Tzlil - Bring the one

Goodnight 2021, it's been a wild ride. I don't think anything captures this chaotic year of emersion and confusion better than this brilliant song and music video. Throughout the pandemic (and in general, really) we've excelled at perfecting the mindset of "let's party because who knows what tomorrow will bring" and tomorrow night will be no exception, not when we can finally celebrate New Year's Eve properly since it falls on a Friday and not before a workday, no matter how many Covid cases we're expected to have... Here's to a more stable and peaceful New Year.

Check out Tzlil Danin's brand new album over here.

Bring the one

Doesn't suit you

Does suit you

Just one guy

Who's built for you

Who's available for you

Bring the one

No one took your food

No one took your drink*

He's waiting just for you

You are good

Anything that's right

Will meet you in its time

Believe me, you won't remain alone

Look at the full glass

You are good

Bring the one

Doesn't suit you

Does suit you

Just one guy

Who's built for you, who's available for you

Bring the one

No one took your food

No one took your drink

He's waiting just for you

It's terribly easy

To gather and not find a clear reason

How do you fall in love with someone who's not available just for you

It's terribly easy

Even if you weren't answered

Even if you weren't heard

Not every guy is a mystery

That needs cracking

Rest your head

Order dessert already

Tell me, aren't you tired

Of talking about discrimination

Sitting next to me

Asking questions

If you don't search within yourself

You will not find answers

Even if you weren't answered

Even if you weren't heard

Not every guy is a mystery

That needs cracking

Bring the one

Doesn't suit you

Does suit you

Just one guy

Who's built for you, who's available for you

Bring the one

No one took your food

No one took your drink

*A phrase that basically means: Don't be a crybaby

Michal Dar - A Fool

Goosebumps ♥ 

How come I always

Try to drink from the fountain when it's dry

Somehow I become more thirsty

When the water cease to flow

Somehow I become more thirsty

When the water cease to flow

I lay my head in the cool pond

Rest it on the grass to dry

And I feel the glitter of the forest, in my throat

In my throat

And I feel the shadow of the trees of the forest

In my throat,

In my throat

Somehow

Yellow bricks of dawn gather around in my throat

Whern you're gone

So long

Somehow, yellow bricks of dawn

All gather around in my throat

When you're gone

So long

When you're gone

So long

How come,

I become so thirsty

When you're gone

When you're gone

When you're gone

Don't wanna play

Don't wanna hide

Don't wanna rest in my sorrow

Don't wanna play

Don't wanna hide

Don't wanna rest in my sorrow

Don't wanna play

Don't wanna hide

Don't wanna rest in my sorrow

Tonight

michaldar.bandcamp.com

Nunu - Living The Dream

Love it! ♥ 

Hey boy what do you have to say to me

You turn on the A/C even though I'm cold

Telling me stories from Charlie's kingdom

What are you normal, tell me are you normal?

Hey boy you're not coming at this so great

Talking about yourself in the third person - stop

Your name is Yair, you don't need to mention it

You enter the room and say Yair is here

My life was good also before

In the worst case, I'll put on lipstick on a bad day

One more word you're deleted from my schedule altogether

In my planner, I write down and decide

I have yoga at sunset on Saturday

I have no time for you in my new routine

Morning brush brush

Noon puff

Evening partying

I'm living the dream

I have a life without you, I totally do

Hey boy it seems to me you didn't understand

I'm not hiding like the Afikoman like Santa

I'm spicier than mint gum

Even though Marvis is blue you're dead so

Boy I think you'll rest

If I'm Snow White you're an apple

You're toxic to me, disgusting to me, salty

Like that round pretzel that's bursting with salt

Without you, it's as sweet as a mango

I quickly find parking and I don't need to use Pango

I have a gif for all situations and now it's time for a dancing heart

Without you, life is no longer busy

It's like magic just like expliamus

Yes, I'm dancing to life and you're just standing

Morning brush brush

Noon puff

Evening partying

I'm living the dream

I have a life without you, I totally do

Yair, you don't have to explain how to make good coffee

Yair, you don't have to declare that the Beatles are overrated

Yair, you don't have to make it clear that you were in the best place in India and now it's closed and no one can go there anymore, and only you got to!!! Yair

Morning brush brush

Noon puff

Evening partying

I'm living the dream

(Wow, I'm fine bitch)

fanlink.to/NunuLiving

Kayma - Learn to say no

♥

Pack a bag take a spin

See a place you haven't been

If you're ready you've been missing out

Trash and start all over

Are you ready for the big mistake

Had your cake, no need to be full like a fool yourself

On a loop have you been

Running on a treadmill's day

Hard to do, looking for

Million reasons not to go

When others come across your way

Turn around, walk away, find a path, learn to say no

To the hate and the doubt and the shadow

To the shame and the guilt and the things that get you down

Standby when you're on you must be

Running on a treadmill's day

Cut the chain, make it real

Find out how it makes you feel

Better lose yourself than lose it all

Ashes when it's over

Are you ready for the final note

Hit hard on the keys as if you mean it when you're not

You've must been running on a treadmill's day

Fortunate, capable

Made it to be comfortable

But have you ever crossed a bridge

Turn around, walk away, find a path, learn to say no

To the hate and the doubt and the shadow

To the shame and the guilt and the things that get you down

Standby when your on you must be

Running on a treadmill's day

facebook.com/ThisisKayma

Highway Superstar ft. Doubleboy - Feel It Right Now

Contraband is out now! "Highway Superstar is a musical project formed by producer Alex Karlinsky, featuring a distinct sound aiming to reach out to those who left a piece of their soul back in the past. Highway Superstar is on a quest to retro-futurize the soundtrack to your life."

Just another day

Been tryin' to find a way

Not to live a lie

In the moonlit sky

I'm late to read the sign

There's nothing yours or mine

But the stars that shine

In the moonlit sky

Is there something to hold on to

In this roller coaster ride

Or I'm gonna lose my mind

You can leave, or you can stay behind

But we can never really cross the line

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

You told me once we're gonna do or die

But do you really live if you don't light up the sky

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

Don't let the moment slip

Before the world's a sinking ship

But the stars that shine

In the moonlit sky

Is there something to hold on to

In this roller coaster ride

Or I'm gonna lose my mind

You can leave, or you can stay behind

But we can never really cross the line

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

You told me once we're gonna do or die

But do you really live if you don't light up the sky

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

I got lost for a moment

Need to find my way back home

Don't let it out of your sights now

Baby we didn't do no wrong, no wrong

You can leave, or you can stay behind

But we can never really cross the line

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

You told me once we're gonna do or die

But do you really live if you don't light up the sky

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

You can leave, or you can stay behind

But we can never really cross the line

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

You told me once we're gonna do or die

But do you really live if you don't light up the sky

Can you feel it right now

Can you feel it right now

Shay Hazan - Afrobeatz

From his bandcamp: "I made this album in order to satisfy the inner urge for simple grooves and the search for a different and new sound that draws inspiration from ancient places with great tradition but still corresponds with the world and the period in which I live and the way I express myself."

Sivan Rubin - Good Morning Edward

It's always been normal to start the school year feeling like it's still the middle of summer, but there was always the reassurance that after Sukkot things will start to cool down, making way for sweaters and raincoats. My sweaters are still waiting to be worn and while it's kind of good news for tourists visiting from colder climates (granted they don't fall on an icky and hazy day like today), it's disorienting. It took me a moment to remember that not all schools over the world have security guards, but that's not what made this an unsettling (though very beautiful) song for me.

It's the end of the summer

And there's no foliage yet

A strange morning

Sneaks into my window and asks

What's next

Where will you go

I say it's not certain yet

There are some unmarked directions

Like a child, he wants to know 

Everything now

The end of the summer in another week

Sandals on the way to class

Large backpacks

Out of them, small legs

A convoy

They know where to go

The green gate

Good morning Edward, good morning girl

A dream of a moment

I'm back, everything now

I say it's not certain yet

There are some marked directions

Like a child, he wants to know

Everything now

End of the summer

And there's no foliage yet

push.fm/fl/sivanrubinboker

Yael Eisenberg - Graceland

A beautiful take on Paul Simon's classic.

She said losing love

Is like a window in your heart

Everybody sees you're blown apart

Everybody sees the wind blow

I'm going to Graceland

The Mississippi Delta

Was shining like a national guitar

I am following the river

Down the highway

Through the cradle of the Civil War

I'm going to Graceland, Graceland

Memphis, Tenessee

I'm going to Graceland

Poor boys and pilgrims with families

And we are going to Graceland

My travelling companion is nine years old

He is the child of my first marriage

But I've reason to believe

We both will be received

In Graceland

She comes back to tell me she's gone

As if I didn't know that

As if I didn't know my own bed

As if I'd never noticed

The way she brushed her hair from her forehead

And she said losing love

Is like a window in your heart

Everybody sees you're blown apart

Everybody sees the wind blow

I'm going to Graceland

Memphis, Tennessee

I'm going to Graceland

Poor boys and pilgrims with families

And we are going to Graceland

And my traveling companions

Are ghosts and empty sockets

I'm looking at ghosts and empties

But I've reason to believe

We all will be received

In Graceland

There is a girl in New York City

Who calls herself the human trampoline

And sometimes when I'm falling, flying

Or tumbling in turmoil I say

Whoa, so this is what she means

She means we're bouncing into Graceland

And I see losing love

Is like a window in your heart

Everybody sees you're blown apart

Everybody feels the wind blow

Ooh, ooh, ooh

In Graceland, in Graceland

I'm going to Graceland

For reasons I cannot explain

There's some part of me wants to see Graceland

And I may be obliged to defend

Every love, every ending

Or maybe there's no obligations now

Maybe I've a reason to believe

We all will be received

In Graceland

Ooh, ooh, ooh

In Graceland, Graceland

Ooh, ooh, ooh

I'm going to Graceland

Maybe I've a reason to believe

I've a reason to believe

I've a reason to believe

I've a reason to believe

yaeleisenbergmusic.bandcamp.com

WC - Cold cities

Wow ♥

I tried to move to cold cities

Which turned out to be unnecessary

Because no matter where I go

I carry the desert with me

I drag my feet to King George

I ask for the sugar

We haven't talked in years but you see

You're going through the same thing

I want to see your children

When it's too much I alienate

I want to see the years unfold

If it's too much, too much on the heart right now

I apologize

(where are you going now)

(nobody's poet)

(again you're alone)

I drag my feet to the angels

Who guarded us when we were children

They look at the clock like tired clerks

Waiting for the end of the day

Oh-oh

In the city center, a man hangs a poster

So many signs

Who can pay attention?

Oh-oh

Even in the house where you were born

For whatever reason

You want to go home

I want to see your children

When it's too much I alienate

I want to see the years unfold

If it's too much, too much on the heart right now

I apologize

nanadisc.lnk.to/ArimKarot

Uzi Ramirez - You Ain't Seen Nothing

Uzi Ramirez is back! Love it.

Adar Alfandari - Wonder

♥

First let me use the dialect in which I speak

To say something real

Our bulb may seem burnt sometimes but it's not, just needs a twist

I've been walking barefoot all night

looking for the demons in our mind

You're my late night radio station, when I'm off you tune me in

A bag for all those times my hands feel full, you'll pack my mess

I've been walking barefoot all night

looking for the demons in our minds

Let's wander, far away

Till we lose our way

And we'll be bound to stay

adaralfandari.bandcamp.com/album/gold-dust

Cloud Of I - Sail Away

♥

Reach me, I'll fly in to the night

Cause I start to build my roots 

So fast

Chasing the dreams

Chasing the visions

Of what I'll be one day

But now I've got to learn more

How to be on my way

Ambayana I wanna sail away

I want to sail away

Reach me I'll fly to the next spot

Cause I start to find new friends

So fast

Chasing the dreams

Chasing the places

That I wanna see the next day

But now I've got to let go

And to be on my way

Ambayana I wanna sail away

I want to sail away

cloudofi.bandcamp.com

Vitarti - Layers

We could all use a bit of a breather ♥ 

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

And the beliefs are over, yes, all the mantras are so hollow that they are becoming chores

Yes, once we "lived here in fun" now I want to get out, I'm packing and it's final

It's too many layers, of arguments, amd fights, and promises, and restraints

It'll be okay, I swear

I won't scream this time, I'm silent

Calling your number with trembling hands

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

And we also bought a pair of sofas, as a strange kind of promise for stability and the future

But the velcro is wearing off, apologizing and tired, we made a thousand payments

Everything is becoming so forced, sitting breathlessly by the trash bin, just counting the days

It'll be okay, I swear

I won't scream this time, I'm silence

Stroking your rabbit with clean hands

And there's no other bar I didn't drink at at night

Serve me Strychnine

And this city suddenly turned into a kind of jail

Because no one is you

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

And the beliefs are over, yes, all the mantras are so hollow that they're becoming chores

I'm going back to the parents, It'll be tough but delicious, I hope I won't gain weight

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

You're supposed to be mine, plotting to be only with myself, oh God is this real?

It's already 1 am and there's a lockdown in the streets again, the flashlights are so hostile

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

It's too many layers, of  memories, and fights, and promises, and restraints

to.mybetmrw.com/ShchavotVitarti

Hoodna Orchestra - Alem Alem

Shana Tova! What a wild and chaotic year. Last year we were just before a demoralizing lockdown and since then we've gotten vaccinated (most of us), tasted a temporary Covid-free reopening, learned to sort of live with restrictions again, got a booster vaccine (most of us), and we are now learning to make peace with uncertainty. We might have an amazing month and year ahead of us with long-awaited travels and we might go back to some kind of semi-lockdown. I've learned to appreciate family meals which were once a tedious affair and at the same time I've learned how to enjoy my time on my own and find delight in unexpected places. One form of delight for me has been the "Oneg Shabbat" newsletter, which translates to "Shabbat Delight" and is a very long list of links related to music, culture, and anything interesting that catches Guy Hajaj's eyes and ears, delivered from his home in Vancouver every Saturday morning. The Oneg Shabbat returned after a lengthy break last October and one of my vivid pandemic memories was spending Saturday mornings on a sunny bench wih my headphones on, going through the Oneg while sipping on takeaway coffee. Now my Saturdays are much busier, and there is less of a need to find ways to distinguish them from the rest of the week, but I still carve time on Saturday mornings to browse through the Oneg. This past Saturday Guy posted a playlist he created with his favorite Israeli songs from the past year. This energizing song by Hoodna Orchestra seems like the perfect start to what I hope will be an exhilerating year.

Amir Bresler - Please Do

♥

No Point Baby - Rita

I discovered this lovely gem while browsing through Hakatze Radio's new alternative chord book (p.60), compiled by Chen Litvak from the always wonderful Chen Point (nekudat chen/birthmark). I was delighted to find out that No Point Baby's lead singer is the very talented Eden Atad, whose timeless song Stagnation appeared here a while ago.

I can't belong anymore

In another week it'll all be over

Calling her from outside the window

Today she is going to sleep

I was looking for something just like that

All day I want to be thin

Purple when in a yellow room

Your scent will leave

Everything will leave

Remember when we saw back in the market

Rita dropped some bottle?

We were on the escape route

When Rita looked for an umbrella

Let's go to Amsterdam tomorrow

We will eat cake with tea by the lake

We need to hurry to the square

Because we will not be here tomorrow

Summer is over

Ilona - Someone in the world

♥

In a world full of emptiness you are looking for meaning

To prove to yourself that you have importance

Walking in front of everyone no matter what they say

You have dreams that you will fulfill also in agony

The parents want you to go on the same path as everyone else

You have big plans

How to conquer the world

You are not interested in money, just recognition

To leave a mark between everyone not to be just another

Someone in this world

Someone in this world

Someone in the world

Step by step you climb to the heights

You seal your ears to not hear what everyone is saying

From above there are no answers and there is no one to blame

You're alone against the world

You don't need other people

You have the strength to keep going

On your own path because you don't want to be another

Someone in this world

Someone in this world

Someone in the world

nanadisc.lnk.to/MisheiAcoustic

Hanan Ben Ari - World Champion

What a week! I couldn't help but cry a bit when Linoy Ashram was announced today as the gold medal winner in rhythmic gymnastics, just as I shed some tears when Artem Dolgopyat received his gold medal for artistic gymnastics, and of course also when the mixed judo team won bronze and stole the show with their very Israeli celebrations after a tough week. It bothered me to see that even though Dolgopyat moved to Israel when he was 12, there were still some ugly comments that he's not truly Israeli, not to mention the fact that he can't get married here because he is only Jewish on his father's side. But Dolgopyat said that he often listens to this song before competitions, and I can't think of a more Israeli song, so fitting for this occasion. Mazal Tov!!

Excellent lyric translation from Lyrics Translate.

I am the world champion in suppressing

Everything that scares me, everything that stresses me, I mute

I am the world champion in loving

Myself first, and then the stage and the street

It's hardest to give (love) to someone else

I am the world champion in "not being"

In not solving your problems

Even the pictures on the walls

It's not me who hanged them

I'm only responsible for the tunes

I am the world champion in falling down

And rising back up, like a big boy

You'll see, like the Pheonix

I get burned but choose to keep on living every day

I'm the world champion in wanting

To at least try

You'll see, how in the end

After all the losses, victory is much sweeter

I am the world champion

I am the world champion in justifying

My weaknesses and desires

Lust is an old friend

I know every old trick it holds in its bag

But you'll see, one day I'll be righteous

Deep down everything I have is obviously not enough

I am a little mouse and life is a flute

I'm falling into a hole because I can't tell the difference

Between good and bad and where it all leads to

You're presenting "business as usual"

But soon we will run out of fuse

I am the world champion in falling down

And rising back up, like a big boy

You'll see, like the Pheonix

I get burned but choose to keep on living every day

I'm the world champion in wanting

To at least try

You'll see, how in the end

After all the losses, victory is much sweeter

I am the world champion

I am the world champion in compensating

In apologizing and pleasing

Sinning, cleaning up

Revealing, covering up

Tell me, how do you write songs with a thousand expectations

Millions of views

I am the world champion in falling down

And rising back up like a big boy

You'll see, like the Pheonix

I get burned but choose to keep on living every day

I am the world champion

facebook.com/hananbenari

Omri Keren - Love in Mind

♥

Loneliness inside my mind is fed by loving thoughts of her

It keeps me thinking about us together, all alone

Her love within my mind still makes my night turn out a lonely night

Oh night

Love's not treating me right

In my mind there is a house of love

A house of happiness

The lighting in our room is shining on your pretty face

The living room is lively

In my mind there is a house of love

Oh love

All I want is you

You

Oh you

Loneliness inside my mind is led by my own fantasy

I'm the one who's making me so lonely in this song

I leave the house and think of all the times I've treated loving wrong

digistage.to/LoveinMind

Ran Gil - My Love

So sweet! ♥

My love

drinks only tea

except on Fridays

then she drinks

coffee

and the rest of the days

she sips mine

and then smiles an apologetical smile

that makes me forget 

My love

wants to sleep

except on Fridays

then she does a lot

and on the rest of the days

she wakes up when she wants to

and then smiles an apologetical smile

that makes me forget 

My love

can't

close her eyes

if a drawer is open

that I left in the closet

she asks me to close it

and then smiles an apologetical smile

that makes me forget 

digistage.to/Ahuvati

Ella Ronen - I'm not from here

♥

Stream Ella's new album Motherland here.

Bar Tzabary - Rock 'n' Roll Batsahoraim

♥ Check out Bar Tzabary's excellent new album here.

Rock 'n' roll at noon, stopping the cab

Going on with a Leah Goldberg bill, a cigarette, and a lighter,

The stones in the old city are like a mirror to the past,

Not looking back, what's over is over,

Rock 'n' roll at noon, getting out of the cab

Turning the sky on at the local bar,

The radio plays songs by Ari Sun

I just miss you here

You're deep in my bones

You're deep in my bones

Rock 'n' roll at noon, deep in my imagination

Come back as you left and time is on my side

The words you stopped saying resonate from the past

Deep, deep in my bones

There were times that you danced to sounds,

There was room for the two of us, for a house and kids,

Look inside me and see yourself dwelling,

Deep, deep in my bones

You're deep in my bones

You're deep in my bones

Ben Aylon - SeneGambia Part 2

Stunning!

benaylon.com/xalam 

Noa Kirel & Ilan Peled - Trilili Tralala

Happy Pride! The truth is, I was going to post Anna Zak's flawless Forever Gever but then this crazy hit came along and this is truly the gay anthem that we need right now. Hopefully next year we can all celebrate together. ♥

Special thanks to youtube user K.S. Edits for the excellent translation!

What's your name?

Noa

Noah, interesting. That's kinda a boy's name.

Whoever drinks water

Has a lot of secrets

And that girl saying cheers

Breaks the glasses

Don't say "hop" before you jump

How she jumps

What do you mean "jumps"? Listen

At five to seven

I put the girls to bed

I put on some color

With the neighbors at the bar

The entire city is swarming

Something's going on here

Something's going on here

Here comes the awad 

This weekend I'm dancing like I want to

And Saturday night will be phenomenal

So come with me you'll have an insane evening

Insane

Noah, I'm exploding in 10 9 8 3 1

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

La la la la la la la

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Here it goes up for her

Tralala

Here it goes up for her

It doesn't "go up" for me and it doesn't shoes either, be quiet

I want an animated, exhausted, and crazy weekend

Fireworks, flowers, men in heels

To glimmer, to jump, to break through, the opposite of laying around

The proof is in the pudding

What?

Let's drink pink, don't think shrink, no mink kink, it's stink wink, just ching ching and bling bling

That's mine!

Fine, Galileo Galilee...

This weekend I'm dancing like I want to

And Saturday night will be phenomenal

So come with me you'll have an insane evening

Insane

Noah, what is this are you making me an O F R A?

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

La la la la la la la

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Here it goes up for her

Tralala

Here it goes up for her

I don't know, I'm not enjoying myself

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Here it goes up for her

Here it goes up for her

It doesn't work on me

Raise your hands up for her, raise them up

You should know, a day that doesn't matter shouldn't be counted

 Raise your hands up for her, raise them up

And free cheese can only be found in a mousetrap

Raise your hands up for her, raise them up

Until everyone raises up their hands

Tonight they will sing

Noah, less "being full of yourself" and more

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Here it goes up for her

Tralala

Here it goes up for her

It went up for her!

What happiness

La la la la la la la

Trilili Tralala

La la la la la la la

Here it goes up for her

Tralala

Here it goes up for her

And Noah, don't run when they start shooting at you because you'll die tired

Yair Rubin - Every day

Masks are gone, and it's weird. I've gotten so used to wearing my mask and then carrying it around on my wrist outdoors. Social distancing is completely gone so it took me a bit of time to adjust to being in packed buses and crowded lines without any protection on my face. After more than a year of working full-time from home, we've gone back to the office full-time, with occasional exceptions here and there, and the adjustment wasn't easy. I found that what I really missed, besides the 5-minute commute and freedom to wear whatever I wanted (most of the time) was the interactions I had with the local shop owners. I was used to only seeing them on rushed Fridays but while working from home I had more time for conversations with them and got to know them better. I also noticed during the lockdowns how much they craved communication with customers. I will always be grateful to the coffee store owner who patiently showed me exactly how to use my Moka pot and gave suggestions on which coffee to use. It feels like we've rushed into post-Covid without really processing this past year and this video is a sharp reminder of the losses that affected so many of us. Yair Rubin's new album Open Door is out now and well worth a listen. Check it out here.

He is leaning on a cane

She is leaning on him

Stopping at the bench

For sixty years

Never alone

Every day a little

Hugging her with his good hand

Her eyes

Are reflected in his which are reflected in hers

Mirror against a mirror

He knows that every day is a negotiation

Every day a little

Every day a little

A cloud draws her in the sky

Morning becomes noon

Children play on the street nearby

This day

Everything is especially normal

He leans on a cane with his good hand

He stops at the bench at the regular time

Children play on the street nearby

This day

Everything is especially normal

Yoni Deutsch - Sony

♥

As much as I try

To write a good text

It always gets messed up

It always gets messed up

It always gets messed up

As much as I try

To cook well

Half will always be thrown away

Half will always be thrown away

Half will always be thrown away

How much I try

How much I try

Every time I try

To come out good I will always lie

I will always lie

I will always lie

As much as I'm disappointed about a tie

I'll always cheat

I'll always cheat

I'll always cheat

As much as I try I'm only good with the Sony remote

Every time I look for meaning here

I'm always disappointed

I'm always disappointed

I'm always disappointed

Except once when I saw what's good here

And it will always be remembered

It will always be remembered

It will always be remembered

As much as I try I'm only good with the Sony remote

As much as I try I'm only good with the Sony remote

I'll turn on a button and it'll turn me on

yonideutsch.bandcamp.com

Or Edry, Jango - The first days of summer

I never thought I'd be happy to have Naftali Bennett as Prime Minister but at the moment it seems to be the best and only option. The pact at the center of the new government between right-wing Bennet and centrist Yair Lapid may seem unlikely but these two have History. Bennett and Lapid first joined forces in 2013 when the pact they made forced Netanyahu to form a government with them and without the ultra-Orthodox parties. Watching their courtship this time felt like watching a strange rom-com, complete with the 'will they/won't they' tension and the conflict at three quarters which the heroes must overcome in order to be together. In this case, it was the escalation in Gaza that temporarily brought Bennett back into Netanyahu's arms and made any type of coalition with the Islamic Party Ra'am seem unlikely. But the war is behind us (as always we did our best to forget about it as quickly as possible) and though the delicate deal could still unravel, there's a genuine sense of hope and optimism. I couldn't help but feel emotional seeing the picture of Mansour Abbas, the head of Ra'am, sign the coalition agreement with Bennett and Lapid. This would have been unthinkable just a few months ago and even if the government won't hold up, there has been a monumental change. The irony is that Netanyahu himself legitimized the partnership with the Arab party but Abbas decided to go with more trustworthy partners. It's true that Bennett is more ideologically right-wing than Netanyahu, but there's hope that the left-wing parties will balance things out and a government under Netanyahu would have meant a government with the dangerous extreme-extreme-right Jewish Power party. In any case, it's about time that teenagers about to enter adulthood get to experience a different kind of government, one that will serve the interests of the country and not just one man.

I chose this song because it conveys a sense of optimism and a fresh beginning but there is still an underlying feeling of mystery and darkness. The song was first performed by Josie Katz in 1977 and this cover is part of the excellent tribute album 'Taken out of context' with covers to songs written by the legendary Yankele Rotblit.

And the days are the first days of summer

The first days

In the orchards sabra and the olive tree

A silent breeze

Walked past on a dirt road

Days of harvest, days of songs and melodies

Days of harvest, days of songs and melodies

Walked past on a dirt road

The first days of summer

A fair maiden with gold string threads

Velvet fabric

A crystal ball in the hands of a magician

Appears transparent

Walked past on a dirt road...

And who was that young man

You will want to ask

He had walked in the clothes of the king

Prince of darkness

Walked past on a dirt road...

Itamar - One to Five

♥

I get to rate my experience 

On a scale of one to five

To ponder my impermanence

While comfortably alive

Everything's too much and never enough

Satisfaction is a bomb that never goes off

Browsing back to basics

Gonna trace my DNA

Marie Kondo my interiors

Things are gonna be ok

Then I'll start a blog that's one of a kind

My before and after photos will blow your mind

Having fun

Nothing's missing till it's gone

Set to stun

On a night out to the sun

I'm a drop in the ocean

Trapped inside a plastic bag

Drifting with the current

Sailing on without a flag

Everything's too much and never enough

Satisfaction is a cruise that never takes off

Having fun

Nothing's missing till it's gone

Set to stun

On a night out to the sun

Having fun

Nothing's missing till it's gone

Set to stun

On a night out to the sun

I am over the rainbow

In a world that's made for me

Where everything's interesting

And everyone's interesting

And I'm also interesting

And happy as a tree

Having fun

Nothing's missing till it's gone

Set to stun

On a night out to the sun

Everything's too much

And never enough (nothing's missing till it's gone)

Satisfaction is a bomb

That never goes off (On a night out to the sun)

https://smarturl.it/itamar.twtep

Carakukly - Everything is the same

♥

Everything is the same

And a little different

The sadness here remains

To celebrate with me every night

It comes to me in waves

Suddenly I remember

How you would sing

I would look

Everything is the same

Even if not for real

The fear here remains

Takes me to a movie

It comes at the end of the day

Suddenly I remember

We would talk

Only in another language

And Friday now alone

I haven't found anyone yet

Who will sit with me  on the grass

I wore your shirt

Maybe I'll find rest

And you'll sit with me on the grass

Everything is the same

I always say

The prettiest one on the outside

And inside I'm breaking down

And again at the end of the day

I remember

We were children

It's a different love

I fought with myself in front of the mirror

Hours of denial won the first round

I was waiting for the sunset

For you to save me a second before the darkness

I was looking for signs

All sorts of things of people who believe

And what about giving up

In the end, everything passes

https://fanlink.to/CarakuklyHakol 

Sapir Volach - Lullaby

I came across this song when it was released earlier this year. It felt somewhat relevant, but I knew that sooner or later it would be even more relevant, it was just a matter of time. The poet Yehuda Amichai wrote the words in 1983, after the Lebanon War, and Sapir Volach's haunting melody captures the unsettling feeling of the song. I had trouble falling asleep in the past few days, not just out of fear of rockets in the middle of the night, but mainly because of the devastating lynchings and riots that have been taking place in mixed cities all over the country, fuelled by extremists from both sides. I've had plenty of encounters with Israeli Arabs over the years, sometimes there was an underlying tension but mostly there wasn't. I thought of when my sister and I went to an excellent Italian restaurant in the Jaffa Port back in March on the first day when restaurants were finally allowed to reopen for in-house dining after 6 long months. The staff was just as excited as we were and I remember how our waiter went out of his way to bring Tahini from the restaurant next door to them when we asked for some with our salad. I don't know when I'll get to go there again, maybe the unrest will die down just like these flare-ups do, but maybe it won't and things won't go back to how they were before.

Give the child a lullaby, sing to him so he'll sleep:

Father has gone to work, father has gone to war

But sleep.

The wolf is howling, the enemy is at the gate, but sleep,

The house is collapsing, the world is going up in flames.

But sleep, but sleep.

Don't tell him about heavenly angels,

Don't tell him about a butterfly

And not about golden birds.

Sing the terrible things in a sweet voice,

Also a plague and a sword and hunger

They are a relaxing rhythm.

Take the lullaby from the child,

He'll still fall asleep, he'll still grow up,

Take the child from the lullaby

And the song will continue on its own in the world

And finally will catch up with him

And put him to sleep for good.

Yonatan Daskal - Romantican

Lovely ♥ Check out Yonatan Daskal's debut solo album here.

Aviv Geffen - Wake Up

Lag B'Omer has always felt like two different holidays on the same date. I vividly remember my first Lag B'Omer in Israel when I was in the 6th grade. My friends and I had decided to part ways with the class bonfire and make a bonfire of our own. So we spent long afternoons collecting wood planks in a supermarket cart and watched with great satisfaction as it all burned in a bonfire while eating tin foil potatoes and roasting marshmallows. In later years we would opt for bonfires at the beach or ignore the bonfire part completely and just get together since there was a vacation the next day (parents had to work as usual). In one year in middle school, we were sick of the smoky streets and escaped to the movies to watch Kill Bill: Volume 2, delighted that we had found a way around the holiday which had become pretty annoying to us. I only found out from the news that it was a religious holiday marked by a pilgrimage to Mt. Meron where among other festivities, 3-year-old boys had their 'chalake' ceremony, their first haircut. I think that only in the army I learned about the counting of the Omer (I was wondering why so many guys suddenly had beards!) and Lag B'Omer's significance as a joyful day. 

This year I ignored it completely and it felt like there were fewer bonfires than usual. I was annoyed to discover that the Minister of Transportation gave permission to let trains run at full capacity just for Lag B'Omer when they had been running at 75% capacity due to Covid restrictions, not to mention the fact that a special train schedule was created with extra trains. I learned that the politicians had come to an agreement to allow unrestricted entry to Mt. Meron, due to the low Covid rates. It goes without saying that Netanyahu has a few days left to form a government and he is dependant on the religious parties. Before I went to bed I saw a news item on the Bonfire celebrations at Mt. Meron. A rabbi was boasting that it was the largest bonfire in the world and that it was a moment of great unity, praising the volunteers who were giving out sandwiches and water bottles. What unity? I thought to myself before falling asleep. I woke up in the morning to see notifications about the terrible tragedy that had happened at Mt. Meron: 44 dead from a stampede (the number later rose to 45), more than a hundred injured, and complete chaos with many children missing. I was horrified by the tragic details but I was also angry. It felt like this was a disaster waiting to happen and that for some miracle it hadn't happened earlier. The Minister of Health said in a press conference that the medical teams at the nearby hospital had trained the day before for such a scenario and were ready to receive the injured. Maybe this was supposed to be comforting but it just angered me even more. An engineer had been at the site the day before and had given approval, even though there were severe reports in 2008 and 2011 warning of a likely catastrophe. But would it have made a difference if the engineer had not given approval? Would it have stopped the mass celebrations? Probably not, and there is not much guarantee that this will not happen again.

I thought of other civil disasters that had happened here, all because of the disastrous 'it'll be fine' mentality, like the Maccabiah bridge collapse and the Arad festival disaster when organizers sold more tickets than the venue could hold, resulting in the death of three teenagers from a crowd crush. I also thought of the religious-secular tensions this past year and when Aviv Geffen dedicated this song to the ultra-Orthodox community in Bnei Brak last April. I had always associated the song with the Second Intifadah but the lyrics clearly talk about internal tensions which we must try to overcome. I am angry at the political leaders for letting this disaster happen and at the same time my heart goes out to the families of the deceased, to the injured, and to everyone who had to witness firsthand this terrible event. We might not share the same religious beliefs but we are all in this together.

Here are Aviv Geffen's words from when he performed this song last June:

I gave an interview a while ago that really raised a lot of discussions, I truly spoke what was on my mind, I truly think that during Corona a lot of thoughts rose in me and of course, I'm changing all the time. I had a friend that I love, a smart friend, a very, very educated man and during Corona, there was a moment that it seemed that this is going to pass by and move on, he said to me "The Corona is already almost gone, now just the ultra-Orthodox in Bnei Brak are dying". And he was my friend and something about it, it hit me and I didn't like it, I didn't like what's become of us and this talk and disqualifying people because they wear a kippah because that's what we've gotten used to, and I said that it's really a disconnect and probably up there the country and the government separated us for years in a brilliant and wonderful way and they succeeded. And I somehow during Corona decided with myself that I don't hate and don't blame one person or another and at least I'll be there to listen. And it's about time that really we, all the people of Israel, we should really be together a bit because anyways there's the Corona outside and a lot of evil as is, and also antisemitism. I'm a secular person, I'm an atheist, and yet I respect those who choose to believe in God, any God, and we need to respect and hold hands. And there are many places where we shouldn't meet, the secularists and the religious, but we need to find the places where we can meet and there are places like that and I'm going to meet them right in those places.

The terror, the loathing

The voices of war

And brotherly hatred

Which increases every day

Old age is embarrassing

They die here from shame

In their voices they whisper

And you remain silent

Wake up

Wake up

Beloved homeland

Because we are very tired

We need some rest

Wake up

Wake up

Beloved homeland

We live only once

Give us a bit of love

Violence, humiliation

Racism towards aliyah

And another child who's afraid to return home

The terror, the loathing

Songs of war

And brotherly hatred that increases every day

Wake up

Wake up

Beloved homeland

We need some rest

Wake up

Wake up

Beloved homeland

We live only once

Give us a bit of love

And give me the power

To love you

Some small corner to be happy in

How hard it is sometimes to forgive you

Talia Londoner - Get It Out

Love it!

Just get it out

All those feelings that you keep down inside, baby

Just cry it out

I can be your punching bag for tonight

So you got let down by that fool you been hangin' around

The pretty face who left his mark all over town

Sittin at home in bed lettin them thoughts race around your head

Ain't gonna getcha nowhere

Just get it out

All those feelings that you keep down inside, baby

Just cry it out

I can be your punching bag for tonight

And it will take some time

It will take some time

'To get back on your feet again

For now let's dance it out

Until our shoes are painted red

I know your heavy heart has broken all apart

But nothing lasts forever (don't last forever)

So let's take what we got we only got one shot at this life, yeah

It's now or never

Just get it out

All those feelings that you keep down inside, baby

Just cry it out

I can be your punching bag for tonight

Just get it out

Six AM rolls around and the band quiets down

Don't go back to your raincloud (Just get it out)

When the band quiets down

Don't go back to your raincloud

When the band quiets down

Don't go back to your raincloud

Ooooohhh

And it will take some time 

But you will get back on your feet again

So now let's dance it out (ooohh)

Until our shoes are painted red

facebook.com/talialondonermusic

Maya Dunietz - Opus 1

Another stunning Raw Tapes discovery.  Pre-order Maya Dunietz's upcoming album Free The Dolphin here.

Yoni Mayraz - The Rat

Perfect ♥

From Yoni Mayraz's bandcamp: A rush through steaming sidewalks and urban clutter.

'The Rat' is an intense contemporary jazz tune featuring sought-after Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov (Yemen Blues), and mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Qmillion, known for his work on Robert Glasper's 'Black Radio'.

Ran Danker - Madhouse

Well, here we are again. It could be worse, I guess. The words 'fifth election' started floating around even before the first ballots were cast, in an election that felt like a full-frontal car crash. I voted more out of civic duty than excitement and like many of my friends I deliberated a bit between Meretz and the Labor party. In the end, I went with Meretz and was very happy that they passed the threshold and at the same time I was very happy about Merav Michaeli's success as the leader who brought back Labor from the dead. Everything else about the elections was pretty depressing. When the Tuesday night exit polls gave Netanyahu's bloc 61 seats together with Naftali Bennet's Yamina party, an extreme right-wing government seemed closer than ever. But the exit polls missed the Arab population that voted for Mansour Abbas' Islamic Ra'am party which in itself speaks volumes about the poor relations with the Arab society. The final results gave his party four seats, making both him and Bennet kingmakers. There's still the possibility that some kind of government will be created out of circumstances but there's no doubt that it will be a strange and incohesive one, and it's not clear how long it could hold up. I'm disappointed that Gideon Sa'ar didn't get more votes though it seems that he did take away some votes from the Likud party to the 'Just Not Bibi' camp, which as opposed to last year's elections didn't have a major contender but included two right-wing parties-Saar's 'New Hope' party and Avigdor Liberman's secular-focused Yisrael Beytenu party. The true winner of the elections was Eretz Nehederet which stole the show with a sharp satire skit that put an ugly mirror in front of us and laid out the true state of the nation.

Ran Danker's extremely catchy new single 'Madhouse' also seems to give a glimpse into the state of the nation in these almost post-Covid days. Everyone is still wearing masks, and there are still some limitations, but the general feeling is 'let's just open everything and party' at least until the next lockdown, which at the moment isn't a possibility but could become one if a new and more dangerous variant shows up.

Excellent translation by forwards24

Who are you and what do you love?

And how many thoughts, say what are you thinking about?

And how aren't you inviting (anyone) to the wedding?

Say was there a Rabbi there or was it just a ruckus?

Let me answer, let me explain

How I love the catastrophe of the city

Let me enjoy myself, let me move

To open up everything like champagne in Paris

At night I feel like

Dancing with stars

Like throwing off my clothes

Not thinking about whether they are watching

And at sunrise I feel like

Celebrating life

Like running away sometimes

Because anyways it's a madhouse here

When did you choose to come out?

Say aren't you the one who was with Ninet (Tayeb)?

When will you bring us a telenovela?

Whoa your life is really like a movie

Let me answer, let me explain

There's a chance that then I was with half the city

Let me enjoy myself, let me move

To open up everything like champagne in Paris

I came back from New York

After a few years 

One suitcase

To a two-room apartment

In Jaffa on the roof

I wrote songs to myself 

There wasn't anywhere to run to

I just wanted to come straight back 

To the madhouse

Daniel Netz - To The Valley Below

Lovely ♥

From her FB: In this first piece out of my upcoming debut album I've tried to paint a better place for myself. It's about changing our perspective, realizing that the only true human power is the power of choice. 

Have you ever found your valley?

nanadisc.lnk.to/TotheValley

Patrick Sebag feat. Aviv Bachar - Written in the Stars

Beautiful ♥

You said

Look at the days

They're passing by

Disappearing

You built

Walls around you

And a shelter

For dreams

Above me, above you

The sky is burning

But tonight you're protected

In a canopy of stars

And I saw in your eyes

And I heard your voice

All the way to you

All the way to your heart

And there's one star

That shines especially bright

For me

Illuminates the rooms

And there's one star

That shines especially bright

For you

Everything is written in the stars

Which burn out and light up

There is love and there are waves

There is talk

And there is life

orcd.co/patrickkatuv

Yoav Arbel - Doesn't Matter What

♥

Doesn't matter what

You'll never change the way you feel

I wish I could

An evening by myself

I fear this shit's too real

It could have been good

Now that I know how it feels

Being alone now

I wish I never said a word to you

I'd rather keep you as a fantasy

Doesn't matter what

You'll never change the way you feel

I wish I could

An evening by myself

I fear this shit's too real

It could have been good

Could have been perfect, I know

Being together

I guess I'm not the first to have wanted you

There must be dozens more in misery

Doesn't matter what

You'll never change the way you feel

I wish I could

An evening by myself

I fear this shit's too real

It could have been good

yoavarbel.bandcamp.com

Minus Efes - Don't Call Me Anymore

Happyish Purim ♥

I sit in my room all day

Waiting for something to happen

Everyone's on Facebook

And no one says a thing

You don't like that I'm silent

You change the subject

I have something to say

But I don't dare

Don't call me anymore

I don't feel like talking

All your recipes

Give to someone else

What are you doing tonight?

I have no plans I answer

I was thinking of stopping by after yoga

When you're with me I suddenly remember

That it's actually fun to be alone

We'll get through this night and then

Don't call me anymore

I don't feel like talking

All your recipes

Give to someone else

minusefes.bandcamp.com

Borito - Song for Dawn

Delightful!

In Borito's words: Welcome to Borito's time machine, a debut album titled "What we Have Now", that sends you back to when you still had a summer vacation. The album is all about bringing back innocence, the freedom of loving, living and creating without the obligations and disappointments of adulthood.

In an age where we are surrounded by major challenges, global changes and an unknown future, the album celebrates a sweetness in life that can be easily forgotten.

Hey you do you want to wake up now?

I'm so glad that you're in my bed

Did you hear the birds singing loud?

Or is it all in my head

I always knew

You would love me too

Love me too 

Rachel Yaron - Behind Us

We still have a long way to go...

Sometimes you want everything

Even when nothing is missing

In the morning it hurts

You need to remember that this is a stretch of time

And in the end, it will be over

We'll laugh loudly

We'll fight like the great ones

And we'll go out into the street

So that everyone will hear

We'll heal the wounds

That we received during childhood

And we'll feel that it's behind us

Like the stars

In a glowing sky

There's a place that's reserved just for us

And if we went astray

Then we'll find again

All that belongs just to us

We'll fight like the great ones

And we'll go out into the street

So that everyone will hear

We'll heal the wounds

That we received during childhood

And we'll feel that it's behind us

rachelyaron.bandcamp.com

Meirav Hellinger - Ayelet

Beautiful ♥

In Meirav Hellinger's words, from her FB:

"Ayelet" is a song that took me four years to release. 

I'm aware that there are a lot of people who wouldn't want it out, and I understand them - because it's the place I grew up in, and it's been inside me since childhood... a place with rules of "do and don't do", rules full of depth and wisdom.

But over the years I learned that every rule has an exception, they define and complement each other...

In this song, I am an exception.

And yes, it's scary to be just me, but the scariest thing for me is to compromise and not present myself as I am.

I'm releasing this song with a prayer for myself: that I will learn to love more and be less afraid.

Here is "Ayelet" ♥

Ayelet says "you're stunning"

And I say "thank you"

Ayelet is silent for a bit and then falls asleep

And I, I'm just touching her

But no, it's not for nothing

I don't like everyone

I'm staying here with you

Don't worry so much

Ayelet says "you're not fighting"

And I'm not fighting with her

She gets up to go, close to the door

And I, now I need her

Because no, it's not for nothing

I don't like everyone

I'm staying here with you

So don't go

Oh oh oh oh

Because no, it's not for nothing

I don't like everyone

I'm staying here with you

So don't go

Ayelet says "you're stunning"

And I say "thank you"

Ayelet is silent for a bit and then falls asleep

And I - 

Motti Rodan - Again

♥

mottirodan.bandcamp.com

Gaya Shaki - Oh My Love

♥ 

Lyrics by John Lennon & Yoko Ono:

Oh my love for the first time in my life

My eyes are wide open

Oh my lover for the first time in my life

My eyes can see

I see the wind

Oh, I see the trees

Everything is clear in my heart

I see the clouds

Oh, I see the sky

Everything is clear in our world

Oh my love for the first time in my life

My mind is wide open

Oh my lover for the first time in my life

My mind can feel

I feel the sorrow

Oh, I feel dreams

Everything is clear in my heart

I feel life

Oh, I feel love

Everything is clear in our world

Shai Nehaisi - Tunis

A song that enters your heart and refuses to leave.

In Shai Nehaisi's words: My grandparents made Aliyah from Tunis in the 1960s. They were the last ones to come from their city because my grandfather was a Jewish Agency emissary and made sure that all the jews in his city immigrated safely to Israel. When they arrived in Israel with their seven children they were housed in a small three-room apartment in Netanya. Even though they experienced difficulties they never complained, they were always grateful for the right to live in the Holy Land. My grandmother belonged to a different generation, a generation of simplicity, human love, giving, innocent faith in God, and gratefulness for every small thing. My grandmother lived in that same old apartment until the day she died. The song "Tunis" tells her story and the story of an entire generation that is slowly disappearing from our country.

Tunis' sun shines

Hands join in prayer

In the silence of the house, this is how the day begins

Who is there with her?

Squeaks of a wobbly table

Knocks on a single mug

The doors of the house have for long been unopened

To voices

And there she sits in the same corner

And the kids are running around her again

Pots filled with love

The old apartment in the Aliyah housing

She looks out to the window, God give joy

Family

All of the pictures of tzadikim 

Memories in a bookcase

How he would sit with her

And bless at length

And there she sits in the same corner

And the kids are running around her again

Pots filled with love

The old apartment in the Aliyah housing

She looks out to the window, God give joy

Family

Tunis' sun has already set

Where are you, madam?

shainehaisi.bandcamp.com

Lior Yeini - Come to Eilat

In loving memory of Lior Yeini, who passed away earlier this week at age 84. A timeless classic.

Let's escape the asphalt

And from the wrinkled cities

Let's escape to the quiet lagoons

Come to Eilat, to Eilat

In the capital of the sun

With freckles all over

In front of the skies, we'll grab a nap

And the wind that will settle

Will allow us to not think

About a thing

Eyes closed

We'll escape as a pair

To the water to the coral gardens

Between blue and green

We'll throw away the swimsuits

We'll toss them into the waves

With wild hair

Blown by the wind

I'm lying around like a lizard

Like a dolphin who escaped 

From the depths of the Gulf of Eilat

Like a surprise

Give me just two months

On the skis

And I won't trip on the waves of the water

Between green and blue

Man I can

I can live forever

Let's escape the asphalt

Let's discover 

The wondrous places

And the magic in the bays

Like Colombus so suddenly

In a light sailboat

If you came this time

You'll again return to Eilat

Because the city is enchanted

And the hiding place is under a spell

And you will arrive at it

You will arrive at it younger

Let's escape the asphalt