Monday Media: The Maccabeats “Shine”

Two years ago The Maccabeats took the Jewish world by storm with Candlelight, which, to date, has been viewed over 8 million times on Youtube (and on the stage of the 2010 Washington Jewish Music Festival). This Chanukah they’re debuting their first original song. What do you think?

All Jazzed Up

I love music events in our Community Hall performance space. They’re so intimate…when else in my life will I get to see a professional opera singer or a member of the National Symphony Orchestra performing just a few feet from me? I also love the mix of people who take advantage of our affordable concert series–from preschoolers (feeling the music in their own hilarious way), to young couples on dates, to retirees. That’s why I’m so excited for our post-Chanukah concert with the Roy Assaf Trio on December 19.  Here’s a sneak peak of what’s in store:

Seven Questions for: Schmekel

Schmekel is awesome. The “100% Transgender, 100% Jewish schtick-rock band” does songs about important things, silly things, and thingy things.

“Schmekel’s bespectacled transsexual singer-songwriters are guitarist Lucian Kahn and keyboardist Ricky Riot. Mohawked bassist Nogga Schwartz yells loudly, and genderqueer drummer Simcha Halpert-Hanson carries two big sticks.” (Read more about ’em here.)

And they were kind enough to hold forth on the vital topics in our Seven Questions:

1) How would you describe what you do to someone from the 19th Century?

Lucian: Oscar Wilde has written a farcical, yet appreciative, song-cycle about the polymorphous perverse.  He’s a Jew from Bukovinia, and he’s got a Dynamophone.
Ricky: We are a band of openly Jewish inverts who play magical loud instruments. Three of us are short gentlemen who are rumoured to have even shorter organs. One of us is neither man nor woman. Our songs are gay and jolly yet not suitable for the faint of heart.

2) What did you want to be when you grew up?

Lucian: A rock star!  Or possibly a Ninja Turtle.
Ricky: Some kind of performer.
Simcha: Well, it varied.  From ages 3-7 I wanted to be a painter; ages 8-12, I desperately wanted to be a famous actor, like Claire Danes.  And then from age 13 onward, I passionately devoted myself to the quest of *indie* (I abhored corporate rock) pacific-northwest stardom (I abhored the east coast). Thankfully, I no longer find the east coast an abhorrence.

3) Is there a book you’re embarrassed to admit you’ve never read?

Lucian: I spend a lot of time singing about penises.  It’s hard to embarrass me.
Ricky: Lucian, I actually gave you a book about penises once. Did you read it? I hope you’re not embarrassed. Someone once lent me Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, insisting that it’ll change my life and help me understand her better. It was really dumb and I want those few hours of my life back.
Simcha: There are a lot of trashy teens-dying-of-cancer-while-falling-in-love books I am embarrassed to admit I’ve devoured.  Unless I am trying to prove my academic prowess or qualify my halachic knowledge base, I can’t think of any basic books I ought to have read by now and haven’t.

4) Woody Allen, Pro or Con?

Lucian: Pro early Woody Allen.  He understands the importance of a good egg salad recipe.
Ricky: Also pro early Woody Allen. Biased opinion though because I have an uncle who looks exactly like him.
Simcha: A natural anti-depressant.

5) What’s your favorite non-English word?

Lucian: I identify strongly with the word feygele.
Simcha: I really love the Yiddish language.  I guess of all the words and names I’ve learned thus far, my favorite would be Faraynikte Shtaten [Ed.: United States] because it’s so long and intimidating to read in Yiddish.
Ricky: Shlemazal is a funny word and a funny concept. It’s a person with really bad luck. Also Abra Cadabra is in Aramaic. It means, “as it is said, it shall be created”. And how ‘bout some Hebrew slang: “Lefasbek” is to add someone on Facebook. And I’ll conjugate it for you. Hoo mefasbek, hee mefasbeket, anachnu mefasbekim…

6) What issue do you wish other people knew more about?

Lucian: I wish more people knew and cared about the problems facing queer homeless teenagers and trans people seeking medical care.
Simcha:  I agree with Lucian.  I also wish people had more sensitivity to gender-identity and the bathroom.  Stress is a powerfully debilitating force.
Ricky: I wish that more people including myself knew more about the process by which a capitalist economic system makes people poor.

7) Historical figure, living or not, that you’d want to share a bagel with, and what kind of bagel?

Lucian: I would like to share an everything bagel with Paul Celan.
Simcha: I’d share a garlic bagel with Rebbe Schneerson and find out whether he is actually Mashiach. 😉
Ricky: Thelonious Monk, because that dude was nuts and probably really interesting, and might have taught me a few things about music. Onion bagel, toasted, with olive cream cheese and lox.

Catch Schmekel on May 20 at Chief Ike’s with GLOE, as part of the Washington Jewish Music Festival.

Read all of the Seven Questions interviews.

Monday Media: Roberto Rodriguez and the Cuban Jewish All Stars

Where do Klezmer and Cuba intersect? Miami, of course–home to Cuban ex-pats and a robust Jewish community. Roberto Rodriguez and the Cuban Jewish All Stars is the product of one man’s expansive musical imagination and unique upbringing. Bring your dancing shoes on May 14 at the DCJCC.

Monday Media: Abraham Inc.

When a renowned klezmer clarinetist,  legendary funk trombonist and  hip-hop renegade get together, get ready for something unexpected and amazing. Has any other debut release ever gone to #1 in both Funk AND Jewish and Yiddish music?! Live at the Strathmore May 3.

Monday Media: Hadag Nahash

Have you heard Israeli Hip-Hop superstars Hadag Nahash? They’re basically the coolest band in Israel today–amazing musicians with  a mighty social conscience.  And they’re coming direct from Israel to the Fillmore Silver Spring this May 10! Get to know Hadag Nahash and their tunes with this fun video.

 

 

 

 

What We’re Listening To

Looking for some inspiration this Monday?

Here’s a beautiful tune from Grammy award-winner Miri Ben-Ari, who performed at the Washington Jewish Music Festival in 2009.

Shabbat Surfing: We love you, JDub!

Last week we received the sad news that the groundbreaking Jewish record label JDub will be closing.

Golem at WJMF 2010

The Washington Jewish Music Festival has been a huge fan of JDub for many years, and has been proud to present their passionate and innovative musicians on our stage.

Some of our favorite shows–the ones that make us say this is the future of Jewish music, that give us hope that Jewish music has a future–have been with JDub artists.

And so, in fitting tribute, here’s a round-up of listening links to all our WJMF JDub groups.  Enjoy!

2011: Clare Burson
2010 & 2002: Golem
2010: Girls in Trouble
2010: The Maccaroons
2009: The Sway Machinery
2007: SoCalled

All are available for purchase at the JDub store!

Washington Jewish Music Festival Opens with a Rocking Danny Sanderson Concert

Here are some pictures from last night’s Danny Sanderson concert, one of the best I’ve seen in my time here. He played for almost two hours and for that time, the past week of heartache and controversy surrounding things Israeli evaporated in the pure joy of the music. It was a welcome respite and a rocking good time — and we all needed it; perhaps no one more than Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren who was also in the crowd. Here are some pictures:

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“This Too Shall Pass” – badass music videos in the post-video age

Sure, the song title is Jewish…but we’re not really talking about anything Jewish, just a heads-up. Though it is interesting that the name of OK Go’s newest hit song is a popular Jewish phrase (often inscribed on jewelry, such as Yeshiva Girls rings), I could not find any relationship between the song/band and Judaism.

So let’s instead talk about badass music videos, which “This Too Shall Pass” certainly is. We’re gearing up over here for the Washington Jewish Music Festival, and though we certainly listen to some terrific music, we definitely don’t see any music videos! These videos used to be prime advertising opportunities for musicians and  bands – see a cool video, buy the CD, right?

But since CD sales are down, pirated music is so easily accessible, and even legal, purchase of MP3s is also so easy, nobody wants to make the  videos anymore. But we still want to see them, even if MTV disagrees (noted by their official dropping of “Music Televison” from their network description).

Even if musicians don’t have MTV to showcase their awesome videos, thanks to this whole internet evolution, they have YouTube, Vevo, and the ability to go crazy viral. OK Go created the video for “Here It Goes Again” independently of their record label (which they have since left). With little more than four  treadmills, a camera, tripod and killer choreography, they created a web phenomenon – and probably a whole new fan base.

But some artists want to make their videos with some more money, which is fine too, if they have it. Lady Gaga’s new music video for “Telephone,” featuring Beyonce, is completely ridiculous…but I can’t stop watching it! The costumes, the storyline…the song, meh, not so much. But give me a telephone hat and glasses made out of cigarettes, and I’m on board!

So what’s my point? Nothing huge…I just want you to watch these music videos! Explore the internet, and find those videos that speak to you…dig out those old videos that were so fun to watch 15 years ago. I’m sure you’ll discover that music videos are a form of entertainment you have seriously been missing in your life.

And then don’t forget to check out the Washington Jewish Music Festival on June 6-13 (line-up to be announced soon!). Maybe you can talk our bands into creating some viral videos for your viewing pleasure.