Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, world-beat rock band Toubab Krewe is kinda like Animal Collective's country cousin whose long-absent daddy happens to be the Dead. Taking cues from indie rock, psychedelic jam, and traditional Malian tuneage, the Krewe twists out songs — i.e., "Holy Grail" and "51 Ft. Ladder" — that sound like they should be bleeding from an old, beat-up boombox at a truck stop in Bamako.
But the five-member outfit doesn't just settle for adding some authentic African instrumentation — soku, kamel ngoni, and kora — to its guitar, drum, and bass. Instead, the Krewe takes fusion to an almost existential level, jamming out with African-American poet Umar Bin Hassan, trekking to Mali and other Mother Continent spots, and communing with the spirit of Ali Farka Touré.
This trip isn't a weekender. It a lifelong quest.
