One Israeli Creation for the Weekend

By Noga Gur-Arieh
Published on October 12, 2012

Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform in Israel after ten year rain check

By Hollywood Jew
Published on December 5, 2011

From Jewish roots, band sprouts afro/new wave wings

By Ryan Torok
Published on September 14, 2011

Luke Top and Lewis Pesacov of Fool’s Gold are surprised they don’t have a larger Jewish fan base. Most of the songs on the band’s 2009 self-titled debut are in Hebrew, vocalist Top was born in Israel, and earlier this year the band played Jewlicious, a music festival for Jewish college students.

KISS reunion tour in Haifa: Gene Simmons goes home

Published on September 12, 2011

The most well-circulated piece of trivia about Gene Simmons, former member of the band KISS, is that he was born in Haifa, Israel.

Gene Simmons Talks “Family Jewels” and Why Blood is Thicker Than Hummus [UPDATE]

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on June 28, 2011

We got Apples and Oranges and Pears, Oh My!

By Julia Bendis
Published on April 28, 2011

Men who rock Israel’s history appear locally

By Amy Klein
Published on March 1, 2007

Can the history of a nation be told through its music? If that nation has only been around for about 60 years, it's conceivable.

Good albums drown out naysayers’ dire predictions

By George Robinson
Published on December 28, 2006

All in all, 2006 was a very good year for Jewish music.

Susanna Hoffs walks like a -- rockstar no, a mom -- rockstar/mom

By Tom Teicholz
Published on September 28, 2006

How did a nice Jewish girl from Santa Monica become a rock star?

Thirty Years of Carlebach Rock

By George Robinson
Published on August 17, 2006

Moshav Band, which was founded as a direct result of Carlebach's influence, just released its first English only album -- "Misplaced."

Fundraiser to Benefit Storm Victims

Published on September 15, 2005

Fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina

The O-Zo-Surprising Ozomatli

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on June 30, 2005

"Wil-Dog Abers is Jewish?" The question comes up often for the co-founder of the sociopolitical salsa-pop-reggae-hip-hop band Ozomatli, which has won two Grammys for best alternative Latin rock. Hispanic fans address the bassist as ese, the Spanish slang for homeboy, and are shocked to learn he's Jewish. But both Abers and the band thrive on contradictions.

7 Days in the Arts

By Keren Engelberg
Published on June 2, 2005

7 Days in the Arts

Spend Chanukah Barenaked

By Keren Engelberg
Published on December 2, 2004

While naming your holiday album "Barenaked for the Holidays" is a pretty catchy way to get some attention, for the quirky pop band that calls itself the Barenaked Ladies, it made sense -- about as much sense as getting naked on "The Sharon Osbourne Show" last year, anyway. Apparently, stripping down's just part of the offbeat Canadians' sense of fun. So it follows that anyone expecting the Ladies' holiday album to be anything less than silly would be, well, silly.

The new CD offers up revamped Christmas, Chanukah and New Year's classics, as well as a few original tunes, including one called "Hanukkah Blessings," written by Jewish band member Steven Page. The reinterpreted songs include a version of "Jingle Bells" that has "the extra lines you remember from being a kid," Page recently told rollingstone.com.

Ano

What’s in a Name?

By Michael Aushenker
Published on August 15, 2002

Eric, Matt and Chris are three musicians who refuse to give away their last names. But if you guessed it was out of a lack of ethnic pride, you'd be wrong.

7 Days in the Arts

By Keren Engelberg
Published on May 23, 2002

The band is called JEW and blatant Jew pride is reason enough for a shout-out. But these guys also have a show tonight.

Strike Up the Klezmer

By Beverly Gray
Published on November 29, 2001

This is not your grandmother's halftime show. Unless of course, Grandma grew up in a kibbutz or shtetl with a 145-piece marching band in residence.

Classical Klezmer

By Mike Levy
Published on November 29, 2001

What do you do when your symphony season hinges on a theme of celebration, but your country is still reeling from terrorism?

Marching to a Different Drum

By Michael Aushenker
Published on March 30, 2000

Building an audience has become something of a lifestyle for the group Guster. Formed at Tufts University, the band Guster consists of three Jewish boys -- Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner on guitars and vocals; Brian Rosenworcel on percussion -- who graduated from the Boston-area college in 1995. And the web-savvy musicians use the Internet to cultivate their loyal following.
On their third and latest CD, "Lost and Gone Forever" (Warner Bros./Sire), Guster deals with themes that are both personal and complex. The CD's title track, for example, refers to a friend's suicide.

Zen Cowboy

By Michael Aushenker
Published on January 6, 2000

There's a new singing cowboy in town, and his name is Ken Kunin.
"I've been in this crazy industry for about 10 years," says the lead vocalist/songwriter. And he's about to turn up the heat.

His band, davis waits, has been receiving radio airplay , including on local outlets KLOS and KTTC; and a cross-country tour in support of their new album, "the evolution of...," will follow after the New Year.

Taste of KlezMex

By Carvin Knowles
Published on July 15, 1999

In spite of thunder, lightning, pouring rain and occasional gusts of unchecked sentimentalism, the Viva Klezmer-L'Khayim Mariachi concert at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on Sunday, July 11, was a high-energy, crowd-pleaser that mostly delivered on its promise to explore the intersection of the two forms.

The Return of Poogy

Published on May 13, 1999

The last time Poogy toured here was 1976, shortly before they broke up.

Zen Rabbi

By Tom Tugend
Published on March 11, 1999

There's a new singing cowboy in town, and his name is Ken Kunin.
"I've been in this crazy industry for about 10 years," says the lead vocalist/songwriter. And he's about to turn up the heat.

Soulful Sounds

By Orit Arfa
Published on October 15, 1998

The sounds of heaven and earth merge when David De'or and Shlomo Bar, two internationally acclaimed Israeli artists, combine their musical talents.

Up Front

By Rob Eshman
Published on May 22, 1997

At the Dixieland Jubilee in Sacramento, the annual super bowl of jazz, the band that got the most ecstatic reception a couple of years ago was cradled a few thousand miles east of New Orleans.

It was the Jerusalem Jazz Band, whose members hail each other by such fine old Southern names as Boris, Mika, Shmulik, Stanislav and Aaron.