Some new videos from Israeli bands

Seeing as this past week was the anniversary of Israel's independence, I thought it would be fitting to do something I haven't done in a while. Here are some (fairly) new videos from Israeli bands and what I think of them.

Saint God - Narasvette

First up is the Tel Aviv based Saint God. I've seen Saint God once before and was impressed by their creativity and mixture of genres (see review). Having already released their first album Montefiore (which I should review at some point), the duo also released a single, Narasvette. I found the video by accident via BlankTV. Well done on the boys for getting themselves on there.
 The track is pretty much in a shoegaze vibe, with dreamy, fuzzy guitars and echoed vocals. The video features Italian dancer, Giualia Piana, whose free spirited movements fit the flow of the song perfectly. The video is professionally shot and should be getting more attention.

The Fading - Solitude Express

 When it comes to Israeli metal bands, I'm still not 100% clued in. The Fading is a name I have seen and heard a lot since I moved out here. I'm actually still not sure if I've ever seen them but they must be doing something right. Their In Flames style metal has given them fairly wide spread success, most recently gaining them support slots on tour with the likes of Five Finger Death Punch and Bring Me The Horizon.
  The band's latest video is for Solitude Express from their last album Till Life Do Us Part. The video is mostly of the band in their rehearsal room, along with a few snippets of live performances and general "band stuff". The song itself is a good slab of modern metal, with thunderous drums, melodious riffs and growling vocals. I tend to prefer my metal a little bit more creative or fun and thrashy, but for what it is, it's certainly better than some of the more metalcore of bands who use bad clean vocals.

Jack The Envious - Wonderwall (Oasis Cover)

 Speaking of bands with bad clean vocals, have you met Jack The Envious? In all seriousness, despite being unimpressed with the band's original material from the Pull You Down album (another album I'm yet to review), I have been made pleasantly surprised by this total reworking of the Oasis classic, Wonderwall.
  To many, this might be considered "sacrilege" and that most Oasis songs are "untouchable", but even if you don't like Jack The Envious and this genre in general, you have to give them points for creativity. If someone was to hear this without being told what it was, they probably would not guess it was a Wonderwall cover until the first verse starts. The music is pretty much rewritten and given the "easycore" treatment. Apart from the closing melody of the song, nothing much from the original has stuck. The essence of the chorus is still there vocally, it's just been given some added double kicks and chugging guitars. The video sees the band roaming around a big house while playing and swapping instruments, eventually ending in one big house party.
  Probably out of all the covers of the song that have been done over the years, this has to be on the list of the most interesting, even if it does lack the punch that one would hope from this type of band. Taking the iconic drum solo out of such a classic song was definitely a risky move.

Shredhead - Devil's Race

  Yet another Israeli metal band who I don't know as much about as I should; Shreadhead are back after a breif hiatus, dropping this video for Devil's Race which comes from their second album Death Is Righteous released last year.  I've seen them a couple of times but nothing ever really stuck with me. Might just not be my bag, but they are one of the more popular bands that manage to gather fans from both the metal and hardcore scenes.
  The song takes in bits of thrash and death metal, mixing it with an anthemic Pantera-like chorus. The video largely features multi-camera live show footage with crowd close-ups as well as some tour bus/backstage stuff. The concept might be nothing new, but we get to see both the band and the crowd really giving it their all.

Matricide - Unreality

Here's another one. It's funny how many of these videos are actually coming out along time after the album's release. Unreality comes form Matricide's 2013 album, When Random Turns To Fate. Like Shredhead, Matricide are also doing pretty well for themselves out here in Israel, but I'm not entirely sure how well they are doing elsewhere. They are doing that popular Djent-influenced style metal that I'm not all that into but can appreciate why others are.
  This is quite an epic video, almost like a little movie, and the song is a little bit too long for my taste. However, it's well crafted and the musicianship is pretty flawless.

Peled - Ba Be Boom

Some hip hop now. Peled (apparently from Menchamia very close to the Jordan border) is one of those rappers that also moves in the Israeli alternative circles. Ba BeBoom (Hit You With A Boom) comes from the latest album HaKol Alay (Everything's On Me). It's the kind of rap rock mix that was popular in the early 00s. I just happen to be the type of person who still likes that sort of thing.
  I might still not be all that great with following rap in Hebrew, but you got to appreciate the flow. The video is like most southern (USA) hip hop videos. You've got a bunch of cars in a field, dirt bikes, smoking and some breakdancing. Although old concepts, it still comes across as a pretty fresh video and you can't fault the track...unless you're not into that kind of thing, then say what you like. 

Kitat Omanut - Chalumot Gadolim

Going to finish this off with something more punky from Kitat Omanut (Art Class). Hailing from Netanya, these guys play a mixture of alternative and punk rock. Chalumot Gadolim (Big Dreams), from the Rock Yisraeli (Israeli Rock) album, has a bit of a Brit Pop flavour while also sounding like Israeli alternative acts like HaShpung Shel HaPita (The Roll of the Pitta??) and even Israeli punk legends Bo LaBar (Come to the Bar). Both the song and the video are short and fun but I just can't help feel that it's maybe a little bit dated. But what do I know? I still like old Smash Mouth...

I just want to tell you all ... CHECK OUT RYAN HAMILTON!

   This was originally meant to be a post of his latests video, but I've decided to simply make the a general post of how great I think singer/songwriter Ryan Hamilton is.

Formally of indie band Smile Smile and later teamed up with Jaret Reddick of successful pop punk band Bowling For Soup to form People On Vacation, Hamilton released his solo album last month. I had the honour of reviewing it for TOXIC Online, and one of my tag lines has even made its way on to a poster for the album (pictured above). It is simply a very cleverly written album with relatable songs, all wrapped up in a mixed alt. pop/classic coating. You can read more about it in my review here.

From that album, Hamilton has released two singles and videos, both you can see below. Both Karaoke With No Crowd and 4 Letter Verb are bouncy rock numbers with a classic sing-along feel. It's hard not to be taken in by the "ooh la la"s on Karaoke.. or tap your feet to 4 Letter Verb's main riff. Whereas pop punk bands of today express their feelings in an angsty and pretty whiny way, Hamilton manages to wear his heart on his sleeves with pride and deliver uplifting music all at the same time. 

He has just finished a house party tour in the UK and is planning on going back again in March of next year. Although I don't think he yet performs with a full band like on the record, the songs are strong enough to get a great atmosphere going without the big production. If you missed him this time around, check him out on these dates:

As a side note, I just want to check something. Am I the only person who sees a resemblance between Hamilton and British Radio DJ and latest judge of X Factor UK, Nick Grimshaw?

Some more new videos and songs by Israeli bands

  Once again, I bring you a compilation of new videos and songs from a variety of Israeli acts.

Free Sergio - So Far Yet So Close/Hate To Break It To Ya

   I am starting off this post with pop punkers Free Sergio as I stupidly forgot to include their song So Far Yet So Close in the previous instalment. They have brought out another song Hate To Break It To Ya, so this seemed like a perfect time to mention them both. The former is what could be considered an "easycore" track, with metallic riffs and melodic punk vocals. Although the Israeli accent is pretty prominent, the actual vocabulary is intelligent and the lyrical content itself is positive and relatable. It has a sort of Rise Against meets Millencolin feel to it, which is the impression I got of the band when I saw them do an acoustic set some time ago.



   Hate To Break It To Ya showcases the band's ska sound, again, similar to Millencolin or even Less Than Jake without the brass. The vocals on both tracks might be a tad weaker than I'd hope for, the band musically have the genre down and I'm looking forward to seeing them play as a full band some day.  

The Meatballs - Don't Waste My Time/Frowning Face

      Here's another 2-in1. The Meatballs are an Israeli band who have been in existence since '09. The band plays old fashioned rock and roll, pure and simple. Don't Waste My Time takes its influences from more the 50s blues based rock and roll, whereas Frowning Face is very much in the 60s surf/B-Movie vein, with the video even including scenes from what seems like a real 60s B-Movie. I've been told these guys are fun live, as can be seen in the first video. I'm still yet to see them. 

Both songs are singles from the forthcoming album Cut To The Chase.

Document - Disposition

  A while ago, I went to see a band called Document, after hearing about them from friends and thinking about adding them to a show. Admittedly, I may not have given them the best live review but I did believe the band to have well crafted songs. Their latest single Disposition is good example of that. It is heavier than their previous work and generally well produced. Whereas the band can initially be considered indie and/or new wave, this has an almost post-punk sound and is simply captivating. The video is arty and quite dark, which works perfectly with the song itself. 

Bones Garage - Birthmarks

    Sliding perfectly into the next video, the friends who informed me of Document were the band Jeronimo. My second time seeing Jeronimo live was with another young band, Bones Garage. Bones Garage recently released their album Massacre/Dance, which I must get around to reviewing soon. This is their latest video for the song Birthmarks. When I saw them live, I appreciated the band's style although wasn't 100% into it at all times. Birthmarks, however, is beautiful. It's one of those songs which would definitely get tons of airplay and would intoxicate people with the "Aaahh" and "Wooaah" parts as well as with the song's simple beauty. Both the song and the video are incredibly professionally produced, which is surprising for such a young band. The video itself is like a short movie, showing two separate lives of a boy and a girl all the way from birth to when their two worlds collide at a record store and we then see their relationship progress from thereon in. If you like really good indie music and/or dark pop, GET ON THIS! They starting to really make a name from themselves in Israel's underground scene. 

Heartrates - Rapunzel (Live at Keoss Studios)

   Finally, I am compelled to post a live video from a show I actually witnessed. Heartrates are an Israeli metalcore band who I saw as the opening act at an event at Keoss Studios in Tel Aviv. As readers of my blog may already know, I am not the biggest fan of israeli metal/metalcore, but sometimes a band comes along who just hit the right spot. Heartrates' style reminded me of some of the UK metalcore/hardcore bands back in the early '00s, such as Funeral For A Friend, Incoherence and Hondo Maclean. Not only was the style good, but the band had great energy, especially the frontman, who must already have girls swooning all over him. Looks aside, he has a great connection with the crowd and, in my opinion, wasn't heavy on the metal clichés like some other frontmen out here are. I'm hoping to see them some more times and am looking forward to any future releases.

NEW FRONT BOTTOMS VIDEOS

     For those not familiar with them, The Front Bottoms are a four-piece band from New Jersey who play thought-provoking indie-tinged pop punk. I saw their name floating about the internet around a year ago and decided to check it out. I found frontman, Brian Sella's, vocal delivery interesting and more importantly, the band writes some catchy up tempo stuff. There are times that I feel as though the lyric writing process is some sort of game of potluck; pulling lines out of a hat and just forcing them together. However, it seems to work and has gained them a massive following, especially through the success of their Talon Of The Hawk (2013) album.

   Back in April, a split with rapper GDP entitled Liberty and Prosperity was released by Run For Cover and Bar/None Records and features new tracks Wolfman and Handcuffs. This week, the band has released a double single, Cough It Out/West Virginia, and a have made a video for each one.

   West Virginia was the first song out of the two that I saw and heard. The video has its fair share of typically pop punk video elements. Fish eye lens? Check. House party? Check. Friends dressed in costumes? Check? Random shots of nothing in particular? Check. However, the black and white and the fact the house party isn't totally full to the brim make the video slightly different from other pop punk house party videos. The song itself, very much like the video, moves around into different sections, all as catchy as the next. The song will have you singing along to both "Right now I'm just a psycho, hell bent on self destruction" and "Love of my life, gone forever.." and those refrains will remain in your head until a severe injury robs you of your memory. It's a fun song with a great video.

   Cough It Out leans towards the band's more folk-punk sound, with a train rhythm pushing the song along. It is a sweet song that fans will soon know all the words to and proclaim them to be about their own lives, but I'm somehow missing something. It took me a few listens to even find the song memorable and notice the catchy bits. Despite the train beat, it seemed to feel lagging behind to me. The video is also nothing special, as it's basically just a day-in-the-life of one of the band members. The song is certainly from the heart but right now I am just not into it.

   Both songs are hopefully a helpful insight into the vibe of the next album.    

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!

NEW TRACKS AND VIDEOS

   Once again, Punkalovich brings to you a 5-in-1 new track post.

Bleach Blood - London In The Rain

   Admittedly, I'm once again a bit late on this one. This single from London band Bleach Blood, led by former King Blues guitarist Jamie Jazz, was actually put out a few months back and the new album All The Side of a Circle came out on 2nd March. This is finally their debut album, including their previously released songs such as Let Your Heart Sing and H.O.P.E. Although only mildly impressed with the band's beginnings, this song has put me in my place with it's poppy verses, catchy chorus and anthemic hook. The video has Jamie walking around London with his own private dark cloud raining down on him. Although the song seems to have a gloomy element to it, the song itself actually sounds quite uplifting. That sort of ability is always a quality I find impressive in a song, like with artists such as Beck and The Eels (despite Mr E's monotone vocals). Check out the tune and check out the album if you like what you hear.

Love Amongst Ruin - Swan Killer

    Here's another London band with a former member of a well-known band. Love Amongst Ruin is fronted by former Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt and Swan Killer is the first song to be released from the forthcoming album Lose Your Way.
   From what I remember of LAR's earlier stuff back in 2010, the band always had a dark feel about it. This track has a more subtle darkness and basically just rocks.
   On a side-note, I have a bit of a strange connection to the band. While still living in London and going through a bit of a bad patch, I answered a drummer ad that happened to be for Love Amongst Ruin. I got in touch and practised the songs sent to me and went to the audition. I got to meet and play with Steve and the rest of the band. Unfortunately, I didn't get the gig. My move to Israel was actually pretty much depending on whether I got into that band or not. If I only they had said yes, I would have stayed in the UK. Just imagine....
   
      Check out Swan Killer on Soundcloud. The album Lose Your Way is due for release on 1st June.

Gevolt - Khokhotshet

     They're called Gevolt. They're from Israel. They sing in Yiddish. They play metal.

I've only just discovered this band but they have already been around in one form another for quite a few years and have now released a new "Nu Klezmer Metal" single, Khokhotshet (don't know what it means). Because of vocalist Anatholy Bonder's tonal similarities to that of Till Lindemann, the band generally comes off sounding a bit like Rammstein but with more klezmer elements, of course. So if you like Rammstein, folk metal and Yiddish, check them out.

Well Planned Attack - I'm Mrs Nesbitt, You See The Hat?

    You can sort of tell we've gone into pop punk territory based on the song title alone. Well Planned Attack are from Vincenza, Italy, and this song is taken from their latest EP A Place To Call Home. If you like fast, melodic pop punk, then you will not disappointed by these guys. This track in particular certainly isn't groundbreaking, but it is catchy and the band has great energy.

   

Idle Hands - Waste Of Flesh

    Finally, we take it back to my endz (I don't know....That's how the kids today talk, apparently). Idle Hands are another band from the London/Rucktion hardcore scene. Compared to their The Worst Times EP, Waste Of Flesh is the most Beatdown thing they've done yet. Pretty much the entire track is one giant fuzzy, sludgey beatdown. As heavy as it is and as much as it reminds me of one of my favourite UK bands of yesteryear, Eviscerate AD, it just seems all a bit too much. What do you make of it?

SOME MORE NEW VIDEOS

   Sometimes I post new videos separately but other times, like this, I like to just take a bunch of them and put them in one post. Now...I've noticed that sometimes I post stuff I like but this is a bit of a mish-mash.

Comeback Kid ft Poli Correia - Losing Sleep 

   Comeback Kid are one of those hardcore bands I always wonder whether I should have been more into. I remember seeing them at a really small show in London (at The Verge, I think) and I bought their Turn It Around album. At the time, I think I barely listened to it, so from thereon in, I never really paid much attention. A couple of years ago, due to a badly organised "hardcore"/metalcore show, Comeback Kid ended up stuck in Israel without a show until local heroes Kids Insane got in contact and hooked them up with a show at Koro, Tel Aviv. Instead of headlining, they were the first band and the place was absolutely packed and sweaty as hell. Great show, though, and since I've given the band more attention. This track from Die Knowing is heavy and groovy. Is it groundbreaking? Probably not, but I like it. The video is simply a mix of live and studio footage but shot incredibly well. 

36 Crazyfists - Swing The Noose

    Another band that I haven't really cared about over the years since about the release of their second album Bitterness The Star on Roadrunner. I was doing some street teaming for RR at the time and I think I had to hand out stickers for that release. I have to say, if it wasn't for a facebook friend still being really into the band (you know who you are) I probably would not have even known about this video and the new album Time and Trauma. Thing is, judging by Swing The Noose, their sound and even music video cinematography hasn't really developed since the early 2000s. Frontman Brock's vocals are a little off putting. It's similar to vocalists I do like, such as Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw etc., but he sounds almost constipated. It's certainly not the worst thing I've ever heard; chorus is pretty decent and the last minute has some good moments. Then again, it's not brilliant, either. The video is a tad confusing although at the same time captivating. What do you lot think?

New Found Glory - One More Round

   NFG's Resurrection album has been out since October, but has it been getting as much attention as earlier works? If not, I don't really know why it shouldn't. I haven't heard the album in its entirety yet, but the singles have so far been impressive. One More Round is standard NFG; it has those cool riffs and pop punk vocals mixed in with some gang chants and some heavy grooves. Video is pretty fun, with the band getting smashed to pieces. Seems to be in keeping with the song's notion of perseverance. I totally have to get this album at some point. Hell...I think I should just get the whole discography. I seem to be doing that a lot lately with a lot of bands i should have been into a long time ago. 

The Offspring - Coming For You

   Another comically violent video comes form yet another legendary (pop) punk band, The Offspring. Coming For You is the band's first release for 2015, with an album expected for later in the year. The song starts off with drums that sound not too dissimilar (to me, anyway) to those of Howlin' For You by Black Keys but we're then greeted by Dexter Holland's unmistakable voice. The song as a whole sounds like a number of their more commercial sounding songs from the last few albums. It's sort of hard for me to decide whether i like it or not. I was one of those people who actually didn't mind Days Go By on the whole as an album, so hopefully the next album might have some more hardcore punk stuff to go with this sort of thing. I don't want to give too much of the video concept away, but if you don't like clowns or mimes, watch with care!

Teenage Bottlerocket - Haunted House/They Call Me Steve

   Punk rockers Teenage Bottlerocket are releasing new album Tales From Wyoming on 31st March and it's already kind of sounding like it's going to be a good one. They already released a video for Misfits style song Haunted House back in February and this week premiered the Minecraft inspired song and video They Call Me Steve. The latter has that ever-so-slightly-slower-paced Bouncing Souls type vibe which I kind of dig. Even the vocals make me think of Bouncing Souls...but I guess the two bands are not that different. 

Blur - Go Out/There Are Too Many Of Us

   Yeh that's right! I'm moving away from punk and hardcore and going back to my Britpop roots. The legendary Blur's new album, The Magic Whip, will be out 27th April. We have so far been treated to two songs and videos; Go Out and There Are Too Many Of Us. The former has an almost new wave punk feel just with Damon Albarn's distinctive vocals over it. It's a little bit like On Your Own, a personal favourite of mine, but stranger. And then there's the video which is basically just an instruction video on how to make homemade ice cream. Incidentally, I used to have that same tupperware container...
   There Are Too Many Of Us is also a bit creepy in its sound but has more of a serious tone. The video is purely a performance video that looks very DIY. The band themselves look like they haven't changed a bit. It's quite solemn and I can imagine this song being used for serious scenes in film and TV. 

Sleater-Kinney - A New Wave

   Admittedly, this post is about a month late but I just had to post it. Sleater-Kinney are one of those bands I've always known OF, possibly since about the age of 13, but I never properly got into them. They have released their eighth studio album, No Cities To Love, on 20th January after a ten year hiatus. First single, A New Wave, has, funnily enough, a hint of new wave about it but is also essentially a catchy alt rock hit. I first heard the song as a live performance and was into it, but along with the video, I was converted. And I never really liked Bob's Burgers...