Puzzled Panther Announces EP Release ShowAt Baby’s All Right February 21

Video Out Now For Lead Single 

“Smoke And The Mirrors We Broke” Produced By Nick Launay

(Nick Cave, Amyl And The Sniffers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Idles)

 

Eugene Hütz Begins New New York Continuity Project

Via Casa Gogol Records

 

Puzzled Panther: Kay Bontempo, Victoria Espinoza, Brian Chase, Eugene Hütz

 

New York, NY - With the recent launch of Casa Gogol Records (Rolling Stone), Eugene Hütz, frontman of NYC’s celebrated Gogol Bordello, is on a mission to amplify a New New York sound. His new band Puzzled Panther is led by principal songwriter Victoria Espinoza, Kay Bontempo, Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Alex Ryaboy. 

On Wednesday, February 21, Puzzled Panther kicks off the art punk party of the year with material from their upcoming self-titled EP. The night is a double bill with Knifethrower, a new band founded by former Skeleton Key frontman Erik Sanko. Knifethrower draws on their past experiences and collaborations with James Chance and the Contortions, John Cale, SQÜRL (Jim Jarmusch), The Lounge Lizards, and Yoko Ono.

Puzzled Panther is set to release their self-titled debut EP on Casa Gogol Records in Spring 2024. Their new video for “Smoke and the Mirrors We Broke” is out now - single is produced by post-punk legend Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Amyl and the Sniffers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Idles).

Coming off the heels of a debilitating pandemic, the live music scene in New York is back with a vengeance and buzzing with new artists. Puzzled Panther’s show at Baby’s All Right will kick off Hütz’s New New York Continuity Project, an accelerator showcase for young artists in New York City. This project, born out of Casa Gogol’s mission to foster New New York talent, will continue on to Heaven Can Wait residency starting on March 1 with DJ HÜTZ and Mary Shelley. The New New York Continuity Project will showcase young New York bands playing iconic tracks from iconic New York bands. Think Puzzled Panther does Sonic Youth, or Mary Shelley does The Talking Heads…

“NYC has the most incredible musical lineage, we can't let it slip away! We have to preserve it and strengthen it. Thus NYContinuity project, where New School collaborates with OG’s” - Eugene says.

 

Puzzled Panther w/ Knifethrower

Baby’s All Right - Brooklyn - 21+

Doors 9:30PM / Show 10PM

Tickets HERE

 

True to its inception story, Casa Gogol first began as a touring series curated by Hütz, focusing on bringing like-minded artists on the road with Gogol Bordello. These uncompromisingly innovative musicians have included A Tribe Called Red (now The Halluci Nation), Mariachi El Bronx, Man Man and recently Amigo the Devil amongst countless others. Hütz’s knack for tastemaking and building musical community has led him to be known not only as Gogol Bordello’s frontman but a reputable DJ, collaborator, producer and also as a curator on festivals like Bonnaroo.

Now Hütz’s imprint, Casa Gogol is honing in on the NYC community, where legions of iconic bands, including Gogol Bordello, were born. Other 2024 releases on Casa Gogol Records will include hypnotic singer-songwriter Grace Bergere and beyond.

This year, Casa Gogol Records released a Gogol Bordello collaboration cover of Angelic Upstarts’ “Solidarity” with Bernard Sumner (Joy Division and New Order) and Zachery Allan Starkey. Listen to Bernard Sumner’s “Right To Freedom” Mix and Gogol Bordello’s “Unity” Mix. This tribute to the punk and anti-Soviet movement will benefit Ukraine and stands in solidarity with oppressed groups worldwide. The genesis of the collaboration began when Hütz, Sumner, and Starkey spent time together during rehearsals for the Tibet House Benefit at Carnegie Hall in early 2023.

 

ABOUT PUZZLED PANTHER NY psycho gen Z’s Victoria Espinoza (lead vocals) & Kay Bontempo (guitar, vocals) were brought up on a steady diet of Sonic Youth, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gogol Bordello & Ramones. Backed by Eugene Hütz of Gogol Bordello (electric guitar/beats), Brian Chase of Yeah Yeah Yeahs (drums) and Alex Ryaboy (bass). Is that even real life? Yes. Only in NYC. Your Ultimate New New York band that ties it all together is here: Disco Punk Euphoria and No Wave Spazmatics in one mindmelt. “Plus they write truly killer songs, and that’s why! “ — Eugene Hütz adds. After a year of touring the US & Europe in 2023, Puzzled Panther’s debut EP is set to drop on Casa Gogol Records this year, with lead single produced by Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Amyl and the Sniffers, Public Image Ltd, Gang of Four).   ABOUT KNIFETHROWER In theory, throwing a knife is easy; you throw the knife at the target and you’re done. However, to be successful, a considered amount of talent and experience is required, especially if someone is on the receiving end. Founded by former Skeleton Key frontman Erik Sanko, Knifethrower draws on his past experiences and collaborations with James Chance and the Contortions, John Cale, SQÜRL (Jim Jarmusch), The Lounge Lizards, and Yoko Ono. Knifethrower consists of two saxophone players, two drummers, and Erik singing and playing bass, sounding like the bastard offspring of Tom Waits and Phillip Glass. The music is slightly unwieldy, skillful, odd, but yet crudely sophisticated, like throwing a knife. David Yow of The Jesus Lizard on Knifethrower: “I’m relaxing in my basement when this giant two-headed saxophone with one leg busts through the wall like that f*cking kids’ drink mascot! Terrified is cute compared to what I was. This beast was threatening and sincere. But, to my astonishment, I kinda fell for this summabitch hook, line and sinker."   ABOUT EUGENE HÜTZ / GOGOL BORDELLO Eugene Hütz is a Ukrainian-born artist, songwriter and frontman of International punk band Gogol Bordello – a rare musical force raucously illuminating stages alongside System of a Down, Rancid and Dropkick Murphys, dueting with Regina Spektor, and cutting albums with Rick Rubin & Steve Albini. A lifelong lover of the punk scene growing up in Ukraine, Hütz found himself where he felt he belonged, in New York’s Lower East Side in the late 90s, where he went to shows and later performed at the legendary CBGB. Crashing at friends’ apartments and playing acoustic sets in NYC Ukrainian bars, his group steadily grew to an 8 piece multicultural band, combining Eastern, Western and Latin traditions. Hütz is a tireless advocate for Ukrainian solidarity, partnering with Nova Ukraine and ArtDopomoga, as well as putting together benefits with Patti Smith, The Hold Steady, Suzanne Vega, Magnetic Fields, Matisyahu and more. Hütz has also appeared in arthouse films such as Liev Schreiber’s Everything Is Illuminated with Elijah Wood, Filth and Wisdom helmed by Madonna and this year’s Vice documentary Scream of My Blood: A Gogol Bordello Story (Executive Producer Liev Schreiber).   MORE FROM GOGOL BORDELLO: INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE | SPOTIFY

 

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