A Hawk and a Hacksaw

Imagine a traveling caravan that has picked up instruments from every village between New Mexico and Romania. The sound is dominated by Jeremy Barnes’s hyper-kinetic accordion and Heather Trost’s soaring, mournful violin, creating a sonic landscape that feels both ancient and urgently modern. It is music that breathes, wheezes, and stomps with a physical presence that is rare in the digital age.

What makes them truly distinctive is the 'one-man-band' ethos applied to traditional Eastern European music. Barnes often plays percussion with his feet and bells strapped to his body while simultaneously manning the accordion, giving the music a rickety, mechanical, yet deeply human pulse. It captures the frantic joy of a wedding band and the lonely atmosphere of a desert night in equal measure.

Start with 'Darkness at Noon' to hear their most iconic blend of indie-rock sensibility and traditional folk instrumentation. It serves as a perfect gateway into their world of brass, strings, and bellows, offering a high-energy introduction to their unique cross-continental aesthetic.