Today is Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. There’s so little daylight that every minute counts. It’s the perfect time to listen to under-a-minute Jewish punk songs!
There’s a tradition of short punk rock songs that cut to the chase. Behold the Dead Kennedys’ “Short Songs” and Fat Wreck Chords’ 101-band compilation, Short Music for Short People. Today of all days, why waste time with extended intros or guitar solos?
The Schleps
Hanukkah ended at sundown yesterday, but can’t you spare another 37 seconds? Upon hearing The Schleps‘ “Maoz Tzur,” JDub Records blogged, “It’s not too often that we get 37-second email submissions that make us want to both listen immediately and turn it up to 11, but we just got this for Hanukkah and had to share.”
Yidcore
Yidcore is from Australia, which is currently experiencing the longest day of the year, but their short songs fit in nicely.
Do you want a shorter Hanukkah classic, “The Dreidel Song”? Click here.
If you’d prefer an even shorter holiday song, check out “Shalosh Pinot.” Click here. Now that Hanukkah is over, it’s not too soon to start thinking about Purim!
Holiday songs at breakneck speed are fun, but Yidcore took the short punk song to another level with the appropriately titled “I Will Be So Brief I Have Already Finished.”
Moshiach Oi!
The “Torah hardcore” band Moshiach Oi! didn’t beat around the bush on their 2009 debut, Better Get Ready, which included three under-a-minute songs.
The opening track, “Baruch Hashem,” features only three words: “Baruch” (bless), “Hashem” (G-d), and “Oi!” There’s 13 instances of “Oi!” in 38 seconds.
In the eponymous “Moshiach Oi!,” “Oi!” is recited dozens of times.
Front man Yishai Romanoff beseeches the yetzer hara (evil inclination) to go away in “Yetzer Hara.”
Useless ID
Useless ID had three under-a-minute tracks on last year’s State Is Burning. A band bio described it as “a strong, back-to-their-roots, explosive punk rock record” and a “return to fast, energetic, galloping, youthful punk rock.”
Israel’s number-one punk band kicks off the album with “Land of Idiocracacy.” This scathing political and social commentary about Israel includes the lyrics “The Bible is just a book/ Look at the lives it took/ F*** the right-wing Orthodox.”
“Without a Choice” discusses how “innocent creatures” have their young taken away from them and are slaughtered for food. “Stop animal abuse,” the lyrics declare. The song notes that while animals might not have a say in whether they are killed for food, people do.
Amusingly, “45 Seconds” clocks in at 46 seconds.
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