Dudu Aharon - Don't close the door on me

I have to admit that when I first heard this about a month ago my first thought was that this would fit perfectly on the "sad days" playlist, which is pretty sad because thankfully there hadn't been a sad day in quite a while and it kept me from enjoying this great song. I'm not sure if they played this yesterday, I didn't hear the radio but I'm pretty sure they pulled out the "sad day" playlist (I'm pretty sure it's a file on a computer but in my mind it's a dusty sheet of paper usually stashed away in a drawer). Hearing the sentence "a bus has blown up" immediately brought me back to ten years ago when it wasn't such a rare thing to hear on the news. Only this time even though it's farther away geographically, it's much harder because it's so out of the blue. Burgus is where you fly for a cheap vacation to take a breath from the daily life. It's much more affordable than Greece and other destinations in Europe so most of the travelers are very young. Usually on a trip abroad you want to forget about everything and just relax-it's always scary to feel unsafe but even more so on vacation. Here is information about the victims. Devastating. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=278221 Of course now everyone is wondering what's next and with the Syria bombing (already feels like old news) things are very uncertain.
On another note, I really like this song by Dudu Aharon. It's much more low-key than his usual style and there's something very calming about the melody. Even though it's sad and intimate it's very easy to imagine thousands chanting the chorus at Ceasaria and it highlights his great vocals. I must say that although I've never been a huge fan of his music I've really come to like him as a person thanks to last summer's cult reality La La Land, about Mizrahi singers trying to make it big in LA. At first, the editors tried to portray him as egoistic and "above" the other contestants, but he kind of ruined it by getting along with everybody and taking on the role of peacemaker, making it probably the most uncompetitive reality show ever. They were like a big family that made Friday dinners together, and it was just really fun to watch.

In the nights I wrap up in myself, cannot sleep
Looking for my way
Take your time and think if you should leave
What will happen to the child

Just understand me I'm also afraid
I don't want you to go I need you
These are not easy days for me too
Just give me a sign that you love

If you're fed up then it hurts for me too
We've been through everything isn't it a shame to give up
How sad and heavy my heart is
Don't close the door on me...

Hiding in myself the pain does not leave
Closing myself like a child
Come go out to my heart
It's crying for you now
I'm begging for you like a child

Just understand me it isn't easy to leave
I really wanted the best for you
The heart is bleeding heal my wounds
Promise me that you aren't leaving

http://www.facebook.com/DuduAharonOfficial

The Raw Men Empire - Orange Land

Whoa, what a great video! I first heard this song a few weeks ago and was hooked on the riff, it's so refreshing and energetic. I first discovered them a while ago with their very sweet "Between you and me" and was wondering where they disappeared. Now they're back and better than ever. They sound so happy and free! Perfect for the summer.
Speaking of summer, it's probably the best time to indulge in YouTube videos - your brain feels so tired from the heat (and in my case also exams) that it feels like you really deserve a few minutes (which somehow turn into an hour) of pure escapism. Here's a must-see blue and white selection:

Everybody who's been to the beach in Israel is familiar with that tik-tak-tik-tak noise of Matkot. Either you love it or you hate it but it's inescapable and a huge part of Israeli beach culture. New York Times recently posted a pro-matkot article, but there's a much more critical side to it. This well-made video is a satire but stems from hatred of the sport in which the creators claim that it's not only annoying but also very dangerous, not to mention what it says about Israelis...

I Charleston is in Tel Aviv! Very colorful and well-made. I can't help but wonder how they were able to dance with so much energy in the heat.

Parking in Tel Aviv often feels like a sadistic game of musical chairs with the recurring thought that you just might spend the rest of your life roaming the narrow streets like a shark, all just not to pay in an over-priced parking lot. You think to yourself "there just has to be a free spot somewhere" and when you finally do find it, you feel like the luckiest person in the world. This is a video that everyone can relate to and even features a cameo of Tel Aviv's mayor, Ron Huldai.

The same guys also made a pretty genius video capturing the essence of the Israeli world traveller, in the setting of Tel Aviv.

I've seen the orange land
And your vacant lots,
I've seen all your cars
And they are painted white.

My, oh my, baby,
Stay with me.
My, oh my, baby,
Stay with me.
You're in my heart,
You're in my soul tonight
You're in my heart,
You're gonna tear my world apart.

First came the snow,
Bringing in the white,
I started to write this song
So I could find some light.

My, oh my, baby,
Stay with me.
My, oh my, baby,
Stay with me.
You're in my heart,
You're in my soul tonight
You're in my heart,
You're gonna tear my world apart.

High or down or high or low
I've seen your face now,
No matter how hard you'll try to go
I know your name now,
No matter how far you're gonna run
There'll never be someone
Like you.
http://trmeband.com

Avtipus - Just do not fall

I'm pretty surprised how emotional this song made me feel. I came across it completely by chance earlier today and ever since I've been in a pretty pensive mood. The youtube description says that "this was recorded in July 2012, written in the summer of 2011 with the outbreak of the tent protest to encourage ourselves, our friends, and everyone who isn't giving up, isn't discouraged and continues to push this huge boulder up the mountain". There's a lot of optimism in these words but this song is so melancholic and heavy - it's a good reminder of why the protest exists as well as its importance but there's also a huge feeling of crisis and uncertainty. Since late May/early June there have been renewed protests - not as huge as the ones from last summer, but also not as small as some people thought. Mainly, there was a sense that it wasn't the top story in the media, so it wasn't the top story on everybody's minds, and it felt like it was fading away. However all that changed on Friday June 22, when Dafni Lif, together with a group of protesters, wanted to renew the Rothschild tent city- after they didn't get a permit from the city council. Things got very violent, and Lif ended up badly bruised by the police and arrested. And then came the very violent protest on Saturday. At first, it was very blurry to me what exactly happened that night. At first, from the news it seemed that a small group of protesters got aggressive, smashed bank windows, created a riot and fought with cops. But then when I checked out Twitter and Facebook, it appeared that the protesters' vandalism acts were minor compared to how the Special Patrol Unit handled the protesters, with violence, curses and fury mostly towards harmless men and women. Here is what Itai Anghel, one of the only journalists I completely respect, reported: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/baghdad-congo-tel-aviv.premium-1.447790. The setting of the protest was the banks by Gan Hair, right next to the City Hall whose painted escalators starred in last week's video by Kutiman. It's also right by Rabin Square. One of the most chilling tweets I came across was by someone who wrote: "Miri Regev [says] the protesters want to turn Rabin Square to Tahrir Square. That's more legitimate than what the extreme right did, which is turning Kings of Israel Square to Rabin Square." It also reminded me of what the late Rabin said in his last speech before he was assassinated: "Violence erodes the basis of democracy. It should be condemned, denounced and isolated". In this past Saturday's protest there was no violence but there was anger, and also a group that split from the official protest and blocked roads, not only in Tel Aviv but also in Jerusalem and Haifa. From what I understand, there's now a tent city in a new location picked by the mayor, near the train station and away from the heart of the city. This way it won't disturb the city residents but it also won't bother anyone else, so there's a lot of criticism on behalf of activists and it's very small (for now). So, after almost a year since it first started, it's still very hard to pinpoint exactly what has changed (it feels like nothing and everything at the same time), where things are now and where they are headed. What's certain is that it's going to be a very interesting summer.
Avtipus (prototype) are a great band from the 90's with hits like these  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2OKUsA3X0M and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwNM-nbaI_o&feature=related (so 90's!). For me, they represent the true face of the protest - not dreamy twenty-somethings who want to live in the city and change the world, but rather well-experienced family men fed up with where things are going who see the possibility of creating a better society for their children.

Chutes and ladders
Climbing and diving
There is not a place without quiet
There is not a place with crawling

Dear friends
In the kingdom of survivors
In the place where there is no bridge
Over troubled water

Flying low
Above the dirt
Barely falling asleep
Waking up without a smile
And the ground always shakes under the feet
Just do not fall


Withdrawals and refunds
Loans and losses
In a place where there is no grace
And no pity

Flying low
Above the dirt
Barely falling asleep
Waking up without a smile
And underneath-what fear there is here in the eyes
Just do not fall

Kutiman feat. Dekel - Dover. D

Kutiman, the inventor of the amazing Thru-You project, is always outdoing himself with creative videos and great music, and this one is no exception. I remember walking by the city hall a few months ago and seeing the painted escalators - it's such a simple idea, but so genius and creative, and it definitely adds a burst of color to the day. Perfect music and video to officially open the summer with, which I've always associated with imagination working overtime.
Dekel is the lead singer of the awesome Funk'n'stein band http://funknstein.com/
and he also released a great solo album a few years ago http://www.myspace.com/elrandekel

http://kutiman.bandcamp.com/track/dover-d

http://thru-you.com

http://israelstreetart.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/artist-dover-d/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smilingbag/

Einav Jackson Cohen - Kiss Me

Sivan Shavit's song 'Kiss Me' perfectly captures the intimacy of a car ride with someone special. Einav Jackson Cohen slows down the ride putting more focus on the lyrics. It feels less like a car ride on the highway and more like a slow ride into space. Einav has a beautiful voice and manages to turn what could have just been a regular cover into something much more unique and emotional. 

The original from an amazing scene in the film Walk on Water:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtrFfoxpxw8

You can get the song for free here:
http://music.einavjackson.com/track/--23

We're both riding in the car
I don't know where we'll go
When the wheel is in your hands
You always have to surprise
I can't stop
Looking at your face in the mirror
And you feel every movement
Send a caress to my lips

We're both riding in the car
You tell me that the ride will be long
And that I can fall asleep
And afterwards you'll tell me everything that happened
I don't sleep
Counting stars through holes in a blanket
And you with a cigarette in your mouth
Sing with the radio a love song

Kiss me hard
Kiss me till it hurts
And the sun won't set
You are the one and only
My wonderful love
And I love you

We're both riding in the car
I wish we could ride forever
You think that I
Long ago fell asleep and am not listening
How you with a cigarette in your mouth
Sing to me with the radio a love song

Kiss me hard...

Amit Erez & The Secret Sea - Not About Us

Wow, this track really blew me away. I like Amit Erez's work, but I've always associated it with wintery days and this song is so...alive and perfect for early summer. You can almost hear the bees buzzing. This song refuses to leave my head and I'm not at all complaining. There's a whiff of Belle & Sebastian, but Erez and his talented group manage to create a unique sound of their own. There are so many instruments and styles here but they all blend together perfectly and I love the sharp lyrics which are so easy to identify with.

I'm calling you over every day
When I'm alone
For nothing has strayed you
From dirty lanes back to your home
Our god in his crown
Is judging us down

In pity and purchased heavenly sins
Buzzing around
I'm picking a frequency from within
Hammering on
My god is a sound
A pusher in town

I see you slipping away
I hold you anyway
I know it's not about us today

And I was tearing it up
In a new confusion
Sealing it off from inside
And as the barrier rose
It was quickly moving away
And back and behind
No one ever treats you right

I see you slipping away
I hold you anyway
I know it's not about us today
I see you slipping away
I hold you anyway
I know it's not about us
I know it's not about us

And you get to stay full time
And you get to be your kind
And you get to fit just fine
Enough for everyone to see you
When you're walking blind

I see you slipping away...
I see you slipping away

http://amiterez.bandcamp.com/

Ido Shoam - XL Nightlife Anthem 2012

At first I thought I'd post this as a link together with another song, but then I realized that Ido Shoam's song is so great that it deserves a post of its own. I don't really write about the Israeli techno scene (or live it for that matter), but it's a pretty huge part of Israeli culture, especially in Tel Aviv. I remember seeing a documentary a while ago about America in the 70's and how it was really a low point economically with the Arab Oil Embargo, so it was only natural to dance the night away in disco clubs to help forget about depressing problems, even if temporarily. I really get that, and it could help explain why Israel has such a great nightlife. Tel Aviv especially has become a nightlife capital attracting clubbers from all over the country. Along with that, it's also become the gay capital and there's a sense that if you're gay and want to live the gay lifestyle, you have to live in Tel Aviv. On one hand, it's great that there's a city in Israel where gays can feel free to be themselves and live their lives peacefully but outside of Tel Aviv it's a completely different universe. I'm not talking about Orthodox cities but secular smaller cities where it's just not that acceptable to live an openly gay life. I personally know that in Beer Sheva there's a growing gay scene yet because of the conservative atmosphere it's rare to see open gay affection. It shouldn't be such a big deal to just hold hands in the street and teens shouldn't feel so ashamed about their sexual orientations because of the negative vibe from their community. I have a lesbian friend in Beer Sheva who's very open and keeps complaining about how she can't find a girlfriend and that eventually she too will move to Tel Aviv. She told me "It's planning to become the gayest city in the world, so why would Israeli gays want to live outside it?" This year's gay pride parade has the slogan "all of the country flags, flags" with the intention to bring the gay parade out of Tel Aviv to places where raising awareness is really needed. Yet there's a huge protest against the gay parade in Petah Tikvah, just 15 minutes from Tel Aviv, and all of the protesters are saying the same thing: "You have Tel Aviv, isn't it enough?" In addition, many city councils don't want to budget the parades. It's important to remember that the first gay pride parade took place in New York in 1970 (back to the 70's...), marking a year after the police raid on the Stonewall Inn and the riots that followed, which "was the first time in modern history that a significant body of LGBT people resisted arrest"(Wikipedia). Naturally over the years gay rights have become more accepted so the parades have become much more festive and less political. Now it seems that it's just a good excuse to have a great party and meet cute tourists but it's not like that everywhere. I don't think the gay pride parades in the cities outside Tel Aviv should feel the need to compete with the provocative and glamour of Tel Aviv-just raising flags and saying "this is my city and I want to live here so please accept me as an equal" feels so much more powerful and also meaningful in making a real change. Of course that doesn't mean you can't party in Tel Aviv (it's not like they're on the same date) - next week's parade is planning on being the biggest ever with events all week: http://www.gaytlvguide.com/component/content/article/12-fp-articles/63-gay-pride-parade-tel-aviv-2012-june-8
I love this video not only because of the great music (so catchy!) but also because it really shows how accepting Israelis are to somebody so different who just wants to put a smile on our faces. Who can resist and not join the party? Oh, and the song is available for free download here: http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/41852316/file.html

http://soundcloud.com/ido-shoam

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_parade