SXSW Records

Fool's Gold

Fool's Gold expands globally upon co-founding guitarist Lewis Pesacov's side project, Foreign Born, in every possible direction. The 10-plus L.A. collective fuses elements of African funk, Western pop, and, in the Hebrew vocals of Israel-born bassist/songwriter Luke Top, even a bit of the Middle East into joyous jams that will keep you dancing in the streets for days. This cultural appropriation might yield fool's gold in lesser hands, but this outfit – a rotating cast that also features members of We Are Scientists, Glasser, and the Fall – approaches this material with a celebratory reverence. "Surprise Hotel" pits West African guitars, light and crisp, against circular percussive rhythms and fluttering horns, not unlike the psychedelic trance of "Yam Lo Moshech." There's some Roy Orbison in Top's enchanting croon, most evident in standouts "Nadine" and "Poseidon," which spotlight Argentine pop star Erica Garcia, while "Ha Dvash" kicks up sand like the Western Sahara blues of Tinariwen and Group Doueh. Grab a shaker and join in. (Fri., 11:15pm, Emo's Main.)