Maya Avgar- Fine Line

I open every Saturday with the wonderful blog "Oneg Shabbat" and I've become pretty addicted. It's much more than a music blog and could even be seen as a mini community-each week features an eclectic collection of articles/sites/new music from Israel and around the world and I love having conversations with friends on items we found out about through the site. Usually I'm a bit overwhelmed by the 30+ links all at once and it's easy to overlook some gems and forget about them. But when I heard this song I stopped everything and heard it all the way through (not an easy feat when browsing the Oneg!). It perfectly matched my mood and I could relate very easily to the lyrics. Reminds me why I love folk music so much. Maya was featured in the stylish Tel-Avivian music blog pearls and you can check out her site here.

Don't ask me to stay here
I've already made up my mind
It's perfectly clear
There's no place here for my kind
There's no room for feelings
No room for my sorrow or pain
There's no use in taling
I can't find the words to explain

Cause it's a very fine line that I walk on every day
It's a very fine line that I walk on every day

The walls that surround me
Are tumbling down day by day
The ceiling above me
Is threatening to fall as I lay
There's no room for pleasure
No room for my laughter or smiles
Don't ask me to tell you
I'll only be telling you lies

Cause it's a very fine line that I walk on every day
It's a very fine line that I walk on every day

Don't ask me to stop it
It's already out of my hands
You think I can fight it
I would if I could but I can't
I can't seem to shake it
To shake it away from my soul
I know when it's coming
I know when I'm going to fall

Cause it's a very fine line that I walk on every day
It's a very fine line that I walk on every day

Ronen Green-One Of These Days

Wow, this is so adorable! Very mellow and calm-kind of Jack Johnsonish but less Hawaii and more Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon. Guaranteed to put you in a good mood. I also love how the background scenery is both Tel Aviv and the Moshav Tel Shahar giving it a true weekend feeling. I first came across Ronen Green with his song "Rooftop Blues" which I heard as part of the "Ohalim Adirim" compilation and came out during the 2011 protest (and I wrote about here). Not all of the songs "survived" in my iPod but Rooftop blues is one that did and I never get tired of listening to it. You can download it along with others here, as part of "Kol 2 and 5", a one-take analogic project by the sound and producing company Mitzlol very much like the popular Daytrotter Sessions, a wonderful platform for discovering new artists, and you just can't beat analog sound. Check out Ronen's site and especially what he writes about his music-it's so easy to give in to producers/managers/the industry and go for the "easy route" to sucess at the expense of quality and the artist's integrity so it's quite admirable that Ronen has decided to just do his own thing-for the benefit of himself and even more, for us.

Ride around town Chasing our tail Looking for a dime and maybe we'll be someone

One of these days its gonna happen to us
Peace will arrive and we will all be as one
I know that's a fat cliche, its a well known fact
We do what we do and we just gotta do it right

One of these days
music will go back to what it was
before I and I became me and me.
One of these days its gonna come
You will wake up in the morning
Look up at the sun and know
You've always been someone

One of these days

Ride around town
Chasing our tail
Looking for a dime
and maybe we'll be someone

One of these days

Well if its alcohol and drugs to help us feel free
What was blcking us in the beginning to be?

One of these days

Ride around town
Chasing our tail
Looking for a dime
and maybe we'll be someone

Lili Franko-Eshet Keshet

Yes. When I first heard this song I was blown away by the sharp music and poetic lyrics which I found very refreshing. I later learned that the lyrics are a translation to Lee Hazlewood's classic Rainbow Woman which was also covered by Miles Kane. Lili Franko not only succesfuly translated the song but also gave it an excellent musical interpretation. Very badass and 100% rock. I love it. More Lili Franko here.

Original lyrics:
I saw her reflection in the shadow of the sun
Listening to the cadence of a dying drummers' drum

She knew I was coming nearer, she said no but I did not hear her
Rainbow woman, rainbow, rainbow woman, woman
Rainbow woman

When I heard her laughter I was more than some surprised
In her smile was sadness there was laughter in her eyes

Self respect is absent in a lonely man's mirage
Love is sometimes given in a salty tear corsage

Make the gods that made her claim her, she comes and goes and so I named her
Rainbow woman, rainbow, rainbow woman, woman
Rainbow woman

Hayelala-Making the Train

Such a magical discovery! This song is amazing and you can download it for free (along with the excellent and more introspective 'Getting Older') here. So fitting for these days when you just want to hop on a train and forget about the budget cuts and Syria and everything else for that matter but watching these guys perform is just as rewarding. Really captures the feeling of Spring.

https://www.facebook.com/Hayelala

Men of North Country - The North

I'm a bit ashamed to admit this but I haven't been to Northern Israel since last summer, and it feels even longer. I really miss the green scenery and chilly starry nights. I remember since I was a kid  the drives up to the North with family and later with friends (our first big trip away from home!) when the radio stations would change so we would play our favorite CDs and get into "vacation mode". This weekend two great music festivals will be held in the North: Jacob's Ladder and Yearot Menashe. The first will be by the Cinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the second in the middle of a forest(!). Both are dream locations for a getaway from the city and really come alive with the variety of musicians and music lovers you can find in both places.
The Men of North Country are Yashiv Cohen (lead singer), Doron Farhi and Boaz Wolf from Electra (guitar and drums), Sefi Sizzling from Funkn'stein and the Ramirez Brothers (trumpet), Ongy Sizzling from Coolooloosh (Sax), Ido Kretchmer (trombone) and Jonathan Ydov from Ta'ani Esther (bass). What I love about this band is that it feels like they're just a good group of friends who love to play Northern Soul together and have some fun. Along the way they became a huge success abroad and are gaining popularity over here as well. They'll be playing on Saturday at Ya'arot Menashe.
Here's a clip of theirs shot during the 2011 protests (feels like it was ages ago) very fitting for May 1st. And here's a very cool remix of the song by Markey Funk
Here's an article on how the band came to be.
You can buy their music here and follow them around the world here
*Just noticed this is my 150th post!!!