The Sway Machinery

You might call The Sway Machinery an indie-rock supergroup. Its members come from bands such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Antibalas, and Balkan Beat Box. But listen to the band’s music and you may be surprised by what you hear.

The Sway Machinery describe their music as "ritualistic Afropop and cantorial blues." They layer old Jewish melodies over frantic horns and a hard-driving rhythm section. The band formed in 2006, and this April they’ll finally release their first full-length album, called Hidden Melodies Revealed. The track we’re listening to is “Anim Zemiros.”

Jeremiah Lockwood, singer, guitarist and mastermind of The Sway Machinery, joins us from New York.

Watch The Sway Machinery perform their song "Revive The Dead":