Anim Zmiros

(HT Apple770)

Avraham Fried - Yisroel Btach Hashem

(HT Gruntig)

Pruzansky - Watch Over Me

(HT YK’s Jewish Music Blog)

We’ve got another free CD giveaway for you.

Enter your name in the comment section below or e-mail me to qualify for this raffle. The contest will run for 7 days.

Here is a little information and a sampler about the CD.

The CD was produced by Gideon Levine, and arranged by Naftuly Mendlovitz (who also arranged a song from Lipa’s new CD.) The CD has 11 songs, 2 of them composed by Pinky Weber, 1 by Gideon, 1 by Yossi Mayer which is also the title track, Reb Meir Omer . There are also 2 songs by David Kaufman and the choir was done by Moshe Krouse

You can hear his interview with Nachum by clicking here.

You can purchase the CD at Mostly Music.

Every few years a new trend starts in Jewish Music. In the last ten years we’ve seen the child soloist trend, the sefardic style song trend, the chaseedish song trend and now we’ve got a new trend.

Recently we have Lipa and Yeedle both using Yitzchok Fuchs and Adi Ran on their Cd’s. Shloime Daskal’s new Cd will feature a song from Adi Ran. BloginDm writes about this new trend in mainstream Jewish CD’s, using Israeli or Jewish Folk/Rock artists. Although this isn’t the first we’re hearing of it. Srully Williger recorded Niggun Nevo on his last CD.

When he was on Nachum Segal he described going to Israel for a wedding and “discovering this song all the Bochurim were singing.” When referencing the composer he said he thought it was composed by “some Israeli guy”, lol.  I’m sure Shlomo Katz (born in California I think) is glad he’s known as some “Israeli guy.”

In some cases I think it’s exploitation of a more popular style of music among the mainstream. People who would otherwise never even give the time of day to a Shlomo Katz, being forced to acknowledge that style is more popular today. Although I do think it’s also that some artists who really do appreciate those artists.

So if it takes Chassidic Pop artists to bring Shlomo Katz, Adi Ran, Aaron Razel and Yitzchok Fuchs, then so be it. I look forward to many more of these collabarations.

What other trends have their been, what did I miss?

I really liked this interview, I just wonder if there is more since it just sort of ends abruptly. It’s a new interview, it mentions 8th Note a lot, but more as a concept for what Yossi is talking about in regards to the state of todays Jewish Music.

This video is roughly 7 minutes. If more pops up I will let you know.

UPDATED: I can now confirm that the song Yossi Green was talking about was Nodeh Lecha, a song written for Shloime Tausig’s upcoming album.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

What a great concept, it’s not perfect, there are some sound issues because of the waves, but it’s very good. I love the direction that we are finally heading in Jewish Music. This is a great CD and I will have a review done soon. For now I strongly suggest you watch this interview. It’s a big long but every part is well worth it.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Courtesy of Yozzi Zweig at The Jewish Insights Magazine.

As I’ve said before and as many of you have agreed with, I try to keep politics to a minimum.

For something as big as this I just have to make some comments.

I think this was the possibly the worst pick Obama could have made. I know the spin is gonna come hard and come strong. I know some Bloggers will hold their noses and pretend this is genius. Come on though, seriously, no one can think this was a good choice.

The first thing is the timing of this. No one, and NO ONE thinks 1 AM on a Saturday morning is optimal time to create buzz. Late Friday early Saturday is where you go to dump a story not promote it. Everyone knows that when you want the most airtime you announce it in time for the 6PM news cycle.

I’m just shocked by this, really. Here are just some of the things Biden has said.

In 2007 he said he DOES NOT want to be Vice President. He said he has NO DESIRE TO BE Vice President. He said he doesn’t even want to be secretary of state. The same year he also said that Obama was not fit for President and during these times we are not able to have to settle with someone who is gonna get on the job training. He said this repeatedly and was even asked to confirm at a debate in front of Obama’s face and he said he still agrees with it.

This pick burns his bridges with Clinton supporters. Trust me on this one, I know from first hand experience from big Hillary supporters who are very upset about this. When you choose a Vice President you are choosing someone who can possibly be president of something happens to you. This means that to Hillary supporters Obama is saying that he thinks Biden would be a better President then Hillary. Joe Biden barely got 8,000 votes throughout his entire primary run! As opposed to someone like Hillary or heck, Bill Richardson would have been a better pick then Biden.

Republicans are dancing in the street. The love that Biden has shown McCain for years is gonna hurt Obama. Biden has said tons of nice things about McCain including a few years ago that he loves McCain, he supports him, he’d even RUN with him! lol. OMG. Is Obama TRYING to lose this election? I know he’s had a tough Summer, but come on.

Another great thing is this message of “Change”, apparently Obama thinks Change is a guy who has been sitting in Washington in the Senate for 35 years! Biden is the very definition of old dog, old Washington politics. This guy is the poster child for business as usual back room politics.

I’ve got more, this pick is terrible because he picked someone who supposedly does well in places where Obama doesn’t He has longtime experience and a good record on Foreign Policy. Why is that bad? Easy, because he picked someone who very clearly highlights his own faults and just like the Democrats will all remind us, Vice Presidents don’t matter. So what good does it do his voters to learn that in the places where he lacks, his Vice President makes up. Who cares? Biden isn’t running for PRESIDENT! lol. Oh man, I could go on forever with this, thank you Barack, thank you!

Last but not least this shows Obama to be that smug arrogant man most of us Republicans have been saying he is. Sure Biden said bad things about Obama and so did Bush against Reagen, but that equation is not on the same playing field. The analogy SHOULD be Clinton V. Obama. Reagen showed the country that he was above politics and didn’t take things personal. He showed the country that he is not a small man, and he doesn’t hold a grudge and he took his biggest opponent.

Obama is showing the country that nothing has changed and he is a stubborn man. He couldn’t get over the fight with the Clintons and that is not good. I’m sure Democrats wanted him to pick Clinton and he said no. His advisers probably told him to pick Bayh or Kaine, but he said no. He shows that he can’t take advice and he can’t get past the personal stuff.

This is a defining moment in this election. Joe Biden is a going to be a gift that keeps on giving. Of course they’ll tell you “no one cares about Vice Presidents” but we all know that’s just spin.

(HT JMR)

MBD was confirmed earlier, now Fried has also confirmed.

Here is a video of Hesh from Frum Satire doing his thing at the J Bloggers Gala.

Today is the Yartzeit of Reb levi Yitzchok, who was the father of the Rebbe.

Read all about it here.

A few people sent this to me and I really just had to post it. For a change here is a story on an artist doing something other then singing.

Here is a post about Benny Friedman and his Chavrusa on Merkaz Shlichus (explanation here) in Romania.

There is also a posting about it on Benny’s Blog here.