9 posts tagged “jewish”

This year Hannukkah is from December 11^th to 19^th, which is in about a few short weeks. I don't really know that much about the Jewish religion, other than that they get like 10 36 gifts for Hanukkah (edit: see updated message below)! So, to take care of two of your gifts idea, for the music lover in your life:

KOSHA DILLZ
official ♥ myspace

We've previously mentioned Kosha Dillz before, with his collaboration with C-Rayz Walz. Derek said that previous album had "classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats", so missing from Beverly Dillz, Kosha Dillz's latest album (released November 10^th on Modular Moods Records), seems to be the "oldskool beats".

Although the album starts off with a surprisingly hip-hoppy "DooDoo" - the rest of Beverly Dillz seems pretty laid back to me. There are a few exceptions like "Jungle" and "Tastes Good" (the best rap song on the album).

Personally, I thought "Puddles" was one of the better song, it's probably because it had Yak Ballz as guest. The song feels really familiar to me, like its bass is from the 80s or something. Speaking of familiar, you'll get that on his single, "Cellular Phone", which features some classic Dilliefied version of "This Old Man" and "Word Up".

Kosha Dillz was recently in the news because he remixed fellow Jewish artist YACHT (aka Jona Bechtolt) for an EP called Swim Club. You can grab the free 8-track EP at Kosha Dillz's website. I didn't listen to the entire 8 tracks, but I can tell you that I spotted some Beastie Boys, New Jack City, and Hansons references!

PS, While there are a lot of "hhheh" Hebrew sounds in "Kol Ha Kavod Lirkod", I believe all the songs on Beverly Dillz are in English.

MOSHIACH OI!
myspace

With the baby picture and my generally association that Jewish musicians tend to be either traditional or modern hip-hop, Moshiach Oi!'s album, Better Get Ready, surprised me with their hardcore punk music. Like typical punk songs, these songs are fast, loud, and brief - like a punch in the face.

The band's singer and found, Yishai Romanoff, actually sings his songs (instead of shouting out loud that you find on hardcore bands). Unfortunately, as religious as some of the songs can be ("I Wanna Learn Torah", "I Wanna Learn Torah", "This Is My G-d", "Hashem S'fasai Tiftach"), I can't help but think that the message will be lost in a loud sea of drums and guitars. The one exception of "I Love Torah", where you can clearly hear the majority of lyrics are "I love Torah, yeah!"

To me, punk bands do not often translate their live energy and performance well on the recorded medium, so to really appreciate a band like this, you sort of have to see them live. They are playing one date - probably to celebrate Hanukkah at: Chabad of Bushwick Brooklyn, New York, on December 12^th.

You can pick up both of these albums from Shem Speed Store (the largest collection of Jewish music).

IN MORE JEWISH NEWS

Jewish singer Girls In Trouble (I previously fell in love with her), has a cute live video of "Hunter/The Bee Lays Her Honey" on youtube, complete with torn stockings and all. The video was previously featured on YouTube's Music Spotlight for a few days. If you recall, that was my song of choice when I reviewed the album, citing it as "my favorite song" easily.

Also, Matisyahu, Yair Dalal & Deleon, among others, are playing the 5th Annual Sephardic Music Festival from December 12^th to 19th, throughout New York City.

For a full listing of events, head over to sephardicmusicfestival.com, what I can tell you is that Matisyahu is headlining on December 14^th, which incidentally is also the most expensive ($35) among all the dates. The rest of the dates are decently priced at $12 or so.

Just in time: back-to-school music! Below are reviews for three K Records releases, all very different genre of music: DIY punk/pop, hip hop, and electronic dance music. K remains one of the most interesting and diverse record label out of Olympia, Washington. It's no wonder that I love K and so does Kurt Cobain (who had a tattoo of the K shield).

Amazon tells me that Hornet Leg's Ribbon of Fear will be "will be released on September 22, 2009", but K Records is telling me that it's available today, September 8^th.

This band's debut Blood Trilogy 7" consisting of these "bloody" songs: "Bleed the Blood", "Covered in Blood", and "Bloody Hands", certainly left an impression on critics, citing them as "blazingly prophetic soul, erratic punk and garagey drone". While I would agree on the punk and garagey thing, based on their new record, Ribbon of Fear, I feel that they remind me a lot of early Violent Femmes (especially the Devil-may-care vocals of Chris Sutton).

Like most DIY punk records, this record seems to have been put together quickly, resulting to some very minimalistic and raw sound. Most of these rather short songs (under three minutes at most), and since some songs are cute ("My Baby" and "We're so Ugly") - they seem disposable.

There are some gems on the record, though. Whenever there's a woman singer (I am assuming it's ex-drummer Claudia Meza since there are no liner notes on my review copy) like on "I'm Leaving You" and "Ribbon of Fear", they definitely perk my interest.

My favorite song on Ribbon of Fear is "Night of the Phantom". This rock-pop song does get a bit cheeky when you hear the "phantom", but the catchy surf guitar rifts makes up for its cheesiness.

According to their blog posting, Chris Sutton officially joined one of my favorite group, Gossip, so I'm not sure how often Hornet Leg will be promoting their record. Well, catch them in Washington before Sutton join Gossip on tour in October.

Let me tell you that Eprhyme's new album, Waywordwonderwill, comes out today on K Records (a strange release by this wonderful indie label, as it is the first hip hop album from them in over a decade).

Waywordwonderwill is a really hard album for me to nail down, there's elements of jazz, funk, hip hop, and rap, throughout the album. One thing is certain is that Eprhyme's music, with other Jewish hip-hop artists (Matisyahu, Y-Love, Describe, C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz, and others), it would seem fans of this music genre can't get enough of it.

From my experience with this Jewish hip hip, is that they are generally about freedom, peace/unity, God, and love. Many of these themes are shared by Jamaican reggae, so it's no surprise that artists such as Matisyahu blends reggae and hip hop. What set Eprhyme apart from his peers is that he doesn't rely on reggae, but leans more towards rap and hip-hop with middle eastern influences (such as the stand-out track "Fixing Midnight", entirely sung in Hebrew).

Eprhyme's rapping style, which I quite like, reminds me a lot of Non Phixion, not because these guys are white, but because his lyrics flows like an uncontrollable, unstoppable river.

Unlike rappers that are quick on their feet with ab-lib lyrics, coming off their heads, I believe Eprhyme's music might be more planned out. Take for instance, the song "Beggin For Change", on first glance it sounds like the song is about children begging for your change, but a closer look and you hear that Eprhyme is really saying that they're begging us to change our world.

I like messages like that, but it's probably too heavy for most people (like the politically-charged, seeking freedom and justice on "Shomer Salaam"). Instead, I have to direct you to his brilliant debut song, "Punklezmerap". This is a quick-rapping song with lots and lots of that flowing lyrics about his love for music - a little biographical. What makes this song work for me is this mistakable Arabian background music loop.

Waywordwonderwill is out now and you can purchase it directly from K or amazon.

It's really hard to write about an artist's work based on one or two songs, so please forgive me if you think I'm giving Joey Casio the shaft with his new 7" called Debtors Prism (released September 8^th on K Records.)

You're just a node on the network of bone
No eyes to stare at the soil you own
You feel nothing so you grab all you can
But who gets cut by the invisible hands?

It would seem that Casio spent the better part of 2000 with the Crunks Not Dead record label, doing a variety of mixes after his nine-track Attack Decay EP. From my understanding of these one-man-band, the "studio" recording of their works will never quite capture what they are like when they play live and/or with audience participation. So as much as I think the remix of remixes of the very bassy title track Debtors Prism might sound fantastic, it will always pale in comparison to hearing it live. And apparently Casio is quite popular with his "brandished unkempt house parties", so keep an eye out for any last-minute tour dates.

Between the two songs, I did prefer "Artists in Times of War", which I think is fitting to the time that was recorded. The message is clear, not only is there this physical war, but also an artistic war on two fronts: "content and form".

It should be noted that K Record owner/one-man-band himself, Calvin Johnson (with Joey Casio), recorded and mixed these songs from the Dub Narcotic Studios... so it does have that nice DIY element to them.

What's cool is that K is still doing the vinyl thing - as most modern record labels are doing. Fans are screaming that we're in love with records, and in fact, record sales in American rose 89% last year. The trend is telling us that record sales will continue to climb, as a new generation are using MP3 as samples and still buying physical media for their collection. Check out Debtors Prism is only $3.75 on 7".

Matisyahu's third studio album, Light, comes out today. The album was two years in the making and was originally scheduled for an early 2008 release, but through various circumstances, like Matisyahu's unrelenting touring schedule and family obligations, the album will finally see the 'light of day' today.

Matisyahu's fans* should already be familiar with these new songs, through various "listening stations" from Matisyahu's touring van, or have heard the songs unveiled on last year's tour dates, but they will finally get to hear it as was meant to be heard via CD and vinyl - available with a free DVD directly from the official website.

Matisyahu - Youth 2 comments Matisyahu - Smash Lies

I don't have his debut album, but comparing Light to Youth, I can speculate that Matisyahu is moving away from reggae. Don't get me wrong, there's still a lot of reggae undertones and dubs, just maybe not the focus. And in the grand scheme of things, I think it's good that he's looking into other influences (take for instance "Smash Lies" which is more hip-hop/rap with techno/dance elements).

Perhaps this has to do with the brilliant Aaron Dugan on guitars, who can be heard clearly on such tracks as "Motivate" and "We Will Walk". From seeing them live at the recent 80/35 Festival, I can tell you that Dugan is a very talented guitarist.

Lyrically, Light is typically Matisyahu, in terms of talking about God, rising up, and freedom. The theme is about obviously about the light. This could mean many things, it's up to your interpretation of it. I speculated it has more to do with religion... Like the fact that Matisyahu can't actually work after sunset because of his beliefs - so light and darkness plays a very important role in his life. My favorite 'light' song is "Darkness Into Light", which features some strange yiddish scattish.

Light is out now at most retailers. Buying it directly seems to include the best package and option at official website.

*I should also mention that as much as his fans are very passionate about Matisyahu's music, Matisyahu often encourages and engage with his fans - as evident by his twitter account.

Regina Spektor first came to my attention with her Soviet-navy-drinking cover artwork on Soviet Kitsch. I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising why this was the breakout album for her: she was after all signed to Warner Records and they had decided to re-release the album. So, by the time Begin to Hope came out, she was already a star among the singer/songwriter crowd.

Spektor's much anticipated album, Far, was released a few weeks ago (June 22^nd) on Sire Records. The release came in two editions: a standard album and a deluxe edition (you can find them at all major retailers, such as amazon and Best Buy). My review copy is just a standard version, but I will go ahead and recommend the deluxe version because you get two bonus tracks and a DVD for only a few dollars more. Fans should take a look at the Fan Edition, which comes with the CD and DVD, 6 panel soft pack, and a 14”x14” Limited Lithograph (The first 1000 will be hand numbered).

Far seems to me to be a lot happier and more comfortable and even knows where it's going, compared to Soviet Kitsch and Begin to Hope. This tells me a lot of things about where and how Spektor feels in her life at this moment. If you listen carefully to her songs, she gives little hints to her past. Her tendency towards making "instrument" sounds with her voice tells me she probably studies a capella (check out some examples like the snare drum with her voice on "Eet", ooof ooof sound on the foot-tapping "Folding Chair", and beep-bop and piano notes on "Dance Anthem of the 80's").

How about her religious views? She seems to have faith in the "Human of the Year" and the poignant "Laughing With", which states a variety of situations with "no one laughs at God when ... (insert scenario)", even though "God can be funny ... ha ha". It's sung in an ironic kind of way. Apparently, Spektor felt so strongly about the strength of this song that she made it her first single, preceding her Far album.

It was really hard for me to choose a favorite song to represent Far, as practically all the songs are very good. The lyrics are wonderful, the melodies are catchy, and Spektor's voice is irresistible. I have decided to go with "Blue Lips", which I am pretty sure the album is actually named after: "Blue, the color of our planet. From far, far away".

If you aren't already a fan, you should be. "Eet" is just an example of a great pop song, about the impossible notion of forgetting the words to your favorite song. The video gives it a dream-like quality:

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day, here are some songs about change. King wanted change for the equality of everyone... making it possible for Barack Obama to become the first black President.

MLK Day is a fairly recent holiday, it only came into existence in 1983 when Ronald Regan signed it into law.  What you probably didn't know was that some states didn't call it Martin Luther King Day.  Utah called it Human Rights Day, while Virginia combined a bunch of people into the Lee-Jackson-King Day.  It was only recently in 2000 did all the 50 States decided to call it the same thing.

Either way, enjoy your Monday off work!

Also, please also check out Ben Sollee's A Change is Gonna Come and Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday (Martin Luther King Jr).

MANZE DAYILA & THE NAGO NATION manzedayila.com ♥ myspace.com Manze Dayila and the Nago Nation-Change Manze Dayila & The Nago Nation-That Feeling 2 comments Manze Dayila & The Nago Nation's "Change" is about Barack Obama and how he is our president. The music has its roots in African beats and rhythm, much like all their songs from their Solé album. Although "Change" isn't on their (debut?) album, the song is a free download on their website. According to Dayila's biography, she was a refugee from Haiti (she was 19 when she rafted into Miami Beach!). The Haiti would explain why some of their songs have a Carribean, with just a dash of Reggae, in them. Half of the album are also traditional Haitian Folk song ("Kwi", "Miseye Rigaud", "Kafe", "Papa Loko", etc). The stand-out track for me is one of the few English songs on Solé called "That Feeling". The song also features an additional singer/rapper called Bennchoumy Elian, who also sung on the other English song "I Want to Be Free". Other stand-out track is the song "Solé", which although I do not understand the lyrics - I feel it is a sad song, as if a mother is weeping for her child. With the absent of music on this song, it made for an even more powerful emotional connection. Since most of the album is not in English it gives it a Worldly touch. If you enjoy World music, especially Afro-Pop or Afro-Hip-Hop, this album is worth checking out. You can purchase Solé via cd baby ($14) or download via itunes ($10) or amazon ($8).		THE BRILLIANT MISTAKES thebrilliantmistakes.com ♥ myspace.com The Brilliant Mistakes-Good Year For A Change The Brilliant Mistakes are an indie rock/Americana-esque band from Brooklyn, New York. Their music also have great catchy melodies, unlike banging pot/pans and quirky sound of indie music these days (don't worry, I have a few of these experimental albums for review - so fans of this sound will be happy). Between the two singers, keyboardist Alan Walker and bassist Erik Philbrook, I would have to say that I like the Walker songs - they sound vaguely like Ben Folds. The Philbrook vocals sounds more alt-country. I'm more drawn to their upbeat songs like "The Circle's Not Broken" and "The Day I Found My Hands". Even though I didn't know the words to their songs, I feel like I could probably make up words to rhyme with their lyrics. Their "change" ("Good Year For A Change") has nothing to do with politics, but you can read what you want in it.... 2009 will be a great year for a change, right? Anyway, the song sounds a little subdue, but it shows off the Folds-vocals as I mentioned earlier. I think the song may be about changing your life, a fresh start, and finding someone new. Possibly not looking back.... but the song seems to reflect on the past. You can find out details on how you can purchase their album on their website. The page also lets you download "The Circle’s Not Broken" - the upbeat song that I liked, so check it out.
DESCRIBE AND Y-LOVE myspace.com/describeylove ♥ ylovemusic.com Y-Love and Describe - Change 1 comment I've previously written about Y-Love, so I was kind of interested in seeing what he's up to. His latest release is a collaboration with fellow Jewish songwriter Describe. Much like the "Change" song by Manze Dayila, this "Change" song is the excitement of a new political change in the White House. The song has some auto-tuning vocals, with that distinctive Yiddish sounds of the H sound like in "hhhheh". The lyrics comes in fast and furious and Describe's lower vocals slows down the song when it needs to be. As described by the press material, The Change EP consists of four songs. But instead of releasing the EP in one release date, they are dropping each song per month, starting tomorrow (January 20th). The other scheduled release are February 24th for "Make It", March 31st, and April 28th. All details will be updated over at shemspeed.com/change, which contain links of how you can buy the song(s).		MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD michaelfranti.com ♥ myspace.com Michael Franti & Spearhead-Obama Song 1 comment There's no "Change" in title, but if there was an alternate title to the simply titled "Obama Song", it would be about change and the message that we can make a difference. This toe- tapping, hand- clapping, feet- dancing song by Michael Franti & Spearhead is very catchy. The song features many vocals, Best of all, the song is free to download via ilike.com/franti. CORY CHISEL corychisel.com ♥ myspace.com Cory Chisel - A Change is Gonna Come 1 comment We've previously mentioned Cory Chisel before, and here is a live version of the Sam Cooke's classic "A Change Is Gonna Come". I think the song was recorded at the Lawrence Memorial Chapel in Appleton, WI (Aug 15th, 2008), it comes as a break for Chisel to do his solo acoustic-thing.

 10/21/2008 09:31:34  ♥ written by vu ()

Matisyahu is a Jewish musician with Reggae and hip hop influences.  He first blew up a few years ago with his break through album, Youth. His presence is striking with his traditional Hasidic Jewish clothing and I think he's really tall with his massive beard.

His Shattered EP comes out today to coincide with the new tour dates.

Listening to the EP, his music is still very much inspired by his religion with more influences from dub/reggae music (especially on "I Will Be Light"). The only song that uses a few Hebrew lyrics is on "Two Child One Drop", which made for a stand-out track for me.

However, a departure (of sorts) comes in the lead song, "Smash Lies" - which uses a bit of a techno/dance element! This is kind of interesting since I have never pictured Matisyahu to take this route. Speaking of route, "So Hi So Lo" seems to be searching for a direction (faith?).

His live shows are pretty amazing, based on what I've read, seen on youtube, and heard on his album, Live At Stubb's. He's got a ton of fans and it's obvious that they are very interested in having you attend a live show as if you've attended the show, they give you a bonus audio from Light and a free audio download of a Matisyahu concert of your choice. I'm not entirely sure how that will work; like do they give you a paper or something? Maybe someone can tell me.

Shattered is out now on Epic Records.

 10/10/2008 19:49:42  ♥ written by derek ( / www.pegritz.com)

Jewish hip-hop? Is that even possible? Of course it is, silly rabbit! I mean, I downloaded an entire album of Croatian hip-hop from eMusic a few months ago...which is proof positive that hip-hop has escaped the ghettos in which it was born and has spread worldwide. Hip-hop's greatest strength is its ability to absorb any and all influences, states of mind, and approaches and still remain true to its roots and heart.

Modular Moods Records is going to drop a serious chunk of hip-hop funk with a distinctly Hebrew flavor in the form of the LP Freestyle Vs. Written by C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz. C-Rayz, one of the original members of the legendary Stronghold, has been a giant in New York City's underground hip-hop scene for years, hosting all manner of shows and events and beatin' down some of the top battle emcees in the world (even freestyle legend Supernatural). Kosha Dillz, on the other hand, is a fresh face on the scene: an upcoming Israeli-American hip-hop artist who has performed live with big-name rap stars like Pharcyde and Jurassic 5 to Grammy Nominee and reggae ninja Matisyahu. So what happens when you put together the freestyle might of C-Rayz Wallz together with the swaggering beats and multilingual vocal styles of Mr. Dillz?

You get an explosion of classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats but extends high above the heads of many so-called contemporary "rap superstars" with lyrics that jump from the socially conscious to the outright hysterical and back again.

The album's beats recall the glory days of hip-hop's youth, mixing heavy, funkalicious beats with powerful samples taken from old soul, blues, jazz, and funk records. Many of the samples on this album sound like they came from blaxploitation movie soundtracks, which gives Freestyle Vs. Written a true urban edge that complements the sharp-witted, and often sharp-tongued, lyrics perfectly. Horns and phased guitars predominate over the rumbling beats, but the emcees' voices and styles are, naturally, foremost on every track. And these guys have got skills, y'all: their rhymes are tight, their deliveries fresh and rhythmic, and their lyrics often profound. The two emcees play off of one another so skillfully it's impossible to determine what rhymes were written ahead of time and what rhymes are freestyle examples of champion extemporization. Produced by 19-year-old prodigy Kentron Da Mastadon, Freestyle Vs. Written is a superb melange of its creators' "Jerusalem Zionist-meets-Black Bronx ghetto aesthetic" which will appeal to all fans of oldskool rap, freestyle, and socially-conscious hip-hop.

One of the most impressive elements of this record is the lack of swearing. Now, I'm not one of those stuffy prudes who frowns on cussin'--but one of the things that has made me dislike so much contemporary hip-hop is the genre's overemphasis of the words "fuck," "motherfucker," and "nigger," mainly because these words provide all-too-easy staples for rhymes and rhythmic filler. True emcees come to battle and/or record with a truckload of vocabulary and wit, not just foul language and lame insults. Both C-Rayz Wallz and Kosha Dillz are literally overflowing with deft rhymes and sharp observations. "Calouses of a Hustler" and "The Foolish Path" are aimed at uplifting their listeners and educating them, and C-rayz's flow on these tracks is very similar to that of Atmosphere's Slug. Tracks like the lighthearted "I Love Jews" (built around a sample of the Del-Phonics "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Ariel Sharon" (which rides atop a rolling beat and jangly banjo) clearly display Kosha Dillz Jewish background in his rhymes as he mixes English, Yiddish, and Hebrew.

In short, Freestyle Vs. Written is a solid mixture of oldskool flavor and modern hip-hop styles that will have your head bobbin' as it has your mind thinkin'. This is hip-hop that aims for the brain as well as the booty and demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that even in a music world dominated by such untalented babblers like Souljah Boy and Nelly, real hip-hop is still being produced, and it's coming at you from every corner and every culture of the Earth.

The album is available for digital download, with the CD version coming on October 14th.

Update 10/11/08 from Vu:
Modular Moods Records wanted to us know about their Remix Contest. All info and sound files are at freestylevswritten.com/remix.  They have also expressed that they'd like you to see their ridiculous music video for "Sof".