Blog
By Michael Croland
The Shondes’ New Passover-Themed “True North” Video
The Shondes released “True North” on their 2016 album, Brighton. Singer Louisa Solomon explained then that the song was about “being at a point in life where our ideals had taken a lot of blows, and yet, the act of imagining (a brighter future, justice, revolution, the mythical messianic ‘Jerusalem’ Jews evoke at Passover) itself could provide a […]
Every Time I’ve Seen Golem Live
I included a recap of the 25 times I’d seen Golem in Punk Rock Hora, but I’ve seen them twice more since the book went to print, for a total of 27 times! Here’s the recap of my first 25 shows for this klezmer-rock band with a punk edge, plus their Hanukkah 2018 and Purim 2019 shows. […]
My Chapter in New Book: Vegetarianism and Veganism among Jewish Punks
“Whether looking at the pages of the Talmud, vegetarian poems written in Yiddish, lyrics written by Jewish punk rockers, or into a pot of vegan matzo ball soup, this book explores the many ways in which Jews have questioned the ethics of eating animals.” —Jordan D. Rosenblum, author of The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient […]
Book Launch for Punk Rock Hora
Last night was the book launch for Punk Rock Hora and the closing reception for a monthlong “Jews and Rock” art show at the Brooklyn Jewish Art Gallery. I gave a presentation, featuring a guest appearance from Damn Dirty Commies, and Moshiach Oi! rocked the house. With Joey Ramone apparently looking on in the background, dozens of […]
Punk Is Center Stage at Opening for “Jews and Rock” Art Exhibit
Yesterday the Brooklyn Jewish Art Gallery had an opening for their monthlong “Jews and Rock” art exhibit, also billed as “The Rebellious and Creative Energy of Jews with Guitars.” Inside a synagogue’s sanctuary, an impressively varied art show featured photographs and paintings of Jewish musicians, including Joey Ramone, Amy Winehouse, and members of Anthrax and […]
My Interview Part of a Radio Special about Ethnic Punk
Last night on KRNN Juneau (Alaska), Johnny Negotiable hosted a “Saturday Nite Special” about ethnic punk, including a half-hour interview with me about Punk Rock Hora. You may recall Johnny Negotiable (Jim Hale) from last year’s “Mosh Hashanah: A Punk Tribute to the Jewish New Year” radio program or his guest post about KLUNK. The two-hour […]
3 Readings! 3 Boroughs! 3 Band T-Shirts!
Punk Rock Hora: Adventures in Jew-Punk Land officially came out this past week, and in the past month, I’ve done three readings in three NYC boroughs—while wearing three different band T-shirts! January 6: Word Up Community Bookshop (Washington Heights, Manhattan) I focused on punk rock hora stories from Punk Rock Hora. I read between-chapter interludes about Yidcore, Schmekel, […]
2016–2018 Articles That Aren’t in Punk Rock Hora
The second half of Punk Rock Hora includes many articles I’ve published since Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk came out in 2016. But I couldn’t include everything in Punk Rock Hora. Some articles would have been redundant, others weren’t the right fit, and one just came out yesterday! Here are all my 2016–2018 articles about Jewish punk that were published […]
Coast-to-Coast Hanukkah Concerts and Airplay for Jewish Punk Bands
Hanukkah is a time when many Jewish artists and organizations have events, presumably because people will attend. That includes Jewish punk bands and klezmer groups with a punk edge. This year’s Hanukkah shows included veteran acts in New York City and Oakland, a debuting band in Chicago, and a somewhere-in-between band in Seattle. For those who […]
Yiddish New York Punk Showcase
When it comes to music, the weeklong Yiddish New York festival doesn’t only have top-notch klezmer. On Saturday night, there was a late-night Yiddish New York Punk Showcase on the Lower East Side. “Yiddish music and punk rock go together in this neighborhood,” explained Rozele, the lead singer of Koyt Far Dayn Fardakht, from the stage. […]
