So living in Israel where the music of Rockland Kosher in Monsey, NY, is the standard in many shops and on many an iPod (that is if you're not listening to a shiur), I'm feeling the constraint.
I spend my days listening to Avett Brothers, Adele, Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons, Local Natives, Fun., Branches, and all sorts of other music in the genres of indie, folk, and alternative. (I overdid it during a couple of breakups on Weezer, Rilo Kiley, and Deathcab for Cutie.)
My Hebrew tunes are limited, because I just can't get into the classic stylings of the Rockland Kosher set. One musician who has very limited supplies of tunes is Erez Lev Ari, who I've been listening to for several years. I prefer the Hebrew tunes, because there's something about music and lyrics -- I memorize lyrics like you wouldn't believe. Just about every Hebrew prayer I know by heart I know because once upon a time, I was singing it aloud.
While doing some frustrated music-searching Googling today, I happened upon this blog post. I'm not really taken with any of the musicians listed. Indie, I guess, means something different here than it does in the U.S. Usually indie is affiliated with more of a ... I don't even know how to describe the vibe exactly, but electronica it is not. Then again, Israelis love their electronica. I also was surprised that these musicians seem to all be singing in English. What gives?! I guess it makes you more universally acceptable and viable to perform in English, but ... can I not get some awesome Avett Brothers-style sounds in Hebrew?
Anyway, here's one Israeli musician I was particularly taken with. The video is pretty amazing, even if he is singing in English.
