Teruah - Comprehensive Coverage of Jewish Music Scene

I just found a blog called Teruah (named after the nine notes in the series of sounds made by the shofar for Rosh Hashanah). Author Jack Zaientz is creating a truly impressive introduction and commentary on the Jewish music scene. His passion for Jewish music ranges from Chasidic to punk rock and he explores all that is happening now in Jewish music. I especially enjoy reading his posts on new Jewish artists infusing diverse music styles with Jewish ruach (spirit), for example, his post on Moshav Band leading Havdalah.

His site is heavily sprinkled with audio and video clips which is oh so wonderful for experiencing the music he is writing about. He has a Radio Widget too, so you can listen to a myriad of internet streamed Jewish music. If you want to keep up with what is happening in Jewish music, in a wide range of styles, check out Teruah.

Yael Naim and Ayelet Rose Gottlieb Rock

Sophie Milman's beautiful punim graces the cover of American Jewish Life's March issue. The jazz singer is one of the women featured in Women Who Rock, a profile of several contemporary music artists all of whom are women, beautiful, talented and Jewish.

Inspired by the article and panicked over the realization I hadn't bought any new music in over a year (I've long held that new music will stave off middle age), I went on a quest to find women Jewish artists doing Jewish-themed work to add to my own collection. I've listened to more than a dozen artists over the weekend. Here are two that I love. For your reference, my taste is more jazz than folk, more electronic than acoustic, more soulful than upbeat, more alternative than pop.

Yael Naim: Eclectic is the only way to describe Yael Naim's eponymous album. The first track Paris, is sung in Hebrew but styled as French torch song, ending with a sultry "Shalom Paris." Track two Too Long is trip-hop down-beat evoking a 90's favorite of mine: Portishead. Much of the album is Fiona Apple-ish folk sung in Hebrew and English. She does a cover of Brittany Spear's Toxic. And then her hit New Soul comes along and is solidly pop. (Side note: New Soul is the music for the MacBook Air commercials.) No matter the style, her music is fresh and lovely. Listen to samples of her music here. You can buy the album right now on iTunes and the album will be released in the US in March.

Ayelet Rose Gottlieb. Her album Mayim Rabim is based on ten segments of Song of Songs, those passionate love poems comprising one of the five scrolls of the Hebrew Bible. Just because the subject matter is traditional and religious, don't let that scare you away. This music is new, powerful, and exciting. Global Rhythm Magazine sums her album up perfectly, "avant-garde yet surprisingly accessible". Gottlieb's music is intellectually challenging, yet still a delight to listen to and easy to enjoy. American Jewish Life also profiles Gottlieb. Her album can be downloaded from iTunes or bought from Tzadik Records.