NEW VIDEOS AND SONGS FROM ISRAELI ACTS

   It's been a while since I've posted some videos, so I'm posting a few different batches of them, This one features videos and new songs by Israeli bands. Some of these videos are a few months old but still might be new to some of you.

Cain and Abel 90210 - HaMechonah (The Machine)

  Cain and Abel 90210 are one of the most mental bands in Israel. In this video for HaMechonah off of their latest Videodrome release, we see the weird humour and playfulness that the band is known for that we did not see in previous video for Lakach Zman (see here). As well as seeing the band aggressively rock out, we see the band bring back their masked alter egos. Due to the song being fairly long, there's quite a lot happening in this video but none of it is boring. The song itself is also a return to the band's groovy and mental alternative metal with humorous lyrics. Even if you don't understand Hebrew, you must check this band out for some weird yet catchy heaviness.

Wounds Never Lie - Elephant (Home)

    Elephant (Home) is the first single from the upcoming Exhausted Waves EP by Israeli metalcore starlets Wounds Never Lie. The song is a little more along the lines of what some people may consider "easycore", as it has some proper singing, melodic bits and an emotional sing-a-long chorus. The verses are still typical jagged and angry metalcore. It might not be ground breaking but it's certainly less irritating than some metalcore nowadays. 

   The video itself is actually well shot and pleasantly simple. Some people might find performance videos boring, but I actually like them. Here, we see the band playing in what looks like someone's living room, although not altogether. We see each individual member doing his own thing in pretty much the exact same spot in the room. It is shot in a sort of independent film style, which adds to the sentiment of the song. The lyrics are a little confusing to me, but the general gist I get from it is that it is meant to be a positive message about moving on through life's struggles. 
   The EP is set for release this month and another video for the song Executer is expected any moment now.

Bryan The Mage - Comfort Zone

   Bryan The Mage (seems to be a role playing reference with the misspelling of "Brian") are a young pop punk/easycore band out of Haifa. Comfort Zone is their first single and first video clip. The song has a very catchy chorus, some good grooves in parts and an electrifying guitar solo. When reading through the lyrics, there are some small spelling mistakes which, funnily enough, are not even the mispronounced words on the track itself. Ah well, it's the Israeli accent. What can you do? In the video, we see the band performing at what could easily be some sort of school prom. Typical school dance lighting shines upon kids doing their best push pit possible as the band rock out on stage. 

Shtuby - Mazeponia / 7 Arms

  The most electronic and out of character act for Punkalovich that I'll be posting today is the solo act Shtuby. Shtuby himself (Yuval) is an all-round musician whose small studio I used to rehearse in once upon a time in a band I drummed with. Since then, I ran into him at a show for a band called Golden Sheet who he was drumming for. Shtuby now has his own experimental act where he mixes different styles of music and uses instruments such as theremin and flute. The first video I saw from Shtuby was for a song called Mazeponia, where I saw Shtuby pretty much giving birth to his music by recording things such as kitchenware and a make-shift drum kit made from industrial metal amongst other things. 

    7 Arms is the latest offering, with a bit of a weird video where Shtuby is head to toe in a body suit which changes colour throughout, as does the background imagery. If you like experimental electronica, check this out. The live show is meant to be equally spectacular!

Skarate Kid - You're Not Alone / Skata 1

   Finally, I'll finish with another 2-in-1, this time for brand new ska band Skarate Kid, which features members from Israeli punk bands. Ska and 2-tone has been a bit scarce in Israel in recent years and now Skarate Kid have come on the scene to fill that void. 

   In the You're Not Alone video, we see the band simply playing in the Street Music studios in south Tel Aviv. The song is upbeat with a positive message, very much like the British 2-tone of the 70s and 80s. The instrumentation is superb. 

Skata 1 (audio only) is a more traditional sounding instrumental track similar to Symarip and Prince Buster, with the saxophone leading the track, accompanied by the odd "Pick it up!" "Huh!" and "chukka chak". I'm a sucker for ska, so if you are too, check them out!