As you probably noticed from Rabbi Yonah’s post a few weeks back, Moshav is touring in support of their new album, “Misplaced†(released August 8 on JMG records).
After nearly eleven years as a band, Moshav has streamlined its name (they used to be “the Moshav Band,†but have since opted for the terser moniker). I took my friend Jodi, who was my roommate at Hebrew University last century when no one had email or cell phones, to the Bitter End in the West Village for a standing-room-only concert. In attendance was a substantial (“frum-but-coolâ€) proto-neo-modern Orthodox contingent, in addition to several (maybe ten?) Orthodox men sporting the payot (I think I even spied Rav Shmuel, but I didn’t get a chance to say the word ‘Jewlicious’ at him before he vanished into the crowd).
The thirteen songs on the new album, produced by Ron Aniello (Barenaked Ladies, Lifehouse, Guster), have a jam band/alternative vibe, but it’s hard to generalize the collection, which is eclectic—folkier ballads live alongside high-energy drum-laden tracks, making comparisons to Eddie Vedder, Rusted Root and others likely to occur. The first single, “The Only One†evokes Pearl Jam (which makes sense, given that Brendan O’Brien, who did work for Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, and Korn) did the remix on that song. (If you want to hear that song, you can hear it on my MySpace page–if you want more, you can hear it and others on Moshav’s MySpace page…) “When I’m Gone†has a Peter Gabriel meets Middle East feel. “Streets of Jerusalem†is a plaintive song of love and yearning for the ancient city and for the lover who has abandoned the singer (“You’re somewhere east of Eden, I’m in exile myself. Still it’s your touch I long for more than anything else.â€)
The touring band was incredibly high-energy, with instruments and styles complementing each other perfectly. (I know, that’s what bands are supposed to do, but I couldn’t figure out another way to describe it. I’m not a music writer, so bear with me, people!) Brothers Yehuda Solomon (vocals, percussion) and Yosef Solomon (bass), Duvid Swirsky (vocals, percussion and guitars) and drummer Karen Teperberg (who had amazing energy and talent, and who apparently used to play with Sting, among others) filled the joint with sound and style. The intimate venue was very crowded, and the fans knew the words. Truth is, after listening to the album three times, and I’d pretty much learned the words to two or three songs enough to sing along with the band, which, as you all know, is pretty much my goal at any concert.
Moshav’s new CD, Misplaced, is available on JMG Records, and the tour is going on now, and coming to California, Colorado, Maryland and Montreal, among other places; for dates and to purchase the album, see the band’s website.
