In Chapter 4 of Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk, I talked about punk approaches to klezmer and other types of Jewish music. I focused on klezmer (particularly the Klezmatics), Radical Jewish Culture, Golem, Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird, and Electric Simcha. For numerous other bands, klezmer (and other types of Jewish music) and punk rock interact as part of a larger stew. The growing popularity of world music and fusion of musical styles from across the globe…
Purim: Homotaschen!
Posted on March 22, 2016Happy Purim! I want to share a hilarious punk rock song about Purim: “Homotaschen.” Click here to listen to the song, and click here (scroll down) to read the lyrics. The transgender Jewish punk band Schmekel made songs about most Jewish holidays, and the band’s 2013 Purim song, “Homotaschen,” was a masterpiece. The title is a pun on “homo-” (as in “homosexual”) and hamantaschen (triangular cookies eaten on Purim). “Homotaschen” did more than just tell a fun story about a wild…
Jews and Riot Grrrl
Posted on March 19, 2016I considered including a section about riot grrrl in Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk, but it didn’t work out. Riot grrrl was a feminist punk movement that sprung out of Washington State in the early 1990s. I certainly featured female punks (some very prominently) in every chapter of my book. I mentioned the riot grrrl background of Shondes singer Louisa Solomon, included a quote about riot grrrl regarding Never Mind the Goldbergs, and discussed a Shiragirl song released by Play-a-Grrrl. I did…
I Sang and Wrote the Lyrics for Anti-Trump Song
Posted on March 15, 2016I sang and wrote the lyrics for a punk rock song called “Donald Trump Über Alles,” performed by the ad hoc band Anti-Trump. Click here to listen to the song on YouTube, which was just released tonight. The song is a parody of the 1970s Dead Kennedys song “California Über Alles,” which warned of dystopian dangers if California Gov. Jerry Brown became president. “Donald Trump Über Alles” is a work of political satire. The creators do not purport that the lyrics are actual representations…
The Celtic Punk Parallel
Posted on March 13, 2016Yesterday I attended Shamrockfest (a huge St. Patrick’s Day music festival in Washington, DC) for the fourth time. Although I’ve seen the Celtic punk bands Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys more than 20 times combined, it was my first time seeing them on the same bill! Celkilt, the Fighting Jamesons, the Gobshites, and Street Dogs were the other highlights yesterday. Through the years, I’ve also seen many other great Celtic punk/rock bands, including Barleyjuice, Black 47, Charm City Saints, Cutthroat…
The Debaucherauntes: Klezmer Fusion
Posted on March 7, 2016In Chapter 4 of Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk, I look at different ways that punk has had an impact on klezmer and other types of Jewish music. It’s too bad I didn’t know about The Debaucherauntes sooner. The below interview with Mai Li, the singer and violinist of The Debaucherauntes, sheds light on a core focus of Chapter 4: What’s it like when a musician who has played in a punk rock band brings punk musical elements,…
Golem’s “Vodka Is Poison”: New Video!
Posted on March 3, 2016Golem, a klezmer-rock band with a punk edge, released a new video today for “Vodka Is Poison” (from the band’s 2014 album, Tanz). Click here to watch the video on YouTube. In Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk, I discuss in depth how the label “punk” relates to Golem. In the chorus especially, “Vodka Is Poison” has a heaviness and fast tempo that give off a punk vibe. The focus on alcohol certainly doesn’t detract from that. I’ve seen Golem live an estimated 20…
They Went Away from Punk
Posted on February 26, 2016Jewish musicians have figured prominently in some extremely successful, mainstream acts that had punk rock roots but went in a different direction musically. We will focus on the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, and P!nk. Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys was a landmark group that helped bring hip-hop to the mainstream in the 1980s. All three members—MCA (Adam Yauch), Mike D. (Mike Diamond), and AdRock (Adam Horovitz)—were Jews who grew up in New York.…
Punking Up the Friday Night Service
Posted on February 12, 2016I sometimes lead Friday night services for an independent minyan. I’ve never made a conscious effort to “punk up” services, but I have done so in a few different regards. “Adon Olam” is a prayer that is sung to a wide variety of melodies, including traditional melodies and pretty much anything else. Back in 2003, as part of a basement show I organized called the Lacking Musician-ship Gig, I sang “Adon Olam” with Green Day’s “Minority” playing in the background.…
Farewell, Shmarya Rosenberg of Failed Messiah
Posted on February 5, 2016Shmarya Rosenberg announced on Tuesday that, after nearly 12 years, he is leaving his blog, Failed Messiah. Failed Messiah was a one-man powerhouse covering (and uncovering) injustice, hypocrisy, and a variety of issues in the Orthodox world. Failed Messiah was a big reason I got interested in running a Jewish blog in the first place. In 2004, when PETA did an investigation of a kosher slaughterhouse, Failed Messiah was at the forefront of covering the ensuing scandal and furthering discussion in the Jewish blogosphere.…