Hadara Levin Areddy- J-Town Girl

This song caught my attention with its sharp lyrics, beautiful flow and of course Hadara Levin Areddy's warm vocals but also because of the special story which she very openly shared with Walla.co.il about the experience of working with Tamar Eisenman, who started out as her first guitarist 15 years ago and after a disconnect of 10 years has now produced this song and three others from Levin Areddy's 13th (!) album "Rage Against the Eclipse"
 "For ten years Tamar and I have been peeking at each other from afar. We were like high school sweethearts after a crises and difficult divorce, and we needed some time to grow up. Fortunately, we grew beautifully. When the time came, and with excited but cautious steps, we approached each other. It really was like meeting again the love of your youth, and falling in love again, from a wise and mature place. With mutual respect, with modesty, with the right dosages. We had a lot of emotional catching up to do, and we met and had many talks before we began to work again, in order to clear aftermaths of the past, and to resolve open wounds. We changed dramatically. Even musically we went separate ways. This reunion allowed both of us to express ourselves, and for both of us to give up and let go. I think that Tamar was very surprised by the free hand I allowed her during production. But the truth is that I didn't even want to be too involved, but she wasn't familiar with that side of me. Though that's the whole point of this album".

Baby you made me happy tonight,
When you sent me away with those sadliest eyes.
I wish I could show you the fire inside,
The desire to conquer, the ruins of love.

There was no angel by my side.
Someone asked for a quarter, so I poured out my heart.
As I opened the door and you asked for some wine,
All your secrets were oozing through your innocent rhymes.

Down, to dust, our love, our lust, will fall
J-town girl with sad eyes on my wall.
You never stayed here long enough to see the end.
You had some balls to call yourself my friend.

When I opened my eyes, this whole town disappeared,
There was nothing to take, there was nothing to give.
This ghost town is hanging and spinning around.
It used to be home, now it's base holy ground.

Too early to quit, but too late to be found,
Your band's getting tired & old & home bound.
Messing with messages, safe & soothing the crowds,
Sleeping like babies, and waking like clowns.


Down, to dust, our love, our lust, will fall
J-town girl with sad eyes on my wall.
You never stayed here long enough to see the end
You had some balls to call yourself my friend.

[Here are some heartwarming photos of snowy J-Town]

I was a bastard- Steady War

This is probably one of the best Balcony TV performances I've seen in quite a while. So much hardcore rock 'n' roll with a healthy dose of pure fun. Check out a more introspective side of I was a bastard over on their bandcamp.

Victoria Hanna- Aleph-bet (Hosha'ana)

Wow. This stunning performance by vocal artist Victoria Hanna is like a splash of ice cold water in your face. Victoria Hanna grew up in a religious environment (her father was a Sephardi Rabbi) and uses her unique voice to create modern art out of sacred texts. Thanks to Tamir Muskat's golden touch and Asaf Korman's artistic vision the result is simply breathtaking.

Aleph Bet Gimel Dalet Hey Vav Zayin Het Tet Yud Caf Lamed Mem Nun Samech Ayin Peh Tzadik Kuf Reysh Shin Taf

Man and beast
Flesh and spirit and soul
Sinew and bone and skin
Likeness and image and embroidery
Greatness resembling futility
And compared to images of beasts
Splendor and figure and stature
Renewing the face of the earth
Planting trees of soul
Wineries and standing grain
Vineyards and sycamores
For the completed land
Powerful rains for healing
Oblivion for giving life
Shrubbery for growth
Sweet fruits for strength
Flowers for empowerment
Plants for fulfillment
Cool waters for flow
Droplets for completeness
Drink for elevation
Hanging by a thread

Save us now: Hanging by a thread. Save us now.

Lord who saves
Other than you there is no Savior
You are powerful and abundantly able to save
I am impoverished and need to be saved
God is the Savior
And delivers and saves
Those who cry to You-save
Those who yearn for You-save
Satisfy Your lambs
Cause an abundance of crops-save
Let the wind bring the soaring clouds
Let the stormy rains roll in
Let the clouds not be withheld
God who opens a hand and satisfies
Your thirsty ones-satisfy
Your callers-save
Your beloved-save
Your seekers-save
Your wholesome ones-save

Save us now: Hanging by a thread. Save us now.

*Please take the translation lightly, the rich Hebrew here is very much out of my league. I loosely translated the first part of the Hossana, a prayer for the rain sung on Sukkot, and used a translation found on the song's YouTube page for the second part. In both parts the sentences in Hebrew begin with each letter of the aleph-bet, in consecutive order. Be sure to check out a "rough draft" of this song in a vocal duet with the very charming Bobby McFerrin,