From the mailbag....

Yosef Peysin writes: 

We are Rogers Park, a Chicago-based Hassidic Folk/Pop band that just released this video today as part of the national NPR "Tiny Desk Concert" competition. 

This song is based off of the old Russian Chabad niggun - "Nyet Nyet Nikavo", which is the concept of "Ain Oid Milvado", and this is how we interpret it in English.

The song is called "The Holy One" 

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6B2Jd1PBpM

A Fire-Breathing Turtle and Chazzonus

That Time When Pink Floyd....

... put an anti-Semitic sax player on their new record. 'Circumcised trolls' row: Protest after Jewish jazzman has Nottingham concert cancelled.

One of the Greats!

Pete Sokolow Is the 'Youngest Old Guy' of Klezmer

שגריר ג'אז: "בכל מקום מחפש את המוזיקה"

Nice Hebrew interview with percussionist Gilad Dobrecky: שגריר ג'אז: "בכל מקום מחפש את המוזיקה" | Xnet.

Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows

"The Voice" finalist Eyal Cohen, who wouldn't perform with women during the program, and whom the producers graciously accommodated in this regard, and Ofir Ben Shetrit, the daati finalist from last year's season, released a political single in support of Naftali Bennet's "Bayit Yehudi."



‫ג'ינגל הבית היהודי 2015 - אנחנו אחים - אייל כהן ואופיר בן שטרית‬‎

Divorced So She Could Sing

Details at the Forward's Sisterhood blog... After Ten Years, Finding Her Voice

The Peeps Are Out In Force Again!

Vafilu Behastore Guy
 No need to describe this peep. The name says it all. He needs to sing "Nigun Hastore". Many times. Doing the A section four times each time through. Then doing the B four times to end. Genug!

The Dinner Singer
This peep comes over with a laundry list of songs he wants to sing during dinner. Four-five at least. Wishes Chayil, Carlebach's Mimkomcha. Yes, the long one. Vezakeini. And more.Naturally, the chosson "wants" him to sing. For real. Also naturally, he wants to finish his set with "Nigun Hastore." Of course, with all the extra repeated bits, as his friend we just mentioned likes to do it. Oy!

Varda Gets Her Groove Back

In Tablet... "How One Orthodox Woman Got Her Musical Groove Back"

Quoting

In the Telegraph... Beware the wrath of the church organist – musical revenge is sweet.

Jesus Was a Dreidel Spinner

Jill Sobule sings all about it!

Extended Album Covers

I always knew there was a shark in that pic... Famous Album Covers Extended To Reveal Background Action

Salome's Mechitza

Over at Tablet... Using Dance To Explore The Mechitza's Effect On Women

Classic Film Score Sunday

Extreme Shabbos!

What's the Tempo?

Tempo Tap

Where Are The Musicians On This?

And, where is President Obama? The EU leadership?



Sick hit parade: Another Palestinian song praises running over Jews 

Food for Thought...

How To Make Streaming Royalties Fair(er)

He's Not Going to Shacharis!

Shema Yisrael!

You can make a Kiddush Hashem anywhere... even on a pop TV show! Really!

Sing, Sing, Sing

Over at Cross-Currents... Aaron White pens "TheThree Cardinal Sins of Singing".



With regard to Sin One - I agree with him about the song "Zochreini Na". In fact, I wrote about it in 2003 here. However, it is not Mordechai Ben David's song. It is Dov Shurin's. Credit/blame where it is due.



With regard to Sin Two... Mr. White judges people based on superficialities, ironic given his intended point about moving past superficialities in choosing music. One can be sitting in a hotel in the "lap of luxury", seemingly jovially,  while still having serious personal issues on one's mind, whether health, financial, or faith based, any of which would well connect to those lyrics.



I think the underlying issue is not only, as the author notes, that singing is vertical rather than horizontal. I think it is also connected to the fact that so many are Jewishly illiterate, and even after years of Day school, cannot translate the words to many popular songs, and certainly can't identify the textual source. I can't even estimate how many times frum singers have asked for the source of lyrics to a new (or rediscovered) "in" song like "Mareh Cohen" (from the high point of the Yom Kippur musaf).

Too Much Free Time - Frum Shred Guitar Edition

עשרת קטעי הסולו גיטרה הנבחרים של המוזיקה החסידית

Hava Nagila for Real

Sharon musician Daniel Gil wants you to hear real Jewish music.

Not Zis

Latvian Musical On Nazi Collaborator Stirs Anger

Juicy Litvaks

Rachel Kafrissen reviews Litvakus’ New Album “Raysn” for Jewcy.

One Hell of A Story

Scott Ian: The Hellish Childhood of a Jewish Metal God

Oh, Air Canada!

Neshama Carlebach on Kol Isha

Neshama Carlebach: "Kol Isha does not belong in 21st Century Jewish life.

Kind of 'Kind Of Blue'

Interesting! Check it out! 'Kind Of Blue' Recreated Note-For-Note

‫תפילה לא-ל חיי - ניגון חב'ד מהעיירה קובליץ - אורן צור ונדב בכר‬‎

Performed in Verdi tuning A=432.

Praying With A Pedophile

Joshua Berman writes "Praying with a pedophile."

Via Torah Musings.

Time for Atunement

In the Forward: Ring In the New Year: Top Tunes to Atone To

David Schlusselberg- I Miss Her

David Schlusselberg, 27, lost his mother to breast cancer when he was a child. Today, he launched his first single, "I Miss Her," in order to raise awareness about the illness. "Through the hard times, music has always been my way of coping," he said.



Via The Jewish Week

Lazer Lloyd-Talk

Talk to the Lord! Let Him know what's on your mind!

Oh Listen, Oh Listen, Oh Listen Bas Pharaoh!

Basya Schechter and Pharaoh’s Daughter Rock Religious Songs on ‘Dumiyah’

We Are Jewish and We Like It A Lot!

'I FINK U JEWISH' by Gardens Shul In association with Choni G

Long Article On Freygish Mode

How Time’s Arrow and the Phrygian Half-Step Make Jewish Music Holy



I found this tedious and I like this stuff. And Tablet printed it. Wow!



Hat tip, E.