Yuzo Nieto and the Hand That Rocks the Dreidel

Tom Murphy

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• Yuzo Nieto

Those familiar with Yuzo Nieto's other projects won't be expecting his music with Yuzo Nieto and the Hand That Rocks the Dreidel (due this Friday, August 8 at Old Curtis Street). It's definitely not the wildly experimental free jazz of Pink Hawks or the earnest, visionary folk of Pee Pee. Instead, this band is a blend of non-Western popular musical styles, jazz and electronic pop. But rather than a misguided attempt to hash together music for the appearance of originality, the sound here is wholly organic. Avi Sherbill's percussion set-up goes beyond basic drums, incorporating found objects that produce unique sounds and lend an air of post-industrial chic to the outfit's songs. And while Yuzo's voice is soulful and melodic, like the band's absurd name, it is subversive in its lyrical aims — both sublime and parodically profane.