Charlie Megira - Tomorrow's Gone

Goodbye 2016 and goodbye Charlie. Charlie Megira, also known as Gabi Abudraham, died in his Berlin apartment on November 9th at the age of 44. He wasn't very well-known before his death but many of those who knew him felt that the 50's style rocker from Beit Shaan was no less than a musical genius. A genius who insisted on staying true to himself throughout his career while working as a cook in Tel Aviv and later in Berlin. He left us beautiful music like this hazy lullaby, a fitting way to end a stormy year.

*And goodbye Carrie Fisher :(  As a young girl I was so inspired by Princess Leia's strength and independence and later grew to admire Carrie's own strength and grace while battling addiction and mental illness. What a devastating loss.

Don't say maybe
No, no, you shouldn't
Don't say maybe
Maybe today, maybe tomorrow
Tomorrow's gone

Tell me quickly
What do you love?
Tell me to the heart
But quickly
Tell me quickly
What do you love?
Tell me
Who is that?

What do you love?
What do you love?

Ahuva Ozeri - A Voice Calls to Me In the Desert

A voice calls to me in the desert and I am alone
My eyes I will turn to you in prayer
My tortured soul my tortured soul
I lift my voice to you in prayer
Go to Israel they are crying to you
And I am in the desert they want my soul
Merciful and compassionate maker of wonders
Please my God send me to my people

Ahuva Ozeri rose to fame thanks to her soulful voice but she will also be remembered as a talented composer, beloved vocal coach and captivating performer, who never ceased to smile and encourage young artists, even after she lost her vocal chords to cancer 16 years ago. Many considered her to be the mother of Mizrahi music and she is alreay greatly missed.

Cafe Shahor Hazak - Another Day

Cafe Shahor Hazak have come a long way since they first started out (more info on them here) and have now become one of Israel's biggest hip-hop acts. It seems like they have a lot of weight on their shoulders as representatives of the Ethiopian community but they're also respected role models for kids and teens growing up here from all different backgrounds and they're doing an amazing job. Their sound just gets better and better and I love the use of Amharic in their music. Keep on smiling :)

Uri:
Another day another day another day has begun
Nothing in this life is guaranteed
God gives and God takes
Between the victories and the defeats I'm looking for the gap

Nothing is free it's first you give and then you take
What's mine is mine and it stays that way
Everything is simple: it's art or we die, it's not that complicated
Every day I come home drained with my backpack I feel blessed

It's a privilege to make money from love and no
I don't feel that I'm going to work
It's a good time to emphasize and say thank you
To everyone who came to everyone who bought

And anyone who hated, keep hating
You're there I'm here
Fulfilling and creating dreams for me and for others
You'll slowly see my friend that everything works out

Chorus:
Today is a day to shine
To get outside of the box
To stretch the limits of imagination
To be conscious of the subconscious
When it feels like there's no more strength around the corner
I always find a place to bloom a light of comfort
This is another day that begins with hope
Give me good music to spread love


Ilak:
It's my life I want to win
From a young age I'm always running and making sure
To go head-on and enjoy the view
To take care of myself to be strong till the end

What was in difficult times I don't forget
Give me one chance and I'll take it
In front of small-minded people I don't open my heart
A square screen is mashing everyone's brain

To wake up to a good morning at my place
What I've lost will go to redemption
Dreams of an album without a penny
Music from the heart, black and pure

Everything with love slowly building the business
Conquering peaks not everything is a ceremony
Even If I'll have millions in my pocket
I promise that you'll find me in a t-shirt and jeans

Ella Shik Blum - I jumped head-first into the pool

While this video was shot on a warmer day (Yom Kippur, to be exact), its melancholic tones go perfectly with this weekend's rainy weather. Ella Shik Blum has been chosen as Tsuzamen's artist of the month, meaning you can catch her perform with her band and with other artists she admires every Wednesday night.

I jumped head-first into the pool
It takes a few seconds and it felt to me like a long minute
Without air

I jumped head-first
The heart is pounding and not exactly in the spot
It should

I sat down on the concrete
You were reading some trashy newspaper
A plastic girl is looking at me
With a smile she communicates

Nothing bad ever happens to her
A balanced character
The parents are still together
A gifted child

I jumped head-first into the pool
You shouted something at me but it was already too late
I jumped head-first into the pool
And I landed on my stomach

I sat down on the concrete
You were reading some trashy newspaper
A plastic girl is looking at me
With a smile she communicates

Nothing bad ever happens to her
A balanced character
The parents are still together
A gifted child

Soul J - A Little Bit More

So sweet! ♥

Just a little bit more and soon we'll get there
Just leave a little more air to breathe
Just a little bit more up to the sky
Believe me, there is something to dream about

We fell and got up, we loved, we we got mad, yet we continued anyways
To see the good, to support, to love, look at what we've been through
From here it's together, we'll find peacefulness, listen to what I'm saying
Everything will work out
Even when I was wrong you still waited for me with open arms
Sealed lips and loving eyes
I know it's not easy to live on luck
But I was born a winner
Everything will work out

A little bit more...

I promised you a starlit sky
I told you you'll see that life will work out on its own
And in the meantime the years are pasing by, we're still not there yet
Thet say that a woman is like the moon, a man is like the sun
The light is reflected through her
In the darkness, on the road, sometimes the flame is small
As long as we're together planting faith
Love will grow
Take a breath and you'll see that we'll reap in joy

A little bit more...

https://www.facebook.com/originalSoulj

Avi Goldfinger - Famous Blue Raincoat

Yesterday was the second time this week that I woke up to depressing news. But unlike waking up with a shock to a red electoral map, this time I was more prepared, and more at peace with the news. Leonard Cohen was a poet of the blues but his real talent was finding the light in the darkness and laying it out so beautifully. "Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes // I thought it was there for good so I never tried". This sincere optimism appears in many of his songs, but my favorite has to be in "Tonight will be fine", which I take pride in discovering all on my own, and not as one of the songs I heard at home off of his Essential album.
"Famous Blue Raincoat" is one of those songs included in the Essential album which I first heard and loved before I could even understand the lyrics. Avi Goldfinger presents a beautiful translation to the song and an even more beautiful vocal performance with chilly Berlin as the perfect setting. Discover more of Avi's music here.

Original lyrics:

It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening.

I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record.

Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?

Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You'd been to the station to meet every train
And you came home without Lili Marlene

And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back she was nobody's wife.

Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well I see Jane's awake

She sends her regards.
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I'm glad you stood in my way.

If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
And your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.

And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear

Sincerely L Cohen

Avi Adaki - Suddenly

Avi Adaki is known as the singing plumber because that's what he does for a living, in order to be able to make meaningful protest music for his soul, and ours. Adaki just released his third album titled Eretz, though in Hebrew it is written in initials, standing for Public Rock Album. Adaki delivers his political poetry out of sincere concern, capturing the frustration and absurdity of our time.

Suddenly | thoughts took me over | about life | at least about this one
They say | And what they really | show | a middle finger

Sara wants too much | The Finance Minister less
And when they're on the same line | You are asked to be quiet

Suddenly I bumped into the facts | helplessly | I wanted others
Destroying | And when will we come to our senses | they're doing to us what they please

The Minister of Regional Cooperation | Economy | Communications | Foreign Policy
The Prime Minister | The Interior Minister | everyone can just jump it | can jump

Organized crime | financed evil | ten on a scale of nine
An armored vehicle | a well-oiled motto | whatever you want | it's there

It's there | it's | fire fire | fire fire | fire fire | shhh


An exchange of words:
lyrics: Avital Keshet

Me, dad and Nissim from the grocery shop
Exchange speech with products
It's good that speech hasn't scorched yet
There are days when you can't exchange speech
The streets are empty
The next day we get up
As if nothing happened
Luckily Nissim returns and sells to us on credit
In exchange, the word is replaced
With another word
We'll pay tomorrow
It'll be okay
Nissim says
The fear is reflected from his eyes
Brush your tongue
Always be a nice girl
And we'll buy the paper
My father sighs and says
There is no news in there

For already a whole year my father has been unemployed
In coffee shops the crowds wait for him to speak, for an understanding
My father analyzes for them what the newspaper and the Prime Minister say
It's always good
That there is someone to exchange words with

Moti Amir - Trees

I remember that I already forgot stories that once
You told me or I told you or they told us and we listened together
Trees fall behind our parents' house
Dad is silent in the garden counting wars
Which can't be won
A man against his years rocks against the wind trees against bulldozers
I remember that I already forgot songs that once
You played for me or I played for you or they played for us and we listened together

I didn't go to InDnegev this year but that didn't stop me from going over the line-up and seeing who is playing when and on which stage. It's always curious to see who is opening the day so it was nice to discover that Moti Amir played Friday morning at the fittingly named InDtox stage, which from what I gathered is the more Jewish/spiritual area with Kabbalat Shabbat and rebirthing. One of the founders of the festival has become more religious over the years so it makes sense that the festival will include artists like Moti Amir and not just the usual indie acts you can find on stages in Tel Aviv. In any case, I'm glad I discovered him and this song, which is very fitting for these chilly fall afternoons.

Nadav Dagon - White G

It's the last long weekend of the holiday season and I'll miss being able to completely disconnect from work, doing just what I feel like doing. This is a very fitting choice for Sukkot as the holiday is all about spending time in nature (or a Sukkah on your balcony) and most importantly, hosting and visiting friends (see the mitzvah of Ushpizin). Nadav Dagon's video is a colorful celebration of friendship and freedom with the lovely Danielle Tourgeman on vocals. Chag Sameach!

The Rubber Project - One More Cup of Coffee

When I heard that Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature I couldn't help but feel a warm sense of delight. I get the controversy surrounding the choice, but to me it makes perfect sense to give the award to the songwriter who introduced me to Dylan Thomas and later to Keats, Rimbaud, and Ginsberg. I first took note of the names when I read a short bio on Dylan but I had the urge to delve into their work after hearing this song, and many other songs by Dylan which paint a story with so much depth, emotion, and playful mystery.
There are quite a few famous Hebrew versions to Dylan: Danny Littany's "Blowing in the Wind" and "Girl from the North Country", Aviv Geffen's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and Shlomi Shaban's "Mama, You've Been on My Mind, to name just a few, but I really love this version by the Rubber Project. The group actually made a whole album of Dylan songs which they translated but this song isn't included in it. I love how it stays loyal to the original but adds an extra flair, amping the guitar with so much emotion. And it works so perfectly-I can almost smell the finjan-made black coffee.

Original lyrics:

Your breath is sweet
Your eyes are like two jewels in the sky
Your back is straight your hair is smooth
On the pillow where you lie
But I don't sense affection
No gratitude or love
Your loyalty is not to me
But to the stars above

One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below.

Your daddy he's an outlaw
And a wanderer by trade
He'll teach you how to pick and choose
And how to throw the blade
He oversees his kingdom
So no stranger does intrude
His voice it trembles as he calls out
For another plate of food.

One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go
To the valley below.

Your sister sees the future
Like your mama and yourself
You've never learned to read or write
There's no books upon your shelf
And your pleasure knows no limits
Your voice is like a meadowlark
But your heart is like an ocean
Mysterious and dark.

One more cup of coffee for the road
One more cup of coffee 'fore I go.
To the valley below.

Yair Yona - Sword

These days before Yom Kippur are also the days when we remember the Yom Kippur War.

From the Youtube description: 'Sword' is the title track that seals the war chapter in my 1973-War Soundtrack album. It is the fusion point of memories, sounds, visions, blood and death. All of which took place shortly before the ceasefire command.
During the fighting, one cannot stop and relate to the experience, the survival mode controls the body and mind, one cannot think or feel anything. Just survive.
But when the fires are gone, and all tanks are making a u-turn to return home, time becomes very slow. Memories come to the brain, picking with a sharp knife in the open wound tasting the blood, torching the flesh.

http://yairyona.net/sword-en/

http://kipur.ynet.co.il/#!:/gallerypage.aspx

Mark Eliyahu - Through Me

The death of Shimon Peres didn't come as a surprise, and yet it sent a wave of shock throughout the country and the world. I think it hit me when Netanyahu said the next day "Today is the first day the State of Israel has existed without Shimon Peres". I internalized the sentence and realized that we won't hear his thoughtful and carefully chosen words anymore, always said in a confident and comforting tone. We won't see his face light up in wonder at the latest tech innovation, like as he tried a VR set a few months ago when he laid the cornerstone for the Israeli Innovation Center. It's difficult to imagine future chapters in our country's history without Peres by our side, acting as the stern but loving grandfather who has very high expectations from us. On Thursday night the news channels were dedicated to Peres-most were focused on his political past but one of the programs was from a few years ago when he was President. He gathered together a small group of 30 year-olds from different sects of Israeli society, all with promising futures in medicine, politics, hi-tech, science, education and the social sector. He asked them complex questions with a sparkle in his eyes and seemed to be at his happiest: he was bringing together bright people from very different backgrounds and was deeply interested in not only what they had to say but perhaps more importantly, in what they had to say to each other.
I chose this beautiful piece by Mark Eliyahu because there is something so touching and reflective in the tune. It urges you to take a step back and to listen, just as Peres always encouraged us to do.

Gedy Ronen - Hot in Yaffo

It's that time of the year when every hot weekend feels like it might be the last one before autumn takes over. So here's one last breezy summer song (though I'm probably wrong and next weekend will be just as hot), an ode to Yaffo by Gedy Ronen with a light touch of autumn melancholy.

It's hot in Yaffo, hot on Yefet and Street 60
Cats celebrate here on the stones
Whoever doesn't get through the selection comes here to dance
No matter how much she didn't give me I just wanted more

How every time she's burning how she's not quiet
In a painted dress she walked around
And now for a long time again I won't see her
I won't see her

When the summer will end you'll be drained
Go look at yourself honestly in the eyes

On the Zodiac Path, another day of photo shoots
Passerby shout:"what a pair of love doves"
They go down to the port to catch the sunset
They have the frame- they just need the picture

She would like to be remembered this way
Her hair tossed in the wind sails in her dress

It's hot in Yaffo, hot on Yeffet, jump into the salad
The whole city which gets mixed will mix a bit
Only she is coming, she's about to leave, just to stay a bit more
Just to stay a bit more

When the summer will end you'll be drained
Go look at yourself honestly in the eyes
She said that she's leaving she probably won't come back
Probably won't come back...

Noga Erez - Hold Me

Indie City is back! A perfect opportunity to introduce you to the very talented Noga Erez, and also to the Israel Museum, one of my favorite places in Jerusalem. Stay updated (or catch up!) on upcoming Indie City clips here.

Tamar Aphek - Dream inside a dream

When the credits rolled last night at the end of "One Week and a Day", I stayed a bit longer than I needed to in my seat, and I wasn't the only one. I needed a minute or two to process what I had seen before heading out into the crowded and noisy mall. Asaph Polonsky uses a number of artistic elements in his debut feature film and one of the strongest is his use of music. I first heard a bit of this song in the trailer for the movie, and it was one of the reasons why I wanted to go and see it. Tamar Aphek's music throughout the film adds an emotional layer but also keeps things from getting too heavy. The scene where 'Dream inside a dream' appears illustrates how loved ones deal with death in different ways while at the same time it feels like a much-needed gasp of oxygen in a suffocating reality.

Tired from hearing you talk
Can't hear you walk inside the house
While I'm asleep
I'm in a dream
You were a dream
Inside a dream inside a dream

What? I can't understand
Say it again
I was thinking about something else
A violent drive, ash trays in cars
Spending April behind bars

Fun, we never had fun
It's not what we had
Doesn't mean anything bad
You had your life and I had mine
Dinners, hospitals and wine

What? I can't understand
Say it again
I was thinking about something else
A violent house, ash trays in bars
Spending August inside cars

ECHO - Come Sit With Us

Echo has already made a name for herself as half of Echo and Tito and now she's inviting us to chill with her crew and enjoy some blissful end-of-the-summer vibes. First single from her upcoming album 'Calling on Wonders'.

Deaf Chonky - Shirley

Get ready because Deaf Chonky are about to take the world by storm. Adi Bronicki and Tami Kaminsky met in Rehovot (my hometown!) and the name of their band comes from the Russian meaning of "girls" (devochki), which is how Tami's dad would call them. Their sound is an eclectic mix of music they love and you can take a peek into their minds with this mixtape they made.

Can't get enough of them? Neither can I. Here's another clip of them doing their thing:



Plus, check out their fresh new album over on bandcamp

The Nahal Band - Shores

In memory of the great songwriter and composer Nachum Heyman who passed away this week. He composed so many Israeli classics but this is one of my favorites. Lyrics by Nathan Yonathan. There is also a famous version of this song sung by Chava Albertstein but there is something very special about this version, sung by the Nahal Band featuring Yardena Arazi and Efraim Shamir.

Shores sometimes yearn the river.
I once saw a shore
That the river abandoned
With a broken heart of sand and stone.
And a man, and sometimes a man can also
Remain abandoned without any strength
Just like a shore.

Also shells
Like shores, like the wind
Shells too sometimes yearn
The home we always loved
Which was and just the sea
Sings by itself its songs

So between the shells of a man's heart they sing songs of his youth

Niv Demirel - Normal

"I love you all. This medal belongs to you all. I'm glad to have brought pride to Israel. I can't imagine living anywhere else. Whenever I fly, I only want to get home." Those are the words of Or Sasson, after winning the bronze medal in the men's over-100kg judo competition at Rio. It was a happy ending to an emotional day, highlighted by the Egyptian judoka's refusal to shake hands with Or after being defeated. I don't know where I'll be in four years during the next Olympics but there really is something special about watching on TV together with your family these rare moments when an Israeli olympian takes his or her place on the podium and watching the flag go up. Niv Demirel does a beautiful job at capturing the feeling of returning home and knowing that you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

Again I stood helplessly
Under the old Maariv bridge
Above me are advertisements
For TV shows
Which sell us a life

I don't have a peace of mind just a collection of facts
Mad at you but sending hearts
You are always left in the end
Just with yourself, walking by foot
Saving yourself the ride

Who will listen to you?
Who will see you?
With last bursts of energy
I wash my face
I'm home, I'm home

Fighting again to search for a bit of certainty
There are those who crash from every mistake
The quiet night
Doesn't organize the head
The advertisements tell me, soon

Who will listen to you?
Who will see you?
With last bursts of energy
And a soldier's duffel
I'm home, I'm home

And asking what will I do
When I grow up
I hoped it would be easier to choose
God just please make sure
That I will be normal
One chance against the lack of alternatives

Who will listen to you?
Who will see you?
With last bursts of energy
I'm going back to the parents
I'm home, I'm home
Finally

Agam Buhbut - Like in Rio

It's not easy to grow up in front of the spotlight but 12-year-old Agam Buhbut seems to be doing an amazing job. She captured everyone's hearts as a sweet and very talented 8-year-old singer on the reality competition for kids, "School of Music" and she just released a summer hit written by her mentor Moshe Peretz. In a recent interview, she talked about being a role model for younger kids, staying modest and how it would be silly to sing heavy songs about experiences she's not familiar with like love and heartbreaks. Though not very new, this song fits perfectly with the Olympic fever sweeping us and is all about enjoying the moment, dancing to the beat and having a great time. Let the games begin!

How everyone here is swaying from side to side
The sounds of a tambourine batucada
Nobody's sleeping tonight, how nice it is
And the beat is going to my head right and left
And move the butt a bit
Left, right and another quick turn

Popa Popapa
How everyone is dancing like in Rio
Popa Popapa

We won't stop moving for hours while it goes on
They already called an ambulance
This isn't like another symphony on a Bach record
Here the beat goes to my head
Right and left and move the butt a bit
Left, right and another quick turn

Popa Popapa
How everyone here is dancing like in Rio
Popa Popapa

Right and left and move the butt a bit
Left right another quick turn
Right and left and move the butt a bit
Left and right another quick turn

Popa Popapa

Vegan Friendly - Cows

It's actually not very surprising that there's an Israeli band called Vegan Friendly, considering all the vegans who live here. I'm not a vegan but it's nice that there are so many vegan options no matter where you eat- it makes it easier to eat healthy, and much easier to go out with vegan friends. Vegan Friendly are Assaf Reiss on drums, Jango on base & vocal and the one and only Geva Alon on guitars and vocals. It's great to hear Geva in a band again (he shined in The Flying Baby before going solo) and everything about this band works so organically.

My eyes are open but I can't see through
Each time you're walking down the avenue
I think I've known you for all my life
My heart moves forward but my feet step back

Cows left in the wild
Cows left in the wild

My stomach is aching and I can't go on
My diet is changing between right and wrong
The things they told me most all my life
Are changing shape before my lingering eyes

Cows left in the wild
Cows left in the wild

My heart is bursting from discoveries
And you're still walking down the same old streets
And I've known you for all my life
I know you

Cows left in the wild
Cows left in the wild
Cows left in the wild
Cows left in the wild

Noam Banai - Tel Avivit

Noam Banai (Meir's son, in case you were wondering) is continuing the Banai legacy while making his mark as an emerging artist with this edgy and vulnerable hit.

They say it's because you're a Tel Avivit
I think it's because you're tall
There's something aggressive
In your dance always

They say you're hollow
I think it's because of the heels
There's something unstable
In your dance always

And you don't know how to stop telling lies

They say you're lonely most of the time
I think it's because of the stares
There's something uneven
In your dance always

And you don't know how to stop telling lies

They say it's because you're a Tel Avivit
I think it's because you're beautiful
There's something mesmerizing
In your dance always

And you don't know how to stop telling lies

Yotam Mahler - Late Bloomer

With all the chaos going on, this lush gem by Yotam Mahler is just what I needed. Like stepping into a beautiful air-conditioned room after a sweltering day outside.

Driving through my attempts
I've been beaten up (you've been beaten up)
A sweet release
I can only be myself

No beginning has to end
Nothing worse yet to announce
I'm a late bloomer

Cooling down this time
I have learned myself (I have learned myself)
What a sweet release
I don't see the end ahead

No beginning has to end
Nothing worse yet to announce
I'm a late bloomer

Through the obstacles (late bloomer)
(This time)
When they got me down
(I have learned myself)
I can only be myself

Maureen Nehedar - Gole Gandom (Wheat Flower)

I've been following the tragic news in the U.S. but it's not really enough to understand the atmosphere there and what's on people's minds. It feels a bit like looking into a house from the street- you see what's going on, more or less, but not how the people there are feeling, or how they're communicating with each other. All I can offer is a few minutes of beautiful music from a far away land. Maureen Nehedar was born in Iran and made aliyah with her family as a small girl in 1980. This song is the first single from her new album which is devoted to Persian classical and folk songs set in new arrangements. Gole Gandom, meaning 'wheat flower', is based on a traditional Persian song and is a celebration of women harvesting the fields:

My yield has been ample
I no longer fear what the day will bring

The Bells - At the End of the Day

What a refreshing contra to all those over-produced 'feel happy' hits. The Bells offer a stripped-down sound, strong vocals and above all, very honest lyrics.

Again I reach the end of the day
I never keep up with the pace
Just thinking about not thinking
In a moment of silence

Like a kind of magical promise
That's waiting at the end of sadness
Again a melody rises in me
From the depths of imagination

The street is flooded with presence
When the city changes again
The yellow becomes orange
Always at the end of the day

For years I wandered in time
Between loneliness and silence
A country far away from here
Seems like a dream to me

And now coming back
With love discovering that...
Even with all the mess
I belong here

The street is flooded with presence
When the city changes again
The yellow becomes orange
Always at the end of the day
The light seems like a hallucination
The trash bins in the corner
The orange becomes red
Always at the end of the day

At the end of the day again
I return to you
From the tired city
To your arms

Mika Sade - Your Garden

God, this is even worse than that time we went to bed with Peres and woke up with Netanyahu. I wasn't following the Brexit campaign too closely because from the bits that I gathered it seemed that though the race was close, the U.K would ultimately decide to stay in the EU. Foreign reporters based in London reported an optimistic mood and a relief that this ugly campaign was soon going to be over. But then again, if you were in central Tel Aviv on the eve of the elections last year, you'd think that the left-wing Meretz was a leading party and that there was a real possibility that the Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog might pass Netanyahu's right-wing Likud. While in reality Meretz barely passed the threshold and the large majority of Netanyahu's supporters came from outside Tel Aviv. That's probably one of the reasons the results came as such a surprise. Even though polls were close, people didn't actually see the vote as so crucial because Remain supporters were surrounded by like-minded people and perhaps those who wanted to leave felt that they were in the minority.
This isn't the song I was planning to post today but I love its comforting tones and how it makes me think of a meadow, specifically a sunny English meadow. It feels like a nod to English folk songs and if you go even further back, to romantic poems like Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud". Mika usually sings in Hebrew and though this is her first album in English, it's impossible to forget her sweet duet with Geva Alon, closing his album "The Wall of Sound".

I'm your prisoner
Locked and chained in flowers
Which never wilt

Almost your daughter
Locked and chained in longing
That never rests

How wish I could
Take your hand and
Walk you to your garden
Blossom is nicer when you're there

I'm your doom
Locked and kept in memories
That constantly grows in the dark

Almost your lover
Locked in a box of treasure
That will never open again

How I wish I could
Take your hand and
Walk you to your garden
Blossom is nicer when you're there

I see you in every flower
When you're alone and quiet
I miss you

Gobbolino - What for What

Instant classic.

https://www.facebook.com/Gobbolinoband

Liraz - Nozi Nozi

Tonight is the holiday of Shavuot, which is celebrated by eating fruit and dairy products (please don't ask me why). We marked the holiday at work with a festive meal where everyone brought a dish of their choice. To coordinate things, a doc was shared where we each wrote what we were planning to bring. A friend of mine jokingly wrote "Good vibes (dairy)". I think he eventually did bring something but as we were having the meal and the conversation alternated between plans for the long weekend to a heated debate on how the Israeli media covered the Sarona attack that happened a day earlier, and guesses on when the next war will begin, I couldn't help but think that with all due respect to homemade lasagna, we could all really use good vibes (dairy). Which brings me to this gem by Liraz, oozing with good vibes and impressive vocals.

Lior Adler Aharony - Sisra

Today was one of those days when nothing fit my mood-until I came across this beautiful pearl.

http://lioradleraharony.bandcamp.com/album/jerusalem

OSOG - Wanted

Great song, great video, amazing band!

https://osog.bandcamp.com/

"Tic-Toc-Tic-Toc" the clock goes,
Tim is up
Time to carry on
Like shadows we move
I whisper to you
That you're my rock and you're my treat
One more time and that is it
And I'll make up for such the life
I put you through

Spoiled in riches, we'll be sporting an affair
No matter where they look, they'll never find us
'Cause we're not here nor there

You gotta
Love me once
Gotta kiss me twice
And just dance to the rhythm
(Dance, dance to the rhythm)
All night long
You've got to get up now
I'm telling you right now
The deed is done
And you're wanted baby

Veiled in black you walsed into the room
I skipped a beat, you fell too soon
Our eyes filled with color, ringing in our ears
I tasted sadness, worst of fears
In the saltiness of your tears
And I made up for a such the life
I put you through

Before the curtain's down,
I'll take your hand in mine
Start with a sudden move, won't you approve?
So honey one last time

The Great Machine - Make Me Feel Good

Yesss. This is even better than how I felt when the suffocating heat wave ended.

https://www.facebook.com/MachineGreat

Efrat Kolberg - Heartache and Tears

Heartache and tears but also love, laughter, family, independence, creativity and optimism. Happy birthday Israel!

Dad, just don't ask me
What my plans are
Mom, don't look at me
With that scrutinizing eye

Maybe it's not what you thought
That I'd grow up to be
You gave a lot and I returned
Heartache and tears

I went out to the road,
To discover the country
I met the people
Whose lives are worth less

I discovered that injustice
Doesn't bother those who have rights
And it made me want to change
Heartache and tears
I chased after love
I gave her everything
I agreed even to forget
Who I was yesterday

I learned to be patient
And what it means to give unconditionally
And what did I get out of it?
Heartache and tears

I came back home and mom
Asked what I brought with me
If I learned and moved forward
Speak and I will listen to you, my daughter

I don't have a degree
Also no property or finances
But I would be rich if they sold in stores

Heartache and tears

https://www.facebook.com/efrat.kol/

Quarter To Africa - Connect

Quarter to Africa is all about connecting groovy people around the world, and also connecting between different music influences with a fusion of world music, funk, and jazz. Check out their new e.p and read a bit more about these very groovy guys here.

Safe Cube - Another Long Day

The perfect mellow song for the day after a big Passover seder. Safe Cube is made up of a group of musicians who are all good friends and would jam on a balcony not very far from the sea of Tel Aviv. You can listen to their chill new album over on bandcamp.

Didn't you notice
That you did something cruel?
So cruel
Left me here feeling like such a fool
Now I'm full

Well I guess you need me now
I guess you need me
And you want all my loving for sure

And it's another long day

I can't promise anything anymore
I just won't wait here by the door

And I guess you want me now
I guess you want me
And you need all my loving for sure

And it's another long day

Well I guess you need me now
I guess you need me
And you want all my loving for sure

And it's another long day
And it's another long day
And it's another long day

Static and Ben El Tavori - The Coastal Road

There's nothing like a feel-good summer song, and this is already one of the biggest summer songs of the year (and for good reason!). Something in the "it'll all be good" feeling reminds me a lot of Cafe Shahor Hazak's mega hit "It'll be ok" and there's this general feeling about enjoying the sunny day without thinking too much about the future. You can't ignore the line "there's a whole generation waiting to hear that the chaos has an end (it won't happen)" which pretty much says it all.

https://www.facebook.com/static.muzic

https://www.facebook.com/BenelOfficial

On the coastal road, wind in the hair is sweeping the view,
The guys in the back can't stop talking,
Ya ya ya it'll all be good,
Ya ya ya,
On the coastal road, wind in the hair is sweeping the view,
The guys in the back can't stop talking,
Ya ya ya it'll all be good,
Ya ya ya it all flows good.

A foot on the gas and a finger on the radio,
Putting out my problems like cigarettes,
My window is open so I'm sure the wind,
Will tell the world what I'm singing to it,
Oh ya ya ya it's so good,
Oh ya ya ya not to think,
To let the music take over,
The guys and me to the end!

On the coastal road....

I'm a king at planning the route,
The gas will be enough for the whole way (kinda),
The music in the car is begging to be turned up
And even if you turn it down- no one is going to stop singing!!
There's a whole generation - waiting to hear,
That the chaos has an end (it won't happen).
Forget the traffic, and let's start driving,
Let love go first!!

On the coastal road...

When the sunset paints - the sky in red,
And the day is already over,

No, it's not time yet to breathe until we've come so far,
There's no way that we'll stop we won't give up,
And the night isn't over yet, Waze can annoy us until tomorrow,
There's no way we're going on route 6!! (it's expensive)

On the coastal road...

Jordi's the designated driver,
Ben-el always buys junk at Yellow,
Stat Boy, Stat Boy...
Wait wait stop!
Where's Stat Boy?

Lior Perla - Don't Go

For me, it's the summer
For you, it's the freezing cold
And when you smile
I immediately
Fall into the net
Don't go

Friends who I used to love
Don't see me
Release me
I will go on my way
Enemies who I used to hate
Surprise me
They're not going against me
But actually with me

For me, it's home
For you, it's a stop on the way
When I think just about you
The tears come to me
Don't go

For me, it's home
For you, it's a stop on the way
You see
That's the connection
And that's all
That's left in the net
Don't go

https://www.facebook.com/LiorPerla/

Yemen Blues Feat. Oxmo Puccino - Satisfaction

Yemen Blues have finally released their first video and it was well worth the wait. It's been a long time since I've encountered a video that not only has a strong message but is also just so fun to watch! Beautiful and inspiring.

See the beauty in the differences between us and the power of our similarity
When I look at you I see the grace in you
Seize the moment of the soul to reach satisfaction
Seize the moment of faith to become stronger
In every good you do the world changes with it

Niv Ast - One Time

After a long Purim weekend which started on Wednesday with a festive wedding and continued to a hungover costume contest at work and a night of party hopping where we ended up eating rolled pizza at the neighborhood bar, I think we can call Purim 2016 a wrap. And then Niv Ast comes along with this energetic beat reminding us that the night is still young. Take a peek into Niv's rich musical world with this mix tape he made for Kaltblut.

Bint El Funk - Umak

The perfect soundtrack to this hot and lazy Saturday. Check out Bint El Funk's brand new album on bandcamp and read a bit more about them here.

Dia Malo - Feel the Pain

Yess. Dia Malo means "bad day" in Spanish and I can't think of a more fitting soundtrack for the end of a bad day, or week. For the full Dia Malo experience, check out their new album on bandcamp.

Gili Yalo - City Life

Yes! A new single from Gili Yalo! I know Yalo from the awesome Zvulon Dub System and it's great to hear a different and more personal side of him. Not only that, but he's also embracing his roots while adding his own groove. The city is lucky to have him!

Who's gonna tell you when your time is up
Who's gonna flip a coin and change your luck
Back then when you still had your strength
It used to be so clear
Now you drowning in your own shade
Embracing your fears

City life got me begging
I must get up now

You've always reached out a hand
Now where are your friends
Everybody is busy making money
You can't pay the rent
Strugglin' to walk upright, did find out you can't
'Cause above your shoulders you carry a heavy weight

City life got me begging
I  must get up now

Gotta get up right now from this crowded place
There is too much pressure got to get yourself some space
Won't you get out of here
While you still have a chance
Because it ain't working

City life got me begging
I must get up now

Shirly Kones - It's good that you came

A beautiful glimpse into Shirly Kones' Tel Aviv

Even if occasionally during the week
He meets the reflection of my face
In her good, good eyes
Of our love, the one,
It's good that you came

It's he who built a house with you
And will give you the child
It's good, it's what you want
Only now that you're not home,
It's good that you came

She knows to offer me
Everything that there isn't
And I, I take to heart
Tel Aviv is worn out, made of patchwork
The people,
Are well dressed

The city, it holds a secret
Its walls are, the beach and concrete,
A walk along the neon-lit moon
The last glimpse, who shall I give it to?

Lately, I've been falling in love easily
And it's not the only addiction
My body is thirsty, I admit
And my water flows in her hand

She knows to offer me
Everything that there isn't
And I, I take to heart
Tel Aviv is worn out, made of patchwork
The people.
Are dressed well

It's time to get closer

Assaf Averbuch and the Rumor - Watch for Surprises

It doesn't get much sweeter than this.

https://he-il.facebook.com/assafaverbuchpage

Watch for surprises,
Because the statistics say that by now
You were supposed to die at least 3 times
Watch for surprises,
According to the couple rate you were supposed to already find a wife,
Rent an apartment and raise in it two and a half kids

And you can't run away
But you no longer have the energy to lie
From so many lies you forgot who you are
And you can't determine
But you're tired of hearing
How much longer you will wait
For things to be good

Watch for surprises,
Run with your face towards the wind
Because you already played it safe
And this isn't your day
Watch for surprises,
Because you can't determine
But you're tired of hearing
That it will work out in the end

Watch for surprises,
According to the birth rate
In a few more years
The population will be exploded
Watch for surprises,
A world filled with people
But you still believe
That there is one person
Who is meant just for you

And you can't run away
But you no longer have the energy to lie
From so many lies you forgot who you are
And you can't determine
But you're tired of hearing
How much longer you will wait
For things to be good

Watch for surprises,
Run with your face towards the wind
Because you already played it safe
And this isn't your day
Watch for surprises,
Because you can't determine
But you're tired of hearing
That it will work out in the end

Watch for surprises,
Because what are the chances
That with a guitar and songs
You'll be able one day
To conquer the world
Watch for surprises,
If you're preoccupied with the results
You'll miss the way
And this journey of yours,
Is everyone's

Haya Miller - A Rumor

Nostalgia in the making.


Now you don't want to be there
But if you won't sleep with her someone will sleep
A time comes to get rid of guilty feelings
From all this love which raises smoke

It's not good when you change your face
Asleep when I arrive and awake for others
On the verge, already inside without intention
Everyone else went to bed only you are sleepwalking
Infinite comfort in the darkness
For whoever is naked and is covered by her like a blanket
Just a rumor that is spread around town

Now you don't want to be there
But if you won't sleep with her someone will sleep
A time comes to change the prescription
And divide all that remains from what's old

From here it's not enough to complain
You need to quit and the habit stops
Only the eyes of the beholder
Make it seem so funny

It's not good when you change color
Pale when I arrive and flushed to others
Infinite comfort in the darkness
For whoever is naked and is covered by her like a blanket
Light will completely flood the room
And the body to the shore which he's swept after to

Just a rumor that is spread around town
Just a rumor that is spread around town
Just a rumor that is spread around town
Just a rumor that is spread around

Shaul Gros - Disappearing Horizon

From one heart to another.


This is the boat I will use to reach to the edge of the sea
A bench on which you can sit with the little child
The oars are like hands, taking me there,
To the place on the edge of the sea.
Who is driving, who is on foot- they are the ones going
And the stars in the sky, like a roadmap
The people I will never see again-I said goodbye to them all,
See you later on the edge of the sea.
I am rowing with all my strength
In crises, I am swept
And sometimes to be happy
I drink a stiff drink
And sing songs from long ago
Which came from somewhere
From some disappearing horizon
At the edge of the sea.
The books I read taught me how to think
And the songs that I heard taught me how to love
And then you came, you brought with you the child from somewhere
From the place at the edge of the sea.
This is the apartment with which we will return, I built you a doorstep
A bench on which you can sit with the little child
And the waves will be hands
Come and we will drift with them
To the place at the edge of the sea.
I am rowing with all my strength...

https://www.facebook.com/shaulgros

Balcony and Beyond - Mine

I kind of want to hang out with these guys :)
Can't wait to hear more of what Balcony and Beyond are offering us this year!

Shuli Rand - Sweet Water

 

What a beautiful gem. Shuli Rand gives new life to Meir Ariel's very romantic song, which is part of a cabaret style show Rand has created centered around Ariel's songs. Get a sneak peak here. Don't miss the original!

My love is like the desert land
She doesn't give in easily if at all
To my plays, she is not an audience
Even though she already wants me
She rejects all attempts of courtship
And yet that is when I love her more

My love is like the desert land
She has clear and bright purity
So if I am a bit dirty
Even though she already wants me
She won't let me get near
And yet that is when I love her more

She doesn't like when I talk
She says that I tell lies
Even when silent
As if not being worth even a whistle

She surely does not forget
And still does not forgive
For long, long days
She would have left long ago
If she hadn't thought
That she would find sweet water in me

My love is like the desert land
Thorns and stings like a scorpion
Piercing deep to the bone like a chilly wind
Even though she already wants me
Leaves me dry to see if I will stay
And yet that is when I love her more

Folly Tree - Quicksand

Like many others, I was also quite shaken by David Bowie's death. When a friend told me the news it was still very fresh and I thought maybe it was a hoax just because it seemed so odd. David Bowie takes me back to middle school when I was just starting to form my musical taste, and when I was searching for music that made me feel something. I think I went from album to album on iTunes, picking my favorite songs and trying to download them from eMule, on the way learning about his different phases and styles. It's not a surprise that he appealed to outsiders, offering a colorful and alternative haven where you could be as strange as you pleased. I wasn't familiar with this precious track before I came across this collection of Bowie covers by indie Israeli artists, a true labor of love. I also wasn't familiar with Folly Tree, who have just released a fresh new single. Folly Tree presents a wonderful closer to the album with this track which highlights Bowie's intellectual curiosity covered with a comforting layer. I still don't completely get all the references, nor the overall meaning, but it's a song which makes you think and realize that there is always so much to learn. Rest in peace.

I'm closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley's uniform
Of imagery
I'm living in a silent film
Portraying
Himmler's sacred realm
Of dream reality
I'm frightened by the total goal
Drawing to the ragged hole
And I ain't got the power anymore
No I ain't got the power anymore

I'm the twisted name
on Garbo's eyes
Living proof of
Churchill's lies
I'm destiny
I'm torn between the light and dark
Where others see their targets
Divine symmetry
Should I kiss the viper's fang
Or herald loud
the death of Man
I'm sinking in the quicksand
of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore

Don't believe in yourself
Don't deceive with belief
Knowledge comes
with death's release

I'm not a prophet
or a stone age man
Just a mortal
with the potential of a superman
I'm living on
I'm tethered to the logic
of Homo Sapien
Can't take my eyes
from the great salvation
Of bullshit faith
If I don't explain what you ought to know
You can tell me all about it
On, the next Bardo
I'm sinking in the quicksand
of my thought
And I ain't got the power anymore

Yair Ziv - Rain

For about 15 hours we were just like any other country celebrating the new year. As New Years Day isn't a national holiday over here, we don't get the next day off. But this year it fell on a Thursday meaning that most workers could sleep in late on Friday and then enjoy the festive weekend with the weekly get-together at a coffee shop or a pub, where Israelis who've worked hard the whole week can relax with friends over a coffee or beer before heading home for Shabbat dinner and beginning the weekend. But that all changed this Friday afternoon when an Arab-Israeli shot towards a crowded pub which was holding a birthday party and killed the manager and a participant: Alon Bakel, 26 and Shimon Ruimi, 30. At home, I watched the surreal images of armed police patrolling the quiet streets by Dizzengof and heard chilling testimonies from witnesses. One was from a woman who mainly remembers the big smile on the shooter's face and another was from a bus driver who said that the shooter took a shot also at him but luckily he was saved by the window. The driver dropped to the floor, not before opening the doors for the passengers so they could flee. I wondered if he had ever been in a situation like this before and if he was a bus driver during the last two intifadas. Like many others, I was also reminded of the deadly 1994 suicide bombing on bus no.5 in Dizengoff, which brought terror attacks in Israel to a new level and further distanced the possibility of peace. Maybe that's what's so depressing about Friday's attack. We wanted to start the new year with a fresh page but were reminded that the violence isn't going to end anytime soon. Of course that doesn't mean that we'll give up the weekly tradition of afternoon beer with friends, especially if it's a sunny day. #IAmTelAviv

Rain
Washing down the streets
Washing down the blood
Washing down the dead in me
Rain
Washing down the war
Don't need it anymore
Don't need the big old fighter planes

Children in my eyes
I want to be alive
I want to give them what they want
But if the night should fall
The moon will be so hole
I'll fall asleep and won't wake up again

Rain
Washing all the streets
Washing all the blood
Washing all the dead in me
Rain
Washing all the war
Don't need it anymore
Don't need the big old fighter planes

Whose hand is this
That's reaching out to me
And calling me out from the sea
But what if I should fall
And dive in with the whales
And just forget that I am even there
Rain

Take me to the sun outside
Lift me from this warriors land
I don't wanna wait too long
I don't wanna wait at all

Yair Ziv's single "Rain" comes at a perfect timing. Ziv expresses himself beautifully with his honest lyrics and emotional sound.