tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38620861923278105262024-03-19T13:04:40.132-07:00shondeqomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-25647677430668635682012-03-19T20:39:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.586-07:00Back in the Day: Alon Braier's Mizrachi Musician Cards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUEpLPcJ6JSMaY153Gfa2XpsfaIFvdf2yeneSitjl8F5b7GilaDgM88GGfHbHmOWZ1ySTR-URP-cbS5PC6OsrNvBy5O2VxgLLfjTCm129iHdX-YU2keTF3KLew99jVj2S3ieHNZom_88/s1600/d4a6cd2de96baf169a98399d924e427f.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUEpLPcJ6JSMaY153Gfa2XpsfaIFvdf2yeneSitjl8F5b7GilaDgM88GGfHbHmOWZ1ySTR-URP-cbS5PC6OsrNvBy5O2VxgLLfjTCm129iHdX-YU2keTF3KLew99jVj2S3ieHNZom_88/s320/d4a6cd2de96baf169a98399d924e427f.jpg" alt="Zohar Argov" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721820810060771522" border="0" /></a><a href="http://alonbraier.carbonmade.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Alon Braier</span></a> is a freelance graphic artist and illustrator based in Tel Aviv. I recently ran across his fantastic project <a href="http://alonbraier.carbonmade.com/projects/2778157#1">"Back in the Day (בזכרי ימים ימימה)"</a> which consists of a boxed set of cards that pay "tribute to the great Israeli mizrachi music pioneers of the 60's and 70's." Looking to get a bit more information, and hopefully score a set of the cards, I contacted Braier about the project.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Teruah:</span> What was origin of the Mizrachi musician card project? Was this something you did as a freelancer for a customer? A personal project? Are you personally a fan Mizrachi music?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Braier:</span> I started working on the Mizrachi musician card project, or "back in the day" as it translates from its Hebrew name, about two years ago. It was my final project before achieving a bachelor's degree at the <a href="http://www.bezalel.ac.il/en/">Bezalel Academy of Art and Design</a> in Jerusalem. On my junior year I spent one semester as an exchange student at the <a href="http://www.mica.edu/">Maryland Institute College of Art</a> in Baltimore, and while visiting New York City on spring break, I stumbled upon a beautiful, illustrated trading card deck named "<a href="http://www.legendsofrap.com/">Legends of Rap</a>". I was blown away by the whole idea of illustrated music related trading cards, It was then that I decided to make my own deck as a final project when I'll get back to Israel.<br /><br />Mizrachi music was never exactly my cup of tea (at least not before the project). I chose to focus on that specific genre because I wasn’t familiar with it. Back then, it occurred to me that by digging into a subject I know very little about my interest will stay high throughout the process.<br /><br />I also wanted my project to deal with social matters and I knew Mizrahi music always carried a big social and political baggage. Mizrahi music was created by migrating Jews from the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa who created a unique musical style that combines elements of Arabic, Greek, and Turkish music. At the early days of Israeli radio this type of music was excluded from the airwaves, basically because the people who owned the media and the main cultural institutions in those years where of Ashkenazi heritage and preferred a more European taste. At the beginning of the 80's Mizrahi music suddenly got in to the playlists and became very popular until this very day. The sad thing is that in order to reach this state the genre lost most of its authenticity and unique musical roots. Today it's basically all about simple pop songs on an Arabic scale with some occasional oriental instrument thrown in the mix. My project is focusing on the early days, the 60's and 70's, when Mizrahi music was a special fusion of east and west, a one of a kind blend of rock soul and middle eastern music.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Teruah:</span> Who is included?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Braier:</span> The deck has all the great pioneers of the genre, people who became legends like Zohar Argov (pictured above) – the king of Mizrahi music (5) and Aviu Medina (1) the composer who wrote many mizrahi classics like "Haperach Begani" <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcpgpEUlKfk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=vcpgpEUlKfk</a> which was Zohar's first international hit. I also included the main producers and representatives of Mizrahi artists, "The Reuveni Brothers" (12) and the most essential Mizrahi bands- Tzlilei haoud (3) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9_hY8bhuzc&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=f9_hY8bhuzc&feature=related</a> and Tzlilei hakerem (11 ) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynC5hxfSZM&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=JynC5hxfSZM&feature=related</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DPYFBPh00iWV9Ef0oRottLmoCOoV77D1RnMz137ZwHcq5mTUnjP-_n_SxaQ_Vb4Egqrvw9jtXlb5qCXDnAtitOxHPcN6eAwXO16EO2CPt_emcqty41ZJFo3VS7CcmAoA0JoBYmxxAcY/s1600/ca8f4aaa73a7338a3ae5038645dfd5ac.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DPYFBPh00iWV9Ef0oRottLmoCOoV77D1RnMz137ZwHcq5mTUnjP-_n_SxaQ_Vb4Egqrvw9jtXlb5qCXDnAtitOxHPcN6eAwXO16EO2CPt_emcqty41ZJFo3VS7CcmAoA0JoBYmxxAcY/s320/ca8f4aaa73a7338a3ae5038645dfd5ac.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721826724634892882" border="0" /></a> Among the well known artists I illustrated some truly underrated ones, like Aris San (10)<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-LCj-wGAQI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=d-LCj-wGAQI</a> - Filfel al Masri (19) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM-vE9ngljg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=zM-vE9ngljg - </a>The Gang (15) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eU301lExnO4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=eU301lExnO4</a> - Jo Amar (17) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xclyyCzMM0Q" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=xclyyCzMM0Q</a> (my personal favorite). And some surprising rarities like Shechunat Hatikva workshop Theater (8, pictured) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2xNTzlFSk0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=O2xNTzlFSk0</a>which includes the very young and talented Ofra Haza.<br /><br />I really wanted to include Yosef Ben Israel, the first DJ who actually played Mizrahi music on the radio, but I couldn't find any pictures of him.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Teruah:</span> Are these cards available for purchase?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Braier:</span> I'm afraid not, I did have a few of them in a handmade box with a poster in every pack but they were sold out pretty quickly (I have only one complete pack left, which I carry with me to job interviews) but I'm planning to re-print them sometime during this year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Teruah:</span> Have you done any additional music related projects? Do you plan any?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Braier:</span> Since the Mizrahi project came out I did some editorial illustrations for local papers that had article about Mizrahi culture. I also did the cover art for Lo dubim's debut album <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ADtnkFUV-U&feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?<wbr>v=6ADtnkFUV-U&feature=related</a> lately, I began working on another card deck about the Israeli new wave scene of the 80's but I'm still in the research stage.<br /><br />-----<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CQMrlIv5PHDcNbNlV0MTBKdGgvwnRHfLJllPzIQtYWmwvB4Urri61QKJGhNwSKMLFfucGpCdMOPdaxKVaU_mOJx44VcMMBFrQ_SdA5RfMuKYXzlMBZsmzvvhvwdwbOM4yOInt-K2TDo/s1600/747d42aa2c218e961974e8e1a75c0a57.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CQMrlIv5PHDcNbNlV0MTBKdGgvwnRHfLJllPzIQtYWmwvB4Urri61QKJGhNwSKMLFfucGpCdMOPdaxKVaU_mOJx44VcMMBFrQ_SdA5RfMuKYXzlMBZsmzvvhvwdwbOM4yOInt-K2TDo/s320/747d42aa2c218e961974e8e1a75c0a57.jpg" alt="Jo Amar" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722027129696624498" border="0" /></a><br />So no cards for me. At least not yet. But go check out the full set on Braier's website.<br /><br />As a final treat, here's Braier's favorite, the great Jo Amar, singing Great My Cousin. Amar, who <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/arts/music/09amar.html">passed away in 2009</a>, was a widely popular Moroccan born vocalist whose 1971 "Shalom le-ben dodi" was one of the first big Mizrachi hits.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xclyyCzMM0Q">Jo Amar Greet my cousin ג'ו עמר שלום לבן דודי</a> </span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xclyyCzMM0Q" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-44055272747561011522012-03-15T03:53:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.586-07:00#NoseJobGate - The Groggers and Plastic Surgery Disasters<a href="http://cbswwfs.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/groggers.jpg?w=385&h=240&crop=1"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 326px; height: 203px;" src="http://cbswwfs.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/groggers.jpg?w=385&h=240&crop=1" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ah, nose jobs. I remember being a teen and having my grandfather promise me that if I ever wanted a nose job he'd pay for it. Huh? I remember thinking. Why on earth would I want that? Now my brother...he's got serious beak.... It's not just my grandfather, though. Our collective self-consciousnesses about our over-sized honkers comes up regularly in both self-deprecating jokes and in trips to the plastic surgeon. Occasionally, it even bubbles over into the mainstream culture. Maybe it's a way to identify (and identify with) the outsider in <span style="text-decoration: underline;"> l</span><a href="http://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/this-week-on-glee-the-girl-with-the-jewish-nose.php">ast spring's episode of Glee</a>, for example, or to make unexpected (and awkward) connections between <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/let-s-cut-halle-berry-some-slack-for-her-joke-on-jewish-noses-1.231985">actress Halle Berry, her Jewish cousin, and the viewing audience of the Tonight show back in 2007</a>.<br /><br />Mostly the whole idea is about as cliche and tacky as JAP (Jewish American Princess) or circumcision jokes. (Didja hear the one about the.....)<br /><br />This week's entry into the Nose Job hall of fame is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkzTcUVTP0Q">"Jewcan Sam (A Nosejob Love Song)</a>" by <a href="http://www.thegroggers.com/">The Groggers</a>. The song, which has now been viewed over 120,000 times, is a funny guy-wants-girl power-pop joke-fest. Get your nose circumcised. Pinocchio never got Snow White. Funny stuff from a band known for sharp humor. (See my previous post on <a href="http://teruah-jewishmusic.blogspot.com/search?q=groggers">The Groggers</a>)<br /><br />Here's the song.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://youtu.be/WkzTcUVTP0Q">"Jewcan Sam" (A Nose Job Love Song) - The Groggers [Official Music Video] </a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WkzTcUVTP0Q" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />And then it hit the press. I saw it first on <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/miami-plastic-surgeon-investigation-commissioning-jewcan-sam-music/story?id=15905298#.T2fxqGJU0oZ">the ABC News website</a> under the banner <span style="font-style: italic;">"Miami Plastic Surgeon Under Investigation After Commissioning 'Jewcan Sam' Music Video."</span> For real? How did ABC even hear the song. The Groggers are a relatively unknown (though talented) Orthodox Jewish rock band. But then it came clear...the nose job song and video were paid for by an Orthodox Jewish plastic surgeon in Florida. And hence the scandal. This is, the news narrative states, payola for promotion of plastic surgery to teens. And then the scandal deepened. The leader of the Groggers actually got a nose job himself as part of the deal. This has all the makings for a media feeding frenzy.<br /><br />The <a href="http://t.co/Eo5R8m2m">Miami Herald</a>, <a href="http://t.co/jWvPnTIe">NBC,</a> the <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-bal-harbour-plastic-surgeon-michael-salzhauer-20120315,1,3063856.story">Sun-Sentinal</a>, <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/03/17/Jewcan-video-could-be-trouble-for-doctor/UPI-92721332001330/">UPI,</a> and the <a href="http://t.co/r2vxfb7N">Huffington Post</a> all weighed in. So did the UK's <a href="http://t.co/yQNHz0KV">Daily Mail</a> and Jewish outlets <a href="http://t.co/tyPGIR84">The JTA</a>, <a href="http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/153077/a-nose-job-too-far-for-the-groggers/">The Forward,</a> and <a href="http://t.co/SfY3aS3e">Shalom Live</a>. Even the industry site <a href="http://www.outpatientsurgery.net/news/2012/03/19-Does-Plastic-Surgeon-s-Jewcan-Sam-Video-Go-Too-Far">OutpatientSurgery.Com</a> commented. (And to get really meta, I'm writing this post about it citing all those other rags).<br /><br />And then Groggers band leader Doug Staiman did <a href="http://fresh1027.radio.com/2012/03/09/the-groggers-trade-recording-for-rhinoplasty-with-a-nose-job-love-song/">a great radio interview</a> capitalizing on the whole affair on 107.2 FM.<br /><br />The verdict so far? The plastic surgeon involved may have violated ethics rules in funding the video. The band may have violated good taste and judgement by taking the funding. The song is pretty darn good and pretty darn ambiguous as to its stance on Jewish nose jobs. Which is all just fine with me. The Groggers are notorious for writing funny songs that tweak the Jewish community. Have at it boys.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-89793758299139789432012-03-14T09:26:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.586-07:00Mikey Pauker on IndiGogo, Wisaal & Max Chaiken on KickstarterHere are few more Jewish music related bands going the IndioGoGo and Kickstarter advance sales route. Check 'em out<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mikey Pauker</span><br />My buddy, Mikey is in Israel studying and making music. He's been invited to play mainstage at the <a href="http://www.jlfestival.com/">Jacob's Ladder Festival</a>, a 5,000+ attendance folk, bluegrass and world music festival in Israel. This is a really big deal. But doing this messes up his booked flights. So he's asking for help and selling his CDs to raise funds to get him home. Here's the <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/Mikey-Pauker-playing-Jacobs-Ladder-Festival-on-May-4th">IndiGoGo link</a>. Here's Mikey's <a href="http://mikeypauker.com/">website</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikey-Pauker/131500199503">facebook page</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/Mikey-Pauker-playing-Jacobs-Ladder-Festival-on-May-4th">Help Mikey Pauker play Jacob's Ladder Festival (and get home again!)</a></span><br /><object height="360" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ehnJGP5aB14&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ehnJGP5aB14&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="360" width="640"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wisaal</span><br />Next up is Wisaal, from Michigan. According to their bio, <span style="font-style:italic;">"Wisaal - An Arabic word meaning links, connections, or unities - reflects our attempt to fuse elements of the Arabic musical heritage with Klezmer, Indian and American influences while resection the spirit of these traditions." </span>Wisaal is raising funds / doing advance sales for their debut album. Here's their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2068962776/wisaal-recording-project">kickstarter page</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wisaalmusic">facebook page</a> and <a href="http://www.wisaalmusic.com/">website</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2068962776/wisaal-recording-project">Wisaal Recording Project</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2068962776/wisaal-recording-project/widget/video.html" frameborder="0" height="360px" width="480px"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Max Chaiken</span><br />Last up is the Max Chaiken Band, from Boston. According to his bio, <span style="font-style:italic;">"For nearly 10 years, Max has been song leading and writing original, contemporary Jewish music. He served as the Head Song Leader at the URJ Camp Harlam from 2004 through 2009, and currently serves as the Head Song Leader at the URJ Kutz Camp."</span> Their raising funds / doing advance sales for their debut album "All That Breathes" Here's their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/184621643/the-max-chaiken-bands-debut-album-all-that-breathe">kickstarter page</a>, their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Max-Chaiken-Band/150066361780290">facebook page</a>, and their <a href="http://www.maxchaiken.com/">website</a>.<br /><br />Honestly, Max's Kickstarter video is boring (boring = no music). So here's Max doing a lovely job putting Psalm 150 to the chords of Leonard Cohen's classic Halleluyah. I just heard the high school choir at Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor sing this recently.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYrSDGSEmho&feature=related">Psalm 150 to Leonard Cohen's Halleluyah</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nYrSDGSEmho" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-66189463330788963212012-03-08T07:00:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.586-07:00The Heartsleves Haman: A latin rock drash<a href="http://www.theheartsleeves.com/fr_nest.cfm"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 189px;" src="http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/TheHeartSleeves/images/content/422172_10150531859424503_21469654502_8839577_356823807_n-300.jpg" alt="Peripheral People Album Cover" border="0" /></a>The Boston based Heartsleeves is another next-gen hybrid band, playing rock club stages but including occasional songs with explicitly Jewish content or references. Their Purim song, Haman, off their new album <a href="http://www.theheartsleeves.com/fr_nest.cfm">Peripheral People</a> isn't the first I've heard (That would be their identity politics romp <a href="http://theheartsleeves.bandcamp.com/track/son-of-lenny-bruce">"Son of Lenny Bruce"</a>). But it's great, a Latin rock bump-up with some nice sax work. The lyrics are a terse and fairly pedestrian retelling of the megillah, but the chorus "Give me the power to protect myself" is really interesting. It's a nice drash on the controversial end of the megillah where the decree allowing the Jews to be attacked isn't lifted, but a second decree is given allowing the Jews to fight back. The controversy is that many Jews don't like the image of Jews killing anyone (including Haman's sons) in retribution and claiming booty for the violence. It's also a nice drash on the classic megillah question regarding the presence / absence of God in the account. Haman's chorus offers a succinct answer to both ... God is present in the story and the climax of the story is God giving/renewing the Jews ability to defend themselves. In that way, the story becomes a prologue for nationalistic / militaristic aspects of Chanukah and modern "Jewish self-defense" ideas that emerged under Zionism. (Which I'll be discussing later this week when I write about the Chicago based punk/industrial project <a href="http://hadar.co.nr/">Hadar</a>.)<br /><br />Not bad for a 6 word rock chorus.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYurycwnw0">Haman (Purim Song) - The HeartSleeves </a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8eYurycwnw0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /></div><br />For more info on the Heartsleeves, check out their <a href="http://www.theheartsleeves.com/fr_nest.cfm">website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/theheartsleeves">Facebook</a>, or <a href="http://theheartsleeves.bandcamp.com/track/haman">BandCamp</a> pages or follow them on <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/TheHeartSleeves">Twitter</a>.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-47940789427720438872012-03-07T08:07:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.586-07:00Purim at HogwartsChag Sameach Purim everyone!<br /><br />Here's a great Purim Schpiel from two of my favorite guys, Sam Zerin and Jonah Rank.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdlyILTNtKs">Purim at Hogwarts (Yiddish song with English subtitles)</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GdlyILTNtKs" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Jonah Rank is rabbinic student and musician <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/jonahrank">Jonah Rank</a>. Sam Zerin is a musician and grand poopbah of the <a href="http://www.josephachron.org/">Joseph Achron Society</a>. In case you missed it, Sam put out slightly discombobulated but hysterical <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9kKqEcuPAc">"Rejected JTS Theme Song"</a> last Purim. "We don't take no crap from YU..JTS!"qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-21014931814859870922012-03-06T09:16:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.587-07:00Hadar & The Neo-Zionist Avante GardeI always get excited to see a new Jewish music project coming out of the punk community and was doubly thrilled to see it coming from the Midwest, far from the Jewish music mecca that is NYC. In particular, it's great seeing a Jewish punk / industrial projecting coming from Chicago, home of <a href="http://www.waxtraxchicago.com/">Wax Trax! Records,</a> one the seminal industrial music labels.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAMvZ0YKRtvxnM9ONvKt87ITc57wDjFBYIU2-UvMKp3ip5X_9sVIuNf3RIubkiMxx7Bqd6YELi78z9OwNKrCPofzhkcnH7MUqLlV3cxVcLuGU4MRAQTU7QQNYaY-2WMuL2LWCRo5eCLk/s1600/5279881239_7c577b0344_z.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCAMvZ0YKRtvxnM9ONvKt87ITc57wDjFBYIU2-UvMKp3ip5X_9sVIuNf3RIubkiMxx7Bqd6YELi78z9OwNKrCPofzhkcnH7MUqLlV3cxVcLuGU4MRAQTU7QQNYaY-2WMuL2LWCRo5eCLk/s320/5279881239_7c577b0344_z.jpg" alt="Naamah Bat-Sarah" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716849874174940962" border="0" /></a>The project Hadar, by musician Naamah Bat-Sarah, is a "Jewish Zionist themed avant-garde musical project" that combines "Ambient, Neoclassical, Experimental/Post-Industrial, Neofolk, and Acoustic/Electronic styles." Hadar's free-for-download album "<a href="http://bit.ly/HADAR-Khanike">Khanike</a>" alternates between drones and drums, militant dissonance and open dreamscapes. As Bat-Sarah notes below, Khanike expresses the"real moods and emotions in the ancient Khanike story, on what it must have been like for the Jews at the time of the Maccabean Revolts and re-dedication of the Temple (albeit with modernized soundscapes)." There is a deep brooding and feeling of loneliness to the music. There is also a slow developing sense of foreboding, but the slow development and the limited set of tones becomes burdensome by the seventh track / seventh day. While the eight track / eight day is sufficiently varied from the previous tracks, and in many ways more engaging that the previous days, it doesn't feel like the resolution I was looking for. I would have loved to hear Hadar push further in exploring the emotional and sonic landscape.<br /><br />Be that as it may, Khanike is a solid piece, and one that's gone into heavy rotation lately. I'm looking forward to listening Hadar's new full album Mishmaat, which is available through <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=" com="" hadar="" dp="" b005z5d9oo="" ref="sr_1_5?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1323779528&sr=1-5"">Amazon</a>. There's also an earlier Hadar single, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/terrorist-hunters-local-36/id482800448">"Terrorist Hunters Local 36"</a> available through iTunes. THL36, which I have cranked right now, is a true Wax Trax! style industrial noise fest. Awesome.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/hadar18">Hadar's Barzel Shalem</a></span><br /><br /><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzMzEwNTUwODI1MDQmcHQ9MTMzMTA1NTA4NzM2MCZwPTI3MDgxJmQ9cHJvX3BsYXllcl9maXJzdF9nZW4mZz*xJm89/ZWI*ODQ3NjNmMzdmNDAyN2E3MTMxNDhhZGZkN2RkYjYmb2Y9MA==.gif" border="0" height="0" width="0" /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="326" width="434"><param name="movie" value="http://cache.reverbnation.com/widgets/swf/40/pro_widget.swf?id=artist_1999948&posted_by=&skin_id=PWAS1006&background_color=EEEEEE&border_color=000000&auto_play=false&shuffle=false&song_ids=10567030"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><param name="quality" value="best"><embed src="http://cache.reverbnation.com/widgets/swf/40/pro_widget.swf?id=artist_1999948&posted_by=&skin_id=PWAS1006&background_color=EEEEEE&border_color=000000&auto_play=false&shuffle=false&song_ids=10567030" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="all" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="opaque" quality="best" height="326" width="434"></embed></object><br /><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" src="http://www.reverbnation.com/widgets/trk/40/artist_1999948//t.gif" border="0" height="0" width="0" /><img src="http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=10349858&cv=2.0&cj=1" style="display: none" alt="ComScore" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /></div><br />To provide some contrast, here's Hadar's remix of the Na Nach techno classic "Rebbe Nachman." Chopped & Screwed indeed. Bring it on.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev6TaKNGf2k">HADAR - "Rebbe Nachman" (Dubstep Remix / Chopped & Screwed) </a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ev6TaKNGf2k" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></div><br /><br />I had a chance to do a 'email interview' with Naamah Bat-Sarah about Hadar. First, to sent some context here's Bat-Sarah's artistic statement about Hadar.<br /><blockquote>"Hadar literally means "To Honor" or "Glory/Splendor" in Hebrew. The concept of Hadar -- pride in and knowledge of Jewish tradition, faith, culture, land, history, strength, pain and peoplehood. Hadar is the need to have pride in Judaism and not allow it to be disgraced and defiled by beating and desecration of Jewish honor. This is the concept that the great Jewish leader Zev Jabotinsky attempted to instill in the oppressed and degraded masses of Eastern Europe 70 years ago. The anti-Semite's hatred and contempt of the Jew is an attelpt to degrade us. It is an attempt to instill within the Jew a feeling of inferiority. It is an attempt that, all too often, succeeds in promoting Jewish self-hatred and shame in an attempt to escape one's Jewishness. Hadar is pride. Hadar is self-respect. Hadar is dignity in being a Jew."</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Teruah: </span> According to your self-description, you think of yourself as "a Jewish Zionist themed avant-garde musical project" and you name-check <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ze%27ev_Jabotinsky">Zev Jabotinsky </a>as an influence. I am familiar with music across the Jewish spectrum, but I don't run into that set of influences very often. Daniel Kahn's music, "Six Million Germans" in particular, mines similar territory of strong Jewish action, but as a Yiddish social-anarchist he's the opposite of a Jabotinsky Zionist. I was hoping you could tell me more about this. How did you come to this particular set of influences and where do you see it taking you as a musician? Do you see yourself as having clear peers in the Jewish music community or are you out on your own?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bat-Sarah:</span> As for how I came to the set of influences, you're basically asking me to describe my entire life experience, because that what has shaped my musical as well as political worldview, but I will try to shorten my answer considerably. I have been playing music since I was a child and most of my musical background is in underground Punk Rock & Post-punk genres such as Industrial & Noise, with a heavy influence from reggae, esp. Skinhead Reggae, 70s-80s Dub & Dancehall. My "militant" attitude probably comes in part from my background as a Skinhead (the non-racist kind, obviously). We tend not to shy away from conflict.<br /><br />Socially, I was raised completely secular with a non-observant Reform Jewish mother and an Agnostic African-American father. I identified as a Jew throughout my childhood, and often dealt with Antisemitism in public school, but I had absolutely no knowledge of Halakha. I have always been pro-Israel since childhood as well, and in my adult life, my outspoken Zionist viewpoint ended me up in contact with more traditional Jews, which inspired me to study my Judaism deeper. I didn't start being more Jewishly observant (keeping Shabbat, kashrut, etc.) until I was an adult, around age 26. I will be 31 soon.<br /><br />Politically, I lean to the right, falling into what one might call "Neolibertarian" for American politics and, in regards to Israel, what might be labeled as either "Neo-Zionist" or "Revisionist Zionist". I have been in many physical altercations over "The Jews and Israel, so I guess that makes my outlook fit the definition of "militant". I have been seriously researching Jewish history & esp. it's relationship to modern Zionism since sometime after high-school, reading the Torah & Jewish history books along with works by Jewish thinkers/leaders such as Jabotinsky, Herzl, Stern, Kahane and others. I'm not saying I agree with every single opinion/suggestion expressed by said leaders, but overall, I strongly support their message.<br /><br />Concerning where it takes me as a musician, from the "success" perspective, I'm not making any money and I am certain that expressing this unpopular viewpoint will never make me into a big-time rich rock star, but I sometimes one needs to do what they feel is right as opposed to what is popular. I look at it like this: If I stay broke, I stay broke, but at least I didn't compromise my ethibs, and every mitzvah I do creates a thread of light in the Olam Haba (the world to come).<br />Sonically, I do believe it takes me in more interesting musical directions, however.<br /><br />In regards to peers, I would not say anyone else is even remotely doing what I'm trying to do sonically, but conceptually, I think there are other avant-garde and underground Jewish artists such as Barzel (<i>NY Zionist noise project who will be on a split/collaborative CD with Hadar in the near future</i>), John Zorn, Black Shabbis, Moshiach Oi!, etc. who are taking modern Jewish music in several powerful directions.<br /><br /><b>Teruah:</b> It's interesting that the album you put up on ReverbNation is titled Khanike, the Yiddish term for Chanukkah and your songs are titled after the nights of Khanike. It's pretty easy to understand why someone who is influenced by a strong Jewish self-defense leader like Jabotinsky would find Khanike an important moment in Jewish history and on the Jewish calendar, but listening to the tracks I'm not sure I hear the connection you're making. I get a variety of textures from a strident militarism to an open dreaminess but none of the usual musical textures I associate with Khanike music. There was no feeling of celebration or devotion. What were you going for?<br /><br /><b>Bat-Sarah: </b>The feeling being expressed in "Khanike" the album is not focused on modern celebration of the holiday, but on the real moods and emotions in the ancient Khanike story, on what it must have been like for the Jews at the time of the Maccabean Revolts and re-dedication of the Temple (albeit with modernized soundscapes). Keep in mind, that the miracle of the oil that took place in the Beit HaMikdash was only understood after the fact. Now we know how long the oil was to last, but at the time, all those Jews had was faith in the <i>idea</i> that our Temple would be able to be cleansed and our rituals could begin there once again. The Jews back then would not have been having a festive dinner party like we do today for Khanike (<i>not to say anything against festive dinner parties!</i>)<br />The sound & atmosphere is meant to invoke a thoughtful "night-time" feeling, with a mixture of militancy, hope and pensiveness....Kindling the lights of dedication while surrounded by darkness, hatred and uncertainty.<br /><br /><b>Teruah</b>: I'm very interested in the varying niche's that self-identified Jewish musicians establish for themselves. I get from your FaceBook and ReverbNation pages that you're Chicago based and have played, or are about to play, some concerts locally. How as your reception been so far? What parts of the Jewish community have expressed interest in this project? I sometimes help find artists for Jewish organizations in Michigan so this is practical question as well as one of general interest. At what kind of venues are you looking to play?<br /><br /><b>Bat-Sarah: </b>Thus far I have only done one private house show as Hadar, but in a week or so (march 18, 2012) I will be performing for "Jewish Chicago's Got Talent" which is a program that helps decide performers for the Greater Chicagoland Jewish Festival. I have no idea who the judges are or how they will react to my weird music, seeing as the other acts on the bill appear to be either traditional Klezmer or Klezmer-pop. I have gotten a few donations from nice people at my synagogue to help buy votes (it <i>is</i> Chicago, after all), and a couple pals online helping to promote it. Hopefully I can get onto the Festival(!).<br /><br />So far, primarily what some people might call politically (if not so much religiously) "right-wing" Jews have expressed interest, but I did get a very positive review in <i>Culture Is Not Your Friend!</i>, an Israeli webzine, which seems to lean left a bit.<br /><br />Interestingly enough, even though I am a Masorti/Conservative-affiliated woman who is heavily tattooed and do not live anywhere near an Eruv, I get a good amount of more conservative Modern Orthodox as well as Lubavitcher fans, which could partially stem from Chabad-affiliated Rabbi Nachum Shifren appearing on the Hadar track "The Essential War". Extremely frum / Haredi people of course are not likely to be a big "market" due to it being largely electronic music which sometimes features a woman singing. Thus far, I have had hardly any Reform support, but this show coming up is at a Reform temple (Temple Beth Israel in Skokie), so maybe that will change? I am looking, naturally, to play Jewish venues such as JCCs & synagogues, but I will accept any type of traditional "music venues" so long as they do not have strippers, pornography, "Palestinian" flags on the walls, pork grilling next to the stage or some similar assur gross-out factor.<br /><br />I'd love to be able to afford to go to Israel, not only to play, of course, but to experience The Land. I have several friends in Israel, mainly skinheads & people in punk / underground bands, who I'd like to meet in person too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Teruah:</span> It's not clear from the FB and RN pages, but what kind of performances are you putting on? Do you have a full band? Or is this more of an individual musician show? RN listed a few live videos, but they'd been taken down from YouTube. Are they still available?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bat-Sarah: </span>A Hadar performance typically will consist of me singing & playing electric (sometimes acoustic) guitar on top of my programmed music. The 2 live videos are no longer online at this time, but I may post more soon if I get good footage from the March 18 show.<br />I am trying to get a video or DVD projector to project video loops that I make onto venue walls, as I did years ago in my secular ambient/martial music, but those things are so expensive nowadays!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Teruah:</span> Now that Khanike's out, what's next for Hadar?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bat-Sarah:</span> Well, the album full-length "Mishmaat" is available at Amazon on CD & Mp3: <a href="http://amzn.to/mishmaatcd" title="http://amzn.to/mishmaatcd" rel="nofollow" dir="ltr" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/mishmaatcd</a><br /><br />I have other music already recorded for my next album "Roots & Branches", some of which can be heard on the Hadar Youtube channel (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/hadarmusic18" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/user/<wbr>hadarmusic18</a>) but it's not complete yet.<br /><br />I hope to get more live events this summer both with Hadar and my (secular) street rock band Bleach Battalion. I have also been throwing around ideas with a local NCSY kid who is interested in starting a Religious Zionist hardcore punk band...this is still in idea stage though. In the meantime, I daven, record music, try to sell it and try to do kiruv when I can. Purim is coming up as well as the Jewish Festival event, and then..Pesach, Lag B'omer, Shavuot, and so on....qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-83533919039395813582012-03-03T08:21:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.587-07:00We are all Constellations. The latest from Mikey PaukerEarlier this week I blogged about <a href="http://www.nurootz.com/">NuRootz</a> musician <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlisonWestermannSings">Alison Westerman</a>. Today I've got the latest video from her fellow NuRootz collective musician <a href="http://mikeypauker.com/">Mikey Pauker</a>. I got a chance to see Pauker perform at the URJ Biennial and was impressed. He's part of a really select club of people that includes Matisyahu, Y-love, the Moshav band that are equally comfortable in religious Jewish settings and in very secular rock club settings and doesn't change his set list much between the two.<br /><br />Here's his latest video, Constellations. It's not one of his more explicitly Jewish pieces, but I dig it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://youtu.be/rFFCEyKBPYI">Mikey Pauker & the Joy Machine: Constellations</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rFFCEyKBPYI" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></div><br />Pauker's a California guy, but is current living and attending a Yeshiva in Nahalot, Israel and soaking it all in. Here's an excerpt from his blog<br /><blockquote>"I have fully immersed myself in a super natural, complex, beautiful, mystical culture filled with life!!! I have been living in Nahloat which is a Silverlake/East Village/ Mission District type of community in Jerusalem. The people here are artists/hippies the create sort from all over the world. This is a spiritual community right across from the Shuk which is an open market similar to what you see in movies where people bargain for fresh produce, like in the Disney classic Aladin. Every day I eat fresh barakas, produce, and drink fresh juice. I am still keeping up with my daily yoga and meditation. During the week days I wake up early head to the yeshiva to study Tania. From Tania, I walk over to the Mikveh, (a spiritual bath house), where I cleanse my soul and physical body. From there I walk up stairs where I pray and wrap tefilin on my body. Every morning I pray during the entire Shachrit morning service and then I continue with Shemona Esrei. On the days they have torah service I am finally able to follow along with the hebrew text without using any vowels. I am able to understand the prayers and the intentions behind all of them. Every morning I am able to get VERY present with the universe through morning prayer and I am falling in love with this practice." </blockquote>Wish I was there buddy. Seriously.<br /><br />To get more info on Pauker's recordings, tours, and his spiritual adventures in Israel, check out <a href="http://mikeypauker.com/">his website</a>.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-52047010579461430702012-02-27T09:53:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.587-07:00Help Kickstart Alison WestermannAs I indicated back in my post about the URJ Biennial, there's a new crew of young musicians emerging in the Reform community. Loosely organized through a musical collective called <a href="http://www.nurootz.com/">NuRootz</a> they're adding in their own musical vocabulary of 1990's and 2000's jam-band and alternative-rock sounds to the boomer folk-pop that typifies the established Reform songleader sound. I got a chance to see most of the NuRootz gang perform during the Biennial was impressed, though not always blown away, with the new guard.<br /><br />One of the NuRootz gang, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlisonWestermannSings">Alison Westermann</a>, recently put out a Kickstarter appeal for support to record her first full CD. At this point, she's already cleared her goal of $5,000 (yay!) but I want to help get the word out anyway. Don't be shy. You can still get a pre-release of her disc and anything you kick in will give her more funds to produce it.<br /><br />Here's Alison performing at NewCAGE back in August. Awesome. Love the melody and the intense but languid performance.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A8EJ0M6179E">NewCAJE New Voices - "Adonai Tzuri V'Goali" by Alison Westermann</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A8EJ0M6179E" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />And here's Alison pitch.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alisonwestermann/alison-westermanns-debut-album">Kickstart Alison Westermann's Debut Album</a><br /></span><iframe src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alisonwestermann/alison-westermanns-debut-album/widget/video.html" frameborder="0" height="360px" width="480px"></iframe></div><br /><br /><br />Here's a link to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alisonwestermann/alison-westermanns-debut-album">Westermann's Kickstarter page</a>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-59081409885057865812012-02-19T06:53:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.587-07:00Sefiroth, an electro-acoustic chamber ensemble<a href="http://f0.bcbits.com/z/32/47/324730041-1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 135px;" src="http://f0.bcbits.com/z/32/47/324730041-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://sefiroth.bandcamp.com/">Sefiroth</a>, based in London and led by saxophonist & composer Nick Roth, is an "electro-acoustic chamber ensemble" that performs dark and moody arrangements of classics of the Sephardic repertoire. They've recently released a "double EP" that they've made available for listening and download on BandCamp (<a href="http://sefiroth.bandcamp.com/album/arboles-lloran-por-lluvia">Arboles lloran por lluvia</a>, <a href="http://sefiroth.bandcamp.com/album/abre-tu-puerta-serrada">Abre tu puerta serrada</a>).<br /><br />Here's a representative example...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT7T9ipAz6Q">Sefiroth Ensemble - Arboles lloran por lluvia</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BT7T9ipAz6Q" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />I'm enjoying these recordings thoroughly, though I admit that some listener's might find the arrangements a bit pretentious / overwrought given the source material. I love Olesya Zdorovetskaya's atmospheric vocals and how the horns and electronics provide texture. For a counterpoint, check this more typical arrangement of this distant-love song by prominent Israeli vocalist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncLi4i3UAwg">Yehoram Gaon</a>. Just a bit more melody and less drama. And, while we're at it, check out this funky <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be9OibJiTWI&feature=related">Sarah Aroeste</a> arrangement.<br /><br />These counterpoints aren't a critique, just context. It's great to hear artists use these old chestnuts as launching off points for their own explorations and to draw out of them nuances that we may have not heard in a while. It's also good to remember that these familiar melodies have a lot of miles behind them, and that informs how we hear them.<br /><br />The other recordings have a vary in feel, with some maintaining the same drama and atmospherics and others straying into jazz territory. Erotokritos, in particular, does the neat trick of mixing an 'early music' style vocal harmony with jazz reminding me of Jacqui McShee vocals in the British folk-rock-jazz group Pentangle. The result is more art-music that Pentangle's pop, but equally engaging.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-16349218623160934612012-01-30T20:55:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.587-07:00Jewrhythmics: Along the Yiddish Disco Axis<a href="http://www.hearthemusic.de/ui/0038/1321267034/global/m_1321267272.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 124px;" src="http://www.hearthemusic.de/ui/0038/1321267034/global/m_1321267272.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>How can you not love a band that sings in Yiddish and claims to be "<strong></strong>working on the disco-axis Moscow/Tel Aviv." The Jewrhythmics are channeling an early 80's synth-pop vibe that more posture than music. Think F<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyl5DlrsU90">rankie Goes to Hollywood</a> (if you're old enough to remember them and brave enough to admit it. Even to yourself.)<br /><br />Their first video "Miserlou" makes me want to host a dance party wearing a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFZjqVnWBhc">Daft Punk</a> helmet. For an American it's a pretty strange recording. I've heard a number of different versions of Miserlou, but it's hard to shake influence of the defining (in America) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIU0RMV_II8">Dick Dale surf-guitar</a> version. Dale's version is warm, organic, and driving, with a pulsing organ and churning reverb-laden guitar.... and no lyrics. Jewrhthmics are glacial, with icy analog-synth blips and chirps...and equally icy vocals. Oh yeah, that's right. The song has lyrics.<br /><br />Their official bio, from <a href="http://www.hearthemusic.de/ui/0038/1321267034/promo/?mid=1321267034&uid=31185&pcode=24286&cno=0038">their website</a>....<br /><blockquote>"Jewrhythmics declare in their Debut Album’s Manifest: „Yiddish is dead? Long live Yiddish!”. The language that is supposed to be dead has been experiencing an amazing renaissance since the end of the 20th in particular outside of Israel. At the same time, also disco music – that easy and danceable genre, which has been predicted the end many times – experiences a revival again. Disco is the one genre that becomes resurrected in new metamorphoses over and over again and proves its extreme resilience in a music industry that spits out new genres and geniuses almost every second day.</blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3mkZNzJdzg">Jewrhythmics ft. Joe Fleisch - Misirlou </a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U3mkZNzJdzg" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe></div><br /><br />For more gloriously weird Yiddish synthpop, check out their website. I can't say that their spacy Chiriribim is a new favorite...but you need to hear it.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-14252597912303812292011-12-28T09:04:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.587-07:00The Passing of Adrienne Cooper...long live badass Yiddish musicAdrienne Cooper, one of the great singers, teachers, and activists for Yiddish language and music passed this weekend. Obituaries are running in media outlets around the Jewish world including <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/adrienne-cooper-yiddish-singer-and-reviver-of-klezmer-music-dies-1.403858">Haaretz</a>, <a href="http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/adrienne_cooper_mother_yiddish_revival_movement">The Jewish Week,</a> <a href="http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/12/28/3090926/tributes-flow-for-singer-yiddishist-adrienne-cooper">the JTA,</a> and <a href="http://www.forward.com/articles/148583/">the Forward.</a> There is little I can add to all of the great and deep thoughts about her that have been put forth, except this one thing. In a moment of apparent synchronicity, the following tweet circulated yesterday (from <a href="http://twitter.com/neville_park">@neville_park</a> in Toronto)<br /><blockquote>Hey, Hey, Down with the Police", "Working Women", "Ballad of the Triangle Fire"—Yiddish music is pretty badass: <a href="http://j.mp/rzPZLo">http://j.mp/rzPZLo</a></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.yivoinstitute.org/resources/inlove.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 173px;" src="http://www.yivoinstitute.org/resources/inlove.jpg" alt="In Love And Struggle album cover" border="0" /></a>The badass recording @neville_park is referring to is <a href="http://www.yivoinstitute.org/products/inlove_fr.htm">"In Love And In Struggle: The Musical Legacy Of The Jewish Labor Bund"</a> (YIVO) which includes performances by Zalmen Mlotek, Adrienne Cooper, Dan Rous with The New Yiddish Chorale & The Workmen's Circle Chorus. You see, Cooper's involvement in Yiddish music was not limited to the nice songs. The happy songs. The nostalgic songs. To singing yet another chorus of Oyfn Pripetchik or Rozhinkes mit Mandln. Cooper also sang Arbeter-froyen (Working Woman) and the musical Queer Wedding Sweet, and wrote articles for Lilth and The Forward titled <a href="http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/138230/#ixzz1hqqXJHbH">"He Beat Me Black and Blue: Yiddish Songs of Family Violence"</a> Cooper, more than any of her peers, helped transmit the wide spectrum of Yiddish song .... including the gritty, raw, anger, anguish, humor and joy that was Yiddish life and song. And in doing this, Cooper has helped inspire a new generation of musicians, including my fav Yiddish anarchist troubadour Daniel Kahn, cut through the schmaltz.<br /><br />So, yeah. Yiddish music is pretty badass and Cooper will be very missed.<br /><br />Here's Cooper (center), along with Sharon Bernstein & Jeanette Lewicki, singing a trio of Women's Working songs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIOFOmXgiLw&feature=related">Yiddish Trio - Women's Worker Songs (Yiddish Song)</a> </span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EIOFOmXgiLw" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />And, just because I love it and it's badass, here's Daniel Kahn, Psoy Korolenko, Oy Division performing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEEj5vNGThk&feature=related">"Rakhmones afn Tayvl / Sympathy for Whom?</a>"<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PEEj5vNGThk" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-61108194059021534502011-12-15T05:25:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00At URJ Biennial, Or… Can anyone can save us from Jewish Boomer Folk Pop?<style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"MS 明朝"; 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mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} @list l0:level6 {mso-level-number-format:roman-lower; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:right; text-indent:-9.0pt;} @list l0:level7 {mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} @list l0:level8 {mso-level-number-format:alpha-lower; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} @list l0:level9 {mso-level-number-format:roman-lower; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:right; text-indent:-9.0pt;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style> <p class="MsoNormal">Hi folks. I'm at the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial. I'm serving on the board of trustees for my synagogue Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor. It's been pretty interesting for a guy with a Conservative upbringing and Orthodox leanings to settle in a Reform temple, but it's been really great. TBE is just about the most wonderful congregation I can imagine. Any quibbles I have with theology or liturgy are very much secondary to that. The Biennial is the bi-annual conference for the the URJ, the Reform communities organizing body. This year over 6000 people have piled into Washington DC for the event. There will be lots of URJ committee meetings, lectures, hallway discussions, big speakers, and, of course music. I'm going to do my best to see as much music as possible and report in.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">First a quick note....the URJ has put a lot of information about the musicians up on their <a href="http://urjbam.com/stagepage">Stage Page</a> including schedules (for attendees), musician info and some videos. If you've ever wanted to get a real sense of what's going on in the Reform music community this is the page to visit.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 1</span><br /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">12:00 Noon </span>The “URJ Books and Music” stage is kicking off with <a href="http://www.bethschafer.com/fr_home.cfm">Beth Schafer</a>, <a href="http://www.juliesilver.com/">Julie Silver,</a> <a href="http://www.dougcotler.com/">Doug Cotler</a>, and <a href="http://www.rabbijoeblack.com/">Rabbi Joe Black</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They’re singing a funky, folky version of “Driedel, Dreidel.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Schafer, Silver, and Cotler are on guitar and Colter is playing keys. It's fun to see them live but I'm really hoping this isn't setting the tone for the week. They're playing into all my stereotypes of liberal Jewish pop-liturgical musicians (I have different stereotypes for Orthodox community musicians). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One of the big challenges for me is that while I really appreciate what these folks are doing, I don’t love a lot of the music. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I find a lot of it to be pretty shallow both lyrically and musically.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> I also find a lot of it very dated. </span>I don’t know if this is me pointing out that the emperor’s got pretty shabby clothes or that I’m just a jerk. Probably both. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before anyone takes me task, let me say..... I know. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Lots of it is “family music” aka kids music. And I know… lots of it is intended for easy camp and congressional sing-alongs.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> And</span>, I know… these folks are talented musicians.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But most of what I hear is mediocre and forgettable, a baby-boomer pastiche of 1970’s folk pop with a few Hebrew (sometimes Torah) phrases wrapped in fuzzy good feelings. Like an oldie’s radio station in a Jewish twilight zone. Yawn.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m hoping to find a few gems, though. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want to hear some new voices and sounds. I want my world rocked like it when I first heard <a href="http://jdubrecords.org/artists.php?id=32">Girls In Trouble</a> sing feminist midrash over an indie-pop electric guitar and looped violin. I want to hear songs with depth and substance that really speak deeply to Jewish beliefs and dreams.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is Colter really asking us to sing “take a potato pat pat pat.” Sigh. At 41 I'm the youngest guy in the room at the moment. Why is he singing this?<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ok, now we’re into Rock of Ages. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Classic, and a nice arrangement.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think this is Silver’s arrangement. I love her soft descant. Nice. (I really appreciate Silver's work, much more than Shafer’s which for me is vapid fuzzy good feelings and fairly uninteresting song structures)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">. </span>Joe Black is now singing his ‘hit’ “Judah Macabee.” He's got a wonderful voice and this is a well-written song, though I wish it didn’t sound like it was written 30 years ago.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">12:30, Jay Rappaport. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jayrapoport">Rappaport</a>. Let’s see what he’s got. The announcer is crediting him for being a <a href="http://www.berklee.edu/">Berklee College of Music</a> grad and a Billie Joel sound-alike.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ok. A little light R&B piano action. He sings well, plays well, works the audience well and sounds like 1970’s R&B oldie radio station instead of a 70’s folk-pop station. Lyrics…. Hebrew chorus? Check. Explanatory English lyrics? Check. Yep. He sounds like a elementary Hebrew school class. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, would my kids dig it? My 9 year-old who’s crank’s Matisyahu on her nano probably would find it really boring. My 7 year old? Maybe, if it was presented in a class situation but not on her own. (She digs Lady Gaga. Let me tell you…she was “born this way” all right). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We are Jews. Why? Our people are connected around the world? That’s it? We should do push-ups with Judaism on our back? Sigh. We’re definitely aiming for the 7 year old in all of us. So Rappaport’s a lot of fun. I could see a gang of really young kids really having fun with him, but his songs don’t measure up for me.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Opps. I just got scolded for poaching a power outlet in a dangerous spot. My bad. But they offered me a spot at a table that will later be home to Jewish Rock Radio. Thanks folks! I’ve promised to put in a plug for the convention’s Stage Page (</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><a href="http://www.urjbam.com/stagepage">www.urjbam.com/stagepage</a>). I’m not on wireless yet but will check it out as soon as I am. Maybe I can get press credentials and access to the press wireless connection tomorrow? </i> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">12: 55 Lisa Levine.</b><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Cantor from Chevy Chase, MD)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Levine is a cantor from here in Maryland and is touted as having a lot of albums and her own song-book and visiting and performing for Jews in Cuba. She’s performing with members of her “inter-generational choir and band.” Yep. More 1970’s folk rock, complete with flute and cello this time. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She’s got a good voice, though, and her music, while playing to all the songleader cliché’s, is more varied and better written than much of what I’ve heard from the community. I really dig her V’shamru. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s up-tempo, but has a dark glimmer that gives it depth. I could easily see the kids’ choir at my synagogue nailing this one. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Her “We will sing” is a powerhouse anthem. Listening to it reminds of a <a href="http://www.lightfoot.ca/">Gordon Lightfoot </a>anthem (which is a pretty dated but still high praise, for those of you who don’t the guy.)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All in all, Cantor Levine fits into all my preconceptions about songleader music, but there’s some real music here. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hope the folks listening are paying attention and take her songs back to their communities.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">It’s frustrating that they’ve programmed music through the main conference lecture/panel sessions. The audience completely clears out. Only a few of us die-hards left. Lots of musicians I recognize wandering around. I see Todd Herzog, Jeff Klepper and Saul Kaye. I’ve got lots of folks to say howdy to.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">1: 20 <a href="http://www.sababamusic.com/">Sababa</a> is next up.</b> This show is getting better and better. In case you’re wondering…yes. more 1970’s liturgical folk-pop, this time with two guitars and a mandolin. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Their sound is simple but tight, bright and glittery songleader rock with a bit of a country twang. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sababa’s lovely harmonizing and great control of their dynamics results in a very strong and engaging sound I could easily see on a main stage somewhere (hint hint Detroit JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I really want to hear them with a drummer and maybe a horn section. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I might just have to get their album. Yep that’s me clapping along. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Funny, they’re closing with a anthem with the chorus “God made it and it’s all good.” Very apropos of my Lady Gaga reference earlier. (She’s Jewish, after all).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><br /></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Yikes. The audience is getting really thin. This is almost as bad as when I gave a Jewish music talk to 4 people at the Detroit JCC recently. Being in the wrong time slot is a real drag.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">1:45 Larry Midler. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></b>Oops. I missed <a href="http://www.larrymilder.com/">Rabbi Midler</a>’s intro and will have to look him up later. He’s playing some goofy, happy-clappy, tune and not impressing me yet. Hang on. He’s busting out some serious country flat-picking guitar lines. That’s better. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He’s got some action after all. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m digging this tune about Noah. I wonder if he’s got a video of it I can post? Oy. He’s singing his “hit” “Where I go there’s someone Jewish” which rhymes Jewish and Newish. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Cute but oy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>At least the remaining audience members are singing along. I guess this is a hit after all. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’d rather hear the flat-picking. Now he’s singing about bar mitzvah’s. I really don’t love songs about Jewish set pieces (bar mitzvah's, dreidles, candles, Torah scrolls, matzoh....). Not that they’re not important, they’re just easy to write and easy to forget.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s really hard to make them wonderful. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ok, he’s doing more flat-picking, this time a song about Sampson…I love this just like I loved his Noah song. Do more of this and skip the goofy stuff.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">One thing that’s clear to me is that I really don’t know this community very well. I’ll need to check in with my friend David, who’s been a part of this community for years. He’ll know Midler’s story. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""> </i></p><p class="MsoNormal">In case your curious....<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> Here’s the Teruah guide to music for URJ musicians. (this is tongue in cheek folks.)</i> </p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latinfont-family:Cambria;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Play 1970’s folk pop (or R&B) because the history of music ended then. </i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latinfont-family:Cambria;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Make sure you have one, and only one, Hebrew phrase in your chorus. Reform Jews like to spice things up. But only so much.<br /></i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space: auto;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latinfont-family:Cambria;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore">a.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">If you’re a performer, not a song-leader feel free to replace the one line of Hebrew with Yiddish, Ladino, Russian or whatever comes to mind.</i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latinfont-family:Cambria;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span></i><i style="">Draw your lyrics inspiration from a Shabbat prayer with additional English lyrics that may or may not relate to the prayer. Non-Shabbat prayers are discouraged because no one remembers them and Lenoard Cohen’s already done the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></i><i>Unetanneh Tokef</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span>.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latinfont-family:Cambria;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Skip the English lyrics and just sing the prayer lyrics in a new, uptempo, folk-pop arrangement because no one has done that yet.<br /></i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latinfont-family:Cambria;" ><span style="mso-list:Ignore">5.<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span></i><i style="">Write something silly about one of the great Jewish set pieces (e.g. driedles, bar-mitzvah’s)</i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><i style="">6. Make sure you write kids songs and then sing them to adults. Because they're cute. And maybe we won't notice there are no kids in the room.<br /></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p style="font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal">Will I come up with new rules as the Biennial progresses? Inquiring minds want to know.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">2:15 Todd Herzog. </b>I’ve blogged about <a href="http://www.toddherzog.com/">Herzog</a> before. He’s a really strong singer/songwriter with a lot implicit and explicit Jewish themes in his lyrics. (and yes, he sometimes does the one line of Hebrew thing). Definitely a performer and not a songleader, though he got some nice call and response from the audience at times. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And not stuck in a formulaic 1970’s folk pop vibe, though his warm voice and guitar playing is very accessible to the Biennial audience. The great thing about Herzog is that doesn’t fall into a lot of the cliché’s of Jewish pop music (see Teruah’s Rules above). He’s a storyteller with a lot of spiritual depth. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His song Tree of Live, which he’s playing right now, is wonderful and deserves a lot more attention than it’s gotten. (Ok. It does have the ‘one Hebrew phrase” cliché). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I had Herzog’s previous album in heavy rotation when it came out and seeing him play live reminds me why.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Hmm. Bring Herzog to Detroit? What a good idea)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Great. I just ran into Miriam from the Biblepop band Stereo Sinai. They rocked the house last year at the Detroit JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival. They’re huge crowd pleasers. Miriam is here representing the non-profit DarimOnline and the URJ funded social media bootcamp for URJ synagogues. (http://on.fb.me/urjbootcamp)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">2:30 The Levins. </b>I’m not familiar with <a href="http://www.thelevinsmusic.com/">The Levins</a>. They’re a duo (keys and guitar, both on vocals), with some lovely warm harmonies. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And yes, they’re following Teruah’s Rules. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But like Herzog, they’re performers not songleaders, and play with a lot of style and much more interesting songs. (Bring The Levin’s to Detroit? They played the SF Jewish Festival Family Stage). Wow I’m digging these folks. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Their song “Let me see you as myself” is pretty awesome. Ok. Now not digging them so much. Now they're getting goofy. Are they seriously singing The Who in Yiddish. Yes. Yes they are. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They don’t have Herzog’s deep spirituality and probably won’t end in heavy rotation but are a lot of fun. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’d go see them live again.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">3:00 Noah Aronson.</b> <a href="http://www.noaharonson.com/">Aronson</a> hit the stage with four guys… two acoustic guitars, a <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>six-string bass, a keyboard and a percussionist. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Clearly a performer not a songleader, though it appears Teruah’s Rules are being followed to the letter. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The songs happily alternate between English and liturgical Hebrew in a uptempo strummy arrangements. Credit should be given…Aronson’s music draws as much on mid 90’s alterna-pop guitar as from 1970’s folk-pop.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Whew. Aronson’s a young guy with a solid, driving voice. This song rocks and I could see high-school NIFTY kids who normally groove on Rick Recht and Dan Nichols loving him. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Another possible for Detroit… perfect for the Progressive Jewish Music Showcase?).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yum. Love the Spanish rhythms and the spacey keys under the second song. The percussionist needs a full kit but is doing his best with the drum box he’s got. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ha! He just pulled a bunch of NFTY Leadership Program kids up on stage with him to sing harmonies and just said “I’m going to break it down Dan Nichols style.” And then did. And here comes a closing pop version of the Shehikanu. grin. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>nice work. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Jewish rawk.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Speaking of which, the Jewish Rock Radio gang including Rick Recht is setting up shop behind me. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And the conference session must be over because the audience is filling up again.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">3:25 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/maxisme">Max Jared Einsohn</a>. </b>Whew. Quick stage swap. Max was playing rhythm guitar for Noah and now Noah is playing keys for Max. (And Noah is killing the keys). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Max is also a Jewish rawk performer but with a softer and funkier sound. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Finally, someone’s ignoring Teruah’s Rules entirely. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>About time. And of course, since he’s not taking the easy road the Jewish content of the music becomes harder to hear. With songs with titles like “We’re all connected” I get the positive messages that he’s interested in, but are these Jewish positive messages or American progressive pluralistic positive messages? (There is a difference, people.) That aside, this is a fun set. I’m going to need to talk to Einsohn and get more of his story.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">3:45 <a href="http://mikeypauker.com/">Mikey Pauker</a>. </b><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ok, so clearly there’s Jewish Rock cabal here. Pauker’s got Aronson on piano and Einsohn on guitar.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But Teruah’s Rules are back in play, at least to a degree. He’s leading off with arrangements of Sim Shalom and Hinea Matov, but there’s no 70’s folk-pop in sight.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Strummy, but with more of a 90’s acoustic rock bite and a languid jam-band presentation. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hinei Matov? How great it is for brothers and sister to hang out on this day? Pretty great. Thanks for asking. Pauker’s is playing a song he wrote at Hava Nashira that’s been picked up for a reality TV show on OWN. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s a great tune, I see why they picked it up. Let it rain! Strong, dreamy, impressionist lyrics but with a surprising Jewish liturgical hook in the middle. Avhat v’simcha v’shalom! At the end of his set, he talked about how he’s influenced by going to Hava Nashira and playing at camps. Clearly Pauker, Aronson, and Einsohn are the story of the day. It’s great to see that a younger generation is defying Teruah’s Rules. Note. I talked with Pauker after the set and he plays gigs at camps, Jewish festivals, and rock clubs and is building a career in all these places. He's opened for Matisyahu and the Moshav band, but also for a lot of prominent LA area bands.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">4:15 <a href="http://www.markbloom.com/">Mark Bloom</a>. </b>This is my second time seeing Bloom. He played last year at the Detroit JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He’s a jazzy piano player guy who plays some originals and lots of Jewish standards. He’s a fine musician but I find his set tedious…. a Jewish lounge nostalgia fest. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Very much not my thing. Not much to say here.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Ok…the URJ saved the best for last.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">4:40 <a href="http://www.saulkaye.com/fr_home.cfm">Saul Kaye</a>. </b>Ok, I’ve been waiting for this show all day. I’ve seen Kaye on YouTube but not live and his music has been in heavy rotation lately. He plays a mean blues guitar and has a strong bluesy voice. “Let my people go!” “Some one please call my brother!” Metal slide grinding …. giving me chills. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His song <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“Two Wolves,” which was based a concept from the Tanya regarding on the ideas of Yetzer Tov and Yetzer Hara, was Dan Akroyd’s “Blues Breaker of the Work” on the House of Blues radio show last October. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s a fantastic song. And yes…it has the terms Yetzer Tov and Hara in it. This is, in my opinion, what we need. Musicians who deeply understand the Jewish tradition making new music that picks up those ideas and makes seriously good new music out of them.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Saul Kaye is married to Elana Jagoda? Jagoda is a fine family music performer (and up next.) How cool. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Yikes. I may not get talk to Saul and Elana…I have to get to evening T’filah (in the Cherry Blossom Ballroom. Just in case you were wondering.)</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">5:15 <a href="http://www.zumgali.com/intro.cfm">Elana Jagoda</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></b>Ok<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">. </b>Teruah's Rules are reinstated, Jagoda is leading off with her own Sim Shalom.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And that’s followed by a classic Jewish music set piece… the Hanukkah candles. But I dig her contemporary folk sound and where she goes with her lyrics. Go check out her Hanukkah track on the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Vol-2-Hanukkah-Sampler/dp/B0064Z7X3W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321469096&sr=8-1">Craig and Co Hanukkah sampler on Amazon</a>. <link> Double yikes. Jagoda just explained that the version on the sampler was uploaded at the wrong speed and she sounds like a man. Ouch. It’s being fixed today. Ok. I've got to run and didn't get to hear all of Jagoda's set. Bummer.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">10:30 Colter, Black, Silver, and Schafer</span>. It's late and the late show is starting. The openers Julie Silver, Rabbi Joe Black, Doug Colter, and Beth Schafer are back on for a full set. I'm watching the show with Saul Kaye and comparing notes. Once again I'm struck with how this music seems dislocated in time...it all sounds like a baby boomer nostalgia fest. Which, considering the audience, it pretty much is. And don't get me wrong... they're all fine musicians. I particularly love Julie Silver. I'm just bored. I think what bugs me isn't that the music style is dated. I love 1800's klezmer music right? It's that there's no acknowledgement that the music is a period piece. It's being presented throughout the community as if this was the best of current music. Which it's not. My other bug became clear to me when we were celebrating Debbie Freedman earlier in the evening. Freedman deeply knew her Judaism, the texts, the ideas, the liturgy and her music and lyrics resonated with it. The musicians that follow after her? Not so much. Too much of it is empty of any real Jewish depth. So I'm at a late night, very average, folk-pop concert.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">By the way..I'm well aware that these folks are mainstays of the community, have been loved for years and that this show is as much about the community enjoy itself as it is about anything else. And I haven't been part of the community so I just don't get it. Yep. Pretty much.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-83577651531616457112011-12-06T09:30:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00Hanukkah Sampler from Craig Taubman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517gae9fPwL._SL500_AA280_.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 129px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517gae9fPwL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Craig Taubman, of <a href="http://www.craignco.com/">Craig & Co</a>, has a great Hanukkah offer. A nice mix of Hanukkah tunes, mostly from his label's stable of Jewish liturgical-pop musicians, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Vol-2-Hanukkah-Sampler/dp/B0064Z7X3W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321469096&sr=8-1">offered up free on Amazon</a>. Check it out.<br /><br />Here's one of my favorite tracks from the disc. It's the Klezmatics performing Woody Guthrie's "Hanukkah Gelt" from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Woody-Guthries-Happy-Joyous-Hanukkah/dp/B000H30BS6">their recording "Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukkah."</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9go23XkUoo">Hanukah Gelt (Klezmatics)</a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/C9go23XkUoo" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Update: I just not this note in the comments, presumably from Craig Taubman. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">"One minor clarification. Of the the 18 tracks on the cd none of the artists are currently signed to our label. Furthermore, outsde of my “liturgical pop music” the balance of tunes comes from a very eclecltic selection of artists including folk (Mare Winningham,Yael Meyer and Ilana) , classical (Milken) Cantorial (alberto), rock (Naomi and Rebbe Soul) Gospel (Joshua Nelson and hip hop (Smoothe e ) genres. Keep spreading the news!"</span>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-39811027420898775132011-11-17T09:56:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00Eden and Prodezra Beats rock ChanukahLast Friday, the Shades of Grey blog put up <a href="http://walkingthegreyline.blogspot.com/2011/11/jewish-music-fridays-eden.html">a nice post</a> about the Brookly based Jewish rock trio <a href="http://www.edenmusic.net/">Eden</a>. I was going to post the Eden track "Yigdal" that SoG put up, but you can check it out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WlRyYlUMh4">here</a>.<br /><br />Instead I'm going put up my first Chanukah video of the season. It's only a few weeks away now. The video's got Eden backing the Savannah Georgia rapper <a href="http://www.prodezrabeats.com/">Prodezra Beats</a> at the Square 2010 festival in Charleston, SC last year. I dig Prodezra and it's great to see him backed by a live band. I love the classic heavy heavy bass guitar and the stratospheric guitar behind the rap. Would love to see them live.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnkCcHkDsmA"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Hinei Ma Tov/Come Clean with Prodezra</span></a><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JnkCcHkDsmA" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Proderzra Beats and Eden both have new tracks out. (well, new for me) I love Prodezra's production skills more than his rhymes but <a href="http://www.prodezrabeats.com/2011/connection-revealed/"> Connection Revealed</a> is solid and worth checking out. I particularly dig "Wake Up, Rise."<br /><br />Eden 's "Knock at the Door" came out last year, though it's not clear how to buy it. You can check out the tracks on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/officialedenmusic/music/playlists/the-knock-at-the-door-ep-1490070">myspace</a>.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-84258913672906192102011-11-07T09:53:00.000-08:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00Tikkun Olam in Brazil, Talat's Jewish jazz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.talatmusic.com/photos/c-note/image/430/Cnote1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.talatmusic.com/photos/c-note/image/430/Cnote1.jpg" alt="Talat" border="0" /></a>I got an email recently from a Jewish jazz group that I hadn't heard about before. The band is called Talat and is led by composer and piano player Alon Nechushtan. Talat's debut album, Growl, on Tzadik Radical Jewish Culture has garnered praise from both the jazz and Jewish communities. I haven't heard the album yet, but I dig the Vimeo videos I've heard. To my ears, their sound, particularly the video below, is very much in keeping with other Tzadik acts, which is a fine thing. I'm a big fan of that sound. (Though I'm also a fan of non-Tzadik Jewish jazz groups including the <a href="http://afrosemiticexperience.net/">Afro-Semitic Experience</a> and <a href="http://www.enricofink.com/">Enrico Fink</a>). That sound is typically based around jazz improvisation using klezmer modes. Talat's press material talk about also mixing in middle-eastern sounds, though I haven't heard that in any of the videos I've seen. What I have seen though is a nice blending in of Israeli pop music sounds, which is lovely.<br /><br />For more info, check out their <a href="http://www.talatmusic.com/media.htm">website</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/18745959">Alon Nechushtan and TALAT perform 'tikkun Olam'</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18745959?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" width="400"></iframe>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-2536837851297007672011-10-21T09:31:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart on recording a klezmer in a gymOk, it's way too short but this video of <a href="http://mickeyhart.net/">Mickey Hart</a> describing recording a klezmer band is a hoot. Mickey Hart is a world-class percussionist, both as a member of the Grateful Dead and through a variety of performance and recording projects.<br /><br />The album, The Golden Gate Gypsy Orchestra's "The Traveling Jewish Wedding," was released back in 1980 and was <a href="http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3299">just re-released on Smithsonian Folkways</a> as part of the Mickey Hart collection. It's a fine early klezmer revival recording and is actually one of the one of the first klezmer album's I owned. It's loaded with fine, though not outstanding, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimbalom">cimbalom,</a> violin, and folkie vocals and in true klezmer revival form it's regionally omnivorous and indiscriminate. It including traditional Yiddisn and klezmer tunes, Sephardic tunes, and one or two that sound very influenced by Israeli folk music. Great stuff.<br /><br />I had no idea, though, that Mickey Hart recorded it. Guess I didn't read the liner notes on that one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5WxY5mlLo8">Mickey and Fred on Recording Golden Gate Gypsy Orchestra</a></span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H5WxY5mlLo8" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />While the Golden Gate Gypsy Orchestra is no more, if you happen to be in Hawaii GGSO's <a href="http://www.aloha.net/%7Egoliard/shaloha.htm">Barry and Gloria Blum</a> would be happy to perform at your wedding, bar mitzvah or bris.qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-61499017589278746322011-10-03T09:49:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00Yehuda Katz going soloIt's funny. Historically, I've never been a big jam-band, Grateful Dead kind of guy. I'm not sure why I so love Shlomo Carlebach and his psuedo-hippy Chassid protégés so much. But I do. Which is why I was thrilled when I got an email <a href="http://www.aryehkunstler.com/">Aryeh Kunstler</a> pointing me to Yehuda Katz new videos and album. Katz was one of the founders of popular Israeli Hassidic music group <a href="http://www.revalesheva.com/">Reva L’Sheva</a> and in the new album expands on his joyful Shlomo Carlebach / Grateful Dead sound. Love it. Check it out. <div><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPSk8lloeEI">Yehudah Katz - Biladecha/Not Without You</a></span><div><b><br /></b><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SPSk8lloeEI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />For more info on Katz, check out this recent <a href="http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Music/Article.aspx?id=201321">Jerusalem Post</a> article. His other new video, <a href="http://youtu.be/J5iNienRxEc">Hudo</a>, is also excellent. You can grab the new album through <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/yehudah-katz/id438287295">iTunes</a> and follow Katz on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yehudah-Katz-%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%93%D7%94-%D7%9B%D7%A5/172409932782788">Facebook</a>.</div></div></div>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-32824919536443088922011-09-08T19:55:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00The Groggers. Holding a fun-house mirror to Orthodox Jewish life.To paraphrase one of my favorite rock critics, (<a href="http://paulwilliams.com/">Paul Williams</a> "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Roll-100-Best-Singles/dp/0934558418">Rock and Roll The 100 Best Singles</a>"), there are two primal rock and roll traditions.... angry stupidity and cheerful stupidity. But there's a counter tradition too, smart stupidity. The court jester. The smart guy (or gal) playing dumb. Sometimes with snarky bite, like Jello Biafra and the Dead Kennedys. Sometimes with nerdy-bafflement, like They Might be Giants. But always that sense that you'd better press rewind and listen to that one again. They just said something that needs to be heard.<br /><br />The first time I heard <a href="http://www.thegroggers.com/">The Groggers</a>, I didn't press rewind. The song was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DAr3zdojL4&feature=related">Get</a>, and the band bumbled along with a power-pop finger shake at a guy who didn't deserve his girl. A well-played Orthodox novelty song, but (to my ears at the time) nothing more. I wasn't hooked yet. But tonight they sent me their new video "Upper West Side" and they got me. Court Jester. Smart Stupidity. Press Rewind.<br /><br />Check it out<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqhuhyRzpKI">"Upper West Side Story" - The Groggers </a></span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EqhuhyRzpKI" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Under the wide eyed naivete of singer/songwriter L.E. Staiman's vocals, is some sharp satirical bite. The phrase "I want to live on the Upper West Side where the girls always stay 29, accountants by day, speed daters by night" was delivered deadpan, but dead on the mark. (As are the hysterical West Side Story "be cool" finger snaps in the video.)<br /><br />Ok, now go listen to the even better Groggers ballad "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRUa2eGCNcI&feature=related">Eishes Chayil</a>." I winced when I saw the title. Eishes Chayil, the Woman of Valor, is a regular motif in Orthodox pop music. Derived from a (sometimes touching, often awkward) Shabbat ritual, the Eishes Chayil pop song is usually over-earnest and condescending in it's celebration of the vague awesomeness of the Jewish woman. (Here's Orthodox crooner Yaakov Shwerky <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIWFntyP4_A">singing a representative example</a>.) The Groggers skewer it beautifully. Staiman's version pushes the vague detachment of the Eishes Chayil concept as far as it will go... straight into a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqmApJCgqnU">Weird Al Yankovic-style</a> voyeuristic creep-fest. "If you ever need me... I'll be right out your window."<br /><br />In <a href="http://www.frumsatire.net/2011/09/08/jewish-music-that-doesnt-suck/?utm_source=Twitterfeed">a post on Frum Satire</a> that went up this morning, Heshy Fried lauded them for being a Jewish band that didn't spend their time singing about religious topics, but instead sang about (Orthodox) Jewish life. That's true, and Fried's right that the Orthodox community needs more bands like that. But I think that misses the point a bit. The Groggers aren't singing about frum life, they're holding up a fun-house mirror to it.<br /><br />Under their dumb lyrics are a smart insiders critique of Orthodox life. And that's brave thing to do. Smart stupidity. Court Jester. Rock and roll.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Update: I forgot to mention that </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);" href="http://www.thegroggers.com/#%21store">The Groggers debut album</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> "There is no I in Cherem" dropped in August. Go get it.</span>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3862086192327810526.post-89394531366678202752011-09-01T09:41:00.000-07:002012-06-02T10:22:51.588-07:00Coda....A Short FilmCoda is a short film in the making about music and identity. The storyline (see below) points to the main character being a violinist who loves klezmer though the bit of music she plays in the film clip below doesn't sound particularly klezmer inspired to me. But it's a neat piece and I'm looking forward to seeing the final version. The film-maker is running a <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/121989931/coda">Kickstarter </a>fundraiser right now, so if you like what you see consider helping out.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Coda Test Shoot</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/121989931/coda/widget/video.html" frameborder="0" height="410px" width="480px"></iframe><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>"CODA is the Graduation Film of Writer/Director Jonathan Tomlin from the MA Filmmaking Course of the London Film School. In particular, this film is concerned with the relationship between self-expression and self-preservation. The struggle to survive is as important to an artist as her instrument or her talent. An extraordinary artist is someone who can transform suffering into inspiration and vice versa.<br /><br /><br /><br />This film strives to travel the world through music and reach audiences with a story that can be felt across any border and in any language. Music is a universal language with as many styles as there are cultures in the world. Music is at the core of CODA’s narrative. There is no dialogue and no subtitles. The film will run approximately 10-12 minutes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />THE STORY<br /><br /><br /><br />The story of a classically trained Violinist travelling through Eastern Europe in search of a deeper connection to music and to her own life. She has chosen to live as a full-time Traveller and Street Performer (Busker) leaving behind the rigid confinement of her Classical formation in order to push the boundaries of her life and her music. She plays with exquisite technique, but her style is as varied as the stamps on her passport. She is particularly inspired by Jewish Folk music, known as ‘Klezmer’. Whether it’s expressing joy, sadness or anger Klezmer is as intricate as it is emotional.<br /><br /><br /><br />One morning, while playing in a busy train station in Budapest the Violinist encounters two characters: A Young Girl and an older woman. The Girl is enamored by the Violinist’s performance and by her proud and strong presence. The Older Woman watches the performance too, but she appears resentful of the Violinist who has decided to play on the exact spot where the Woman comes to beg for money. Passing men and women drop coins into the violin case, but take no notice of the Beggar. After the concert the Violin is stolen and the Violinist’s self-sufficient, carefree life quickly spirals out of control as she desperately tries to reclaim the instrument of her inspiration."</blockquote>qomaria kartonohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03201939309344801433noreply@blogger.com0