Blog
By Michael Croland
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. […]
Hilarious Jewish Punk Stories from The Hard Times
The Hard Times is a punk version of The Onion. The fake news stories are often hilarious and relatable. On Thursday, for the third time in the last year, The Hard Times featured a Jewish punk story. Considering that the timing aligned with Hanukkah this year, Rosh Hashanah this year, and Hanukkah last year, The Hard Times apparently […]
New Book about the Mid-’90s Punk Explosion
In the Introduction of Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk, I traced the rise of commercial punk rock in the mid-1990s because it is an important prelude to most Jewish punk bands using punk rock as a vehicle to explore their Jewish identity. If punk rock hadn’t gotten so big and reached so many people, fewer musicians would […]
Guest Speaker at Book Fair Shabbat
On Friday, I was the guest speaker for Book Fair Shabbat at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York. Rabbi Mara Young and the other speakers on the bimah did a commendable job of tying in counterculture and resistance with Jewish values. Cantor Jonathan Gordon used the Ramones‘ cover of “Surfin’ Bird” for the “Adon […]
Article about My Upcoming Presentation for Book Fair Shabbat
On November 16, I’ll be the guest speaker for Book Fair Shabbat at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York. In addition to giving an overview of Jewish punk, I’ll be sharing Shabbat songs and talking about my writing process. Here’s an excerpt from a great article on the front page of the shul’s […]
Bram Presser Discusses Yidcore While Promoting Book in the U.S.
Australian author Bram Presser just wrapped up a weeks-long U.S. book tour for The Book of Dirt. (Check out my 2017 post and Matthue Roth‘s review.) In addition to speaking about his award-winning book, Presser discussed his past as the singer of Yidcore, the quintessential Jewish punk band, at events and in interviews. I attended two of Presser’s […]
Shabbat of Comfort and Renewal
Today Sen. Susan Collins announced that she’ll vote for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be on the Supreme Court, signaling that he has enough votes to get confirmed. For many of us who objected to Kavanaugh’s nomination, this was devastating. The news came on a Friday afternoon. In Facebook posts, two thought-provoking Jewish musicians referred to […]
“Angry Jew Punk” Band Confronts Nazis on “Oi Vey”
Damn Dirty Commies’ Oi Vey is a pithy album. If you don’t count the two comedic interludes and the one rap bonus track, there are just three songs, taking up less than five minutes combined. At a time when Kanye West can offer up seven songs as an album, let’s not debate whether it’s an album. The Philadelphia-based “Angry […]
