stereo sinai 5769

Shalom Aleichem!

2010-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

To all the new Thumpers... Welcome to stereosinai.com! ("Thumpers" is what fans of Stereo Sinai and Biblegum Pop music call themselves; from the term 'Bible thumpers'.)

Have a blast perusing our site and blog, and especially be sure to check out our music page here!
Comment, contact us, and enjoy!

And to all our existing Thumpers, we love you, and keep on thumping!

Stereo Sinai's Guide to the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival

2010-06-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

Thumpers! We at Stereo Sinai are very excited to remind you that this Sunday, June 13th, at 4:00pm on the Cabaret Stage, we will be playing the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival! We've got all kinds of fun things in store, so we hope you'll join us for some rockin' out, biblegum pop style...

But, shlepping out to the 'burbs, you may as well make a day of it. The following list comprises Stereo Sinai's picks of our Festival favorites - enjoy!

There are a bunch of cool acts performing - here are some highlights:

The Moshe Skier Band - 11:00am, Crain-Maling Stage

The Ruby Harris Band - 12:00pm, Crain-Maling Stage

David Broza - 12:45pm, Crain-Maling Stage

(Get ready for more shameless self-promotion in 3...2...)

STEREO SINAI, HOORAY! - 4:00pm, Cabaret Stage

Aaron Freeman (comedian) - 5:00pm, Cabaret Stage

(Sadly, our friends at Even Sh'siyah will not be playing this year, as they have in the past, but we encourage you to check them out around town whenever you can. Their unbelievable drummer, Matt Kanter, will be performing with a fun, goofy outfit called Tzioni 'R' Us at 11:00am on the Crain-Maling Stage.)

And definitely take some time to stop by the organization booths of some of our brilliant buddies:

Kfar Jewish Arts Center

PunkTorah

The Gan Project

The Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago

Limmud Chicago

There are some truly talented visual artists exhibiting and selling their wares. Take a moment to visit Limor Katz-Evans of Ella Klara Designs (a sponsor of Stereo Sinai) and Fran Moss's fun and funky Chai Note Designs.

Once you've done sufficient wandering, there are all kinds of kosher (even vegetarian!) options available at the various food booths.

So go, gey gezunterheyt. See you there!

Help PunkTorah Invade Chicago!

2010-05-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Some of our favorite altera-frummies, the PunkTorah crew, are coming to Chicago! PunkTorah (which you can check out for yourself at punktorah.org or on Facebook), founded by the unstoppable Patrick Aleph, is...well, they explain it better than I ever could:

Because the term “punk”, like “rebel”, “renegade” or “revolutionary”, is at the heart of the Jewish experience. “Punk” as a mindset, not a musical style.
Avraham Avinu, Abraham, our father, was the original punk. Abraham smashed idols like Jimi Hendirx smashed guitars. Abraham completely rebelled against the mainstream culture of his time, spreading a message that was hated and feared by many. He taught those willing to be taught, and stood firm against the tide of social blindness running rampant in his day. Like our ancestors, we are a tribe of people who don’t take “no” for an answer. We survive and flourish because of our individuality, but also our collective responsibility for each other. When you dig into your heart, and pull out a Jewish answer to the issues that confront you, that is “as PunkTorah as it gets”.
A non-profit organization (501c3 pending), PunkTorah is committed to the idea that you can approach “doing Jewish” without undoing yourself. You don’t have to be someone that you are not. It’s not about taking stuff away from your life, or taking things away from you. It’s about adding to your life.

PunkTorah has registered a booth at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival - where we will also be playing at 4:00pm - and we hope you'll stop by and say hi to them. In order to get there and make their mark, though, they're gonna need some gelt. An $18 donation through PayPal (to punktorah@gmail.com) will not only get them to Chicago, but will help them develop new outreach programs on progressive approaches to prayer and kashrut, organize a tikkun olam trip to Uganda, counteract the anti-Thumpers at Westboro Baptist Church, run interfaith Shabbat dinners, and so many other incredible things.

Got questions? Want to know more, or help out? Definitely check out PunkTorah.org, or connect with Patrick: punktorah@punktorah.org.

Upcoming Biblegum Pop Shows - 5/11 and 5/16

2010-05-10T08:21:00.001-07:00

Thumpers! We have some exciting events coming up that... well, we just couldn't contain ourselves. We had to let you know.

In case there was any doubt, Stereo Sinai does indeed rock the suburbs. On May 11th we'll be celebrating with Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation, and we hope to see you there!

Yom Yerushalayim Concert (Jerusalem Day)

Tuesday, May 11th

at Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation

7117 N Crawford Ave in Lincolnwood

6:30-8:00pm

Tix are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $5 for students w/ID

(BUT we have a few FREE tix to give away - shoot us a message and we'll hook you up!)

Also, we are very excited to be playing in the VIP room of Emanuel Congregation's Comedy Night with Fred Armisen, Jeff Garlin, and special musical guest Jeff Tweedy of Wilco!!! (Yes, really.) Info is below, but be sure to check out all the details here.

Comedy, Q & A's with Fred Armisen and Jeff Garlin

Sunday, May 16th

at Emanuel Congregation

5959 N Sheridan in Chicago

7:00-9:00pm (doors at 7, show at 8)

Ask us about ticket prices, or check out www.armisenshow.com

Oy, and there is so much more to come... Keep your ears to the ground, thumpers!

Thanks for the Love - Free Download for You!

2010-04-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Thumpers,

In appreciation of your support for our Earth Day push on behalf of the Arava Institute, and for your general marvelousness, we offer our song, "David and Goliath," as a free download until midnight tomorrow (Tuesday, April 27th). Check it out!

Our respective reactions are depicted visually. That is all.

Miriam and Alan

Earth Day Special - Help Us Help the Arava Institute!

2010-04-22T06:54:00.001-07:00

Thumpers! Stereo Sinai is doing a huge promotion in honor of Earth Day 2010!

For every 100 new "likes" on our Facebook page, we will donate $50 to the Arava Institute in Israel, an organization that promotes both cooperation and environmental sustainability in the Middle East.

So what are you waiting for? Find us on Facebook, tell your friends, help us get there!

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

See you at the Jewish Festival, June 13th!

2010-04-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thumpers! We are proud to announce that Stereo Sinai is a judges' pick to play this year's Greater Chicago Jewish Festival!!!

Thank you to everyone who came out to vote and cheer for us at Jewish Chicago's Got Talent - y'all are the best. We're very excited to have been offered a slot performing alongside so many other cool Chicago acts and this year's headliner, the incomparable David Broza. Mark your calendars and we'll see you there!

Generation Gap

2010-04-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

As you may know, yesterday was Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Rememberance Day. Our friend Eli Ungar-Sargon, who is a filmmaker/photographer currently based in Chicago, used the day to release his new film documenting three generations of his family - his grandfather, father, and Eli himself - and how they relate to the Holocaust. "Generation Gap" is a deceptively simple, powerful film that is both deeply personal and undeniably universal. And we're proud to say that the short snippets of music included (a niggun, or wordless tune, that is one of the Ungar family's last vestiges left from before the Holocaust) were recorded in the Stereo Sinai studio.

We hope you'll take a moment to watch, reflect, remember, challenge, and take action.

Help Stereo Sinai Play This Year's Folk Festival!

2010-04-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Thumpers! This Sunday Stereo Sinai will be auditioning alongside a whole slew of cool local acts (including our friends the Moshe Skier Band) for a slot at this year's Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, and we need your help!

Everyone is welcome to this show. Admission is $5, which gets you into the Skokie Theater and grants you 5 votes, which you can cast for any band you like. You can also, in this oh-so-democratic system, buy extra votes for a buck each, or 25 for $20.

Anyway, below are all the details fit to print. We're the 4th band to play, so come by early and hang out with us afterwards... :)

Jewish Chicago's Got Talent (we know, we know...)

Sunday, April 11th

6-9:00pm

Skokie Theater

7929 Lincoln Ave.

Skokie, IL

See you there!

And, as always, there is more biblegum pop to come, so stay tuned...

Huh. Turns Out Kids' Music Doesn't Suck - "Eats Paste" Out Today!

2010-04-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

No April Fools, we promise.

ToyBlock Music, that unique and funky project dedicated to making children's music not suck, released its EP, aptly entitled "Eats Paste," today! Talk about punking kids' music. Anyway, Stereo Sinai's version of the Dutch lullaby "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" is featured, so download away!

Other tunes included are a funk version of "The Wheels on the Bus," a surf-punk "The Cat Came Back," and...well, go see for yourself at toyblockmusic.com.

Also, we have to mention that Miriam is more intimately involved in this stupendous project - she wrote all those snarky descriptions of the songs and has done other fun things behind the scenes.

We're really proud to have been included in this amazing effort. Keep your eyes open for the full-length CD (due out in the fall) with more cool interpretations from your favorite biblegum poppers...

April 4th Show: Oranges ROCK the Seder Plate

2010-03-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Thumpers! Big big show coming up - we'll be playing alongside crazy cool chick rockers Girls in Trouble and Naomi Less at an event to honor Jewish female performers and citrus fruit. (And if you're wondering about this whole orange-seder plate thing, check this out.) A full afternoon of amazing women sparking your souls to head into the last days of the festival of freedom...there's nothing else like it. Here are all the details:

Oranges ROCK the Seder Plate

Featuring Girls in Trouble, Stereo Sinai, and Naomi Less

Sunday, April 4th

3-5:00pm

BooCoo Cultural Center

Evanston, IL

Grab tix early through Kfar Jewish Arts Center!

The "Mi Yimalel" Dance

2010-03-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

This past Chanukah, the festival of lights, Stereo Sinai was asked by our buddies over at MyJewishLearning.com to produce a hip new version of "Mi Yimalel" (or "Who Can Retell"). The song was available for free download through Chanukah and now - yes Thumpers, the waiting is over - you can get it right here!

You must be overcome. We understand. But we're going to have to go against our better judgment and up the excitement, and even add a splash of sheer cute-osity. Below is a video of one of our tiniest fans dancing to the song, and, we're telling you, she has got some moves (right on, Ezzah!). Enjoy!

TODAY: ToyBlock Music on I Wear Your Shirt

2010-03-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

ToyBlock Music is unlike anything else out in the music world today. It is an ongoing collection of real artists reinterpreting their favorite childhood songs and making them, well, real music. The EP, coming out officially on April 1st (yep, April Fool's Day), is called Eats Paste and will feature a super funky "The Wheels on the Bus," a surf/lounge "The Cat Came Back," and Stereo Sinai's special take on "Wynken, Blynken and Nod," among others. We've heard them, and believe us, they seriously rock.

Catch a sneak peek of the project today on I Wear Your Shirt! And, in the meantime, you can head over to the website, www.toyblockmusic.com, and sign up for the mailing list to get insider information and special deals on way cool ToyBlock Music stuff in the future.

Need more? How about this: a portion of the proceeds from ToyBlock Music will be donated to PAGER, a national charity that works with families and kids with GERD, a truly nasty disease that not too many people know about, or know how to diagnose.

Oh, and did we mention there are not one, but TWO Grammy Award winners featured on this project? That's right. Ricco Lumpkins (who won for TLC's album, Fanmail - yes, the one with "No Scrubs") and Matt Shane (Flight of the Conchords) are mixing, producing, and mastering a bunch of the tracks, making them sparkle with that unique Grammy-shine.

Anyway, we're way excited about ToyBlock Music. Our track is a lullaby Miriam's mom used to sing her to sleep with. She even has a recording of the two of them singing it together when Miriam was only three. So you'll definitely hear about it from us again. In the meantime, check out I Wear Your Shirt, and maybe, just maybe, something magical will happen...

It's Always Purim at Stereo Sinai! Help Us Use "Purim Hayom" to Raise Money for Cancer Research

2010-03-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today is Shushan Purim, a fancy way of saying it's the day after the funnest of all Jewish holidays where we dress up and make a lot of noise and get a little shickered. Not bad, eh?

A while back, Stereo Sinai recorded a song about this particularly awesome holiday called "Purim Hayom." The recording was made for the "Pioneers for a Cure" project, whose aim is to raise a bunch of money for cancer research by recording and selling new versions of old pioneer songs. Yeah, it's mad cool. The proceeds from our song go to the American Lung Association, cuz lung cancer blows.

So let's show our friends at Pioneers and the ALA that Purim ain't over yet! Listen to and download "Purim Hayom" for only $1.99 (or the denomination of your choice) here.

Thanks, Thumpers!

ps. The picture featured is from our very favorite version of the scroll read on Purim, Megillat Esther. Find out more about this unbelievable graphic novel here.

We Rocked FOX

2010-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Thumpers! We were on the TV! It's not as cool as being on the web (as we explained on the TV), but it'll do. Check out our segment with the incomparable Leah Jones below...

Stereo Sinai and Leah Jones on FOX Chicago Tonight!

2010-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Finally, some real news...

Tonight at 9pm, tune in to FOX Chicago, or go online to MyFoxChicago.com to catch a special segment with your favorite biblegum pop duo and our brilliant social media coach, Leah Jones!

In the meantime, we'll attempt to satisfy your insatiable need for more Stereo Sinai... Here's a live video of our performance from JCUA's Cafe Finjan 2010 (Look! New hair!):

Cafe Finjan 2010

2010-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Thumpers! We know it's been a while since you've heard from us. Alan was in Israel for a while, and we've been spending lots of time in the studio prepping new tracks for your biblegum pop enjoyment. But never fear! We are back out and rocking again with Cafe Finjan, coming up this Thursday on the Loyola University campus. Here is the info on this unique, exciting event that we're so proud to be part of - see you there!:

Café Finjan is a series of interfaith arts exchanges begun in 2002 as part of the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative (JMCBI). The series establishes points of contact, and nurtures a greater understanding between Jews and Muslims of Chicago while creating spaces for people of these diverse backgrounds to come together and give voice to their identity and experience as part of a larger community.

The theme of the upcoming Café Finjan is “2020 Vision”.

This dynamic evening, featuring performing artists and interactive audience participation, will explore both a common vision for the future (a vision for the year 2020) as well as clarity of vision (20/20) with regards to the challenges we face and the complexity of our identities.

Thursday, Feb. 4th

7-9:30pm

at the Loyola University/Mundelein Center Auditorium

1020 W. Sheridan Rd

$5 suggested donation

Read All About(.com) It!

2009-12-14T14:40:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to take a moment and thank the lovely and talented (for real, though, not in that generic, nothing-else-to-say introductory way) Joanna Quargnali-Linsley of Misery Loves Co. and Toy Block Music for the fantastic shout-out to Stereo Sinai on About.com! She mentioned us in her music business year-end wrap up alongside the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir as "bands that may not be new to everyone, but should be." Right on!

For those who didn't see it, you can catch the article here.

And...

If you're in Chitown, be sure to stop by Uncommon Ground on Clark tomorrow night for a kick-ass show alongside human beatbox Yuri Lane. All the details are here.

See you there!

New Hanukkah Song Available on MyJewishLearning.com

2009-12-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again - dreidels a-spinning, latkes a-frying, biblegum a-popping...

It's (almost) Hanukkah!

We are thrilled to announce that Stereo Sinai's version of one of our favorite Hanukkah songs, "Mi Yimalel (Who Can Retell)," has been featured on the endlessly cool (and consistently helpful) site MyJewishLearning.com!

You can hear and download the song ABSOLUTELY FREE by following this link.

And be sure to check out the other awesome tracks that offer their own spins on Hanukkah- Dov Rosenblatt, Rosi Golan, and Deena Goodman contributed a beautiful, almost haunting version of "Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)," Mista Cookie Jar of Chibi Vision sings "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" how it's meant to be sung (like a gypsy cowboy, of course), and Alicia Jo Rabins of the fabulous biblical-indie-rock band Girls in Trouble performs "Sivivon, Sov Sov Sov" the way I'd expect Alice to sing it while lost in one of the more sinister parts of Wonderland...love it.

You gotta hear them. Such a cool collection, and did I mention you can download them all for FREE?!

Consider it an early Hanukkah present. Happy holidays, everyone!

Stereo Sinai on TV

2009-12-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

Stereo Sinai's performance on E.N.E. Chicago Rocks will be aired on Chicago Cable 25 this Wednesday at 8pm, then again on Sunday at 5pm!

And now for the story...

Last night Stereo Sinai was out at the Subterranean for the filming of a very cool local live music show called E.N.E. Chicago Rocks. ENE, apparently, stands for "errores no eliminados/errors not eliminated." The show is a fixture of latin alternative media in Chicago and has featured some very cool acts. When we walked in, two TVs were screening a movie on the story of the life of Jesus- specifically a scene where two characters were getting married under a chuppah. Between that and the poppy Spanish-language dance tunes pumping through the speakers, we felt right at home.

We got nine minutes to play and were then interviewed by the show's host, Beatriz Castillo (also known as Mean Little Bumble Bee- check out her awesome music blog here). We want to give a big thank-you to Bea for inviting us out to play. AND thank you to all our wonderful Thumpers who came out to make crazy noise and keep the show sounding good- y'all are the best. Lotsa love.

Again, the show will air this Wednesday night on Cable 25 at 8pm, then again on the same channel on Sunday at 5pm. Really, it's totally worth checking out. In the meantime, we hope these pics will tide you over...

Writing the Rails

2009-12-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

There's so much crazy talent in this city it's ridiculous. And, even better, it's being put to use for a good cause.

David Kav, a local singer-songwriter friend of ours, just kicked off a really incredible tour: Writing the Rails. David is going from Chicago to Memphis, with a bunch of stops along the way, playing gigs to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. David and Leah Jones, founder of Natiiv Arts and Media and social media coach extraordinaire, came up with the concept for the train-tour during a caffeine-induced brainstorming session. He is accompanied by Theresa Carter, also known as The Local Tourist, who is helping document the whole process (and we musicians sometimes just need a little help...). The good folks over at Misery Loves Co. and Unscene Chicago are lending some amazing support to the project as well.

We hope you'll keep up with David and Theresa's travels through their site, writingtherails.com, and maybe contribute to the cause.

In the meantime, check out the fun videos they're posting from the road on their YouTube page. And here's a special one from when David lent Miriam his guitar at Maui Wowi...

Stand Out in a Digital World

2009-11-21T21:28:00.001-08:00

Last Monday night, Stereo Sinai had the exciting privilege of being featured on a panel of local working musicians who are using social media to build fan relationships, better their brands, and generally stand out in a digital world. We were joined by an amazing group: singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Jeffrey David Goldford, Tim Toomey of Assault, Inc., and our fabulous moderator Jim Goodrich. It was an awesome night- lots of fun covering all kinds of interesting topics.

You can listen to the entire panel here, or check it out on the Chicago Music Commission website.

You can also check out the sound-bite version by scrolling through some of the #mawf (Musicians at Work Forum) tweets on Twitter. (Everyone on Twitter? Eh? We're @stereosinai.)

We wanted to take a minute to give a shout-out to our social media coach extraordinaire, Leah Jones of Natiiv Arts and Media. She got some love from the panel (as you'll hear), but she deserves way more. And as far as Stereo Sinai is concerned, the unsung heroes of the CMC panel are the amazing folks at Misery Loves Co. You're the best!

G-dcast- Lech Lecha's One Year Anniversary

2009-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we contributed our track to the awesome, inspiring G-dcast project. But, so it goes. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'...

Happy anniversary, G-dcast- Lech-Lecha! Here's to another year of "going forth," taking chances and challenging assumptions, and finding strength in the journey.

Parshat Lech Lecha from G-dcast.com

More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com

You can download the track for free right here at stereosinai.com- just go to the music page for this and other great biblegum pop.

Song Spotlight - "Good to Me"

2009-09-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

What can I give back to HASHEM? G-d is completely good to me. I'll raise my cup of salvations and call out in the name of HASHEM [Psalms 116:12-13]... halleluy-h. [Psalms 116:19]
מה אשיב לה' כל תגמולוהי עלי: כוס ישועות אשא ובשם ה' אקרא: [תהלים קטז:יב-יג] ... הללוי-ה: [תהלים קטז:יט]א
Mah Ashiv la-AMONAI kol tagmulohi alai. Kos yeshu'ot e-sah uv'shem AMONAI ekra: haleluka.

As the New Year approaches, Stereo Sinai has gotten into a contemplative mood. In Jewish tradition, this is the time of self-reflection- we look back on our actions and on our relationships. We think about how we can be better to our friends and family, to our earth and to ourselves. Sometimes this can be a tough exercise, and sometimes it's rejuvenating. Most of the time, in a strange way, it's both.

Regardless of what's happened in the past, we're thankful to be able to start new with the coming year. And Alan and I are especially thankful for all the wonderful people out there who have made this such an incredible year. Thanks for listening, supporting the music, and sharing the stage!

In appreciation of our fans, our beloved Thumpers, and in honor of kicking off the new year right, our latest track- "Good to Me"- will be available as a FREE download until this Friday, September 18th.

May you be signed and sealed (and delivered...haha) for a sweet new year!

Awesome Article on Stereo Sinai in the Chicago Jewish News!

2009-08-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Thumpers! Stereo Sinai has been featured in the most recent edition (the arts special, in fact) of the Chicago Jewish News! But to save you the digital leg-work, we've reprinted the full article right here for your reading enjoyment. We're just that proud of it. (Thanks, CJN!)

New tunes, ancient words

By CJN staff (08/28/2009)

They say they play Biblegum pop.

Look at the word again. No, Miriam Brosseau and Alan Jay Sufrin, the pair who make up StereoSinai, are not reincarnations of the 1910 Fruitgum Company or the Ohio Express.

Still, there are certain similarities. "We define ourselves as bubblegum pop music in biblical Hebrew," Sufrin says.

One of the most unusual and innovative new bands on the Jewish music scene (although not exclusively there, Brosseau and Sufrin insist), StereoSinai came into being in a way that is as out-of-the-ordinary as their modus operandi. And it all started with a rabbi.

Brosseau and Sufrin met when both were students at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where they belonged to a songwriters group. He was more into folk music, she into punk rock. They started writing music together and after graduation, moved to Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. (They married in February.) There they found Rabbi Asher Lopatin, the popular spiritual leader of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation.

"He was so extremely welcoming to us," Brosseau relates. "His whole family reached out to us. Since they had been so kind to us, we wanted to do something for their baby" - Gideon, now almost two years old.

They decided to write a lullaby and, for inspiration, looked to the original story of Gideon in the Book of Judges. "We found a couple of verses that were very appropriate, about the angel of G-d coming to Gideon and telling him he would be very strong and that G-d would be with him," Brosseau says. "Alan started tinkering around on guitar and came up with a riff, and that was Gideon's song, our first single. We fell in love with the sound and started experimenting with other verses, other styles."

That was the beginning of StereoSinai's unique sound, which marries "bubblegum pop, the same style as the stuff you hear on pop radio," in Sufrin's words, with verses in biblical Hebrew and, occasionally, Aramaic and Yiddish. While the music is original, the words come from the Torah, the Talmud and the Tanach - "the best lyrics in the world," the pair say.

"We like to say we steal lyrics from G-d," Brosseau says. "If Kelly Clarkson had been on the mountain with Moses, it would have sounded a little like our music," Sufrin adds.

StereoSinai is different from many other modern bands in other ways as well. It is a download-only operation - no CDs - for a number of reasons. One is environmental. "CD packaging is harmful to the environment at every step of its existence, from production to disposal," Sufrin says. (Find the songs at http://www.stereosinai.com/)

There's also a financial motive - for the consumer. Downloads, at $1 a song, are definitely cheaper than CDs, and listeners can pick and choose which songs they want. This is a trend in the music industry, Sufrin notes, with 88 percent of American adults downloading their music rather than purchasing CDs. There is also an aesthetic aspect to the high-fidelity MP3 format the duo uses. It produces better sound at an initially lower volume, Sufrin explains.

"People confuse loud with good," he says. "Music has gotten louder and does more damage to people's ears. You can listen to StereoSinai's music and it is more nuanced, a more pleasing sound at a lower volume. It's music to your ears, music to your wallet and music to the earth."

"It's all about consumer empowerment," Brosseau adds. "You can choose your own songs, make your own mixes, make the music your own. Our philosophy and value system is very tech-forward with high-quality music that is eco-kosher."

Since that first song for the rabbi's baby, StereoSinai has garnered attention in diverse cultural venues. The duo played at the International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam last year (they also became engaged there) and was the first band commissioned to write a song for G-dcast.com, a Web site aimed at Jewish teens that narrates and illustrates the weekly Torah portion through animation. The band's song about Lech Lecha (coincidentally, also Sufrin's bar mitzvah portion) is downloadable for free on the site.

They are also intensely interested in how they can use their musical talents for good. "Tzedakah is a big part of our project," Sufrin says. They contributed a track to Pioneers for A Cure, a Jewish music project that honored Israel's 60th anniversary and raised money for cancer research, and also recently worked on a project for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. A song they wrote in college, "11 Below," was released as a download with all the proceeds going to the coalition - fitting, they say, because the homeless suffer during Chicago's cold winters.

"We have ourselves in a couple of different camps," Brosseau says. "There are the Jewish audiences at synagogues and Hillel gigs, but we've done at least as many bar gigs out in the regular everyday secular world. Somebody just told us his five-year-old daughter was a huge fan of StereoSinai. I don't think we would define ourselves as Jewish music. We're feeling out where our audience is."

We Raised Over $1K for the ALA through Pioneers for a Cure!

2009-08-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

This morning, Stereo Sinai got an update from Joodayoh, Inc., Founder Ricky Orbach that "a check for $1,081.36 was delivered to your beneficiary organization, American Lung Association last week."

Alright, Pioneers!

Our song, "Purim Hayom," was recorded exclusively to raise money for this organization via "Pioneers for a Cure," and you can only get it through their website. This is an amazing start, so let's keep it up! If you haven't downloaded "Purim Hayom" for a mere $1.99, go for it! If you have, tell your friends! Or hell, do it again!

Thanks to everyone who has helped us support this cause. You are true Thumpers.

*We should also give a shout-out to Klezmerfest who did a very fun version of a song called "Chalutz, Chalutz, Hineini" also on behalf of the American Lung Association.

Jumping off the edge

2009-08-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Sunday night's show was so awesome, it inspired a new day in the week: Awesomeday. Here's an artist's rendering of the awesomeness (artist: Stu Sufrin):

And in case that doesn't capture the awesomeness enough for you, perhaps this will:

Still not enough for you? There are even more vids to see on our Videos page and YouTube channel. Stereo Sinai shared the stage with the legendary Martin Atkins, wild thing Matthue Roth (check out our video for "Dance"!), and face-rockers Can!!Can. But if you check them out, PLEASE make sure to prepare yourself. It takes a brave soul to be able to handle all that awesomeness.

Poetry, Pop, and Punk: Jewish Voices from the Edge

2009-08-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

This Sunday night, Aug. 16^th, Stereo Sinai is playing a FREE SHOW alongside some incredible acts! Here are the details:

“Poetry, Pop, and Punk: Jewish Voices from the Edge”

At the Empty Bottle

1035 N. Western Ave in Chicago

Doors open at 8:00pm

FREE, 21+

RSVP here for a chance to win some cool prizes in drawings held throughout the night.

Matthue Roth, the unbelievable author and slam poet featured on our track “Dance” will be joining us from New York, music legend Martin Atkins will do a set, and the night will be topped off with Atlanta-based Jewish punk band Can!!Can. (Can!!Can’s lead singer, Patrick Arthur, also does a vlog series called Punk Torah which we highly recommend you check out!)

See you there!

Questions? Talk to us!

This event is sponsored by Birthright Israel NEXT- Chicago, with help from Shemspeed Chicago, PresenTense, and revolution number three.

ROI-Land, Part 2

2009-07-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

(Okay, so maybe I got really sick in Israel and didn't feel up to posting. And maybe Alan and I are moving to a new place and the apartment is totally torn apart. And maybe I'm also job hunting. So, maybe I didn't blog as early or often as I had hoped. But never fear! Excuses be damned. I'm writing this point now, ha ha!)

By far the best night of the 2009 ROI Summit was the talent show. A few of the Israeli participants had rented out this cool little club in Tel Aviv and recruited others to perform. Needless to say, the majority of the performers were from the Arts and Culture track. Oh yeah.

It is so inspiring to see such a diverse, crazy-talented group all in one place. The performances varied from my more traditional singer-songwriter set, to energetic Zionist hip-hop from Antithesis, to an unforgettable story from Rachel Rose Reid, to some raunchy, side-splitting stand-up from Michelle Collins. The Arts and Culture track's fearless (song)leader, Naomi Less, also did a fitting tribute to a late, great voice in pop...

Check out other videos from that night, and the whole conference, here.

Hold tight, more to come!

Miriam's Adventures in ROI-Land

2009-06-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

"The world is diverse, and full of Jewish wonder."

This is one tiny quote I remember from Lynn Schusterman's talk to the 120 young Jewish innovators she funded to come here to Israel for the 4th annual ROI (yes, it really does mean "return on investment") Summit. I'm a little overwhelmed to be one of them. Knowing that some of my favorite people in the entire world- Jewish and otherwise- are alumni of this program (Matthue Roth, Leah Jones, Y-Love, Sarah Lefton, Esther Kustanowitz...need I say more?) makes me uber-proud to be here.

Oh, and no pressure.

I'm participating on the so-called Arts and Culture track- other tracks have names like New Media, Bridge-Building, and the somewhat amorphous Networks of Purpose. The sixteen of us or so in the A&C track have been spending some time swapping our fair share of words that are the technical equivalent of "artsy-fartsy" and commenting on one another's choice of beret, as we are prone to do. We're very high-minded. But really, it's an unbelievable group from literally all over the world. 29 countries are represented. Some folks have multiple flags on their nametags, so I'm not sure how that works into the calculation. Impressive either way, I suppose. They are filmmakers and storytellers and rappers and agents; they are people who care deeply about the messages that the arts can, and should, send out into the universe. As a fellow A&C'er taught me- "omanoot, oh namoot." In Hebrew, "art, or we die."

Song Spotlight - "Ale Brider"

2009-06-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

And we are all brothers
All brothers
And we sing happy songs

And we are all sisters
All sisters
Just like Rachel, Ruth, and Esther

And we all stand together
Together
Such a thing is not for naught

And we are all one
All one
Whether we are many, or whether we are few

Pious and secular, we’re all united
All united
Like a groom with a bride

And we are all happy
All happy
Like Jonathan and King David

And we are all brothers
Oy, oy, all brothers
And we sing happy songs
Oy, oy, oy

Oy, oy, oy…

And we are all brothers
All brothers
און מיר זײַנען אַלע ברידער
(און מיר זײַנען אַלע ברידער)
אַלע ברידער
און מיר זינגען פֿריילעכֿע לידער

און מיר זײַנען אַלע שוועסטער
(און מיר זײַנען אַלע שוועסטער)
אַלע שוועסטער

אַזוי ווי רָחל, רות, און אסתר

און מיר האַלטן זיך אין איינעם
זיך אין איינעם
אזעלכֿעס איז ניתאָ בײַ קײנעם

און מיר זײַנען אַלע אייניק
(און מיר זײַנען אַלע אייניק)
אַלע אייניק
צי מיר זײַנען פֿיל צי ווייניק

פֿרום און לינק פֿאַראייניקט אַלע
(פֿרום און לינק פֿאַראייניקט אַלע)
פֿאַראייניקט אַלע
ווי אַ חָתן מיט אַ כלה

און מיר זײַנען אַלע פֿרײלעך
אַלע פֿרײלעך
װי יונתן און דוד המלך

און מיר זײַנען אַלע ברידער
אוי, אוי, אַלע ברידער
און מיר זינגען פֿריילעכֿע לידער
אוי, אוי, אוי

אוי, אוי, אוי...

און מיר זײַנען אַלע ברידער
(און מיר זײַנען אַלע ברידער)
אַלע ברידער
Un mir zaynen ale brider
(Un mir zaynen ale brider)
Mm, mm, ale brider
Un mir zingen freyliche lider
Mm, mm, mm

Un mir zaynen ale shvester
(Un mir zaynen ale shvester)
Mm, mm, ale shvester
Azoy vi Rochl, Rus un Ester
Mm, mm, mm

Un mir haltn zich in eynem
Mm, mm, zich in eynem
Azelches is nito bay keynem
Mm, mm, mm

Un mir zaynen ale eynik
(Un mir zaynen ale eynik)
Mm, mm, ale eynik
Tzi mir zaynen fil tzi veynik
Mm, mm, mm

Frum un link fareynikt ale
(Frum un link fareynikt ale)
Mm, fareynikt ale
Vi a chosn mit a kalle
Mm, mm, mm

Un mir zaynen ale freylich
Ale Freylich
Vi Yoynoson un Dovid HaMelech
Mm, mm, mm

Un mir zaynen ale brider
Oy, oy, ale brider
Un mir zingen freyliche lider
Oy, oy, oy

Oy, oy, oy…

Un mir zaynen ale brider
(Un mir zaynen ale brider)
Mm, mm, ale brider

It's been over a year in the making, but we're proud to finally release the Stereo Sinai version of "Ale Brider" for download! Our first Yiddish tune is an interpretation of a traditional favorite that was performed by each act at the International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam last year, including Stereo Sinai. We got engaged to be married at the Muziekgebouw (pronounced: pfar-FLOOG-ghaarn, pictured right) where we first perrofmed "Ale Brider," so this silly song has lots of special meaning to us, believe it or not. Download it, love it, feed and water it, dance with it, take it home to a candle-lit dinner. Whatever you do, please treat it well. We love this song.

Ah, summer in Amsterdam...

Song Spotlight - "Shalom Aleichem"

2009-05-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

May peace be upon you, ministering angels, highest of angels, who come from the King of kings of the kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He
May you enter for peace, angels of peace, highest of angels, who come from the King of kings of the kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He
May you bless me for peace, angels of peace, highest of angels, who come from the King of kings of the kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He.
May you leave for peace, angels of peace, highest of angels, who come from the King of kings of the kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He.
שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
בּוֹאֲכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
בָּרְכוּנִי לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאָכִי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
צֵאתְכֶם לְשָׁלוֹם מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם מַלְאָכִי עֶלְיוֹן
מִמֶּלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
Shalom aleichem, mal'achei ha-sharet, mal'achei el-yon, mimelech malchei ham'lachim, ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu
Bo'achem l'shalom, mal'achei ha-shalom, mal'achei el-yon, mimelech malchei ham'lachim, ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu
Barchuni l'shalom, mal'achei ha-shalom, mal'achei el-yon, mimelech malchei ham'lachim, ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu
Tzeitchem l'shalom, mal'achei ha-shalom, mal'achei el-yon, mimelech malchei ham'lachim, ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu

The headlines should read: "Stereo Sinai experiments with Trance music, heads explode."

We just released our latest track for download, "Shalom Aleichem," in the style of what I'll call a second cousin to Biblegum Pop (shout-out to all my second cousins! Holla!). I'll be the first to admit that this is clearly an example of me simply having fun with my music producer toys, but be forewarned - it's Trance music. The only thing truly pop about this track is the melody, which Miriam and I yoinked from just about every Shabbat dinner table we knew growing up. Yes, it's the melody you're probably used to, as well.

Jewish Tradition teaches that two angels, one good and one evil, accompany each person home from the synagogue on the Friday nights of Shabbat, when this song is usually sung in Jewish homes. That's why each verse is repeated three times later in the song, as is done in many households, since it's nice to address each angel individually, as well as together. According to Wikipedia, the end of the story is as follows:

When [the angels] arrive at the house, they look to see if there is a beautiful Shabbat feast prepared. If this is true, the good angel blesses that the next Shabbat will be the same and the evil angel responds amen. If there is no Shabbat feast, the evil angel wishes that the next Shabbat will be the same and the good angel responds amen.
Although the angels disagree with each other (one is good and one is evil), they respond amen to the other's blessing and in this way they make peace. As such, they are known as the messengers of Peace.

So go ahead and download the song to get in the mood for this Friday night. Say hi to your angels for us.

Shalom upon all y'all.

Collab-fest

2009-05-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

Monday night's concert at the Red Line Tap was quite the spectacle. Shemspeed brought four of its top artists together in Chicago for a Memorial Day party in honor of its launching of a Chicago division, and the spirit of sharing was palpable. I dunno, maybe it's because these New Yorkers are simply not used to the openness and kindness of us proud Midwesterners, but no matter the reason, it was one big happy family up on stage that night. Stereo Sinai opened the night with our usual awesomeness, and then kicked it up a notch by inviting the incomparable human beatbox that is Yuri Lane on stage with us for an acapella tune. Dov Rosenblatt of Blue Fringe fame did a few new tunes from the very beginnings of his sure-to-be-successful solo act, and then invited Stereo Sinai and Yuri Lane all up to the stage to perform one of his hits, "Eshet Chayil." Yuri segued from his amazing set into the evening's headliners, Y-Love and Diwon. Y-Love was awe-inspiring that night, and the evening of great Jewish music by Jewish music superstars was made complete when Diwon invited the whole set of us up on stage for a super-jam on Stereo Sinai's "Blues of Glory." Here are some of the Stereo Sinai highlights from that night:

The Super-Jam -

Dance -

Stereo Sinai with Yuri Lane-

For more videos of that night's fab-collab-fest, be sure to check out Shemspeed TV!

revolution number three

2009-05-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Our friends Martin Atkins and Joanna Quargnali-Linsley are starting a school together. Which is kind of awesome, so we had to blog about it.

Cuz it's not just any school.

It's called revolution number three- Martin's third big innovation in the music industry (check out the website to find out about the other two...it involves the Sex Pistols). The idea is basically that learning about the music business is dumb and boring and what aspiring music biz-ers (musicians, engineers, promoters, etc., alike) need is the chance to get experiential, real-world, hands-on experience with the experts in the area they want to learn about. Learn in the business, not about the business.

Not bad, right? And these guys know their stuff.

The school is starting out by offering a series of five-week immersion sessions with the express goal of ensuring that each student has real output from the experience- something that's having a real effect on the music business that they can point to and say, "Yeah. I did that."

If you sign up for one of these sessions between now and August 1st and use the code r3stereosinai, you'll get a sweet $500 off tuition. Again, not bad.

I'm sure we'll have more to say about this incredible project as it gets off the ground, but for now- kol hakavod, revolution number three! Check it out: http://www.revolutionnumberthree.com/

Interview with RockOm and Shemspeed Show

2009-05-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's ready and rarin' for a listen! Check out the RockOm podcast interview with Stereo Sinai here.

And for all you Thumpers in the so-called Chicagoland area, come check us out at the Shemspeed Chicago Launch Party alongside crazy cool artists Y-Love, Diwon, Dov Rosenblatt of Blue Fringe, and fellow Chitown native Yuri Lane!

Monday, May 25th
at the Red Line Tap
7006 N Glenwood in Chicago
8:00pm-Midnight

A mere $5 cover gets you a full night of music. What better way to spend a lazy Memorial Day evening? See you there...

Rock On, RockOm

2009-05-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

"Gideon's Song" is the featured track of the week on RockOm.net, a site that addresses the intrinsic links between music and spirituality- of all kinds.

RockOm is the crossroads of music and spirituality (in its many and various expressions and faiths) for the artists and listeners who are moved by those expressions. It aims to be the premiere entertainment, sharing and networking web site for spiritually-inclined musical artists and music fans.

At RockOm, we believe there is a need for an all-purpose, all-faith blend of spirit and song. A place where you can discuss biblical themes in a U2 album or discover Trevor Hall's Neem Karoli Baba references. A place to have conversations about the bond between music and spirituality. A place to be inspired, challenged and introduced to new music, audio soundscapes and devotional rock that will encourage depth and transformation in your life.
From RockOm.net

We're extremely psyched to be part of this awesome endeavor. Thanks, RockOm!
And Thumpers, stay tuned for a podcast interview with Stereo Sinai on RockOm this Thursday...

Pioneers for a Cure Launches Today!

2009-04-29T09:13:00.001-07:00

Pioneers do what's never been done...

Stereo Sinai recently contributed a track to an ambitious new project, Pioneers for a Cure. Today, in honor of Israel's 61st birthday, that project is being released!

Download Stereo Sinai's contribution here for a donation of only $1.99 on behalf of the American Lung Assocation.

Producer Greg Wall and the enigmatic "Difficult Jew," along with an amazing team of artists, have recreated a piece of Jewish history in order to change the world today- the immediate goal is to raise $100,000 for cancer research through the sale of downloaded songs.

Before the State of Israel was established, its residents were a motley mix, speaking many different languages and representing many different cultures. If there was going to be a Jewish state, there needed to be something holding these people together. What better way than through music? Karen Kayamet L'Yisrael (known today in the States as JNF) commissioned songwriters to create simple Hebrew folk tunes that spoke to the early Zionist experience. The sheet music to these songs was then printed on the back of a postcard and mailed out to Jewish leaders and organizations in Palestine and beyond.

"Pioneers for a Cure" echoed this effort by sending each of its artists sheet music to one of these original pioneer songs via email. The contributing artists (an all-star line-up consisting of David Broza, Pharoah's Daughter, Y-Love and Diwon, Dov Rosenblatt, Lauren Sklamberg of the Klezmatics, and many, many more) each chose a cancer charity to which they'd like the funds from their song directed.

Alan and I were offered the song "Purim Hayom." It's fitting for Stereo Sinai because, first, Purim is Alan's favorite holiday, and second, Purim also features a couple of the coolest biblical women ever to grace the page- Esther and Vashti.

We chose the American Lung Association as our charity for a couple of reasons. First of all, Alan's grandparents (zichronam l'bracha) both died of complications due to lung cancer. Also, the mother of one of my best friends also died from lung cancer. None of these people smoked a day in their lives. It's an issue that's close to home, and we're ready to do our part to end this disease.
We are honored, humbled, and thankful to be a part of this incredible project. Please take a moment to download our song, "Purim Hayom," as well as any other that speak to you. Be a pioneer.

Tales Worth (Re)Telling

2009-04-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Alan and I blogged pretty extensively about our time at the South by Southwest music festival for MyJewishLearning.com, but there's one artist I wanted to give a little more digital face-time.

Fiddler extraordinaire and biblical scholar (yeah, that's right) Alicia Jo Rabins is best known for her work with the funky klezmer-rock group Golem, but she's recently struck out on her own with new musical motivation. Alicia has formed a group called Girls in Trouble, which performed at both the Birthright Israel NEXT/JDub Records Rest Stop and the JDub showcase at SXSW. The band offers folky modern midrash on the stories of oft-overlooked biblical women. (The songs reminded Alan and me of Stereo Sinai's G-dcast - Lech Lecha song, written from the matriarch Sarah's point of view.)

Right on, Alicia!

It was interesting to see Alicia put down her fiddle in favor of a flat electric, apparently bought for next to nothing on the streets of New York (she acts her own string section on the recordings, but the orchestral background doesn't show up in concert). Girls in Trouble's tunes are mellow and accessible, introspective without being indulgent- kind of the Dar Williams of biblical rock. The subjects of the songs are varied, thoughtful, and unexpected. Girls in Trouble has a great song about Miriam that doesn't focus on watching Moses, or the well, or dancing by the sea. It's a darker, more silently complex moment in Miriam's life that gets the attention- I'll leave it to you to listen and figure it out.

From song to song, whoever the character, Alicia embodies her with heart. Expect an album released on JDub Records in September of this year. Till then, satisfy yourself with the few tunes available on Girls in Trouble's Myspace page.

Alicia also contributed a song for G-dcast, Parshat Vayakhel! Check it out below:

Holy Redesign, Batman!

2009-04-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Stereo Sinai's got a brand new look!

Oh, yeah.

In honor of this crazy redesign for our interweb page, we'd like to say a great big thank you to you, our fans, our beloved thumpers.

Here's the deal-

The first 18 people who send us an email (info@stereosinai.com) with the subject line "MP3mail Me" will receive- you guessed it- a FREE mp3 of your favorite Stereo Sinai tune! Pretty cool, right?

Tell us in the body of the email what song you'd like and we'll send it your way.

Keep checking back for concert updates, new music, and other exciting announcements...there is much to come...

(And thanks to our friend Leah Jones for the unintentional blog title suggestion.)

All about Jewish SXSW

2009-03-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

Hey! We're back from Austin, and we had an INCREDIBLE time. Below are the links to the articles we contributed to the MyJewishLearning.com blog, and a great video about the event produced by the JTA. Enjoy!

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/culture/south-by-southwest-the-jewish-edition/

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/culture/shabbat-at-south-by-southwest/

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/culture/south-by-southwest-the-rest-stop/

Where in the world is Stereo Sinai?

2009-03-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

We'll give you a hint: it's NOT North by Northeast. Haha.

So far, we're having an amazing time at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, TX. Meeting tons of cool people, and seeing countless bands (good and not-so-good) all over the city. This photo is us proudly displaying out hard-earned wristbands, which allows us to have even more fun the rest of the weekend. Stay tuned to http://myjewishlearning.com/blog/ for updates and adventures from your favorite Biblegum Pop duo in the People's Republic of Texas.

Chill Download for the CCH Update

2009-02-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

Our campaign to raise money for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has ended- thank you to everyone who participated. We managed to raise just over $100 on behalf of the CCH through downloads of our old English tune "Eleven Below"!

Here is the most recent post about Stereo Sinai on the CCH blog.

Let's not let this be the end, though! The CCH continues to provide an invaluable service to our community. If you are interested in helping them out further, go to their donation page and contribute whatever you can. Or, check out their upcoming concert, HopeFest, on March 21st.

Music making a difference. It's a beautiful thing.

Stereo Sinai Fashion

2009-02-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

Stereo Sinai is now sponsored by Ella Klara: Powerful Clothing by Design! Take a look at these unique, beautiful, and wonderfully comfortable pieces that I can't wait to wear on stage...

Check out EllaKlara.com for more designs for men, women, and children!

Nice Day for a Green Wedding

2009-02-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

Stereo Sinai got married on Sunday! (To each other, of course.) The ceremony was held on Tu B'Shvat, the Jewish New Year for the trees. As all good Thumpers* know, Stereo Sinai is committed to keeping our operations green, from downloads to dresses. Here are a few of the ways we kept it eco-kosher...

Instead of getting a new gown, I went vintage with a cool 60's number from Silver Moon Vintage.

A tree was planted in Israel in honor of each of my six beautiful bridesmaids.

Each of our guests got a place card made from seed paper so they could go home and plant their names.

Alan's dad Neal built the entire chuppah (wedding canopy) out of stuff he found in the basement, lights and all.

We served no poultry or red meat and had lots of vegan options.

All of our invitations were printed on 100% recycled paper.

My engagement ring and both our wedding rings were made ethically from recycled metals.

There were other touches, but we won't go too much into it. There are all kinds of great resources on green weddings; I like greatgreenwedding.com if you're in the market.

We have to give a huge shout-out to our amazing wedding band, Shtreiml, who totally rocked the house!

Also, major props to the incomparable Matthue Roth who blogged about the ceremony on MyJewishLearning's Mixed Multitudes!

So now that we're hitched, there's more biblegum pop to come- check back soon for new downloads and announcements...

*Stereo Sinai fans- it's a spin on the term "Bible-thumper."

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

2009-01-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

"Eleven Below" is still available for download- through Feb 15th!- and again, all the proceeds will go towards the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless to help them out with all the important work they're doing for our community.

For everyone in Chicago, check out the "To Do" section of this morning's Red Eye to see a blurb about the download for charity.

Also, thanks to the CCH for posting this on their blog:

Download "Eleven Below" by Stereo Sinai--to benefit CCH!

Local musical duo Stereo Sinai (Miriam Brosseau and Alan Jay Sufrin)
will donate all funds collected from downloads of their song "Eleven
Below" to CCH through Feb. 16. The song is available for $0.99
via their website, www.stereosinai.com.

Brosseau and Sufrin decided to help CCH "in response to the deep freeze Chicago is undergoing."

"There are over twenty-thousand people homeless every night in Chicago, and
not nearly enough beds," says Brosseau. "When it's this cold,
it's a reminder that we need to step up and take care of one another."

CCH is very grateful to Stereo Sinai for using their music to help combat homelessness. Thanks, Miriam and Alan!

Chill Download for Charity

2009-01-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

It's cold in Chicago. Really, really cold. And every night there are about 20,000 people left in the city without a place to go home to.

So in response to this chilling situation, Alan and I have dug up one of our classic English tunes, appropriately titled "Eleven Below," to offer as a download for charity. The song will be posted on this site until Feb 15th and whatever funds we raise go straight to the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

"Eleven Below" was born in the cold, in Madison, WI. Alan tells it like this: "Miriam and I lived on opposite sides of campus, and it's a long way from one side to the other. I promised that I would come see her one night, but it was freezing outside. I bundled up and walked over anyway. When I showed up at her door, she couldn't believe that I'd actually kept my word. She thought it was romantic. She also thought I was stupid for being outside in that weather."

Please help by downloading the song and encouraging your friends and family to do the same.

Below is a video called "Sofas," a digital autobiographical story by Wayne Richard, a senior community organizer for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. Check it out...

Stereobama

2009-01-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

It's an Obamicon! Get your own, you Obamaniac, you...

Why We Love Y-Love

2009-01-16T07:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't met- or maybe the better word is experienced- global hip-hop artist and all-around mensch Yitz Jordan (aka Y-Love), drop what you're doing and find a way.

Yitz was in Chicago recently for his show with Jewish music rennaissance man Diwon and we got the chance to chill with him while he was here. He even came and spoke to my masters class at Spertus about his story, and he dropped a few rhymes for us. (Here I also have to give a shout-out to Dr. Judah Cohen, who taught the course on Jewish Aesthetics, and not only invited Y-Love, but also Stereo Sinai to speak about music and Judaism. You are officially the coolest professor I know.) He then put on an amazing show and made Shabbat completely unforgettable.

You can keep up on what Y-Love is up to at these sites:

This is Babylon; Y-Love Music; he also contributed a G-dcast; and yes, even Wikipedia.

Yitz embodies heartfelt passion and vision, something we can all use a little more of.

Happy 2009 from Stereo Sinai

2009-01-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

If 2008 was the year Stereo Sinai was born, then 2009 should be the year that Stereo Sinai sits up without support, bangs objects on tables, and maybe even starts walking on its own. Hey, parenting is tough stuff.

Now, I know you’re interested in cooing at Stereo Sinai live and in person, so here’s the info on our next couple of shows:

Stereo Sinai with Israeli rocker Udi Krauss- FREE SHOW!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
7:00pm - 10:00pm
Subterranean
2011 W. North Ave.
Chicago
RSVP here

Biblegum Sounds at Uncommon Ground
Sunday, January 25, 2009
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Uncommon Ground 3800 N Clark St.
Chicago
(Make reservations for the music room if you want to be guaranteed a seat. Otherwise, it's standing room only...)

And raising a band is not without it glitches and obstacles, either. I’d like to apologize to those of you who may have received an email from me at the end of 2008 in error. It was a technical fault involving my other website, http://www.alanjaysufrin.com, which has not only been corrected, but I’m glad to inform you that (a) the website has been updated and is now a sleeker, more readable place on the web to visit, and (b) now includes some information on the world of Alan Jay Sufrin that was not previously available. For example, I’m now a published author of fiction. The Blue Jew Yorker is a great online zine of Jewish-themed poetry and prose, which is definitely worthy of frequent visitation.

So for the best and most frequent updates to Stereo Sinai’s early development, be sure to check out http://www.stereosinai.com often, and become a Stereo Sinai fan on Facebook in case you’re one of the Thumpers who isn’t already.

After all, who doesn’t love a cute baby band that rocks your face off?

Pioneers!

2008-12-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

Yet another example of how music is saving the world.

"Pioneers for a Cure" is an amazing project-

In an effort to raise funds to support organizations pioneering new methods in
cancer treatment and research, some of today¹s top Jewish musical artists are
recording the music of the pioneers of Israel the soundtrack to Jewish
life during the early to mid 1900¹s. Proceeds from the project will be
distributed to the cancer charity selected by each artist.
(from PioneersforaCure.org)

Watch out for more updates on the release in early 2009, as well as Stereo Sinai's contribution to the project! Proceeds from our song will go to the American Lung Association.

In the meantime, enjoy this little sample from fellow Pioneer Mr. David Broza...

Losing Words

2008-12-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

I tried to blog about the tragedy in Mumbai on Sunday. I tried writing about how my parents, Alan and I heard the news, how my friend in India (who's safe, thank G-d) knew the family, how Dido's "Thank You" was playing inexplicably somewhere in the background as we watched CNN...but I couldn't get it out.

This morning I saw this post by Alan's and my friend Matthue Roth on My Jewish Learning's Mixed Multitudes. I'm copying it here- I think he says it better than any news article ever could...

After Mumbai
by Matthue Roth • December 1st, 2008 8:39 AMCategory: Daily Life & Practice, History & Community, Ideas & Beliefs
A reader wrote in, asking me to post this article, which is the most complete account I’ve found so far of the siege against the Mumbai terrorist attack.
It’s been a long Thanksgiving weekend. I know, today’s Monday and we’re back in work mode, but it feels like the weekend isn’t over yet. It was a hard holiday; harder for other people than for us, but thinking that doesn’t make it any easier. At our Thanksgiving table was my cousin’s boyfriend, who’s from Mumbai and whose parents are safe, but who still hadn’t heard from his friends; my wife, whose sister is scheduled to go on vacation in India later this week and who’s still thinking of going; and all of us, most of whom aren’t religious, though we’ve all been guests at a Chabad house at one point in our life or another.
It’s scary. It’s mind-boggling, and anger-inducing, and it’s pretty messed up. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact point of origin for our sadness — another terror attack, another few hundred people killed — but the sheer mass of casualties, together with the randomness of the attack itself, which targeted Americans and Britons but took the form of bullets sprayed into crowds of people, gives me a place to start.
As the reports poured in, conflicting reports gave us hope. I was twittering about it all day. I hit refresh on the New York Times frontpage with a frenzy I hadn’t felt since 9/11. I was addicted. I wanted to know what was next. Like watching a TV show on DVD, I wanted to keep popping in discs, watching the episodes one after the next. We left to go to my uncle and aunt’s for dinner. My uncle and I sneaked away to his laptop, refresh after refresh. I finally stopped twittering with the news that the survivors had been rescued. I could breathe again.
The next morning, we got a call from a friend with the news. The siege was not over. But the bodies had been recovered.
Itta and I both lost it. She pulled the car off the road and we both cried. Her uncles, her friends and most of her cousins ran Chabad Houses. All over the world, they were supposed to be the refuges of innocence, the place you ran away to whenever you needed something. Sure, some Chabad House rabbis are insane — you almost have to be, to set up camp in a random city and open your door to whatever strangers come knocking. But by and large they are selfless people. Itta kept saying, “They had a deal with God. God was supposed to protect them.” And, yeah — God kind of screwed this one up pretty badly.
On one hand, there’s the miracle of the rabbi and rebbetzin’s almost-2-year-old son, Moishe, and his escape. On the other — if God let their son escape, why not everyone else? And why not the hundred-and-whatever other people who were killed?
Right now I’m watching my daughter boogieing to Prince’s song “Let’s Go Crazy,” one of her favorites. Times like these, you don’t question where you get your wisdom from; you just take it. Prince is doing a dramatic voiceover: “Life means forever and that’s a mighty long time/But I’m here 2 tell u, there’s something else: The afterworld.”
I’m trying to wrap my head around it. We spent Shabbos with Rabbi Shem Tov, who said that, as good people, we can question what happened — and we almost need to — but there’s no way that we can understand it. It’s impossible, he said, for the human mind to comprehend the way God operates. We don’t know how the world stays balanced, and why evil has to exist in order to let good continue to exist too. But it’s hard not to look at the result of the equation — crazed terrorists: 1; good people: 0, and lying in a pool of blood — and keep up the good faith.

ANOTHER New Video, Upcoming Show!

2008-11-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

There are many exciting things going on this Thanksgiving weekend...

We are thrilled to announce that we are releasing a brand new video for our song "David and Goliath," which for anyone who couldn't make it to the incomparable Latke-Hamantash Debate, that was the song Stereo Sinai played to kick off the legendary battle. Here's the awesome animation courtesy of Green Feather Films:

David and Goliath from Stereo Sinai on Vimeo.

Also, Stereo Sinai will be playing once again at the Red Line Tap this Sunday, this time alongside two crazy-cool singer-songwriters, Benjamin Ezra and Sincerely, Iris. What better way to round off Turkey Day weekend! Here's the info:

Sunday, Nov. 30th

8:00pm

Red Line Tap

7006 Glenwood Ave, Chicago

$5 admission

More shows, videos, and breaking news to come. Till then, have a very happy Thanksgiving!

Stereo Sinai Rocks the Great Debate

2008-11-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

It's an age-old question: which is truly superior? The latke, in all its greasy glory, or the hamantash, with its (sometimes) gooey cookie-goodness? The answer will be revealed to us next Tuesday night at the University of Chicago's 62nd Annual Latke-Hamantash Debate. Stereo Sinai will be kicking off the event with some rockin' tunes worthy of this epic showdown. Also appearing will be Hillel's own Rhythm and Jews and the always awesome Mr. Kevin Coval.

To get a taste (no pun intended) of what the Great Debate has to offer, I present the following...b'teyavon!

Song (and Video!) Spotlight: "G-dcast – Lech Lecha"

2008-11-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

Parshat Lech Lecha from g-dcast on Vimeo.

Words and Music by Miriam Brosseau and Alan Jay Sufrin

Avram says I'm beautiful
So much so
He hides me away
But now I'm growing old
And it's time to go
Should I laugh, or should I pray?
This land that will be ours
Where sons are just like stars

We're blindly told to go
To somewhere we don't know
To live without blame
There's a promise made
That will never fade
Revealed in our new names
[breakdown- Abraham, Sarah]
So it's time for us to leave
With souls who now believe

It's not beauty, not royalty that keeps me going
But a Voice that's worth hearing, a path You're showing
It's not just the land that we're walking to
But the journey itself is where we prove ourselves to You

Now it's time for us to leave
and live what we believe

© 2008 Stereo Sinai. All rights reserved.

When I was about 6 or 7 years old, inspired by the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," I tried to invent a machine that could bring animated characters to life in the real world. True story.

Nearly two decades later, I've got the next best thing – Stereo Sinai's music is being brought to the world of the animated! An awesome new movement to animate the entire Torah in 54 weekly installments launched just two weeks ago, and has already been getting some pretty amazing press. It's called "G-dcast" (www.g-dcast.com), and Stereo Sinai has created its first (mostly) English-language song for the third weekly installment, "Lech Lecha," which launched earlier today.

For the full awesomeness of the experience, follow this simple 3-step procedure:

Visit www.g-dcast.com regularly.
Love the videos.
Tell all the teens in the world and everyone that you know.

I know you, and believe me; you'll like what you see.

As for Stereo Sinai's first foray into the animated viral video realm, we are really proud of all the work that went into this, both from our end and from the people at G-dcast. You can see the video on our website's new videos page, and then when you've decided that the soundtrack to this video is better than anything John Williams or Danny Elfman could ever have dreamt up, download the song FREE from the music + merch page. Cool, huh? We certainly think so, and we're already working on our next trip to the animated world. Stay tuned…

PS - Vote!

6 degrees... or less

2008-10-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

My current hairstylist is good friends with Melissa Etheridge. Also, he's styled the hair of Dolores of the Cranberries, and all 4 Black Eyed Peas! I really just wanted to share that with the world, because I think it's freakin' sweet. Gotta love Melissa.

Also, I met Matisyahu last night. He's a really, really nice guy.

So, I'm a bit starstruck lately. Can you blame me?

"Yipee-aio Chai-ay!"

2008-10-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last night Miriam and I went to Uncommon Ground to see the folk music duo Andina and Rich - an amazingly talented couple of singer/songwriter goofs, good friends, and just plain good people.

Stephen Lee Rich, your friendly, neighborhood, yodeling cowboy, is a friend and fellow producer who goes back to our Sof Sof days in Madison, Wisconsin. In case his Allen Sherman covers hadn't already convinced us, last night's Yiddish stage banter and "Yipee-aio chai-ay!" holler have solidified him in our minds as an honorary MOT. We Jews have been low on our yodeling cowboy numbers lately, anyway. Here's a clip of Steve doing an amazing cover of a song by the great Tom Dundee:

For some reason, I couldn't find any video clips of Sandy Andina, who's also awesome, as well as a born-MOT. A 2004 compilation, Tappin' Out a Rhythm, Pickin' Out a Tune, produced by Steve, includes not only the award-winning Miriam and Alan English-language folk original "Eleven Below," but also a great Sandy song about the Middle East conflict from the perspective of an Israeli Soldier, called "Shira." Sandy is also somewhat of a big-shot in the Chicago folk music scene as President of the Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), and an important member of the Chicago Songwriters Collective.

When their powers combine, it's just a lot of fun. Two veteran folkies like these at a classy local coffeehouse venue reminded us that good live music can be experienced all the time by local musicians here in Chicago, and wherever we are. Stephen now heads up the Madison Songwriters Group, without which I am sure that Miriam and I would not be where we are today, musically. They both continue to be inspirations for us, both as working musicians and as good friends.

So go check 'em out!

Upcoming Stereo Sinai show for human people!

2008-10-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

The most highly anticipated 5769 Chicagoland-debut biblegum pop concert all day!

STEREO SINAI will be opening for the amazingly marvelous and outstanding (as far as we can tell from her MySpace page) Izzy Cox, THIS SUNDAY at:

The Red Line Tap

7006 N. Glenwood Ave, Chicago IL 60626

Sunday, October 5th

9:30 PM

21+, a mere $5 cover

You can let us know if you're planning on being there, by telling us here.

And don't forget to solidify your Stereo Sinai fanship here, if you haven't already.

If you're not there to show your support, I'll have no choice but to incessantly poke you in the facebook.

Bring friends!

Absurd!

2008-09-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Gut Yontif, Mr. Schrute

2008-09-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's really easy for me to get a bit depressed when I'm so busy, snowed under with work and unable to claw my way out from under it. That's kinda where I am right now. Also, this is the time of year when the pressure of the Jewish high holidays is beating down. But there are two things coming up that have kept me looking forward: Rosh Hashana, and tonight's season premiere of NBC's the Office.

The upcoming Jewish new year is a chance to start fresh - I can work on improving myself by learning from last year's mistakes, and generally trying to be a better person. Very serious business. The new season of the Office on the other hand, is going to be just plain fun.

It's a theme that tends to be a common one this time of year. Many Jews are stressed out about the status of their souls in Heaven, repenting properly, eating too much, and then not eating at all, not to mention missing work for most of October. That's why it's so super important to take it easy once in a while.

If you're like me, and you happen to be observing the High Holidays, you'll take Rosh Hashana very seriously. It's about your soul, after all. But my opinion is that if you REALLY care about the status of your soul, well, you'll check your local listings.

The Idol Factory

2008-09-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Alan and I once tried out for American Idol.

I'll give you a minute to digest that.

[Whistling...checking watch...okay.]

It was actually kind of an interesting experience- being herded into Soldier Field with literally thousands of other deluded hopefuls and, probably, some actual undiscovered talent. Random groups of otherwise unrelated people would break out into television theme songs. And don't even get me started on Amethyst (I kid you not) who sat next to us insisting, for six full hours, on repeatedly rehearsing the first two lines of her warbled rendition of the classic jazz tune "At Last." Oy.

When you try out for American Idol- and you will, you know you've thought about it- you don't get to see Paula, Randy, and Simon right away. You have to pass through a few layers of producers and interns/lackeys first. Those who made it get a yellow sheet and move on to the next level. I remember jokingly saying, "Look Alan, if you get a Golden Ticket you can see the factory where the American Idols are made!"

Apparently there are those Israelis who feel the same way about their country's version of the show, "Kochav Nolad (A Star is Born)." Below is short animation which offers a refreshingly quirky take on the whole process. Enjoy!

The Art of Nepotism

2008-09-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

My cousin Stephanie happens to be a brilliant artist, in addition to a charming and lovely young lady. Not that I'm partial or anything. Posted here is a portrait she did of her equally awesome parents.

Stephanie has more drive and heart and enthusiasm than almost anyone I know. Nothing, including her autism, can stand in her way. I really admire her.

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU

2008-09-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

We just thought this was super-cool:

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

The ASCAP Songwriter's Bill of Rights

2008-09-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

I've signed it. Here it is:

Just as citizens of a nation must be educated about their rights to ensure that they are protected and upheld, so too must those who compose words and music know the rights that support their own acts of creation. Without these rights, which directly emanate from the U.S. Constitution, many who dream of focusing their talents and energies on music creation would be economically unable to do so - an outcome that would diminish artistic expression today and for future generations.

At this time, when so many forces are seeking to diminish copyright protections and devalue artistic expression, this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers looks to clarify the entitlements that every music creator enjoys.

We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate.

We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used.

We have the right to withhold permission for uses of our works on artistic, economic or philosophical grounds.

We have the right to protect our creative works to the fullest extent of the law from all forms of piracy, theft and unauthorized use, which deprive us of our right to earn a living based on our creativity.

We have the right to choose when and where our creative works may be used for free.

We have the right to develop, document and distribute our works through new media channels - while retaining the right to a share in all associated profits.

We have the right to choose the organizations we want to represent us and to join our voices together to protect our rights and negotiate for the value of our music.

We have the right to earn compensation from all types of "performances," including direct, live renditions as well as indirect recordings, broadcasts, digital streams and more.

We have the right to decline participation in business models that require us to relinquish all or part of our creative rights - or which do not respect our right to be compensated for our work.

We have the right to advocate for strong laws protecting our creative works, and demand that our government vigorously uphold and protect our rights.

Miriam and I have been proud members of ASCAP since 2004, and I can't overemphasize the importance of this document. It reaffirms my belief that like most things, as long as a person is willing and able to work hard, it is indeed possible to become a physically and metaphysically self-sustaining American artist.

Autograph the bill. And if you're a music composer, author, and/or publisher, join ASCAP.

You'll be in good company.

My Tent is Your Tent

2008-09-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

I'm now in my second year of a masters program at the venerable Spertus Colleg e of Jewish Studies (thereby solidifying my already unquestionable status as an uber-Jew) and in class we've been talking a lot about engaging different kinds of Jews. How can we be more welcoming to intermarried couples? Or more accepting of converts? Growing up I knew my fair share of both groups- they were an important aspect of my family's tiny, unaffiliated synagogue- but the American Jewish community as a whole has classically had some, well, let's say discomfort in dealing with these populations. We're working on it. Most of us.

Isaiah, on the other hand, had all this down ages ago. Go figure. Our guest lecturers, the brilliant and talented Jewish social scientists Fern Chertok and Len Saxe, passed out these verses from the prophet:

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations, spare not; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

Isaiah 54:2

These prophets, man. They tell it like it is. Or like it should be, rather.

The challenge, the call to action, in these verses is kind of daunting. We've got to make our space of acceptance both bigger and sturdier, every one of us. We've got to be as welcoming as Abraham and Sarah. No problem, right? Well, I can tell you there's at least one class of graduate students who still have a question or two. But we're working on it. All of us.

Voicing Opinions

2008-09-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday morning a young woman who I'd never met before came up to me after Shabbat services and said, "Your voice elevated my davening last night." Whoa. It was such a staggering compliment that all I could do was blubber out a weak thank-you before tripping over myself and forgetting to tell her my name when she offered hers. Way to go, self.

It's bizarre to juxtapose this incident with Stereo Sinai's most recent encounter with the doctrine of kol isha (literally "the voice of a woman")- namely that an online Torah program was initially excited about playing our music to their listeners, and even offered to interview us, until they, well, heard us...heard me. It's happened before, it will happen again, and I say with only a trace of bitterness that I understand.

The common denominator in these accounts is important, though: voices are powerful. They can distract and inspire, all at the same time. I guess it's just a matter of perspective.

Stereo Sinai in the FutureTense

2008-09-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has yet to check out PresenTense- be it the org, the Institute, or the publication- do so immediately. Few deal with Jewish life in the here and now in a more thoughtful, integrative, and creative way.

PresenTense has been settling into the Chicago scene well- most recently with the launch of a series they call FutureTense. Stereo Sinai's own Alan Jay Sufrin was featured at this kick-off as one of three "disruptors" in the field of Jewish arts and culture. "Disruptors" are young innovators who make a point of disrupting the status quo in their field. So Alan and Stereo Sinai, along with the Chicago hip-hop institution Kevin Coval and holistic artist Shayna Bracha Farber, helped facilitate a dialogue about the current state, and future, of Jewish expression. It was an interesting discussion if a bit disjointed; the topics ranged from the use of Hebrew language and Jewish "authenticity" (whatever that means) to Jewish survivalism and elitist tendencies. Deep, man.

These kinds of conversations don't happen nearly often enough, but it looks like Chicago's off to a good start.

The Disgraces

2008-09-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

I had been seriously craving a classical-Jewish/Queercore/Feminist Punk show for over a year, then then at 11:34 PM last night, I met the Shondes (pronounced shahn-duhs), and I can honestly say that my craving has been more than satisfied. In fact, if anything, I want more now...

Check it out:

Shonde: shahn-duh Yiddish; a shame, a disgrace, a pity, an outrage
--From the Shondes website

The Bottom Lounge in the West Loop is a relatively new venue with a great feel and an intimidatingly ginormous music room. Hence, what impressed me most was that nothing seemed to faze this band. In other words, I have every confidence in the world that whether there were 1500 people or 15 people in that echoey hall, they would have rocked the house.

And rock the house, they most certainly did.

The REAL shonde, in my opinion, is that there were probably only about 50 or so people in the crowd last night. Next time they're in your neck of the woods, be sure to catch them, even if it is on a humpday night.

Analyze This

2008-09-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

I am now going to sing the praises of Google Analytics. This makes me a big ol' nerd.

Google Analytics, for those of you who are unaware, is this awesome website for people who manage and operate websites like this one, where data and stats about your visitors are shown in what I think is a really fun way. For example, there is a political map of the world, and each US state or country gets highlighted whenever someone in that country or state visits StereoSinai.com. Miriam and I can then see how much time they spend on StereoSinai.com, how many pages they visit on StereoSinai.com, how many of our viewers are returning visitors, how many visits we get each day, boxers or briefs, and the like. But don't worry, we can't see the important stuff, like your name or address.

To many non-webnerds, this is boring. And frankly, if it weren't the information gathered about the website for Stereo Sinai, the thing that Miriam and I have worked so hard to make into the unbelievably awesome cyber-experience that it is, I'd probably also think it's pretty boring. But what makes it exciting for me is that we get hits not only from English-speaking places like Anchorage and Kanab (which seem like exciting places I sincerely hope to visit one day), but also from all over the world.

So I'd like to say a special "hello" to all the Thumpers in the following countries (in order of number of visits this past month):

United States
Israel
India
United Kingdom
Yemen
Lebanon
Iran
Canada
Sweden
Vietnam
Germany
France
Japan
Colombia
Italy
Egypt

Visits in previous months have included places like Australia, Russia, and the Netherlands, too.

So to ALL our visitors, thanks for visiting. No matter what country you're visiting from, you're welcome here any time.

What do you mean no one dies?!

2008-09-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

When I come back from my relatively frequent trips to Israel, I usually haul with me a hefty stack of Israeli CDs. This past time, though, I decided to branch out a bit and get some classics of Israeli film. (Most of these movies are, well, self-indulgent, hyper-critical, and tedious, but Israeli cinema has started coming in to its own with beautiful films such as Walk on Water and Ushpizin. Slowly but surely...)

So Alan and I pulled out one of them for last night's entertainment: Halahakah, or, "The Troupe." The film was essentially a dramatized look at life in the Israeli army around the time of the War of Attrition. Young love, jealousy, and the typical rivalries among talented friends punctuated the otherwise flimsy story of an army band's rise to local stardom. It was a cute film. But I couldn't help but think the whole time...when are they going to kill off a character? Shouldn't they just get it over with? Come on!

When the film came to a heartwarming close with a slow-clap-worthy performance of the Eurovision hit "Halleluyah," I felt a little guilty. Really? No one dies? It was kind of jarring, and refreshing. Whaddya know, a happy ending...

Song Spotlight: "Dance" Featuring Matthue Roth

2008-09-04T22:10:00.000-07:00

You transformed my sorrow into dancing. You unraveled my sackcloth and filled me with happiness[.] so that I might sing tribute to You and never stop. HASHEM is my G-d, I will thank You forever. [Psalms 30:12-13]

הפכת מספדי למחול לי פתחת שקי ותאזרני שמחה: למען יזמרך כבוד ולא ידם ה' אלקי לעולם אודך: [תהלים ל:יב-יג]א

Exciting news, Thumpers! The latest addition to the Stereo Sinai catalog, "Dance," is ready and rarin' to download. I'm especially psyched about this one cuz it shows off a couple of my favorite nice Jewish boys.

First of all, this is the first tune we've posted where Alan is taking on lead vocals (not bad, eh?). Not to worry, it won't be the last...

Secondly, Stereo Sinai got the awesome opportunity to collaborate with our first guest artist on this tune! He's a crazy talented friend of ours- writer/slam poet/rebel-mensch Matthue Roth. Matthue writes with the kind of startling sincerity that makes you catch your breath and remember you're alive. After you hear the song, you're gonna want more. Be on the lookout for a post on Matthue's latest young adult novel, Losers. Also check out the soundtrack of his previous book (it's about time books came with musical accompaniment), a kung-fu fashionista manifesto called Candy in Action. Alan's tune is called "Candy on the Catwalk."

Alan and I love what Matthue did with "Dance." We think you'll dig it too.

I try to talk to G-d every chance that I get
When I don't know what to pray, I just say where I'm at
Thanks for eating, breathing, teething, or just being my Creator
Thanks for taking me out, and bringing me back home later

People always run to You, when they feel depressed
And they tune You right out when they're doing their best
'Cause this world is a mess
I can't stay 'till the end
Then I place my request and it starts to make sense

Thanks for stuffing in my breath so that I can breathe out
When I'm out and about and I feel real devout
I remember Your rain makes every blade of grass spout

You gave me basically everything
From my body and my soul
To my questioning
You're the reason that we praise
Your'e the reason that we cry
Raise us up
Let us sleep
And when it's the right time
We die
That's all there is
That's all there is
That's all there is...
(You took my grief
Unmade the mess
Opened up my darkened clothes
And turned them to a sack of happiness)
You created this world and everything in it, too
So that means every time I dance, I'm dancing with You

Every day is Air Pollution Action Day!

2008-09-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

AN AIR POLLUTION ACTION DAY HAS BEEN DECLARED for the Chicago metropolitan area today. This is an especially common occurrence during the summer months due to the sun hating us Midwesterners. The good news is, there are some things you can do about it:

Green Actions:
Limit Driving. Rideshare (www.sharethedrive.org), walk or bike.
Take public transit: CTA, Metra and Pace.
Avoid excessive idling and abrupt starts.
Drive a hybrid or flexible fuel vehicle.
Use a charcoal chimney or electric starter instead of lighter fluid when grilling.
Limit use of household products that cause fumes.
Conserve energy at home to reduce energy demands on power plants.
Do not burn leaves and other yard waste.
Avoid using fire pits/fireplaces on Air Pollution Action Days.
Avoid using lawnmowers and other gasoline-powered equipment on Action Days.

MORE...

Stereo Sinai also reminds you to download your music on Air Pollution Action Days instead of buying plastic CDs.

For more information about Air Pollution Action Days, visit www.cleantheair.org.
And get more tips on being green from "the leading source of free eco-living tips" at Ideal Bite, which is a pretty cool site/blog I just discovered today.

The Waters of Babylon

2008-09-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

My parents lost a record collection to a minor flood many many moons ago. They might not mourn the loss so much anymore, but sometimes I do. Coltrane! Springsteen! C'mon, when you hear it on vinyl, that's the real thing...

But I know this is petty. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose your entire home to unbridled waters, only to find out it might happen again.

Gustav rages away on the heels of Katrina, leaving so many with no choice but to leave. Iowa is still recovering from its major flooding. Meanwhile, half-way across the world (and unbeknownst to most Americans), hundreds of thousands of Indians have had to flee their homes to escape rising flood waters in the northern state of Bihar. It's too much.

On behalf of all those who are still in motion and still looking for a safe place until they can come back home, I leave you with this:

May it be Your will, Eternal our G-d and G-d of our ancestors, to bring us to our destination in life, in joy, and in peace, and then to bring us back home again in peace. Guard us from all enemies who may lurk along the way, and protect us from all dangers that may be coming our way. Bless the work of our hands, and may we find favor and grace in Your sight and in the sight of all those whom we meet on this trip. Please hear this prayer of ours, for You are the G-d who listens to our prayers.
-Tefillat Haderech, the Traveler's Prayer

There are some reliable non-profits in India doing excellent work, as well as those in the States working on behalf of flood victims. Anyone reading this who is in a position to help, please do.

The Triumphant Return!

2008-08-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

Stereo Sinai is back from a fabulous time in Baltimore (or Balti-murder as it is sometimes affectionately called) and BEC Fest. The show was great- pics to come! Many thanks to our friends at Beth El Congregation who were extremely gracious hosts and put on a really fun event. Much love to our friend Ariela, who put up with us all weekend in a most wonderful way.

Now back to business in the Windy City...

The Jewish Community Hour with Bernie Finkel

2008-08-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to report that "The Jewish Community Hour with Bernie Finkel" on WONX AM 1590 is Chicago's longest running radio program. It's now approaching its 46th year on the air. Bernie Finkel is a wonderful friend and a great radio host. If you're in the Chicago area, or if you have a chance to listen from the WONX website, the show airs Sundays from 11:00 AM to noon.

I'm even prouder to report that yesterday, Stereo Sinai's "Radiant Faces" was aired on that program. Woohoo! We're radio stars!

Yes, But, Good for Which Jews?

2008-08-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

Jews are awfully fond of asking the question "Is it good for the Jews?" and bickering endlessly about the ensuing hypotheticals. It's our favorite sport, and we do it with Olympian finesse and fervency.

But some Jews skip that part and go right on to the answer, which is often a resounding "no."

There are two fairly recent cases where Hasidic men, one actor and one singer, have been forced to walk away from critical opportunities in their careers because of communal pressure. One is an actor, Abe Karpen, who was slated to play alongside Natalie Portman in the upcoming film "New York I Love You," and backed out after his children's education was threatened. The other is a singer, Lipa Schmeltzer (yes, really). He was scheduled to hold a concert singing his Jewish tunes at Madison Square Garden- with separate seating for men and women, no less- and had to cancel.

What? What is going on here?

Jews have always struggled between the desire for community cohesiveness, which can morph oh so quickly into isolationism, and the desire to be part of society at large, which wields the danger of- dare I say it?- assimilation. I get that. It still bothers me, though. Why must we withold G-d-given talent from the world for the sake of a hypothetical?

... And I'll cry if I want to

2008-08-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday.

And I'm the type who likes to make a big deal about birthdays, because I believe every year is a milestone in its own right, and it should be celebrated. I love finding out about special historical events that happened on August 20th, and I especially love learning who shares a birthday with me. And since being Jewish means having two birthdays most years, I get to share it with even more people (my Hebrew birthday is shared with Nachmanides. Cool, huh?). It just so happens that I share my Gregorian birthday with a good number of influential musicians, including a couple of my favorites, namely Robert Plant and Jim Pankow of the band "Chicago."

But there is a bit of a bitter twinge to this year's birthday when I think about having shared it my whole life so far with the late, great, Isaac Hayes.

Just 10 days ago, 10 days before our birthday, actually on the 9th of Av, Isaac Hayes passed away in his home. I believe that was a tragedy. And I'd be hard-pressed to find many things that Isaac Hayes and I had in common, other than a passion for creating great music, so I feel as though sharing a birthday with him during his remarkable lifetime brought me just another inch closer to this musician I still very much admire.

"Joy, Pt. 1" is one of the first Isaac Hayes songs I ever heard (and by the way, I could make a pretty compelling argument that it's a song about Shacharit...). That song reminds me to pursue joy wherever I can, so I'm going to have a good time today, in small tribute to Isaac Hayes.

This year, I'll celebrate for the both of us.

Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go...hey! That's Yonatan Razel!

2008-08-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has been to Israel on an organized peer trip, you know you spend a lot of time on the bus- always feeling vaguely nauseated and having to, as we affectionately called it, "bush it" every ten minutes. You spend a fair amount of this time sleeping, or feigning sleep, your iPod headset firmly implanted in either side of your head. But some of this time is spent peering out the window at, it would seem, Israeli rock stars.

Yonatan Razel, whom I spotted from my second-row perch, is by far one of the most intriguing and beautiful voices to come out of the Israeli music scene in recent years. His gentle songs have a depth and intensity that really draws you in. And he's kinda doing what we do- setting traditional Hebrew verses to modern arrangements. It's definitely worth a listen and, if you get the chance, a wave through the window.

"Ezra Furman for 1000 Please, Alex"

2008-08-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

... That's a line from Jeopardy, circa 2012 or so.

Got to hit up Schubas tonight to catch Ezra during his August residency there on Monday nights. (Thanks to Adam at KFAR for the tip!)

Ezra Furman & the Harpoons will rock your eyelids off. Here's a bit of proof:

And for the full experience, buy their music (Stereo Sinai recommends the environmentally-friendly album downloads). Also, you could come to Schuba's tonight, and maybe wave hello to me.

Lastly, in case you're not completely convinced, a video that will brainwash you into becoming a fan immediately:

Very Chicago!

New Website Design!!

2008-08-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

...Finally...
It only took me about a week to get this new design working.

But, now that it's up and running, I'm really quite proud of it. It's sleeker, more user-friendly, and not quite so "standard bloggish." It's best viewed in Mozilla Firefox, but it should work well in all browser types. Drop me a line to let us know what you think!

Enjoy the new site...

Back to/from Work

2008-08-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Phew. It's good to be home.

I just got back from a month-long, whirlwind journey through Poland and Israel with an enthusiastic group of teenagers from Chicago and Israel. It was pretty intense to say the least. Music played such a central role on the trip, though, which was so cool to see. My guitar made me feel much more at home (that is, until the venerable El Al airlines kindly decided to take it off my hands-permanently- on the way back, ugh...we'll see if it ever shows up again). Songs punctuated every meaningful moment. From Hannah Szenes's "Eli Eli" sung quietly at the Birkenau concentration camp, to constant requests for "Forever" on the bus; from an Israeli "pony dance" chant (I couldn't explain it if I tried) to rising star Eric Berman's "Beinonimi"; from Hannah Montana tunes (really? I mean, you guys are in high school...) to jazzy jams and drum circles, it was all there. The group consistently employed voices, guitars, hand drums, flutes, and even a didjeridoo to express the mood.

Without music...I don't know. It would have been blank.

The Mezuzah Thief of Chicago

2008-08-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

This past shabbat, I became a victim of vandalization. What kind of person steals a mezuzah? I get back from ma'ariv and it’s gone? Just like that? I know it was right there on my doorpost earlier that day, because I saw it when I came back to the apartment after kiddush. I even kissed it. Does some idiot think my cheap plastic mezuzah could be valuable on the black market or something? I checked the hallway floor, the doorposts of the neighbors’ apartments, there’s no trace of it. The first thought that occurred to me was to go check the other Jews’ apartments in the building to see if their mezuzahs are still attached. They were. Crap, so this asshole targeted me. I guess there isn’t much I can do.

It's been almost a week now, and I still haven't seen or heard anything out of the ordinary. I guess I was hoping that the thief would realize it's worthless and at least try to put it back, but I guess that was naive of me. I now have a mezuzah on the inside of my doorpost, because I'm afraid of this one getting stolen, too. It's very sad and very upsetting.

So if you're reading this, and you happen to be the thief, please return it to me. And please leave my doorposts alone from now on.

*Gripe.*

Stereo Sinai Now on Myspace

2008-08-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

We're very excited about it--
http://www.myspace.com/stereosinai

Be sure to check us out over there!
And if you've got a myspace profile of your own, be sure to add us as a friend.

(Believe it or not, that last sentence is grammatically correct in myspace-speak...)

Rabbinic Advisory: Woman Singing

2008-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

← These are our most popular stickers. Now, any good business has a target demographic in mind, and Stereo Sinai intends for our target demographic to find this sticker ironic. In truth, it's only half in jest. A bit of explanation, funny parts in bold:

The Gemara (Berachot 24a) states, “The voice of a woman is Ervah [lit. nudity], as the verse [in Song of Songs 2:14] states ‘let me hear your voice because your voice is pleasant and appearance attractive.’” Rashi explains that the verse in Song of Songs indicates that a woman’s voice is attractive to a man, and is thus prohibited to him. Rav Hai Gaon (cited in the Mordechai, Berachot 80) writes that this restriction applies to a man who is reading Kriat Shema, because a woman’s singing will distract him. The Rosh (Berachot 3:37) disagrees and writes that the Gemara refers to all situations and is not limited to Kriat Shema. The Shulchan Aruch rules that the Kol Isha [woman's voice] restriction applies to both Kriat Shema (Orach Chaim 75:3) and other contexts (Even Haezer 21:2). The Rama (O.C. 75:3) and Bait Shmuel (21:4) clarify that this prohibition applies only to a woman’s singing voice and not to her speaking voice.

There's no doubt that Miriam's singing voice is attractive. Heck, that's why she's so good. In fact I've looked, and frankly, I'm insulted that I haven't been able to find any ancient rabbis who thought to consider that my male singing voice might be a turn-on for some of you women out there. But while we and most of our fan base find it ironic that Stereo Sinai sells a sticker that warns the public of the spiritual dangers of her singing voice, it's important to note that there are a number of friends and fans who observe the law strictly according to Rashi's interpretation, and truly appreciate the advisory.

Our music is Torah-based, and I know that Miriam and I do our utmost to create expressions from a place of kavvanah, so really our target audience includes anyone who's into that sort of thing. For those of you who follow the Kol Isha restricion, and happen to be women, please accept our humble invitation to enjoy our music. We will rock your faces off. And if you happen to be men, we sincerely hope this recent news item from Ynet news will have some influence. In my opinion, Rabbi Bigman lives up to his name. We promise to rock your faces off, too. But not your clothes.

And for all the rest of you Thumpers (that's what our fans are called. "Thumpers," from the term "Bible thumper," since we are a Bible-based act, I think), keep on thumping! ... to BOTH our sexy voices.

Kevin Coval's Everyday People

2008-07-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

You know what it's like to be blown away by a poem? It's as though you've been shown a secret door to another universe where everything is beautiful, or brutal, or ugly, or lovely, or all of the above? I saw Kevin Coval on Thursday night, and it was like that for an hour and a half nonstop. He's so cool.

I first met Kevin when I invited him to perform at the University of Wisconsin - Madison back in 2004, because several of my friends at that time had already been singing his praises. I have been a fan ever since. Thursday's show was the fifth time I've seen him perform live, and he keeps getting better every time. If you've never seen him live, or if you don't have any of his books or CDs, now's the time. Kevin Coval is a master of his art, and just as he proudly proclaims his Judaism and his fervor for the city of Chicago, Stereo Sinai proudly proclaims our fan-ness for him.

You'll notice that since the beginning of Stereo Sinai, our bio has begun with a quote from Afrika Bambaataa that Miriam and I both found very appropriate for our project. We found it powerful, and we found it meaningful.

"When you hear the breakbeat/ you let your g-dSelf get loose…"
-Afrika Bambaataa

We found it in one of Kevin Coval's books.

Clearly, he's an inspiration not only to the world of hip-hop, but also to Jewish artists from the suburbs of Chicago, who later move to live inside the city limits out of love for Chicago (fine, I'm talking about me). Kevin Coval's work is about being true to oneself, and being passionate about issues that surround us. It's exactly what Stereo Sinai strives to achieve.

Time to Get Serious About This Blogging Thing

2008-07-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

I had a surreal experience last night. Perhaps something like this has happened to you.

I was invited to an Oy!Chicago event at a beer garden, and having been interviewed in that particular magazine, I thought it'd behoove me to check it out. Once I'd arrived, I realized that I probably wouldn't know anyone there, and for some reason an incredible shyness overcame me. Maybe it was because I went stag--I'd come to a social event without Miriam, my usual conversational backup troop. Maybe it was because the only things I had in common with any of these people was that we're all from Chicago, and we're all Jewish, or Jew-ish. Or maybe it was because I don't drink, and I'd gone to a friggin' beer garden.

I walked around the block, twice. I called a friend to see if he was planning on going. He was. Whew.

Finally, I gathered the courage and walked in. There was a small group of people eating and drinking at a table near the entrance to the beer garden, and a happy woman in a purple shirt greeted me, and asked, "Are you here for the 'Oy' party?"
"Yes."
"This is it. I'm Libby." She extended her hand for me to shake it. Libby Ellis! It was she who had interviewed me for the piece in the magazine, and it was then that I realized that I'd never actually met her. Our interview was conducted over the internet.
"Libby. I'm Alan Sufrin, Stereo Sinai."
"Stereo Sinai! Of course, it's nice to finally meet you. Have a seat."
"Thanks. I'll be right over." I went to the bar to get a cup of ice-water.

And that was the theme for the evening. Believe it or not, my socializing was divided among people I'd already known into roughly the following categories: a) people I'd known or met in person (yeah, there actually were a few), b) people I'd just met that evening for the first time, and c) people I'd known only through the internet one way or another. People whose blogs I read on a daily basis, like Chaviva Edwards and Leah Jones, and people who read this blog regularly. People about whom I had read and shared relatively intimate things in their own words, yet had never actually met. Most of our conversations revolved around cyber-interactions of various kinds, which was the most surprising thing of all, and was true even of the people I talked with whom I had already known in person. Here was yet another thing we had in common that I naively hadn't expected at all.

Admittedly, it was odd for me. My shyness had evaporated almost immediately, like I had some kind of social advantage now. My cyberfriends had somehow materialized, and now were actual friends living and breathing in the same city and being Jewish in their own ways, like me. I could tell it was strange for some of them, as well. For others, this phenomenon seemed like old hat. So in the end, I had an awakening experience last night, which is something to the effect of: this blogging thing is real. It's serious business, and now I'm just really excited to be a part of it.

Naked Rabbi

2008-07-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Tribune published an article yesterday about the new Mikvah at Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel here in Chicago, which I thought was really pretty cool of them. Since some of our favorite blog topics include Judaism, Chicago, and gender issues here at StereoSinai.com, it's like killing three birds with one stone for us. Or, as we more sensitive types like to say, feeding three birds with one seed. Or something. Here's a video and an excerpt from the story:

In the seclusion of nightfall just days before her wedding, Leah Kahn stepped into the soothing lukewarm waters of a mikvah, drew in a deep breath and plunged into her new life.

After seven dunks in the ritual bath, the bride-to-be had symbolically washed away her identity as a single woman in a Jewish ritual she will partake in regularly for the rest of her child-bearing years.

The mikvah is traditionally the cornerstone of a Jewish congregation, and since this one opened in the spring at Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel in Lakeview, dozens of women have visited the ritual bath. Religious law requires immersion for converts and new brides, and married women must bathe in a mikvah after menstruation before resuming sexual relations with their husbands.

"It's emblematic of who we are as Jews," said Rabbi Asher Lopatin, head of the modern Orthodox congregation. "We celebrate family life. We celebrate integrating religion into our most intimate moments." ...

More...

Listen Up!

2008-07-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

Watch a video of my first performance with band members other than Miriam since 2000, completely unrehearsed, here. Seriously, I had just met these guys.

I really felt a connection with the artists I met at the JSU open mic jam session for graduating high schoolers this past weekend. Some of them can really rock! Hey, if you don't believe me, would I plug Yaakov Weiner of the a capella group "Listen Up!" here like this?:

You may notice the "Jewmongous" sign behind them. That's because this fantastic group opened for Sean Altman on the night I talked about in this post.

I also met a very talented young musician named Steve Solomon, and Chicago's own Aramaicana (yeah, I made that one up) folksinger, Rabbi Gershon Seif (definitely listen to tracks 5 and 14).

And thanks to Marcy of the JSU for putting on such a great evening! It was a totally cool jam session.

Miriam would be jealous.

Slow News Day

2008-07-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chaviva for pointing me in the direction of this eerily fun way to kill time. Ten points if you can find both "Mayim" and "Bialik"!

Stereo Sinai on Shemspeed

2008-07-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

More publicity! Woo hoo!! Time to head on over to Shemspeed.com to check out Stereo Sinai's new entry on the artists page!

I maintain that Shemspeed might not simply be "the largest and most diverse Jewish music site," as it claims, but also that it's certainly the coolest. Erez Safar, the site's founder and CEO, is a renaissance man of new Jewish culture, and also manages the Modular Moods record label and the Sepharadic Music Festival, in addition to being an artist himself (in many ways). If you haven't already been spending many waking hours perusing Shemspeed.com, now's the time. I highly recommend it.

Incubus Takes 5-Minute Showers!

2008-07-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

Incubus accepting last year's Environmental Media Award for rock stars:

Someday, Stereo Sinai.

Someday.

The Man. The Aggadah.

2008-07-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

Jewschool.com, one of my absolute favorite Jew-y blogs, reminded us all yesterday of a really cool online phenomenon called "Sefer Ha-Bloggadah." Now, when I graduated from middle school, I was given Sefer Ha-Aggadah (The Book of Legends) as a gift, and I'm proud to say that not only do I still have it prominently displayed on my shelf, but I use it often as a resource. I'm such a Jew nerd.

So there will be people all over, starting on August 25th, studying Sefer Ha-Aggadah together, a little bit at a time, finishing up in just over 2 years. It's in honor of the 100th anniversary of its compilation by the editor Yehoshua Ravnitsky, and the famed Hebrew poet Hayim Nachman Bialik (Mayim Bialik's ancestor, according to Wikipedia). And the thing of it is, I've had the book for over a decade, and I've enjoyed it so much, that I think I'm actually going to give it a shot. I think it'll be fun, and I'll do my best to keep y'all abreast of the good stuff.

And there's plenty of good stuff.

[By the way, thanks to a good friend of ours in the Israeli army for providing the inspiration for the title of today's post. Very punny.]

Score One for Those Against Interfaith Marriage

2008-07-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

A local woman married a nut-job, so he kidnapped their daughters and he's living with them now in his family home in the Palestinian West Bank. In marriage news, he's divorcing her, marrying someone else, and he's already chosen husbands for their pre-pubescent girls. And apparently, she's asked for Barack Obama's help in getting them back because, hey, he's there now anyway and what else could he possibly have to do there?

And the reason for all this? Religion, of course. Sometimes the world makes me sick.

Here's the story from CBS:

Girls Possibly Kidnapped; Mom Asks Obama For Help
Reporting
Mike Flannery
CHICAGO (CBS) ― A local mother of four is pleading for her daughters to be brought home from the West Bank. The woman says the girls are being held captive there, by their own father.

As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, the Illinois woman hopes Sen. Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East will bring peace to her family.

All Colleen Davis Bargouthi has now are pictures of her daughters. The girls themselves, ages 4 to 12, are with their Palestinian-American father in the Middle East.

Davis Bargouthi claims her husband told her and the children they would visit the West Bank town of Ramallah just for a few weeks to see his ailing mother. A few weeks soon became forever.

"Almost immediately after we arrived my husband decided he did not want our family to return to America; he wanted the family to stay," Davis Bargouthi said.

Davis Bargouthi, a Christian, said after returning with her Muslim husband to his homeland, he announced he was going to divorce her, and planned to marry another, Muslim woman. He also threw her out of his family home. ...
More...

Make sure to watch the video. She's smiling an awful lot for someone with so little media attention, don't you think?

Turning it Down to 10

2008-07-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, which marks the beginning of a very difficult three week period in the Jewish calendar. OU.org has a long and depressing list of the stuff that happened during this period each year in Jewish history. As a result, there is another list of things prohibited to observant Jews during this period.

As a musician, it's always difficult for me to reconcile my lifestyle with one particular prohibition:

Dancing and playing musical instruments are prohibited during the three weeks (MA 551-10, MB-16, KH-39), this includes music tapes (Silmas Chaim 29-1, Halachos Moshe (Mamon) 43, Kapi Aharon 52, Igros Moshe Vol 6 OC 21-4, YD Vol. 6-32). However, one may sing without any musical accompaniment (Sedai Chemed 1-10, Yalkut Yosef Daf 561 (5)). One may not attend a music concert.

Every Rabbi I've consulted thus far, though, has pointed me in the direction of the same loophole:

A musician who earns his living by playing may play the instrument until Rosh Chodosh (PM Eshel Avraham 551-10, KH-39, Mahram Shick YD 368, Zachar Simcha 67).

So I believe I'm in the clear for the next couple weeks or so. But I'm definitely not the only one with this problem. Considering the number of people who believe there should be a Grammy category for "Best Jewish Album," and the multitude of orthodox Jewish musical acts in existence, and the ubiquity of recorded music these days, there are lots of creative ways around this prohibition. For example, the Miami Boys Choir, a scary chorus of young Jewish boys singing hugely influential melodies in pre-pubescent voices, has produced an album specifically for Jewish mourning periods entirely a capella. There's even a really good Chicago a capella outfit called Shircago that promotes its music heavily during this time each year.

I consulted another Rabbi again this year, and he and I both disagree with this philosophy. This is a mourning period, so if Stereo Sinai were going to be recording and promoting our music during these next three weeks, let it be introspective and sorrowful music. Whether the music is a capella or not is irrelevant to the emotion it should evoke now. It's a sad time, and I believe my art should reflect that sadness, as all good art does.

Like the great rock multi-instrumentalist Nigel Tufnel, Stereo Sinai's music is at 11 almost all year round. But for a little while, to remember the sadder times, we can be at 10.

Hero or Competitor?

2008-07-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Pitchfork Music Festival is this weekend here in Chicago, so you'd think I'd be blogging about that. But no, there's a much more important story in the news today. BBC News reported today on the story of Brother Cesare Bonizzi, a Capuchin monk who is the lead singer in a head-banging heavy metal group that is releasing its second album today. He sings about his faith in Italian, and quite frankly, it gives me a lot of hope for Stereo Sinai. Check out the BBC atricle here.

Yehey, hey, hey!

2008-07-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yes, I really do like the cheesy dance-pop of the Chevra, and yes, I get made fun of for it plenty. One of my favorites of theirs was turned into this video, and I just had to share it with you:

And no, I couldn't believe it, either...

A Good Jewish Treehugger

2008-07-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

Back in October of last year, Treehugger.com published an article about Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, because it's a place near Jerusalem where you can study Jewish texts about how to be a good Jewish treehugger. I learned about that same yeshiva about a month earlier because I had spoken with a good friend who studied there, and raved about it. I even considered going, for a while (maybe one day).

But the truth is that it got me thinking about Jews and the modern environmental movement, and how much of a chicken-egg situation this might be. In other words, has environmentalism always been a "Jewish" issue because of its basis in the Torah and other Jewish historical ideologies? Or is this simply a case of tree-hugging Jews jumping on the bandwagon, as with Marxism, or voting for FDR?

I know that I'm approaching Stereo Sinai as an environmentally-conscious musical group very much from the bandwagon angle. And I don't think that's a bad thing either, because as any true-blue environmentalist will tell you, the attention of the human race needs to be focused on the health of the planet now more than ever. It just might seem strange coming from an artist whose music is so entrenched in ancient Jewish texts, but who knows? Perhaps one day there will be an especially environmental verse in the Talmud that will call out to Stereo Sinai to be written into a pop anthem for the Jewish environmental movement. Hmm... I guess you should keep your ears open...

Chicago'll be Green in Twenty-Sixteen

2008-07-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

I still haven't given up hope that in the year 2016 there will be flying cars that are simple, affordable, cool, safe, and perhaps most importantly, will not harm the environment in any way. Call me an idealist, a wacko idealist.

I also hope that the International Olympic Committee will choose Chicago as the location for the 2016 games. In case you weren't yet aware, Chicago is one of the four candidate cities to host the olympics in 2016, and I'm proud of our mayor and our city, for among other things, ensuring that even if the cool zero-emissions flying cars are not available by then, there's still something good going on for the environment. Check it out:

Do it, Jewmongous!

2008-07-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

It was a normal winter's day in Chicago last December. My embarrassing childhood obsession with the Carmen Sandiego TV show (Mayim Biyalik appears in a special celebrity episode in the second season), video game (played on my dad's Commodore 64), and other various paraphernalia, was long behind me. I know enough about geography now, thank you.

Then I walked into the Beat Kitchen on Belmont, and there he was: Sean Altman, the lead singer of Rockapella! First I was star-struck -- then he put on a yarmulke, and I was in love.

His newest project, Jewmongous, is a musical comedy show about Jews and Judaism, and he had me laughing so hard that night, I was embarrassed all over again. And as in a similar phenomenon to that of Bob Saget (aka Danny Tanner) from Full House and Dustin Diamond (aka Screech) from Saved By the Bell, revisiting the comedy of my childhood as an adult in an adult setting was quite shocking. That is to say, raunchy, disturbing, explicit, dirty, derogatory, defaming, and utterly hilarious. I guess one could say it was good Jewish humor because I felt guilty laughing at it.

So I'm going to end this week's blog postings by building on yesterday's theme of comedy as serious business, and by posting this (actually relatively vanilla) video of one of Jewmongous' performances. Enjoy, and have a good Shabbos.

(I, for one, am glad everyone laughed at this. See this video of Sacha Baron Cohen for contrast, in case you haven't already...)

The Environment's Finest News Source

2008-07-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here's to The Onion for publishing a "Special All-Paper Salute to the Environment" last week. I have been a loyal reader of The Onion since college, and I must say that this was definitely one of the best issues I've come across. It almost never fails to make me laugh, and although it's now printed out of New York, I share some Midwest pride with the paper because it began in Madison, Wisconsin.

And I'm also proud that The Onion has shed some real light on environmental issues. Without going too deep into the importance of humor and its ability to bring attention to otherwise taboo subjects, I think The Onion has successfully recognized that many people may in fact care about the environment, but do very little to help in actual practice. I know that I could definitely do more than I have been, but haven't for various reasons. My sincere thanks to The Onion for making think more about doing my part for the environment.

That said, in honor of The Onion's Green Issue, be sure to have a look at what we ARE doing for the environment as Stereo Sinai here. It's our paper-less salute, of course.

China Celebrates Its Status As World's Number One Air Polluter

In The Know: How Can We Make The War In Iraq More Eco-Friendly?

Oy!News

2008-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Check it out, y'all.

Stereo Sinai was interviewed for a sweet online zine for Jewish Chicagoans called Oy!Chicago. We're the featured Jews You Should Know in the latest issue.

Enjoy!