. It’s also the best album I’ve heard in years. It’s called These Are Our Arms.

It was written, produced and self-distributed by the insanely great and enigmatic band Bella’s Bartok. And even though the band’s since split into two different incarnations, this album is simply too good to keep quiet about.

I normally shy away from telling people what to listen to. And in general I don’t like reading, much less writing, album reviews. But for the exceptional – you make exceptions.

When you see a phenomenal live band, almost always the sound recording is a let-down. It’s a near impossible task to translate the energy and lovely chaos of the stage onto a recording. It all usually ends up over-produced and safe and devoid of the very things that made you want to listen in the first place. But when I first heard These Are Our Arms – I almost fell out of my chair.

You feel like you’re there.

And by ‘there’ I mean that space where you’re now in a different realm – you’re no longer sitting at a desk listening to MP3s on a laptop. Now you’ve wandered into a speakeasy carnival eight decades ago, and you’re somewhere else entirely. There’s no science to it, two minutes in and you’re with the fiddlers & devils now. A world of strange ones and lovely men and creepsters. If it’s simply an album you want, look elsewhere. This is an Experience.

Bella’s Bartok nails it. On multiple levels. And I’m not going to write a typical review here, or waste time thinking up fancy adjectives to describe these songs. They don’t need it. The production, the distribution model, the music itself – one word will suffice here.

Brilliant. - Music Inkoporated