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!

Live Review: Mahleket Hanikot Shotrim/Haifa Chemikalim/Tuberculizm @ Koro, Tel Aviv [28/03/2015]

    Tonight sees the second official Punkalovich show,  yet again at the Koro. Originally, Woolly Boy were also meant to play this show but in the end had to pull out. Luckily, Haifa band Tuberculizm were able to jump in at the very last minute. 

Tuberculizm

      This is my first time seeing Tuberculizm and I was pleasantly surprised. It all started to off a bit odd. First song was done with someone who wasn't their official singer and then the singer came along with an old skool grill mic. He was more like the co-singer. Couldn't really hear him most of the time and the bassist was doing most of the vocals. The singer was down in the pit really getting their Haifa fanbase and other onlookers energised and dancing. 

  Originally thinking it was going to be same old simple street punk, I found myself doing my usual happy-as-larry grin at some pretty groovy hardcore parts and heavy riffs. The band's playing is actually more technical than most street punk bands. The only problem for me is that most of the songs, if not all of them, were in Russian, and I don't know much Russian. They do, however, end the (quite long for an opening band) set with a sea-shanty style song, fit with a "ho ho and a bottle of rum" refrain. That was a really fun way to finish. 

  Tuberculizm are a good band but I do feel that there's too many private jokes and a bit of a "Haifa-club" feel about it. 
3.5/5

Haifa Chemikalim 

       Next up is another Haifa street punk band I hadn't seen yet. Haifa Chemikalim are fronted by Sasha, who was the lovely guy who gave Woolly Boy, the band I sing in, our first actual gig. Along with Busha, this band has some proper young band members. Generally being the main member of a band I focus on the most, Drummer, Eyal, plays with great precision and impressive fills. Baby faced Lenny takes bass duties and guitarist Idan helps back up Sasha on vocals. The band play slightly more straight up street punk compared to Tuberculizm and the room really digs it. Sasha moves from the stage to the floor, getting people moving and psyched up. Songs like Alcohol and their cover of Simu Et Yerushalayim especially went down well. They might not be the most technical or groundbreaking band there is, but damn it's fun!

3/5

Mahleket Hanikot Shotrim

     For some reason, Mahleket Hanikot Shotrim (Police Strangling Department) have not received the same turn out as they have done in the past. The band are considered legends; maybe not as legendary as Pussy Shel Lucy but definitely had a big underground following.

   Over the years, I must have seen Mahash (their abbreviated name) a good few times and the best thing about them is their energy. Frontman Barak is so entertaining that, I must admit, he's sometimes the only one I'm watching. His antics tonight include stage diving, sitting down with someone at the back of the room while singing and then taking his hat, walking over to me and singing right into my face and, the highlight, climbing to the top of a ladder (which was Sasha's idea) and singing from there before jumping off. Barak might not be as mental GG Allin but he definitely gives off that same sort of energy. The funniest,interesting and most heart warming thing about watching Barak is his dedication to removing smokers due to his asthma. I don't think I could ever get away with stealing a cigarette from someone's hand and putting it out on the floor but Barak does.

   The band had the crowd singing along to the likes of Al Tagid li Mahash and the legendary Yehovah Ya Ben Zonah. A good time was definitely had by all.

4.5/5

New Artist Promo: Azor

 
    I have really only done one band promo on this blog so far and that was because I was sent a special email requesting it. Luckily, they also happened to be a really cool band (Yawning Dog promo). This artist promo is brought to you purely out of being impressed by the band and thinking they bloody deserve a write-up. Due to illness, I unfortunately missed their debut show at BanditoFest in Tel Aviv. However, their performance was filmed and I really liked what I saw and heard. I also got to see them this passed weekend to a bit of a disappointing turn out. They nevertheless rocked out.
  
   Azor are a "power-trio", comprising of Yuval (ex-Inside Job/Erev Rav/Leah Katamin) on guitar and main vocals, Alon (Almonim Metim) on drums and vocals and Ori (ex-Beats 69/MASTERD) on bass and vocals. Yuval and Alon met for the first time in a crazy jam night; they were having an awesome session and decided that they should actually join up and make some music together. In October 2014, after finishing other music projects and having free time ,the two started to work on songs that Yuval wrote. The idea was to create something new while still hanging on to that old vibe of free and energetic rock music. After working as a duo for a while, old childhood friend of Yuval's, Ori, was brought in as bass player to really bring the whole thing together. The name Azor purely comes, as far as I'm aware, from the name of the area Yuval lives and that the band practises in, which is just south east of Tel Aviv near Holon.

The band takes their influences from a range of places. They take the heavy riffiness of Black Sabbath, the fun rock and roll vibe of bands like MC5 and the "grunge" edge of the likes of Nirvana as well as incorporating Mediterranean and Eastern elements. Having more of a punk background, it is refreshing to see these guys just playing some invigorating rock and roll. It is also nice to see the "punks" at shows getting their groove on to this sort of thing.
All three members are very good musicians. Yuval has written some great riffs and plays some blinding (that's British slang for "really, really good") solos, Ori plays cool bass lines and gives off a very joyous demeanour and Alon is an absolute nutter on the drums. Possibly one of the most creative new drummers I've seen at shows in the scene in a while. I actually first witnessed the band before their first proper show at an acoustic event. Yuval played acoustic guitar while Alon borrowed my cajon and was blasting out some pretty trippy beats.

After only having played their first few shows very recently, Azor are already working on the first album ''High Tempo Flight'', which is due for release in April, and plan to go on a European tour thereafter.  I urge you all to check them out if you ever get the opportunity to see them in person. In the meantime, you can see Beeran Production's filming of the band's debut show. 


   

Live Review: Useless ID 20th Anniversary Show @ The Barby, Tel Aviv [4th December 2014]

Useless ID (+ guests)

Man Alive

Kids Insane

Tonight is a special night. This massive show at Tel Aviv's major rock concert venue, The Barby, is the setting for the celebration of Useless ID's 20 years of existence in one way or another. It is expecting to be an absolutely massive turn out. As I walk into the venue, I notice that they've opened a whole section of the venue with an extra bar which is normally curtained off. Is it really expected to overflow tonight?

Kids Insane

Shows in Israel have a reputation for never starting on time. If an event says it starts at 21:00, it's most likely to start at around 22:00 or later. Tonight, however, hardcore freedom fighters Kids Insane were scheduled to be on by 21:00 and they decide to go on almost a little bit prematurely. Didn't matter to me. I got there in perfect amount of time to say hi to the guys before they scuttled on stage. It was a bit too early for other gig goers, as there was only a splattering of people there, including a handful of people who actually know the band, some curious onlookers and a few already wankered who just want to push-mosh.
Already being a fan of the band, I discarded my writing duties and started dancing from the get go with first song Don't Need This from their All Over album. The song is a great starter to the set and a song that I personally relate to. They speak about the self-righteousness of the religious and how someone non-religious can feel belittled. The cry of "I'M ONLY FUCKING HUMAN!" is heavily poignant and has me (and possibly others) staring up at the ceiling and screaming it with all the breath I could muster.
The band then power through the rest of their set with frantic energy and buckets of sweat. Singer Corey knows how to work a crowd and is not put off when more arrive. If anything, it makes him better! He's running around from side to side, shoving the mic into the crowd, standing on monitors and just generally OWNING THE STAGE! I find it hard to actually hear his voice from time to time tonight. I don't think it bothered many others; those who know the words were singing themselves, anyway. Regular crowd pleasers Same Shit, Different Scene and Story of a Lonely Street have both fans and those familiar with the videos going crazy and singing along. Newer tracks from the Frustrated EP, such as Frustrated, Poisoned and tonight's set closer 28/12/2012, receive a more mixed reception....but give 'em time. I loved the fact I was able to get my "groove on" to their classics such as Fix It and Spread It All Over tonight. KI never really seem to disappoint. They have that obvious Black Flag influence in their performances despite having a more early Comeback Kid sound and even a hint of Fugazi in places. It all works fabulously, as their growing success in Europe and the UK is proving.
Their next show is what they're calling a "Pop Up Shop/Exhibition/Live Music" show at Koro on 25th December. So a christmas party, I guess! the show will feature artwork by Alon Bonder (dunno), Djing by Mad Appel (dunno), an acoustic set by HaAchim Zabari (The Zabari Brothers - mentalists!) and, of course, full set by Kids Insane.
4/5

Man Alive

After a bit of a natter with some friends and some new acquaintances, including a German volunteer and an American on a Masa program, I decide to get back to work for the next act. I go up to the balcony, stage left, and find a spot to rest my notepad and with a perfect view of both the stage and the crowd. As Man Alive, these faces that I don't recognise, arrive on stage, there is a warm welcome from the crowd. Like Useless ID, Man Alive have been around for quite some time and, due to their support from Useless ID, have toured fairly extensively in the past. In recent years, they have been fairly quiet gig-wise and do the odd local show here and there.
They start off with Laugh Along from their last album that came out last year, A Light Goes On. It's a nice happy track that gets some of the crowd joining in on the Mumford and Sons style "Hey" parts. As nice as this song is and as well as they are playing it, first impression is that they seem pretty static. Maybe they're just warming up. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.  

Photo by Useless ID

As the set goes on, the band plays a good amount of the newer material such as titular track sing-along A Light Goes On, the catchy Over and Done (possibly my favourite off the record), the sway-inducing A Can And A String and the emotional but still heavy hitting From The Inside. The new material still gets a great reaction from the crowd as much as older tracks such as Give Me A Sign and the fast paced Catch Phrases, Slogans and Chants. There are times when some of the girls near me on the balcony are having a bit of a boogie and people in the "pit" were jumping about push-pitting, so the music itself is definitely having the desired effect tonight. There were some songs that made me want to stage dive from the balcony where I was....I then decided against it. 
The previously mentioned "static performance" did not really improve. The band had some interaction with the crowd, giving their thanks to Useless for all their help over the years, but I just didn't get that feeling they were as into the show as the crowd was.  

3.5/5

Useless ID

And now to the birthday boys!! Useless ID are greeted by fans with an almost "heroes' welcome". The band arrive on stage to the chantings of "USELESS! USELESS!" This could have been for the band or they could have been pissed off about something. Haha.... Probably not that. All 4 members of the band, Yotam (vocals/bass), Ishay (guitar/backing), Guy (guitar/backing) and Gideon (drums) all seem ready and raring to go. Yotam's looking the most "punk" that I've seen him in a while, wearing a sleeveless denim jacket with band patches such as 7 Seconds and other smaller ones. (I couldn't make out what they were from where I stood). 
By now, the Barby was utterly full to the brim. Everything is frantic and energetic from the get go as the band begin their part of the evening with classic track State of Fear. The crowd are squashed in like sardines in a can, but still manage to jump about, start the odd circle here and there and sing along. Not only does the song have catchy "woah oh oh" parts that stick in your head until you die, the "I don't want to be a part of it anyway" line of the chorus rings true to so many of the people here tonight who never were/do not want to be associated with the army and do not agree with war. This is definitely one of their best ever songs, so I can't help but feel that playing this first was "blowing their load" too early.
As tonight celebrates the band's 20 years of existence, they have made sure to pack tonight's setlist with as many songs from their back catalogue as possible, up to and including last album Symptoms. Almost every song they play tonight has people singing along. Symptom's main hit song Before It Kills has all band members properly rocking out. Yotam stands legs wide apart, attacking the bass like it ate his last Oreo. (I wanted to say "Rolo", but that's a very British reference so I opted for something more international). As Ishay frantically headbangs like a bobble head on a bumpy road, Guy flails around the stage, whipping his curly locks back and forth, strumming along like his life depended on it. Drummer Gideon is holding it all together perfectly, spinning his sticks whenever possible....again! Show-off or showman? Who cares?! A blonde wig/hair extensions suddenly flies onto the stage. Not entirely sure where that came from or why it was thrown but it added to the craziness of the performance. The pop punk classic Turn Up The Stereo has everyone jumping, singing and clapping along as soon as the easily recognisable riff kicked in. Girls standing near me scream in excitement...I guess Useless ID are their One Direction. This is one of those songs that even pop punk fans around must know, due to the music video having had a bit of airplay back in the day. Songs like Manic Depression and At Least I Tried created stage diving and push pits galore. Because their albums vary in style, when watching Useless ID live, you hear elements of Ataris style emo pop punk and the more aggressive fast paced vibes of Rise Against. Guy and Ishay's backing vocals are not always clear in most songs, but that does not seem to put off the crowd. 

Photo by David Rosen 

Tonight, we have a couple of guests joining the band on the stage. Corey from Kids Insane returns to sing on probably the oldest and most hardcore song in the set, Is It Right. Corey has taken a bit of time to relax and gain his breath back since his set and is on total form; roaming about the stage, standing on monitors and energetically singing directly to the crowd. Another guest further into the set is Israeli legend Rami Fortis. I'm starting to get to know a bit more about him, especially since this performance. He is considered a forefather of Israeli punk rock/new wave. Tonight, the band back him up on his classics Hatul HaMifletzet (The Monster Cat??) and Red MeAl Masach HaTelevizia Sheli (Get Off Of My TV Screen). I hadn't heard these songs before and was incredibly impressed by how catchy they were and really enjoyed seeing the crowd members who knew the songs singing and dancing along. Both sides must be feeling honoured; Fortis for being invited to perform his own songs with them and the band themselves for the fact that he agreed and has graced them with his presence (or the other way round, maybe?) There is a chant going around; "FORTIS MESHUGGAH" (Fortis is crazy). This is incredibly apt as he is an absolute nutter on stage. Looking a bit like Phil Collins if he was a physics professor, Fortis dances about on stage like a rhythmless drunk uncle at a wedding. He is incredibly fun to watch. His vocals were not always audible but everything else made up for it. 
The pace softens down a little as the band comes off stage, leaving only Yotam for an acoustic set. Yotam plays a couple of songs including Blood Pressure. He's having to almost instruct the crowd NOT to sing certain parts yet. It's another great song from the band's repertoire that people can't help but sing along to. Yotam shows off his singing prowess more by holding a long note on "TAKE, TAKE, TAAAAAAAKE". This gets a well deserved cheer and applause from the entire venue. When the band returns to the stage, they play a few more classics before inviting Fortis back on to help them out with covering Blitzkrieg Bop. A punk show isn't a punk show until everyone is going "Hey Ho! Let's Go!" Every time a band does this, it's as if to say "This is why we do this." 
Useless ID's whole performance tonight was compelling. There may have been the odd bum note and there was an incident where the floor tom fell over, which was easily rectified, but everyone soldiered on and they gave the people what they wanted. The sad thing is....what happens now? Yotam is off to try and make it in the states as a solo artist. This could leave them to having just a fewer shows throughout the year than previously, but I hope that the band will still go to the states to tour and that Yotam will make his way back here from time to time to tour with them. 
4.5/5