Just announced yesterday on Facebook: Yossi Green and the A-Men.

From Yossi Green’s Facebook wall:

Our new and hopefully innovative project has B”H begun! It is called Yossi Green & the A~Men! Exciting like crazy! First song is Al Hanissim! Second song is Lefichoch! A totally different and fresh approach to Jewish Music which will hopefully begin the next revolution after The 8th NOTE!

Anyone want to venture a guess what this one is gonna be all about or who is involved?  Feel free to comment below.

By: Dave Sharpner

Anyone who’s been following the Jewish music scene over the last few years,will no doubt be familiar with the group called A.K.A. Pella.  This talented group broke out onto the music scene a few years back with their smashing debut album Premium Blend.  I remember hearing it for the first time, and I was like, “WOW! These guys are really good!”  They were combining secular intros with pop jewish music and doing it really well. Then along came Volume 2 which was even better than Volume 1. The next year was followed by ADAPTATION which really started getting interesting. They were now mixing and weaving secular intros with jewish intros, harmonies and instrument sounds so well that they had at this point already become one of the most anticipated CDs of the entire year.  Finally came along PLATINUM, which basically blew away any previous notions of what an AKA PELLA album could be like.  At this point,it had already become official.  AKA PELLA was now king of a cappella! Their groundbreaking and original lyric adaptions, intros,outros,harmonies,and realistic instrument sounds simply had to be heard to be believed.

I remember thinking to myself,there is simply no way in the world they would ever be able to top this. Well,top it they did! I have no idea how. But one thing I could say is this:  the combination of professional sounding good music and hilarious shtick is something I have never heard before in my life on any album.Period.

Okay, now on to the songs.

1.KULAM AHUVIM TELEPHONE. The song starts off with a dial tone and automated voice telling us the number can not be reached. I must say, I was caught a bit off guard. I knew there would be a lot of shtick in store, but I wasn’t expecting it right at the beginning. Once again very original! They then start off with Gaga’s Telephone intro to the words of Kulam Ahuvim. At One minute in,Avi Stewart comes on giving us a nice rendition of MBDs original low part. I’ve never heard his voice before but I would describe it in three words: Sweet and Crystal Clear, sort of how I like my chicken soup. Then we have C.D.Eichler, Shmuel Braun and Sholom Engel doing the high part. One thing I just want to add: I found the melodies and the harmonies on this song in particular blend so well together that it’s hard to even notice where they start and stop. Its just one long beautiful seamless harmony. I’ve always loved the original Kulam Ahuvim but I’ll admit,I found this version much more exciting! In fact the Gaga song and the MBD song blend so well together, that if I didn’t know better, I’d be convinced they’re actually one song.

2.TGIF MEDLEY. They start off with the usual (yawn inducing) AKA Pella “DumDums” and then suddenly they come on with Flo-Rida Good Feeling intro. “On Shabbos,I get a good feeling!(YEEEEAAH!!)That I Neva Neva Neva had before!!(OH NOOO!!)” Then Pitbull(A.k.a.Yaakov Eidelman) comes on and he does the rap part about Shabbos.  I must say Yaakov really nails it and if Pitbull ever needs to call in sick one day, he can always call on Yaakov. Special mention also, by the way, goes to Zevi Daniel for the funky and inspirational lyrics. At 1:20 they “Find Sholom Aleichem in a heartless place”(Originally Rhianna) and they go through the entire Shalom Aleichem.Then at 1:50 they do “Lchah Dodi on the floor.”(The sefardim I think,actually do it on the floor.  On a mat)  ,We then get some more rap,with Chris Brown’s “International Ashes Chayil”(I think that would help the shidduch crisis btw,if we had more international Ashes Chayils,instead of just marrying people from our hometowns.) I never thought I’d see a Chris Brown tune with King Solomon doing the lyrics, but here it is. The very first King Solomon/Chris Brown collaboration!

3.”Moves like Nilli Milli”(Say what?!) Okay guys.If you’ve never heard Yitzy(Spinner) before then listen to this! Yitzy,who btw was a major Miami soloist a few years back, really shines on this song, which starts off with the whistle of the original “Jagger” tune and then Yitzy comes on with MBD’s Im Ain Ani Li off Kulam Ahuvim.Surprisingly enough,this song actually goes on at this point for about a minute straight with just beautiful singing and no shtick.  Then Yitzy does a nice spin(pun intended)on the song and does it in English to the Jagger tune. At 2:52 Yitzy nails that high part as his voice soars to a really scary height and finally rounds it off with “And it goes like that!”Awesome Job Yitzy!!

4.Next up is Gertners 7th Heaven.(No he doesn’t really have a song called that, but if you listen to his Hashamayim,you’ll feel like you’re in 7th heaven!) Just a word on the original song.I am a huge Gertner fan and when I first heard the song on Say Asay,I was literally blown away! It gives you a  “soothing, floating” feel. They start off with the original Gertner song and I just love how they do the high part on the second Yihaaaaaalilucha, exactly like Gertner does it!!  10 points for that!  Then they do Shwekey’s Mimkomcha from Ad Bli Dai. Beautiful job, but still not like Shwekey’s original. Btw this is the first of the 2 slow songs on the album, actually 4 if you break up the songs in both medleys, and it is really beautifully done. If youre a “pure” a cappella person,than this song is for you.Its the only song with no fake music or shtick at all.

5.Back to the “DumDums” again, this time its Shea Rubenstein’s Tick Tock.WOW!! Really Really great drumwork btw!!(Ok,sorry.I should really call it mouthwork,but that would sound more like something that happens at the dentist)They start off with the “Smashing” (there really is smashing btw, later in the song) low part and quickly move on to Kesha’s revised version of Tic Toc.Love the part “Tonight wer’e gonna shteig til we see the sunlight!”, and then back again to Shea’s Tick Tock.(Which reminds me btw Hayom Kotzer,so I really gotta finish this review already and get back to my day job!) At 3;25 we get another surprise, it’s Katy Perry’s California and then back again to Shea’s TickTock. This song is just plain “CRAZY” with a Capital “C”!!Simply no other way to describe it!

6.MOSHIACH-MOSHIACH.This starts off with Yitzy saying something in fluent Spanish.I really have no clue what he said but I will ask one of my Mexican coworkers later what it means.We start off with Benny Friedman’s Moshiach.What could I say about this song that hasn’t been already said?Its just really really good and these guys actually do Benny justice! Trust me,it’s no easy feat but they do it.Then they do Miami’s Moshiach which is also a great song. At 3:23 we get Eglasias’s Bailamos and Gaga’s Alanjenro.(I think Gaga’s on this cd more than CDEichler himself)

7.NO LYRICS. Starts off with WRITTEN IN THE STARS and then Benny’s NO LYRICS and a bit of E.T. followed by “Watch You Burn” Guitar work. WOW! The blending of four different songs in the end by the way is just incredible!

8.PRUZ CONTROL. This song starts off with some really wacky stuff going on, surprisingly enough, and from reading the jacket,it seems to have something to do with Seinfeld.Then we get a nice lineup of four Pruz songs.The first is a nice rock track off his Pruzbul album called Taaseh Mitzvah.I like this song which has a nice repetitive and funky groove.They even do the digitized muffled voice thing which adds a cool touch. (Autotune?) Then comes BackStreet Boys Larger Than Life, which if I remember correctly,came out like 13 years ago. Then Litav Uvid. Nice trumpet work  at the end and also a nice job once again on the Kesha-Blow part! Next is another good Pruz song, Uray Vanim and I gotta admit,I like the secular shtick after even better than the song itself! Finally they end off with Zeh Lazeh. I  loved this song,from the first time I heard it on Shloime Kaufman’s Avodas Tzedakah album and I believe this is their second time doing something from that album. The first was Sunshine in the Rain, which they did last time around on Platinum.

9.Birchos Avicha.They start off with the typical Akapella Woohoo’s and then go right into Birchos Avicha from Dovid Gabay’s second album,Omar Dovid. It is a reall,y really beautiful and heart tugging song and the AKA guys do a stunning job! At 2:30 child soloist Gavriel Klatzko comes on and does Ohad’s Birchos Habonim.Iv’e never heard his voice before but it’s really sweet and pleasant. Then the adult soloist comes on with a much deeper voice doing the high part. WOW! Really really nice job! The contrast of child and adult voices on this song compliment eachother perfectly. Everytime I hear this song I can just picture Ohad standing there on stage,with all of his children standing around,and he’s dramatically spreading his hands, emotionally blessing them all. Just a word on the creativity in general on this albumand on this song in particular.The concept of combining Birchos Avicha and Birchos habonim is just brilliant. Not only do they go together perfectly in theme, but musically  they blend together perfectly and like every song throughout the album,is well thought out and very originally blended.

10.YAALILI.Before you read any further,I just want to give you a little disclaimer.No Sefardim, Ashkenazim, Misnagdim or Chassidim were harmed in any way in the writing of this review. And that’s how the song starts. The first thing that really shocked me on this song was the instrument sounds, particularly the guitar work,and some other Middle Eastern sounding instruments.(Sorry.Dont know all the names)  When was the last time you actually heard Electric Guitar work on a pcapella album? It is so real sounding that its actually kind of scary! At 14 seconds in, the song starts and basically what they do is go through different hilarious Ashkenazic Sefardic comparisons,like for example ‘Marlboro Reds,Ashkenazi, smoking hookah, oh Sefaradi.Boring last names(Weiss,Cohen,Katz)Ashkenazi, exciting last names, Oh sefaradi.(Actually that’s only the Syrians.) I don’t really know why.But I find the sefardim like this version more then the Ashkenazim! It ends off with someone sneezing!(I guess they didn’t catch that in the editing process.)

11.ARAVIM.Starts off with Rhiannas “NANANA C’MON! and then goes into Shwekey’s Aravim.At 1:39 theres a cool Yeshiva Boys Choir style autotune and then Bruno Mars comes on! (Don’t know how they got him to agree to be on the album.) Well, ok.It’s actually Shlom Kaufman, but he definitely sounds a bit like Bruno. First he does the Grenade lyrics.”I’d even catch a grenade for ya!” And then the AREIVIM lyrics and it really works, because ,to my mind at least,the definition of true Ahavas Chinam is being willing to catch a grenade for another Jew. Shira Chadashah choir comes on and does the high part and these boys are really good. Simcha Leiner also sings on this one and his vocal range really adds alot to this song. Look out for him in the near future, he’s really good!

12.NO LYRICS “OLD SCHOOL” 90’S ALTERNATE VERSION. Once again they really nail Benny’s No LYRICS on this track. This time they mix it up with a few interesting secular songs which I’m not really familiar with.I just love the Jamacian(?)song at 2:11.Really cool Mash-Up!

13.CUTTING ROOM OUTTAKES.First they start off with NO LYRICS beng overlapped with Written In The Stars and Watch You burn and E.T. All at once, which is really cool! Then comes EDGE OF YITZY, in which Yitzy does the lowpart of ARAIVIM and purposely goes really screechingly high. Hilarious! Then Yitzy advertises for MOZICA beer in a Spanish accent, “Be thirsty,my friends!” Next comes that “Seinfeld thing” with George’s parents – not really sure exactly whats going on there. Then a yeshiva bochur comes on and starts ‘TYNING” and finally we get Goofy himself.

In summary, there really is no excuse not to buy this album.It’s by far one of the most original and well done albums to come out in a long time.  My only complaint is that they don’t come out with another album Purim time. ENJOY!!!

Musician Hudi Greenberger is not only well known as Guitar Man Band, a one man guitar band, but also a much sought after guitar teacher in Lakewood, New Jersey who has taught hundreds of students.

Greenberger, who plays for several well known orchestras as well as his own Shir Chodosh Orchestra, is now making basic acoustic guitar lessons available for free on YouTube, with a series of eight lessons titled “Jewish Guitar Lessons”.

Check out Greenberger at GuitarManBand.com and his great new video series right here on JMR!

By:  Sandy Eller

With the release of chasidic superstar/entertainer Lipa Schmeltzer’s new album just days away, Lipa is giving fans a small taste of what to expect when his new album, titled Leap of Faith, hits the stores in just over a week.

“This is just a short video preview,” Lipa told VIN News.  “But I wanted to give people a chance to hear a little bit of what I am hoping will be an unbelievable album.”

Continuing to blaze new trails in the Jewish music business, Lipa is turning Leap of Faith not only into a collector’s item but also into a giant raffle ticket.  Each copy of the CD will be personally autographed and hand numbered by Lipa.  The numbers on the album will be used for a raffle to be held several weeks after the album release, with two winners being chosen:  one will win a guest appearance by Lipa at an upcoming simcha, while the other will receive one of Lipa’s trademark bekeshes, worn by the singer at several shows.

Lipa’s signature will appear not on the actual disc, which has yet to be printed, but on the accompanying booklet that will be in the CD case.

“I literally spend hours every night signing these albums,” Lipa told VIN News.  “I wanted people to think ‘How did Lipa have time to do this?’  I want people to know that the amount of time it took me to sign these albums seems endless, but it still doesn’t come close to the amount of time it takes for an artist to produce an album.”

Lipa admitted that he has devoted a considerable amount of time every night, not in the recording studio, but in his home signing albums as a way of giving something back to his fans.

“I think my hand is about to fall off,” admitted Lipa.  “But I wanted to show my appreciation to every single person who supports Jewish music and have an even more personal connection with my listeners.”

Lipa’s decision to personally autograph each album is just another innovative idea from  the entertainer who is as well known for his out of the box thinking as he is for his colorful attire and ever changing glasses.

“Lipa always brings something unique to the table,” said Sruly Meyer, director of marketing and design at Aderet Music, distributor of the album.  “People love to have something special from an artist that they can actually hold in their hands.  What could be better than this?”

Mazel tov to our very own Sarah Marshall, aka Just A Fan, upon her engagement to Shmuel Gayle.

May they be zoche to build their very own bayis neeman b’yisroel, full of music and harmony!

Join Yisroel Juskowicz who will be performing with  talented singer/songwriter Emanuel Nueman on Lag Baomer night in Kew Garden Hills (Queens).

Last we heard from Gershon Veroba was May 30th, 2011, Yom Yerushalayim, when he released the single “Up To Jerusalem” a cover of the MEGAMA/Moshe Yess mega hit. After over 4,000 downloads, he received personal accolades from the Yess family, who say it was exactly as Moshe would have wanted it and that no one else could come close. While GV is also known as the Variations/Impressions king, that single was another look into his “other” side. Gershon is first and foremost an amazing singer/composer/musician/producer who has been setting standards for the entire Jewish music business for decades.

In 2009 Veroba tried something new. He released his first EVER acapella single “Little David“, a cover of “The Fight In The Man,” yet another MEGAMA hit. That song brought is over 8,000 downloads to date and still counting.

Now Gershon is back with an all new acapella single, “Mimkomcha,” a song he composed and featured on his first album. While the classic Veroba voice hasn’t changed, the acapella style/production on this single has. “It’s a bit more grand then last time,” says Veroba. “Little David” was a cool, blues song and I had only a day to produce it, so I kept it simple and funky. This time I was more comfortable and ready for a new challenge with an old song of my own.”

The single is a FREE download. All you have to do is visit www.veroba.net. When asked what he is currently working on Veroba responded, “A new single that will hopefully be released before the summer”. “People seemed to respond well to songs like “Ana Avda” from the Reach Out album and “Tzur” from Impressions, so I’m following along those lines. I know you’re gonna love this one!”

Wednesday May 9th at 7:30 PM

Shulamith Hall 1277 East 14th Street.

General Admission tickets $15

(917) 533-0546 or email fauxrealofficial@gmail.com

In honor of Yom Hashoah, executive producer and composer Cecelia Margules shares her personal story in this newly released clip depicting the making of Rainbow in the Night, the epic Holocaust YouTube video released several months ago.  The clip features previously unseen footage of the video as well as an interview with producer Danny Finkelman.

It has been two years since I last posted my pet peeves on concert etiquette or lack thereof.

In the good news department, I have been to more than a few concerts in that time span and all in all, I haven’t encountered too many displays of egregious behavior by concert goers.

In the bad news department, there are still some people out there who have yet to understand that the purpose of a concert is for everyone in the room to be able to both see and hear what is going on onstage and to actually be able to enjoy the performances. So, to that select group who still need that gentle reminder of how to behave at a public performance, I address this post to you. Please read it, memorize it and repeat it to yourself on your way to your next concert so that the rest of us can enjoy the show.

1) Barring extenuating circumstances, do not bring your four year old to a concert that starts at 7:45, unless they are well rested and truly capable of sitting through a three hour show. Sadly, we all know that the 7:45 start time is just a suggestion and only the truly compulsive or relatives of the performers will be there on time, which means chances are good this concert will continue until close to 11 PM. When you see a four year old, sucking her thumb, trying to fall asleep, it doesn’t reflect well upon you as a parent. When you see a parent cajoling their preschooler to get up and dance in order to stay awake, it doesn’t cast you in a good light either. Hire a babysitter, corral a relative to take your kid for the night, but for heaven’s sake, leave her home. And if you insist on bringing your preschooler please tell her to keep her hands out of my sheitel!

2) Do not go visiting friends in the middle of a singer’s set. It disrespects both the singer and everyone around you. Either converse in silence via text message, go outside or wait until intermission.

3) If you really feel the need to talk to your neighbor during the concert, try to use your “indoor” voice. Similarly, there is never a reason to scream and cheer loudly during a concert no matter who is on stage. This isn’t color war, so let’s try to muster up some decorum, shall we?

4) While bochurim dancing in the aisles is de rigueur at concerts, girls dancing in the aisles is totally unacceptable. Reality check: this isn’t about equality. This is a public place, not sleep-away camp or seminary. Sit down, show respect for other audience members who would like you to remember the meaning of the word “tznius”, try to locate some class and dignity and act like a lady.

5) As for groups of girls who feel the need to sing loudly during a concert, see above.

6) While I know that traffic and other circumstances can sometimes be out of your control, don’t come at 8:45 or 9:15 for a concert with a 7:30 start time. Wait until between sets or at least between songs to find your seats because it disrupts everyone around you.

7) Just as a reminder, people plunk down nice chunks of change to attend a concert. If you are screaming, standing in the aisles, cheering or doing anything other than sitting in your seat and clapping politely, you are preventing other people from doing what they paid good money to do: enjoying a performance.

8) Keep the aisles clear. Don’t put your baby stroller in the aisle. In fact, leave the baby at home! (See number one, above.) It doesn’t matter if people onstage are tossing out t-shirts, beach balls or hundred dollar bills. Do not stand in the aisles. Not only is it a fire hazard, but you are blocking the view of the people all around you and while they are probably too polite to say anything, I am not.

Ah, Chol Hamoed.  A time to spend quality time with the family, take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and pack on out to a concert to enjoy great music and some plain old fun.

In my case, the concert in question was YBC Live! Pesach 12, featuring Ohad, the all new Chevra and, of course, Eli Gerstner’s Yeshiva Boys Choir, singing a mix of classic YBC songs and some brand new additions.  This year YBC staged two shows, one at Queens College and the other at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.  As someone who lives in the suburbs, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend a concert that was located outside New York City.  Hats off to EG Productions for putting together a show that was an easy commute, at this beautifully redesigned 1920’s theater with seating for over 1300.

The evening began fairly promptly, only twelve minutes after the announced start time of 7:30.  The crowd consisted of many YBC parents and relatives, with numerous people holding signs to cheer on their favorite singer. There were also many families with small children, with so many little kids in attendance that I felt like I woke up and found myself somehow mysteriously planted in the middle of Chuck E. Cheese.  But let’s face it.  This is a YBC concert and despite the talent onstage, the stars of the show are, all too young to drive a car, buy alcohol or even qualify for working papers in New York State.  First and foremost, this is about adorable boys getting up on stage and winning the audience’s hearts, something that they most certainly did.

The emcee for the evening wasn’t customary host Yossi Sharf, but YBC member Shabi Soffer who, with an incredible amount of poise and humor, ably filled Sharf’s much larger shoes.  The evening kicked off with an opening medley by the Yosis Orchestra, directed by Eli Gerstner, playing a mix of YBC songs, both old and new, including Kol Hamispalel, V’Ahavta, Shabichi, Daddy Come Home and Those Were The Nights and it was interesting to see how seamlessly the songs flowed into each other.  The orchestra was outstanding throughout the evening, always energetic without ever overshadowing the vocalists.  A special shout out to Avremi G who, as always, did a superb job.

First up was a surprise act, the Nochi Krohn Band, performing Ein Kadosh KaHashem, the opening track from Krohn’s latest album, Banai.  They were extremely enjoyable and it was entertaining to watch Krohn who seemed to be dancing and playing the keyboard simultaneously.  I was disappointed to see them leave the stage after just one song.

Ohad took the stage next, singing Shalom Aleichim and Stop, both tremendous crowd pleasers, with the crowd chanting “Ohad!  Ohad!”  For his next song, Ohad was joined by YBC soloist Yitzy Waldman to sing Birkas Habanim from his latest album Ohad III and while I was hoping for the two to sing a duet instead of just alternating parts, it was still a lovely rendition of this touching song, originally sung by Ohad and his son on the album.  By the time Ohad began singing V’erastich, there were the requisite yeshiva bochurim jumping up and down in front of the stage.

While the crowd loved Ohad, they went totally ballistic when Shabi introduced the stars of the show, the Yeshiva Boys Choir.  Dressed in white shirts, black pants and skinny black ties, each song was accompanied by YBC’s signature choreography and I am guessing those kids definitely burned off some of that matza by the time the night was over.  Over forty boys, ranging in age from eight to fourteen, were adorable and vintage YBC, singing Shmoy, Chasoif, Those Were The Nights and Amein, Amein, Amein off their new a capella album.  Throughout the evening Yossi Newman introduced the boys, giving the audience an opportunity to put names to the faces, a nice touch for those of us who had no clue who any of the kids were.

After a short intermission, the orchestra played another medley after which Eli Gerstner, who had been on stage the entire evening conducting the orchestra, finally turned around, schmoozing up the audience and describing how over the years, Yeshiva Boys Choir concerts have a benefitted schools and tzedakas and attributing YBC’s success to their linking their music to this very special mitzvah.  This concert will benefit the Bnei Israel Matza Fund, which provides food for Pesach for needy families in Northern Israel.  To share in this mitzvah click here.

Gerstner enlisted the audience’s participation for Baruch Haba, a song that debuted on YBC Live 4.  Both Ohad and the choir came out for the song and at its conclusion, Ohad once again took center stage, singing Boi B’Shalom  which the Maccabeats sang as L’cha Dodi, but is actually a cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.  (Most interestingly, the person I asked to help me identify the song, because I knew I had heard it before, named it as Hallelukah from the movie Shrek.  Apparently a lot of people have heard, liked and used this song.)  Ohad finished up with an Eli Gerstner composition from his latest album, Malchuscha, which again, was a real crowd pleaser.

The next act up was just a small taste of the Chevra who are hard at work on a new album.  They started off with a Yehei/Chizku medley and while this is only their fourth live performance together it was impressive to see how well the group worked together.  They finished off with a new song from their upcoming album, Chai and it would have been nice to have heard them do another song or two in order to really get a feel for this new group.

But alas, that was not meant to be.  Not that anybody minded seeing YBC come back on, singing Yevanim in a costume that was totally eye-popping.  The stage lights were off and each boy had a green glow stick encircling his face and another on each arm and each leg.  With the lights off, the effect was very cool and the crowd went wild, especially when Yossi Newman started throwing glow sticks out to the audience.

While we have all heard the song Daddy Come Home, Yossi Newman told a touching story of an email that YBC received from a soldier in Iraq, who received an emotional phone call from his daughter when the song was released, saying “Daddy, this is our story!”  Soloist Mendel Nebenzahl brought the story to life, joined by the choir who followed with Mizmor Shir and the all new Ah, Ah, Ah with some funky choreography.

The evening ended with a finale that encompassed some long standing YBC traditions:  Omar R’ Akiva, Kol Hamispalel, beach balls being tossed out into the audience and children from the audience coming onstage and taking their turn with the microphone.  At the end of the day, despite innovative choreography, some great songs and a number of exceptional voices, YBC remains as popular as ever because it is all about our most precious resource:  our kids.

I have lots to say about concert etiquette…stay tuned for a future post on the subject after Pesach.

Hot on the heels of the release of their all new a capella album, YBC is busy preparing for two all new shows, to be held on Monday (Queens College) and Tuesday (Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey)  nights of Chol Hamoed.

Joining YBC onstage will be the all new Chevra and Ohad.  You don’t want to miss YBC Live 2012, sure to be the talk of the Jewish music world!

For more info go to www.ybclive.com or www.jewishtickets.com

A capella fans everywhere were treated to extreme ear candy when the YU Maccabeats released their debut album Voices from the Heights, in March 2010. In November of the same year, they released “Candlelight“, a Chanukah-themed single. The song garnered international attention and became a YouTube sensation, receiving over 7 million hits. Since then the Maccabeats have performed at venues all across the world, from The White House to Hong Kong (and everywhere in between.)

Now the Maccabeats are back with their second album now available  on JewishJukebox.com. The new album, “Out of the Box”,boasts an array of 11 new songs and arrangements. They chose the name “Out of the Box” as the title for this album as a means of representing their incredible journey since their first album, “Voices from the Heights.” While on YouTube they typically perform in their signature colored boxes, this album demonstrates a commitment to stay true to who they are, beyond their post-“Candlelight” success. In line with their Modern Orthodox philosophy of Torah uMadda is a focus on remaining “Out of the Box” – fun, creative, and committed to serve G-d with all of their energy, faculties, and resources.

The Maccabeats remain committed to bringing meaningful content to Jewish music, with their hearts and minds in the right place, while celebrating the good and exciting parts of modern culture. The album includes hit songs, Rau Bonim (Y Shwekey), Yavo (MBC), Come Back (Moshav), Habeit (Aish) and more. Don’t forget to join the Maccabeats as Lamport Auditorium will be packed to capacity on March 28th for the highly anticipated release of the Maccabeats new CD. For Tickets:www.maccabeats.com

Click PLAY below to hear the sampler

Thousands of people thronged to the new Boro Park location of The Buzz on Sunday, March 25^th, as Brooklyn’s landmark electronics store celebrated the second week of its grand opening celebration.  The festivities included two hours of non-stop entertainment, featuring master of ceremonies Sam Ash, Zev Brenner, magician RJ Lewis, the music of world renowned singer Shloime Gertner accompanied by Motti Miller and Ari Boiangiu as well as singer-entertainer par excellence Yoely Lebowitz, accompanied by a klezmer band seated in the store’s front window. Excitement ran high as shoppers and spectators enjoyed both an afternoon of great music, fun and prizes as well as incredible prices on electronics, housewares and more.

Let the Pesach concert season begin!

Join Eli Gerstner and the Yeshiva Boys Choir for two exciting concerts on Monday and Tuesday night of Chol Hamoed, taking place at Queens College and Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey, respectively!  Enjoy a monster lineup which includes the all new Chevra, singing songs from their upcoming album as well as Israeli superstar Ohad.

Ticket prices start at $25 and can be purchased at YBClive.com or JewishTickets.com.

For more information contact EG Productions at 718-853-9403 or 347-996-9992

Gateways annual Chol Hamoed concerts at the Stamford Hilton will be the events of the season, with new additions to the lineup that are sure to dazzle!

Monday night’s concert  featuring Avraham Fried will now include both Shloime Daskal and Dovid Gabay and Yoely Polatsek’s Zemiros Choir, while JMR’s own Simcha Leiner will be joining Lipa on Wednesday night!  The  performances will benefit Gateway’s The Brownstone.

Tickets are $30 per person in advance and $35 at the door.

For more information go to www.gatewayspesach.org

Between working on all new projects as well as singing at weddings and other events, Baryo Chakshur is hard at work on a video to be released shortly, featuring the song Ohr Halevana from his debut album.  Enjoy these beautiful pictures, taken of the shooting, in Yerushalayim.

Join hundreds of runners and spectators at Floyd Bennet Field at 9 AM this Sunday morning for a 5K run to benefit Our Place.

Come walk, come run or just come to enjoy some awesome music and show support for Our Place which helps hundreds of troubled teens annually!

For more information go to www.5k.ourplaceny.org

NEW CONTEST! For Women and Girls Only :)