Saturday, June 25, 2016

Mika Sade - Your Garden



God, this is even worse than that time we went to bed with Peres and woke up with Netanyahu. I wasn't following the Brexit campaign too closely because from the bits that I gathered it seemed that though the race was close, the U.K would ultimately decide to stay in the EU. Foreign reporters based in London reported an optimistic mood and a relief that this ugly campaign was soon going to be over. But then again, if you were in central Tel Aviv on the eve of the elections last year, you'd think that the left-wing Meretz was a leading party and that there was a real possibility that the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog might pass Netanyahu's right-wing Likud. While in reality Meretz barely passed the threshold and the large majority of Netanyahu's supporters came from outside Tel Aviv. That's probably one of the reasons the results came as such a surprise. Even though polls were close, people didn't actually see the vote as so crucial because Remain supporters were surrounded by like-minded people and perhaps those who wanted to leave felt that they were in the minority.
This isn't the song I was planning to post today but I love its comforting tones and how it makes me think of a meadow, specifically a sunny English meadow. It feels like a nod to English folk songs and if you go even further back, to romantic poems like Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". Mika usually sings in Hebrew and though this is her first album in English, it's impossible to forget her sweet duet with Geva Alon, closing his album "The Wall of Sound".

I'm your prisoner
Locked and chained in flowers
Which never wilt

Almost your daughter
Locked and chained in longing
That never rests

How wish I could
Take your hand and
Walk you to your garden
Blossom is nicer when you're there

I'm your doom
Locked and kept in memories
That constantly grows in the dark

Almost your lover
Locked in a box of treasure
That will never open again

How I wish I could
Take your hand and
Walk you to your garden
Blossom is nicer when you're there

I see you in every flower
When you're alone and quiet
I miss you

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Liraz - Nozi Nozi



Tonight is the holiday of Shavuot, which is celebrated by eating fruit and dairy products (please don't ask me why). We marked the holiday at work with a festive meal where everyone brought a dish of their choice. To coordinate things, a doc was shared where we each wrote what we were planning to bring. A friend of mine jokingly wrote "Good vibes (dairy)". I think he eventually did bring something but as we were having the meal and the conversation alternated between plans for the long weekend to a heated debate on how the Israeli media covered the Sarona attack that happened a day earlier, and guesses on when the next war will begin, I couldn't help but think that with all due respect to homemade lasagna, we could all really use good vibes (dairy). Which brings me to this gem by Liraz, oozing with good vibes and impressive vocals.

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Lior Adler Aharony - Sisra



Today was one of those days when nothing fit my mood-until I came across this beautiful pearl.

http://lioradleraharony.bandcamp.com/album/jerusalem