Were it mot for "Bohemian Chanukah", usually, the first thing I want to know and post about is...what's new? Adam Sandler aside, Hanukkah music isn't the big seller that Christmas music is. If you want your Christmas music to sell, you really want it out there by the end of October...lots of time for people to find it...and no later, really, than two weeks before the day. There's usually lots of publicity and social media for Christmas music. Hanukkah music just sort of shows up a couple of days before the first night (or even later). No pub, no social media. You'll get the rare exception, of course. Point is I often don't catch up to a given year's Hanukkah releases until the next year. But we've got a few recent additions to the catalog of the chosen music--enough to fill out our second night post, at least.
Of course, the big new Hanukkah release this year was "Festival of Lights" from The Temple Rockers, which we previewed for you here. A full album of Hanukkah Reggae. That's a score. We will circle back to that later this week. But what we didn't know was that there would be a follow-up release...a remix album, "Festival of Dub". The remixes here were done by Craig Welsch and this digital only album is available on Bandcamp. Here's "Dub Can Retell".
One of the nicest new Hanukkah tracks this year comes from the Denver based Alt Rock/Dream Pop duo Plume Varia. Last Hanukkah, they were searching for music to celebrate the holiday. What they found were Adam Sandler and plenty of songs about latkes and dreidels. Unable to find new music that peacefully celebrated the spiritual nature of Hanukkah, they wrote "Hanukkah Light". The song doesn't relate the history of Judah Maccabees exploits, but speaks to the lighting of the candles and the sense of community. "When sun sets we’ll come together/Counting blessings to mark the holiday we treasure/Share the light in you." Me, I like it all; I'm about music. So I love both the Rock N Roll frivolity of the LeeVees and the spiritual warmth provided here by Plume Varia with "Hanukkah Light", available from Bandcamp or Amazon.
As someone who grew up on Bubblegum music, I like a good Pop song. And "Let's Hanukkah" fits the definition. This song from Lauren Michele (she wrote it) and Stoddard Blackall (he sings it) was out early, as Hanukkah songs go, officially released at the end of October. Actually, if you want to be technical, the song was a Soundcloud stream last year. But now you can pick up "Let's Henaukkah" at Amazon or CD Baby (though it's weirdly overpriced at the latter). Extra points for the line "Hanu could be my date" (or "Hun, you"...see? I like word play).
Avi Frier is a comedy magician, DJ, and singer-songwriter who plays at a lot of Jewish functions. His stock-in-trade are parodies and, when DJing Hanukkah functions, he has plenty of parodies to choose from...but no Country Hanukkah parodies. So, like Plume Varia, he figured, "If you want something done right, do it yourself". He has four Country Hanukkah parodies to date, his latest being a takeoff on Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again" called "Our Menorah Again", which is available at Amazon. On his web site, you can get all 4 at a reduced price. But, for what it's worth, I paid my gelt and the download links aren't working for me. Just this second got a reply (he's on the road, right now, but promises to get it all worked out). Maybe I spun a shin. It's been that kind of year for me with my music purchases. Maybe the universe is telling me its time to stop.
California singer-songwriter and Beatles mega-fan Jason Berk offers up the Indie Pop "A Little Hanukkah Song". It's a sweet little tune that's reminiscent of mid-60s Folk Pop. But Jason does lose points for rhyming "twirling tops" with "lollipops" (like "Whose Line Is It Anyway", the points here don't matter, but you knew that). You can grab "A Little Hanukkah Song" by Jason Berk at Amazon.
And so we come almost full circle. The Canadian Pop Ska band Walk Off The Earth did a Christmas album this year, "Subscribe To The Holidays". I kinda like what they did with "Linus & Lucy". But we're not here for that, right now. No, we're here to talk about Hanukkah songs...and Walk Off The Earth included one..."Happy Hanukkah". It lacks the gravitas and authenticity of The Temple Rockers, but it's fun and we Hanukkah hounds will take whatever we can get. THe album is available at Amazon and on iTunes and I believe "Happy Hanukkah" can be purchased a la carte on both.
Hmm, much later than last night...when we were late. Don't worry, it'll get worse. Night Eight will probably be posted on Night Ten (it's the 12 nights of Hanukkah, right?). Also, more doctor stuff tomorrow, so no overnight posts tonight...maybe not the rest of the week. We'll see. Really should have scheduled this crap for January.
Hmm, much later than last night...when we were late. Don't worry, it'll get worse. Night Eight will probably be posted on Night Ten (it's the 12 nights of Hanukkah, right?). Also, more doctor stuff tomorrow, so no overnight posts tonight...maybe not the rest of the week. We'll see. Really should have scheduled this crap for January.
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