Saturday, December 28, 2019

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Nomke - Ended (by the morning)





I think I lost all my lovers
They were gone when I opened my eyes
The cruelest deepest ocean
Lies between us

I think I lost all my lovers
They were gone when they opened their mouth
I saw right through their flesh
I don't believe their lies

Cause everything that begun ended by the morning sun

When my dreams trying to break me
I wanna touch something real
But this town is full of ghosts
I keep my eyes closed

Cause everything that begun ended by the morning sun

https://backl.ink/84024724

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Tuna - This Too Shall Pass



End of the decade special! I never got around to posting this song when it came out, partly because I was intimidated by all the 90s references in the lyrics. I used a bit of the translation by Israeli Music Playlists, which is one of the comments on the YouTube page and was very helpful to me. Looking back, it's definitely one of the best videos of the decade. Itay Zvulon, the man behind Tuna, said that he digitally reconstructed many of the 90s artifacts, in a process which took months to complete. The result isn't only impressive aesthetically but also captures the 90s nostalgia that was a big part of this past decade when we were all yearning for a simpler time (for those of us who were kids in the 90s at least).
I thought about this song when the news broke that there will be elections for the third time in a year. My first reaction was anger, mixed with shame and frustration. So much public money will be flushed down the toilet, all because of a Prime Minister indicated on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust who will do everything to remain in power. But there was also a small feeling of hope that this too shall pass and we'll wake up on March 3rd to a new era. Maybe.

They found a time to break your heart, eh?
And the world, as if nothing happened, still turns around, eh?
What can I say to you? Let's see...
No, I don't have any cliches to throw in any case
If it hurts, then it hurts
I'm here, if you want, to drink, to pour your heart out
It's hard to see you fade
And also listen, maybe it's too soon to go dirty
After all, maybe you'll get back together, maybe there'll even be a wedding...
Actually fuck it, what a bitch
Come on, they should know it hurts
Peres also got his heart broken once
A man, what does he deal with?
Guilt, pity, a lonely heart
I understand that it's a bit hard to cheer up
But I checked the statistics and listen:

This too shall pass
Like Kinley, like the techno, like Crocs
This too shall pass
Like film, like Lior Miller, Samantha Fox
This too shall pass
Like the CDs, like the Walkman, you'll soon see
Time heals everything, it heals everything
If not everything, then most and this too shall pass...

And the days go by slowly
Suddenly it's hardest on Saturdays
Suddenly a mass of advice
Everybody's a professor of being bummed out
Look at the half-full glass
I poured a bit of whiskey into it, it'll hold for another hour
I don't have any advice because who am I?
You're smart, you realize it's temporary
Yes, true, you'll remain a little scarred
Life isn't Saranga, not everything is smooth
How did Haz"l say?
Love will eventually arrive and in the end you'll say it was luck
Until then, lay your head on a dune
In your headphones a CD by Tuna
I need you strong
When I'll be down, remind me that...

This too shall pass
Like Kinley, like the techno, like Crocs
This too shall pass
Like film, like Lior Miller, Samantha Fox
This too shall pass
Like CDs, like the Walkman, you'll soon see...
Time heals everything, it heals everything
If not everything, then most and this too shall pass...
Like the talk show, like Napster, Soda Club,
This too shall pass
Like Netscape, like Blockbuster, Zahav Cable
This too shall pass
Like Y2K, the Tamagotchi, you'll soon see
Time heals everything, it heals everything
If not everything, then most and this too shall pass...
Like Kapulsky, like the pouch, the TLV nightclub
This too shall pass
Like the Tyrannosaurus, like grunge, like landline phones
This too shall pass
Like Ruth Gonzales, Ronen Harazi, Dana Modan
Like skinny jeans, the Taverna show, Eden band, Eyal Barkan
Like Hulk Hogan, like a hangover, Michal Zuaretz, Richard Gere
Hanoch Rosen, Saddam Hussein, Burekas films, Karin Ophir
Like Telad, like the pog games, the Macarena, the innocence
Like skates, Peter Andre, Atari consoles
The loneliness

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Masok - Right Up Your Alley



I just want to forget about everything and dance.

Underneath anything rational
hides a madness
and when you look for sanity
all you find is a mess
Mistakes are only natural
when you're moving too fast
Before you go and do anything radical
remember past will stay past

Now all I want is
a dance
all night
all night
Dance
all night
all night.

Your fears they're gonna disappear
by the time you get home
Listen to the birds, you can find 'em here
why not give it a go?
I absorb any kind of energy
so don't push it too far
But as long as the sun keeps coming back to me
I ain't taking it hard

Now I'll dance
all night
all night
Dance
all night
all night

I've become obsessed over a success,
can't sleep
Teach me how not to be afraid
of failing
Had a dream about fish, I wonder what
it means...
Who would've thought taking care of your hopes
is harder than it seems?

Don't you know the grass is always greener
when you try to compare?
Can you be sure that grass is cleaner?
If you can't, you know it's not fair

Now we gon'
dance
all night
all night
Dance
all night
all night

https://masok.bandcamp.com/

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Floor Eight - Ocean of Us



IndieCity is back, and this time in Eilat! I really like the style of the new batch of videos which show a different side of Eilat than what you would normally imagine, including this discovery from Eilat natives Floor Eight. So good!

Let's agree that we've got only each other
And I hope you have nothing bad to say
It's not you, it's just for me to discover
And I know you won't have it any other way.

Million thoughts in my head, tell me what to do
when all I got is me to rely on
Like the moon in a breeze, lighting up shades of me.
All alone, in the ocean of you, drowning us deep underwater
Sinking past the light of your borders
Just meant to be.

Baby please, oh please don't take this no further.
Cause any words you'll say won't make it all go away
It's not worth it, and I mean it.
Tomorrow day, I won't be included in it, but it's ok

Million thoughts in my head, tell me what to do
when all I got is me to rely on
Like the moon in a breeze, lighting up shades of me.
All alone, in the ocean of you, drowning us deep underwater
Sinking past the light of your borders
Just meant to be.

Pada padadada Pada da dadada
(finally I'm alone...from all those thoughts...)

Finally I'm alone from all those thoughts,
I think I need a moment of silence, like the moon in a breeze
Exactly how I wanted to be
All alone, in the ocean of us, drowning us deep underwater
Sinking past the light of our borders.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Anat Malamud - Quiet



As soon as I saw the news notification yesterday morning that an aerial strike had killed Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta I knew it was going to be a long day. But it turned out to be longer in a different way than what I had expected and everything felt (and still feels) too quiet-like the calm before the storm. But maybe I'm wrong and things will break off as they had in other rounds, as if nothing really happened.

I don't really want to get into the political side of things like why the strike happened when it did, I just feel like sharing how my day went yesterday. I was on my way to work when the siren 'caught' me. It was all very surreal yet not too unusual. After a bit of chaos, the bus driver stopped and we all got out. There wasn't anywhere to really take cover so a group of us crouched underneath a palm tree and waited for the siren to end. It felt kind of ridiculous but standing awkwardly by the bus would have been worse. We saw the white smoke of the Iron Dome, the bus driver waited for everyone to get back as if we had just stopped for a coffee break, and that was that. Right after the siren ended I got a message in my work WhatsApp group that following Home Front Command's instructions the office will be closed for the day. Home Front had ordered all schools and non-essential workplaces to be closed in areas between Gaza and Tel Aviv. This was very extreme because even in 2014 work went on as usual. Instead of getting off at work I continued with the bus until I got to my mom's place. She was supposed to go to an international conference and wasn't sure if it was still happening. It went on as planned, which is a good thing because there really was no need for it to be canceled. About two hours later Home Front suddenly updated that people can actually go to work as long as it's near a safe area, which is almost every workplace in Israel. Luckily my boss updated that they decided to keep the office closed so I spent the rest of the day doing household chores, always with my phone nearby. I refused to turn on the news so once in a while I'd check on my phone to see what was going on. I was so happy to get back to work today. Things went back to the familiar pattern as they always do, where the Center goes on with life as usual while the South takes all of the hits. So far at least 360 rockets and mortar shells have been fired and it seems that things won't calm down until Jihad gets their "victory shot".

I came across this gem by the soulful Anat Malamud while I was browsing through new releases trying to find a song that fit my mood. It immediately felt comforting and just what I needed to hear. As cliche as this sounds, I hope for quiet days ahead.

Quiet in the rooms of the heart
Quiet in the rooms of the heart
To fight, reach, take comfort, redeem
To the corners of the mysteries of the heart
And quiet pain.
Don't look back
All the time ahead
Remember the good
And all that is bad
Should be tossed aside
There's not much choice
In order to stay upright on the way
You need to keep
Your heart-to your lovers
And the body to the light

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Blue Pill Band - A Song for Myself



In Liron Atia's words, from the youtube description:

I really remember myself at 17, before the accident and everything.
I mainly remember how much mental strength I had, I remember feeling strong in the face of any trouble that might come, I had the power in me to deal with everything and I wasn't afraid of anything-addicted to adrenaline and to everything that put me on the edge. I wasn't afraid to go into the sea alone in the middle of winter when the waves were huge and the wind was trying to break records, I wasn't afraid to jump 10 steps with the skateboard and break my hand and I wasn't afraid to do it again when it healed. Part courage, part stupidity of being 17.

And then life decided to test me.
At 18, the snowboarding accident that changed my life arrived, suddenly a wheelchair, a goodbye to everything that had happened before, from the body, from the sea, from life as I had known it. A downpour of trouble, I got hit, and again, and 500 times more, so many things to deal with-all of the friends are joining the army, sharing experiences, finishing service, flying alone to the big trip abroad, telling me about girls they met in some pub at the other end of the world, starting to study... and me? What about me? I really felt like I was slowly running out of power, like a drained battery.
There were days when I felt that "if one more thing goes wrong...that's it, I'm done".
Where was that brave kid?

About 6 years ago my heart calmed down, after a long journey, I think that in the end what saved me was that my whole perception of the concept of "fear" had changed.
If I used to think that being brave meant not being afraid, today I understand that being brave means being afraid, and yet still doing what scares you. That's real courage.
With time I also understood something very important which is in the end, nobody can help me except myself. I'm the only one responsible for myself, I'm the one who decides if it will be good, or bad, I'm the only one that can save myself.
I just need to remember this to myself when the clouds arrive. No problem.
There's a problem.
Because remembering it when everything is good is easy,
But remember it when things get hard, that's already something else.

So I wrote this song, and I called it "a song for myself".
And it's here from now to remind me even on the difficult days what's so easy to forget.

I dedicate this next song to you, with the hope that you'll dedicate it to yourself.

So where's that brave kid? He's still here, singing to me.

We're a rock in the face of the wind.


When it will come, don't be afraid
Because even the bad has an end
Be like a rock in the face of the wind

There's one world outside
And you have another world in your head
When you accept this you'll be able to rest

Do you remember what it was like
When we were kids
How back then the heart was calm

Going to surf
Then in the evening playing music
You were a rock in the face of the wind

And if you were then you'll be
And if you were then you'll be
If you already were then you'll be

Listen up I'm here with you
No matter what will come
Let's fight with all our might

Let's turn on the light
And do good until the credits come up
We're a rock in the face of the wind

Even the bad will pass, you'll see
Even the bad will pass, you'll see
Even the bad will pass, you'll see

Everything passes!

https://www.facebook.com/BluePillBand/

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Yuval Banai and Flora - Under the Tree of Love



So lovely! My favorite song so far from Yuval Banai's tribute show to his late father, the great Yossi Banai. Here is the original with Nurit Galron.

Under the tree of love, sitting in the shadow of love
The two of them and they have a bird on their shoulders
Under the tree of love, sitting in the shadow of love
The two of them and their gaze is clear and enlightening
Under the tree of love, under the tree of love

Under the tree of love, sitting in the shadow love
The two of them and they have a dream but in the meantime
Under the tree of love, sitting in the shadow of love
The two of them holding hands
And a song on the lips and they are happy, the two of them
Under the tree of love, under the tree of love

Under the tree of love, sitting in the shadow love
The two of them with the bird are flying, spreading wings
Under the tree of love, sitting in the shadow of love
The two of them and the whole sky is smiling at them
And a song on the lips and they are happy, the two of them
Under the tree of love, under the tree of love

https://yuvalbanay.co.il

https://iamflora.com/

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Roy Harmon - On Rosh Hashanah



Shana Tova!

The whole country is full of mosquitoes
And they suck
Warm blood in winter
This winter
Will be different
For sure
Not like last year
Not like last year

There is one more special taste
Not like blood
Sour and salty
This taste
Is good for sure
Not like the last year
Not like the last year

On Rosh Hashanah
We'll ask for forgiveness
We'll try to shed a tear
A sweet one
On Rosh
We won't sleep at night
We won't dream about what happened
We won't dream about what happened
We won't dream about what happened
We won't dream about what happened

Another day of deep sleep
A red bite
Calls out to me to touch
This morning we will run away together
We won't repeat what happened
We won't repeat what happened

On Rosh Hashanah
We'll ask for forgiveness
We'll try
To shed a tear
A sweet one
On Rosh
We won't sleep at night
We won't dream about what happened
We won't dream about what happened
We won't dream about what happened
We won't dream about what happened

https://www.facebook.com/gambiagambiagambia/


*I'm spending the holidays abroad-so I'll be back in a couple of weeks.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Amitay Lev - Say Yes



It's time for a change.


The water might be cold
So you won't take a swim
The system might be sold
So you won't choose a team
Now, time is late
You're waiting for something to happen
Whether decisions or fate
It feels like you were forgotten

Enough with saying no, say yes
Say yes and you've got it all.
Enough with saying no,
Say yes and you've got it all.

The rain got strong
You're angry for no certain reason
I guess the weather is wrong
We weren't aware of the season
And there's no chance
To love everyone who's around you
You're driven by your false romance
So blind that you can't see the truth

Enough with saying no,
Say yes and you've got it all.
Enough with saying no,
Say yes and you've got it all.

We don't need no more nos.
All we want is a yes.

Enough with saying no,
Say yes and you've got it all.
Enough with saying no,
Say yes and you've got it all.

https://amitaylev.bandcamp.com/album/here-i-am

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Guetta Feat. Pele Ozen & Sha'anan Street - News



I came across this song through Shira Z. Carmel's new project, the album "Everything is Political". Carmel: Ahead of the elections, and in view of the despair and apathy that dominates Israel today, we present to you "Everything is Political", a collection of political songs, which dare to sing, speak, and shout what is whispered, censored and suppressed.
At a time when the "silent majority"remains silent and silenced in the face of the extremists and in face of the injustice (both visible and hidden) that threatens to conquer every good part of our country - we do not have the privilege to remain silent.
 This is the time for all of us to make our voice heard, to believe that we can still make a change, and to take responsibility for our future.

"Everything is Political", and this song specifically, couldn't have come at a better time. Here we are again, five months after the last election and nothing has changed. The main question is if Netanyahu will be able to build a 61 seat coalition without Avigdor Liberman's party Yisrael Beytenu. Even if Gantz's Blue and White party gets more votes than Netanyahu's Likud, I don't see how he'll be able to form a coalition. The latest surveys show both HaAvoda and the Democratic Camp (Meretz + Ehud Barak's new party + Stav Shaffir) hovering dangerously close to the threshold, but I'm not sure if this will motivate left-leaning voters to vote for them (or at all, for that matter) because both parties have made major changes to their lists, and apparently not necessarily for the better. Lior Schleien has a pretty good summary (with English subtitles!) of the political mess we're in. This time around, it doesn't feel like just another political battle-the stakes are much higher but the general feeling in the air is one of apathy and despair.

Guetta, Pele Ozen and Sha'anan Street capture the mood in the air perfectly with painfully honest lyrics that I'm not used to hearing from musicians today. As Pele Ozen wrote on fb: Don't regret mistakes you haven't made yet.

Flat on the couch surfing another channel
I am cramped here between one tall tale and another tall tale
That guy in a suit doesn't give a damn about me
He says that it's necessary to be stressed with a clenched fist
The neck is strained from another turn in pursuit of a worn-out scoop
A doomed race-the finish line will again be the blues
The king is naked so why are they flattering his look?
Babylonia-why are they talking about Zionism?
Damn
We're all zombies maybe it's in our nature to swallow lies as a hobby on a daily basis
If it wasn't tragic maybe it would be funny
How's your story? Great
Who has a lobby in the Knesset-pushing for a preliminary debate, first, second, third?
Who's making jokes on whose back, mine, through the screen?
Oh shit
It makes me feel so good
Mass control techniques inside the screens
The same gentlemen with different suits
There's nothing new under the sun
When will we internalize that-

If it's not new then if it's not new
Then it's not new then it's not news

If you want to know
What's really going on here
Go out and check and stop trusting whoever is quoting
They're making a salary from taking things out of context
And from the fact that a thousand idiots are hitting share
Sparkling headlines like broken glass on a sidewalk
Read between the lines be a good student
Focus, wherever you look there's a rod
Everyone's eating the bait without salt
Writing in the front about the threat from Iran
But no one's talking about Umm al-Hiran
The mind control police
They won't show the police beating up the residents
Or
Close-ups of sniper's aims
When the finger is on the trigger and they'll shoot in a second
Another item for Arison
A mystery like Aris San
How in Shapira another crib death case is recorded
Hand shakes hand money is the main thing
They'll do anything for more ratings
Swapping positions like furniture
The information is expired like songs on the top 40
Celebrating independence, showing optimism
But they're putting me on mute if I'm a minority
Since Leibowitz has ascended to the gates of heaven
They censored the word occupation from prime time
They're feeding us shit with a spoon like an airplane
So let's hear what's really happening in Israel today

So who disrespected who disgraced who cursed who?
Who neutralized who spoiled who sabotaged who?
Who lashes out on the creators and inflames passions
Throughout the whole country from Jeruz to TLV?
Who abuses who? Who harasses who?
Who claims to be acting by the word of God who?
Who splits who? Who exploits who?
Fuck you I won't do what you tell me

Saturday, August 31, 2019

Yuval Raz - You Came to Me





You came to me
Painted in orange
Staring at me
A lighthouse of innocence

You came to me
Painted in orange
How did you go
Without saying goodbye

It seems like we could've spent
Our whole life
In bed
You'll teach me how to dance
And I'll teach you poetry

https://yuvalraz.bandcamp.com/

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Yshai Afterman Quintet - Lost



Murky days.

It seems I lost my ability to evolve my life and lift myself higher.
Every thought of making a change is eventually abandoned -
I used to be a fighter.
So I just spiral around and around and around fake warmth and desire.
Continuing to ignore the voice of truth-
I must face the fact I became a liar.

https://yshaiafterman.bandcamp.com/album/naomi

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Hashash Amiti - Not from Here





I think I'm not from here
I'm from a distant land perhaps
The buildings are painted white
The yards are too green

I think you're also not from here
You're a piece from another game
You dress like everyone
But you no longer fit in

When you stare into my eyes
And without a voice whisper to me
Escape with me to the east

When the robots will land
In the yards and gardens
We'll be considered dead
The bourgeois robots

When you stare into my eyes
And without a voice whisper to me
Escape with me to the east

I think I'm not from here
I think you're also not from here

https://hashash-amiti.bandcamp.com/album/--2


Saturday, August 3, 2019

Keren Ilan - This Morning, Yesterday.





The way I'm shifted so easily, makes me doubt the truth.
I am not a true one, I am all in one and I can be better as the time comes
There's no place like the place you know
Although every place can be your home.
But if home is where the heart is,
Then my home is nowhere.
Because I have broken my heart this morning and yesterday
You are the love of my life just for today
Every word you say I take to the grave
But lately it's been so hard to find what it means those bad things.
I'm finding it hard to believe you are mine, well,
You've been going around most of the time
Jesus boy don't you cry it looks like you've been working on your tears along with mine
Because I have broken my heart this morning, and yesterday.

https://www.instagram.com/kerennilan/

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Beta Zinq - Dances in Slow Motion





The sun has set but the day hasn't ended yet
If I won't have her I won't have anything
I'm thinking too much but not meaning to
Maybe she doesn't know that I'm watching

When she dances everything suddenly becomes in slow motion
A glance down and a smile to the side, for a moment I think that we won't be alone

Love can take you places you don't know you want to go

TALKING ABOUT LOVE

She has her own quiet
Something happens and she doesn't reveal
One night changes everything
Release your heart and just dive in

When she dances everything suddenly becomes in slow motion
A glance down and a smile to the side, for a moment I think that we won't be alone

Love can take you places you don't know you want to go

TALKING ABOUT LOVE

https://www.facebook.com/BetaZinq/

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Avihu Pinhasov's Rythm Club VS Hasmachot - Palastina (Eretz Israel)



I can't stop listening to this! An updated "Yonatan, go home".

Come to Palastina
What are you looking for in Berlin in the cold?
Take a flight to Mom
Because Yisrael and I are waiting at the beach
Come come come come come...
Palastina E"I E"I

You said it's for a year
You said it's to tie up loose ends
You said it's just for a bit
You thought that it would help me
You told me, let's go
He told me who tried
Come to Palastina...

You won't be alone
Because we're here nearby
Through the heatwave, the climb up, the thorns...
Palastina E"I E"I

You said it's for  a year
I dreamed about you, my friend
We miss you...

Come to Palastina, what are you looking for in Berlin in the cold?
Take a flight to Mom
Come to Palastina
Come come come come come...
Palastina E"I E"I

https://fanlink.to/AvihuPRCVeHasmachot_PalastinaIL

https://www.avihupinhasov.com/

Hasmachot

*For the record: Palestine (Eretz Israel)

Saturday, July 13, 2019

Dudu Tassa feat. Zehava Ben - Such big hearts



Israel, 2019.

Because we couldn't talk
Because we didn't know how to give up to each other
Anything
This must be the beginning of the end
We were fleeting to each other
It's over

We had such big hearts
Such big hearts

And I was a bit in the blue of your eyes
I was a bit more
A bit more alone
And I was a bit
A bit more on the side
A bit less than two
A bit alone for now

Because we couldn't arrange
Everything happened so fast to each other
Strange

We had such big hearts
Such big hearts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu_Tassa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zehava_Ben

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Daniel Sun Krief - I Know Everything



What a ray of sunshine! I love everything.

http://bit.ly/YT-KnowsAll

Every morning I wake up
Put on my clothes-class
Every morning I look
Into the mirror
I know everything
Everything

Every morning I exercise
Building the muscles -1 2 3
Afterward, I document
So others will see
I know everything
Everything

And who will save me
And who will forgive
On my planet
The missile fell
And who will save me
From the power of my control
And who will redeem me from my misery

Every day I read
From the Book of Psalms
At night I talk
About your private life
I know everything

At home on my own, I know for sure
That I have nothing - gornisht
Besides the present
I don't know anything
Anything
I don't know anything

And who will save me
And who will forgive
On my planet
The missile fell
And who will save me
From the power of my control
And who will redeem me from my misery

I learned everything-
I have the degrees
Interview me-
I'll tell you all the secrets
From my experience, I'm number one on the news
My money buys your thoughts
I know everything-
What will be a hit
What will change your life
My car and clothes

Who will bring me
My savior
My money
My power
My land
I know everything
I don't know anything
I know everything
I don't know anything

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Hillhar - Celebrate



It's pride week and next Friday afternoon the news will be filled with colorful pictures from the massive Tel Aviv pride parade. A much more modest pride parade took place in Jerusalem on Thursday under very tight security, four years after 16-year-old Shira Banki was stabbed to death by an ultra-Orthodox extremist. This touching video from Hillhar captures this year's theme perfectly: One community, many faces.

In the dark where I stand
Are you a foe or a friend?
Not defined or exist by the rules you persist

So young so old
I'm all the things that I've been told
Through these windows you see all those faces of me

Celebrate our bodies
A present that's so rare
I'm sailing in my mind and
Respect the love we share
I'm so in love with you
You're not a boy nor a girl, are you?
I'm so in love with you

Give the voice a body so it can walk around
Is it really so important how I'm defined?

Celebrate our bodies
A present that's so rare
I'm sailing in my mind and
Respect the love we share
I'm so in love with you
You're not a boy nor a girl, are you?
I'm so in love with you

Live this life like a game
Changing forms be whatever,
Whatever you want to be

Celebrate our bodies

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Tonic Clonic - Regression



Sigh.

And as I sat with myself
I asked myself
How much longer can I?

Panic attack
Fear of flying

How depressing it is to be in regression
How depressing it is to always be in regression

I'm lying on my side
It's not good for me
I'm lying on my back
It's better for me

How depressing it is to be in regression
How depressing it is to always be in regression

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Kobi Marimi - Home



What a week! In case you haven't noticed, the Eurovision (pronounced over here as Eroh-veez-yon) is kind of a big deal for us. When my neighbor woke me up with her shouts of delight after Netta won last year my first thought was "Oh my gosh, we actually won!" my second thought was "Holy shit, we're going to host the Eurovision next year!". The path to hosting the event wasn't easy, to say the least, and just last week it wasn't even clear if the Eurovision will happen at all due to rockets falling in the south not too far from Tel Aviv. But we managed to pull it off and I'm very proud of Kan Broadcasting for producing top-notch semi-finals. Here are some of the highlights:
The show opened with Netta's 'origin story' followed by a bombastic version of Toy which kicked off the show in high spirits. I was surprised by how emotional I got seeing little Netta dare to dream of a brighter future. It was heartwarming to see how grateful Netta is of her new superstar status and how confident her stage presence has become. She'll perform again tonight and I can't wait to see what's in store. Dana International also gave a memorable performance with a sweet kiss cam that spread the powerful message of 'love is love'.
The highlight of the second semi-final was the band Shalva, comprised of young adults with various disabilities and immense talent. Shalva reached the semi-final of Rising Star, the show that chooses Israel's representative for the Eurovision, but quit due to the fact that performing on the final meant rehearsing on Shabbat. I'm so glad that they got to perform on the Eurovision stage and that the world got the chance to see this wonderful group.
I also really loved the postcards which highlighted the beauty and diversity of Israel and were directed by Keren Hochma, who directed the video for Toy and is also a former dancer and choreographer.

We don't really expect Kobi Marimi to win this year's contest. The national consensus is that he's a talented singer and a very sweet person, but the song isn't strong enough to take a high place. I personally love the song and I feel it contains a universal message that will speak to everyone who's gone through a journey, whether physical or emotional. Whatever the result, I'm proud that it will be representing us this year.
Without a doubt, the real winner of this year's Eurovision is the city of Tel Aviv. It's evident that the city has gone above and beyond to make the participants and fans of the Eurovision feel welcome. And it's also clear that we hope that everyone who chose to visit the city this week (not something taken for granted!) will share with their friends how awesome Tel Aviv is, despite it being way too expensive. There's been a really special atmosphere in the city and it's cute to see how the Eurovision village brought local Israelis and tourists together.
And yet, despite the contagious good vibes, I can't help but think of the last time Israel hosted the Eurovision in 1999. It was just after Ehud Barak won the elections and replaced Netanyahu as Prime Minister. From what I heard, there was a feeling of optimism in the air and Dana International sang "Free" in front of the Old City walls of Jerusalem. I can't imagine such a scenario today. Instead, we've retreated into a small, secular bubble trying our best to ignore the grim reality beyond Tel Aviv. All week I've been deleting news notifications from my phone alerting Netanyahu's attempts to go forward with the dreaded immunity law, not to mention the coalition talks which will give the Orthodox and right-wing parties much more power than they had before. The party atmosphere reminds me too much of June 2014, after the 3 Yeshiva boys were kidnapped and we knew a war was probably going to happen, so we did our best to enjoy ourselves while we could.

Caught up in this moment 'til my heartbeat stops
I've been running barefoot to the mountain tops
Nothing comes as easy as it goes
I can hug the water when it snows

I feel the sun upon my skin
And I am someone, I am someone
You pulled my heart, I took it in
It made me someone, I am someone
And now I'm done, I'm coming home

I used to listen to the way they talk
Counting down the minutes from the ticking clock

I feel the sun upon my skin
And I am someone, I am someone
You pulled my heart, I took it in
It made me someone, I am someone
And now I'm done, I'm coming

Home was so far, collecting scars, I refuse
Another touch won't be another bruise

I feel the sun upon my skin
And I am someone, I am someone
You pulled my heart, I took it in
It made me someone, I am someone

I am standing tall not giving in
'Cause I am someone, I am someone

And now I'm done, I'm coming
Now I'm done, I'm coming
Now I'm done, I'm coming home

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Yehuda Poliker - A Window to the Mediterrian Sea



A fitting song for these pensive days between Holocaust Memorial Day and Independence Day. Yehuda Poliker will light a torch at this year's Independence Day ceremony, chosen for his contribution to Israeli music and specifically for the 1988 album "Ashes and Dust", which gave voice to the children of Holocaust survivors. Ya'akov Gilad, who wrote the lyrics for this song, said in an interview in 2008 that the story in the song is fictional but it's based on stories that Jacko Poliker, Yehuda Poliker's father and a Holocaust survivor from Greece, and Halyna Birenbaum, Gilad's mother and a Holocaust survivor from Poland, who both survived Auschwitz, told him. Gilad wrote: "I mostly wondered where they found the courage to bring children into a world in which its most monstrous sides they had seen up close and experienced first hand. It's still a wonder to me because both Yehuda and I are sons of Holocaust survivors, we were both born five years after our parents were liberated from Auschwitz.
What went through their heads when they decided to bring children into this world, after that inferno, in the poverty of the early days of the country, when their whole world and everyone they loved remained in the piles of ashes? From conversations with my mother and Yehuda's father, we found that there was always some hope that kept them alive both in the death camps and in the years after the war. A hope that they didn't dare to give up on because this hope lies at the foundation of humanity wherever it is, and giving up on that hope means the victory of the devil.
From here the last line was born: And perhaps from afar, there's a chance of one in a million, and perhaps from afar, some happiness creeps into the window. Based on that tiny chance they came here, restored their lives from scratch, and gave birth to us. That's the whole story."

It's so quiet and peaceful outside but as I'm writing this I'm receiving notifications of another escalation in the South with over 100 rockets launched from Gaza. I can only hope that this flare-up won't get out of control.

I promised to write when I left
And I haven't written in a while
Now I miss you so much
It's a pity, a pity you aren't here with me.

After I arrived in Jaffa
Hopes were born out of despair
I found a room and a half
On the roof of an abandoned house.

There's a folding bed here
If the three of us will want to sleep
You, me, and the child
In front of a window looking to the Mediterranean Sea.

And perhaps from afar, there's a chance of one in a million
And perhaps from afar, some happiness creeps into the window.

December 1950
Outside there's a war of winds
The snow suddenly fell here
White reminds me of forgotten memories.

The wound is still open
If only you were with me now
I'd probably tell you
All that can't be said in a letter

Here if you want, you have a home
And you will have a lot of me
The laughter of children at dusk
In front of a window looking to the Mediterranian Sea.

And perhaps from afar, there's a chance of one in a million
And perhaps from afar, some happiness creeps into the window

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Yarona Caspi and Yuval Shafrir - You



Lyrics, melody, acoustic guitar, bass, and keyboard: Yarona Caspi
Musical production, drums: Yuval Shafrir

You are the large sun in my room
You are the beautiful wind in my bed
You are the whole moon on my way home
The first steps of happiness with you

You are the eternity in my heart
You are the quiet that caresses my lips
You are the promise that won't break so quickly
The first steps of happiness with you

https://yaronacaspi.bandcamp.com/album/--6

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Maor Shvartzberg - Spring



So lovely!

In between clouds, the hidden sun
Has heard the call of dawn
To turn the night into a day

It squeezed itself through heavy loaded rain
That hadn't stopped falling
For weeks or more on us

Warmth descends upon our head
Darkness is gone and left no threads
And the spring smell is in the air
From time to time

Trees gesture with blossom fields
The flowers made a colorful show of joy
The birds sang songs with pretty lines
They haven't been around they left to a warmer place

Warmth descends upon our head
Darkness is gone and left no threads
And the spring smell is in the air
From time to time

Frozen lakes will melt away
They'll populate the immigrants and settlers to come
Lovers could sit down at the shore and love each other more
Under an old-new sun

Warmth descends upon our head
Darkness is gone and left no threads
And the spring smell is in the air
From time to time

Saturday, April 13, 2019

The Paz Band - Old Bag Of Sand





Some are just luckier than me
Well I guess I'm luckier than some
It's just the way it works
Sometimes you're up sometimes you're down

How did I end up here again
Forgetting where I first began
Doubting my own desires I'm rolling like a train

Life ain't passing me by I can feel it at hand
And I do try to find what I don't understand
Feels like taking advice from
An old bag of sand
So I'm learning to work
With supply and demand
And it's good and it's grand

The world is ticking all the time
The leaders weakening their tribes
Our hopes to live in peace they're going down the drain

Don't look up to the sky
If you wanna know why
You'll find no answers up there
It is useless to try
For the truth of the matter inside you it lies
You've been comfortably numb
Time to open your eyes
Time to wake
Time to rise

I don't want the weight of despair and regret burdening my shoulders
I want to find peace before I get older
I don't want the weight of despair and regret burdening our shoulders
I want us to find peace before it's all over
Want us to find peace before it's all over

I Find peace before it's all over
I Find peace before it's all over
I Find peace before it's all over
I Find peace before it's all over
I Find peace before it's all over
I Find peace before it's all over
I Find peace before it's all over

https://thepazband.bandcamp.com/

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Sheila Ferber - The Magician



It's hard to believe that this song was written by Chava Alberstein 20 years ago and yet it's still so relevant today. I wasn't able to find the original online (it was never played on the radio) and this version is part of a tribute album from 2014. Sheila Ferber does a brilliant job capturing the tension of the show when entertainment becomes something much darker.

So much has been written about Netanyahu and how these elections are basically a referendum on him. This clip is from last October but it gives some very interesting insight into what Israelis think of Netanyahu and how we discuss politics. Since the question "who are you voting for?" comes up all the time, from the dog park to the taxicab, I'll share my opinion here as well: I debated a bit between Meretz and Kachol Lavan but I'll never forgive myself if Meretz doesn't pass the threshold. Gantz won't be able to form a coalition without Meretz, though even with Meretz the numbers probably won't add up. I feel that no matter the result it's necessary that the voice of Meretz will be heard and I guess that also says something about Netanyahu's tight grip on power.

The hall is packed and no one breathes a word
In a minute the crowd will start buzzing about
They'll see the man, the dream will come true
The man who is simply called-the magician

He builds the show with a lot of thought
The opening is predictable and very simple
Rabbits from the hat, flowers from a stick
A dove takes off towards the delighted audience
A white dove with a red ribbon
The ribbon says Peace Dove
And without any preparation the picture changes
There's no trace and no sign of the dove

Sometimes he invites his wife to the stage
For a dangerous and breathtaking trick
He ties his eyes with a black handkerchief
And starts throwing knives at her
She trusts him, the crowd is excited
She'll follow him through the storm and the fire
It's a sign that the man is strong and reliable
Women understand, women have intuition
He shouts to the audience-what time is it? And smiles
He knows that no watch is going to leave
He stops the time from now all day
The time will stay in the same place

When the magic fails he scolds the audience
And shouts that the air in the hall is poisoned
How can you continue a performance
Without mutual trust, without cooperation
In the frightened audience there are whispers among each other
Let's hope that tonight he won't try
The trick that's considered the most daring of them all
That's the one where the audience disappears

Close your eyes count to two
And here we are in the Middle Ages
Close your eyes count to two
And here we are leaving Egypt
Close your eyes count to two
And the Spirit of God is hovering over the water

The hall empties the audience is dizzy
There's no doubt they'll return here tomorrow
What a man, he has no fear and he has no limit
He must have a thousand more magic tricks up his sleeve

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Mayor - Falls In Line





It's not what you'll get
maybe the load is hard to bear
and nobody cares nobody cares
even if you try whenever you fail
so what you gonna do
what you gonna say

Falls in line keep your lie alive
Every chance you get away throw it to your drawer

How does it feel to seek connection
then you realize it doesn't happen
everybody needs someone when times are over
the shame in pride is out to conquer
so what you gonna say
falls in line keep your lie alive

every chance you get away keep it going further
find a way to crawl in
find a way crying for fame

what you gonna do

just find a way fly high far
just find a way now come pray hope
till the end of the day find a window
for all your passion and lust and to make it again yeah
face your fears, ambition, desires intention
face the cameras, face your egos, see the headlines coming to get
you
all the people, all the flashes
all the action, all your sorrows,
like there's no tomorrow
like it's your last day,
like it's your last day
like there's no one out there
and to make it again

falls in line keep your lie alive

https://mayorchannel.bandcamp.com/


Saturday, March 23, 2019

Known Shaz - Tea Dreams



Endless Purim vibes

https://knownshaz.bandcamp.com

A taste of Purim in Tel Aviv: Friday celebrations in Gan Meir, Friday night on Rothschild, and eco-friendly dinosaurs(!)

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Nitai Hershkovits Trio - Now You



When I am at a loss for words I drift towards the piano.
My heart is heavy with sadness for New Zealand and Muslim communities worldwide.

https://www.nitaihmusic.com/

Saturday, March 9, 2019

AvevA - Won't Let You



Yess. Powerful and inspiring.

Gave you all of my trust
You gave me promises in return
Guess that you never thought that I would make it on my own
And when you opened the door for me
I thought I had a real chance
To show I'm worth just like you but you pushed me to the edge

I've been sitting here too long
Got me thinking I won't make it
My fear my doubt only made you stronger
See time will prove that you've been wrong
I won't let you pull me down no more
I won't let you pull me down no more

Won't let you Won't let you
Pull me down pull me down down down
Won't let you Won't let you
Pull me down no no no

See it took me a while
Till I opened my eyes
Just to realize you're a liar in disguise
So I won't waste my time on you or anyone just like you
Here is where I close the door
I don't want you no more

I've been sitting here for too long
Got me thinking I won't make it
My fear my doubt only made you stronger
See time will prove that you've been wrong
I won't let you pull me down no more
I won't let you pull me down no more

Won't let you Won't let you
Pull me down pull me down down down
Won't let you Won't let you
Pull me down no no no

For a moment there I thought I'm going crazy
You said love but you took my love and pulled me down to the ground
Till I couldn't make a sound
I was doubting myself and everyone around me

https://www.avevamusic.com/


Saturday, March 2, 2019

D Fine Us - Post Truth Era Blues



D Fine Us: The song brings a 21st century perspective to the concepts and conflicts that have been sung about in blues music for decades: how to tell right from wrong, reality from illusion, relaxation from addiction and love from a broken heart.

Go on whistle baby
what's on your mind?
you know as the light gets dimmer
I'm not hard to find
TV is watching me baby
anything to unwind
but this post truth era
I can't tell no wrong from right

Time is a thief
it stole my good years away
and as I speak
it doesn't matter what I'll say

Go on whistle baby
What's on your mind?
I'm a wild child sweet bitter
mama I ain't lying
TV is watching me baby
same way as before
when this post truth era
came on knocking at my door

Saturday, February 23, 2019

MARBL - The Mechanism of All Temporary Things





I've got a lion in my bag
And I'm bleeding in my pocket
I gotta rearrange my debts
To think of what I need
To stick it in and lock it

You lay heavy on my heart
If this was meant to end
I'd have known it from the start
Love as smoky as a gun
Will take us one by one
'Till the end of the show

And you can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
But I linger on doubts instead
And it's breaking my heart

I've got a lion in my bag
And I'm terrified to know it
I am as dumb as you may be
Whenever you insist
To cut me out and blow it

You lay heavy on the sheets
I catch you every one
You're falling in repeat
Piercing holes into my soul
Like I'm your voodoo doll
Just for keeping you whole

And you can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
But the getting gets tough instead
And it's breaking my heart

And you can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
And you can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
And you can say it's alright
You can say it's alright
And you can say it's alright
You can say it's alright

Can't you see, can't you see
Can't you see, can't you see
Can't you see that you're breaking my heart

https://www.marblmusic.com/

Saturday, February 9, 2019

BeatNik - My Love



This song hasn't left my heart since the first time I heard it ♥

I searched in the gardens, in the valleys, and in the fields
For my love's heart
And my body and my soul wanted very much
To my love's home

And my love is a beautiful song like a secret
Terri te da du di
And my love is sweet honey, I'll want more and more of her
Terri te da du di

My love...

Among the jasmine bushes and above the fruit trees
Love will flourish
From the earth to the sky, it will take off
Love will flourish

And my love is a beautiful song like a secret
Terri te da du di
And my love is sweet honey, I'll want more and more of her
Terri te da du di

My love...

https://beatnikim.bandcamp.com/album/--2

Monday, January 28, 2019

Totemo - Fifty Words For Time



Stunning!

silence is not the enemy
but I need fifty words for time just to keep it down
silence is not the end of me
but I need fifty words for time just to keep it down
I need fifty words for time
one will do for now

I am free until I'm caught
this right here's all I've got
and I can only say this until I'm out
I am alright until I'm not

I will hum it out
on and on, hum it out until forever
I just wanna get a reply

balancing fits of jealousy
well, I need fifty words for time just to keep it down
I need fifty words for time
one will do for now

https://song.link/i/1447224997

Monday, January 14, 2019

Gan Hapaamon - A Certain Direction





Tell me what to do
Till this day you've been silent
Now I need advice

Give me a sign, some kind of push
In a certain direction
So I'll know kind of where to go

I didn't ask for an angel
Just fix my head
So I'll know what makes me feel good
After all, you know everything

So give me a sign, some kind of push
In a certain direction
So I'll know kind of where to go

How will I know what to do
If you won't tell me
How will I know who to live with
If you don't show me

So give me a sign, some kind of push
In a certain direction
So I'll know kind of where to go

https://ganhapaamon.bandcamp.com/releases

Saturday, January 5, 2019

David Shaul - Twilight



So lovely

davidshaulmusic.bandcamp.com

Twilight
Between hands floats
A worn out frisbee
From the washed shore
I remembered again

I sat down
I saw through the bushes
A trunk that fell
A branch that grew
And it grew

We relaxed
And we chatted about the elections
Knaffe from a box
A wrapped up girl
The evening breeze
You were beautiful yesterday
When you were calm
You talked then

I writhed
I didn't know how to wait
Words that were captured
Between my gathered hands
So I went
Stories turn into
Crickets that play
Into the night

I think that when I get back
I'll talk with you until the morning light

Na na na na...

I think that when I get back
I'll talk with you until the morning light