PunkTorah Fridays at ModernTribe

This week's Parshat is Chayei Sarah and talks about the importance of understanding "true" love (hint: love ain't a feeling). Also featured are a video on Tallit from a feminist perspective and a "plug" for the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival from our friend Russell. Shabbat Shalom and have a beautiful weekend!

Parshat Chayei Sarah


Tallit


Atlanta Jewish Music Festival

Three Funny, Adorable Videos on Matisyahu

As you've probably already heard, ModernTribe is hosting the Matisyahu/ModernTribe Sweepstakes this month, through November 30.

Because of our involvement with the sweepstakes, I've been kinda really getting into the Chassid, Reggae, Hip Hop, Beat Box, mega star. Here are three very entertaining videos. Enjoy.

Matisayhu Interviewing Matisyahu



Matisyahu on Isreal's Sesame Street (Thank you Shemspeed Records for the find)




An Interview with Matisyahu's Brother from Heeb magazine (also a partner in our sweepstakes btw)

What's New On ModernTribe

If you are a fan of Twitter (like us), then you know that today is #MusicMonday, where Twitterers "tweet" their favorite artists, songs and albums.

We're taking this to the "next level" by showing you our favorite new Cool Jew Music Merchandise on ModernTribe.com.



The Ghettoblaster Bag by Parcel/Loop NYC is a great gift for anyone who likes the retro-hip hop style of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Afrika Bambaataa and Run DMC.

We first learned about this bag when Shopkeeper Jennie's niece came to visit. Jennie fell in love with the bag and just had to find it for you!

The bag has real working speakers for your ipod or mp3 player. Just plug & play, the wires and speakers are built right in!

Our fearless Personal Shopper Patrick Aleph (who happens to be a musician as well) thinks this makes an awesome alternative to a back pack, especially for grad students.

We also think it makes a cool alternative baby bag for hip parents (especially dads) that want their baby fashion to be...well...edgy!

Now here's a few Cool Jews that are changing the way the world sees (and hears!) Jewish music. First we have Matisyahu, with his new album Light. Matisyahu breaks the mold by effortlessly blending deep dance, reggae, electronica, and even acoustic folk into this album that showcases his brilliance.

We're proud to call Y-Love a personal friend. Y-Love's album This Is Babylon is an epic journey into the heart of a Modern Orthodox, biracial rap sensation, who brings together English, Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin into global hip hop. With themes of unity, spiritual journeys, and prophetic visions of the future, Y-Love is truly a hip hop revolutionary.

Consider the soul-moving sounds of Girls In Trouble, fronted by Alicia Jo Rabins of the klezmer rock band Golem. Girls In Trouble asks the question, "what would happen if the girls of the Bible started an indie rock band"? What you get is a marriage of classical instrumental training and folk-punk sensitivity through the filter of Jewish literature, mysticism and history. It will take your breath away.

As seen in Time Out New York, the Mix Tape USB Stick is one of our best selling products. These 64MB USB memory sticks will store up to one hour of digital music -- the same amount as you used to get on and old school C60 cassette tape.

What's new is our ongoing list of New Jewish Loves Songs. If you have a favorite, email ModernTribe today!

Follow us today on Twitter: @ModernTribe_Jew (Shopkeeper Jennie), @TexasDreidel (No Limit Texas Dreidel)

Teruah - Comprehensive Coverage of Jewish Music Scene

I just found a blog called Teruah (named after the nine notes in the series of sounds made by the shofar for Rosh Hashanah). Author Jack Zaientz is creating a truly impressive introduction and commentary on the Jewish music scene. His passion for Jewish music ranges from Chasidic to punk rock and he explores all that is happening now in Jewish music. I especially enjoy reading his posts on new Jewish artists infusing diverse music styles with Jewish ruach (spirit), for example, his post on Moshav Band leading Havdalah.

His site is heavily sprinkled with audio and video clips which is oh so wonderful for experiencing the music he is writing about. He has a Radio Widget too, so you can listen to a myriad of internet streamed Jewish music. If you want to keep up with what is happening in Jewish music, in a wide range of styles, check out Teruah.

Yael Naim and Ayelet Rose Gottlieb Rock

Sophie Milman's beautiful punim graces the cover of American Jewish Life's March issue. The jazz singer is one of the women featured in Women Who Rock, a profile of several contemporary music artists all of whom are women, beautiful, talented and Jewish.

Inspired by the article and panicked over the realization I hadn't bought any new music in over a year (I've long held that new music will stave off middle age), I went on a quest to find women Jewish artists doing Jewish-themed work to add to my own collection. I've listened to more than a dozen artists over the weekend. Here are two that I love. For your reference, my taste is more jazz than folk, more electronic than acoustic, more soulful than upbeat, more alternative than pop.

Yael Naim: Eclectic is the only way to describe Yael Naim's eponymous album. The first track Paris, is sung in Hebrew but styled as French torch song, ending with a sultry "Shalom Paris." Track two Too Long is trip-hop down-beat evoking a 90's favorite of mine: Portishead. Much of the album is Fiona Apple-ish folk sung in Hebrew and English. She does a cover of Brittany Spear's Toxic. And then her hit New Soul comes along and is solidly pop. (Side note: New Soul is the music for the MacBook Air commercials.) No matter the style, her music is fresh and lovely. Listen to samples of her music here. You can buy the album right now on iTunes and the album will be released in the US in March.

Ayelet Rose Gottlieb. Her album Mayim Rabim is based on ten segments of Song of Songs, those passionate love poems comprising one of the five scrolls of the Hebrew Bible. Just because the subject matter is traditional and religious, don't let that scare you away. This music is new, powerful, and exciting. Global Rhythm Magazine sums her album up perfectly, "avant-garde yet surprisingly accessible". Gottlieb's music is intellectually challenging, yet still a delight to listen to and easy to enjoy. American Jewish Life also profiles Gottlieb. Her album can be downloaded from iTunes or bought from Tzadik Records.