JDub Records

In 2008, Leonard Cohen thrilled his fans by announcing his first tour dates in 15 years. He’s gone on to play in virtually every corner of the globe, with performances that were hailed as some of the best of his career. “Songs From the Road” collects twelve performances of some of Leonard Cohen’s most iconic songs from across all of those many miles and performances.  The album’s opening track “Lover, Lover, Lover”, was taped at Cohen’s unforgettable show at Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 24, 2009.

Axum -Ma Im HaKesef DOWNLOAD

Today JDub digitally released the debut self-titled album by Israeli hip-hop duo Axum.

JDub fans might already be familiar with Axum’s work with Soulico. They sing on the tracks “Bo Be Easy” and “Pitom Banu” from Soulico’s 2009 JDub Release “Exotic on the Speaker.” “Axum” is an in-your-face album that has broadened Israel’s definition of Hip-Hop, Reggae & Dancehall.

You can download “Axum” today on iTunes and Amazon

Join Axum on Facebook

Israel’s dynamic turntable duo, DJ Alarm & Ori Shochat are at it again, with a dope new mixtape filled to the brim with blazing Hip-Hop, Reggae and Dancehall tunes, as well as exclusives from Israeli artists and shout outs from various international superstars. Shouts to the homey Gon Alon of Broken Fingaz crew for the bangin artwork

Download the MIXAPE

Tracklist after the jump
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Excellent Chicago M.C Rhymefest has a dope new album out called “El Che”. In this here new song, “Give It To Me”,  he rhymes about visiting Israel. Rhymefest performed in Tel Aviv along with producer Mark Ronson about a year and a half ago.

Asfur (”Birds” in Arabic)  is a comic crime drama series, which went on air on March 7, 2010 and gained massive popularity among millions of viewers in Israel. Asfur’s creators are Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, who also play the main roles in the series. The series tells the story of four pot-smoking, laid back friends who live in discarded buses at an abandoned farm, on the margins of an industrial zone in Jerusalem and struggling to keep possession of the farm, by raising money in various ways, most of them barely legal…

Many current Israeli songs were featured in the acclaimed series and the creators chose to feature “Jerusalem” by Sagol 59 featuring Shaanan Streett and Rebel Sun, from the JDub album Make Room, on the very series’ very last episode (episode #50)

Watch the Jerusalem clip here

People may know the songs and albums he’s played on more than his name, but a bona fide musical icon from the 1960s made Aliyah to Israel last year.  Harvey Brooks has played bass guitar on some of the most groundbreaking records of the post-Beatles era - including Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited (1965), Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew (1969), The Doors’ The Soft Parade (1969) and 1968’s Super Session featuring Michael Bloomfield, Al Kooper and Stephen Stills. And that’s only a fraction of the some 100 albums he’s appeared on or produced over the past 40 years on his way to cementing his status as one of the most respected figures on the American music scene. Brooks and his family currently live in Jerusalem. Click here to watch the YNET interview.

Some of the top names of Israeli, German and Palestinian Hip Hop will gather this Wednesday at the Yellow Submarine in Jerusalem to make connections and bust some dope rhymes. Organized by Heartbeat Jerusalem and the Willy Brandt Center, in association with Corner Prophets. If you’re in J-Town this week, make sure you’re there.

Mideast Tunes is a new website that is dedicated to providing a platform for emerging musicians in the Middle East. Their aim is to encourage, inspire and expose talented young artists across the region. After sleuthing around the site and checking out some seriously dope music ranging from arabic hip-hop to doom-crust punk to thrash metal and everything in between i noticed something.  That something was also noticed and pointed out by my homie Jason Diamond over at Jewcy.com, there is absolutely no music from Israel.

Mr. Diamond wrote a letter to the editors of mideastunes.com asking for the opportunity for Jewcy to submit some Israeli artists to the site, and they have obliged. So, we are asking folks to submit your favorite Israeli musicians for a mix that we want to submit to Mideastunes.com for their consideration. Head over to jewcy.com and leave your suggestions in the comments.

Also, be sure to check out some of my favorites from the site:
Kabul Dreams from Tunisia
Chesme3vom from Tehran
Deen from United States

As spoken-word artist and Hip Hop forefather Gil Scott-Heron announced he will cancel his planned Tel Aviv gig, scheduled for May 25th due to extreme pressure from Israel boycotters in London, noted Israeli journalist/blogger Guy Hajaj wrote this in YNET (translated from Hebrew):

Not A Black & White Situation
By Guy Hajaj

I was disappointed twice when I learned that poet and artist Gil Scott - Heron had succumbed to the pressure from within and outside of Israel and removed the Tel Aviv show from his official tour schedule.

First, I was disappointed personally because I expected to see, on May 25, an artist whom I deeply admire, and identify with many of his poems. The second disappointment was much deeper. I expected Scott - Heron to not surrender.

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European fashion chain H&M opened its first branch in Israel last week.

Mayhem ensued.