Watch The Walls Melt Down

The new single from Matisyahu's forthcoming album Akeda, available for pre-order (I'm such a sucker...).

Love the chorus, not so hot on the verse; the lyrics are okay. I still hear some of that original seeker that I first encountered a long time ago at Chelsea Piers...

Matisyahu - Refuge

This is from Matis' debut album from way back. I had this on the other night and it just spoke to me, as it's coming from a very real, very deep place in a young journey along a path of chassidut and even some bittul. When I go back to the older albums, it reminds me that that guy still exists somewhere in there. I know he's on a quest - we all are - and we can all relate to the fact that sometimes that quest meanders. Hearing his old music somehow infuses me with hope that he can make it back alright.



Ani auni vevyone. Hashem yashav li. Ezrati, umafalti, atau.

My word is like a hammer like a shattering rock,
crack through your heart and take the evil apart

From the end of the earth unto you I call, time and again I fall, back to you I crawl
You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength in the face of the enemy
Enemy, enemy lines I find I let myself get tied up too many times
You can't have my heart I'm taking back what's mine
I know it lie just smoke in your eye and you saved my soul from the other side

When faint grows my heart to a rock that too hard for me to climb alone lead me
For you have been a refuge

With you I smash a troop and with my G-d I leap over a wall
May the king answer you on the day that you call
Stand tall, battle yawl, the clouds crawl low, all stalled,
heavens lay draped over New York like a prayer shawl,
the holy one enthroned upon the praises of Israel

Pathways of my heart clogged like a traffic jam
From the start, I want to take the blockage apart

Nosson Zand - Believers

I just found this tonight. I've always been a fan of Nosson's, and while this isn't the sound I'm used to coming from him, I dig it.

The Matisyahu feature is a blast from the past - I really miss the beard and peyos (and the yarmulke...). Which makes me wonder: why was Nosson sitting on this for so long?



Love the imagery: the lamplighters stuff at the end, the foam cup thing is pretty cool too...

Matisyahu acoustic EP out today

Matisyahu just released a live acoustic EP from his Spark Seeker tour today. It can be found on iTunes or at his website.

'Tis the season...

Get it here. All proceeds go to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Soul Geology

In the Earth, there are so many wonderful treasures. And if you know where to dig, you will find gold, diamonds, jewelry, all kinds of treasures. 

But if you don't know where to dig, all you will find is rocks and dirt. 

The Rebbe is the geologist of the soul; he can show you where to dig, and what to dig for - but the digging you must do yourself. 

Intro/Outro sample on Searching from Matisyahu's Spark Seeker. 

I think that the sample is taken from a lecture given by Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet, who develops this concept in Chasidic Dimensions.

Matisyahu interview with Aish.com

I have been hesitant to post about Matisyahu's continuous changes over the past few months; first of all I want to see where this leads, and I don't want to jump the gun, despite how things may appear. Moreover, I haven't fully considered how this very personal yet very public journey of one of my favorite artists affects me as a person, as a consumer, and most importantly as a fellow Jew.

All I can say is that I continue to pray for him, as I have been doing since the beginning of his rise to fame way back in 2004, when he was playing small shos at Chelsea Piers.

In the meantime, check this interview out.

Matisyahu: Exclusive Interview

I Believe In Love - New Matisyahu track

From the upcoming album Spark Seeker. Pre-order the album on iTunes

New release from Matisyahu - Sunshine

The studio version of Sunshine, of his forthcoming album Spark Seekers. Look for it this summer.

I like this; it's considerably different than the acoustic version I posted a while back - different enough that they can be enjoyed independently.

The track is still available for download for free, for a limited time.

Maccabeats cover Matisyahu

It's pretty cool that Blossom (Mayim Bialik) is in the video. Didn't recognize her without the hat at first.

DESCRIBE & MATISYAHU'S NEW SINGLE & MUSIC VIDEO OUT TODAY!

Received this morning from Erez at the Shemspeed label. The Friendship Circle is a great organization, and I'm glad that they're getting some attention now:

Shemspeed Fam! Celebrating a world where children with special needs experience acceptance and inclusion, DeScribe teamed up with Matisyahu to create “Pure Soul,” saluting these incredible children! THE SINGLE & MUSIC VIDEO ARE FINALLY HERE! WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO | GET THE SONG Also, be on the look out for DeScribe in the Daily News & on Lopez Tonight! peace & Shemspeed DESCRIBE "PURE SOUL FEAT. MATISYAHU" DESCRIBE "PURE SOUL FEAT. MATISYAHU" (Official Music Video) WATCH IT NOW AT: SHEMSPEED | YOUTUBE GET THE SONG NOW: SHEMSPEED DIRECT | ITUNES | AMAZON ©2011 Shemspeed, LLC | World HQ | 302 Bedford Ave | PMB 132 | Brooklyn | 11211

And once we're at it, enjoy this nice acoustic song from Matisyahu:

Matisyahu's "Live at Stubb's, Vol. II" - In Stores Now!

Enjoy!

Personally, I think that the "Israeli Keffiyeh" is a stupid idea, at best, if not downright provocative, at worst...

It's Almost Here!

This morning I shifted all of our kitchen furniture around to make room at the window for our menorah. Chanukah begins tomorrow night, and I'm quivering with excitement!

There is so much beautiful Torah about Chanukah and the wonderful opportunities these special days present us with. I bless all of us that we should capitalize on the chag...

I've got a few new sefarim I'm eager to learn from: Reb Tzvi Meir's latest kuntres; a beautiful little book called Lev HaShamayim. I look forward to sharing things I've learned with my readers, God willing, over the course of Chanukah.

In the meantime, here's a new song to listen to while you make your preparations, and hone that wrist-flick-dreidel-spin technique (but stay far away from kvittlach [cards]!). It's Matisyahu's latest single Miracle, and while it's more than a little on the "pop" side of the music spectrum, it's cheerful, lively, and catchy. Enjoy!

Nosson Zand - Kosher Hip-Hop

Nosson Zand is an inspired young ba'al Teshuva (lit. "one who possesses repentance" used in reference to returnees to observant Judaism) from Boston, Mass. A Lubavitch chossid, Nosson weaves mystical concepts into his rhymes along with stories about growing up as a troubled youth in Boston, finding meaning in his religiosity, and his aspirations as an individual and as a member of the Jewish nation.



I really enjoy his style; for the most part, his lyrics are clear and understandable, and his earnestness shines through. Matisyahu has taken him under his wing, and the two tour together a lot. Below is a short movie that was produced for the American Film Institute, and won several awards, starring Nosson as the protagonist, a student in yeshiva struggling to maintain a balance between his interests, his yearning for spirituality, and finding his identity...

In His Own Words

In this interview with ABC, Matisyahu tells us a little about himself, his music, and his view on what role his religious experience and his music plays...



I realize that many people take issue with his approach and style, but I personally believe that Matis is one of the most sincere musicians - Jewish or otherwise - out there. The more I listen to the music, the more I find things within it that I identify with. His style has grown and matured, reflecting his own spiritual searching. His struggles reflect that of your average thinking person, and his lyrics contain some of the most profound thoughts ever expressed in the medium...

How Matisyahu's Hasidic Reggae Music Made Me Cry - Culture - The Atlantic

I really enjoyed this article that I found through the Cross-Currents website.

I think I'm going to contact the writer and invite him for Shabbos, or something.

How Matisyahu's Hasidic Reggae Music Made Me Cry - Culture - The Atlantic

I Will Raise Up A Cup Of Salvation...

Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust in Him and not fear. (Isaiah 12:2) - from the Havdala of Motzei Shabbos

Even when it seems that all hope is lost, one should not despair, because God can save him. When a person understands that God is capable of anything and trusts in God that He will save him, he gives himself completely over to God. His troubles become God's troubles, and his battles become God's battles. It then become God's responsibility to fight for him and save him. - Rabbi Yehuda Loew, the MaHaRal of Prague (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv HaBitachon 1)

Wishing everyone a wonderful week, full of light and joy.

It may be a little quiet around here for the next week or so; things that need my full attention will be happening this week, God willing.

 

Enjoy...

I haven't been able to get this song out of my head the whole Chag.

There aren't many albums that I can listen to repeatedly over and over even close to a year after I originally got it. "Light" is one of them...Maybe I'll get back to it for a full explanation why it's so good.




Have a great Shabbos!

"Fair weather" friends...

Due to my trip last week, I missed a "major" headline...

According to this week's edition of the Jewish Week, Matisyahu is no longer on the Chabad-Lubavitch bandwagon. Naturally, chaos ensues.
Several people, like Chaim, express clear concerns as to where this may be headed, in terms of Matis's spot in the public eye, considering his rise to stardom in so short a time. Chaim is the first to admit that he was a huge fan of Matis, and that he no longer feels comfortable identifying with that status. THat's cool, it's understandable, and it's extremely honest of him.

However, Rabbi Levi Brackman writes a particularily nasty piece on this story on his blog. R. Brackman - whom I've never heard of until today - vilifies Matisyahu, basically equating the fact that Matis may be distancing himself from his point of origin in the religious world with the probability that he may shirk his religious beliefs altogether.
He continues to compare Matis to other "jewish, secular singers" and states that Matis no longer reflects jewish spirituality.

Now, I understand where many folks are coming from, to a degree. A year ago, when Matis suddenly broke ranks with JDub Records, simultaneously breaching his contract and turning his back on the friends who'd gotten him his start, I was very worried. Mainly, I was concerned with how this would be viewed out there in the world. The possibilty of Chillul HaShem when a frum Jew is out there in the spotlight is magnified a hundredfold, at least. I was also, naturally, concerned about Matis's well being, in a spiritual sense.
Was it possible that that was hinting at a deeper problem? Was Matis's rise too fast, and too much all at once? I didn't know, but I'd hoped not. The weight of responsibilty being a frum Jew, coupled with what I'd imagine to be an intense touring schedule, seemed to be a very dangerous thing, indeed.
Thankfully, I believe that the overall Kiddush HaShem outweighed that earlier incident. It made only a marginal splash in the news, and lasted for less than a few days.
Now, I hear yet another "scandal" involving Matis. And I must be honest: I don't see the huge deal.
So, he no longer believes that he identifies with Lubavitch? Okay. So what? I know several people who have become religious through Chabad's help. Without Chabad, who knows where they would be today? But some of them eventually felt that they no longer identified with what Chabad represented or had intended for them, and they left.
They are all still very religious, and some of them may even tell you that they are better for leaving.
Everyone continues to grow. Just because you're moving away from something doesn't necessarily mean that the direction is downward.
We have an expectation of Matisyahu that is unfair, in many respects. He is a baal Teshuva, and a relatively fresh one, at that. And yet ( and I realize that in part, he has brought it on himself, by virtue of the fact that he is representing something larger than he...), we expect him to be saintly, holding him to standards we wouldn't hold of ourselves.

Anonym00kie recently posted about judging people. How we don't realize what is going on in other's lives, and how, if we'd take a moment to relate, to understand, to help, we'd all be in a better place.

Can any of us really relate to Matis? As Rabbi Brackman writes himself: while Matis appeared to be this amazing saint, he was 100% behind him, encouraging kids to listen to him, etc. The moment we get a peek at his ( Matisyahu's) humanity, though, we see that people expect the worst. No one, not even Matis or his managers or agents, ever said he was perfect. I realize that in the spotlight, one has to be so careful, and like I said, I agree. However, I'm growing tired of all these fair weather fans.
I haven't seen Matis get arrested for possesion of drugs. He hasn't been in any tabloids. I pray that he won't, of course, but until something really bad happens, I'm gonna support him.
He's trying to be a warrior, just like the rest of us. Let's give him a chance...

Note: This post was an immediate response after reading Y-Love's post on Jewschool. I quickly read all the posted links, and was very hasty in jumping on Rabbi Brackman's back. After the initial reaction, I went back and read Rabbi B.'s post. His post isn't all that nasty, considering. I still disagree with him, though I apologize if I made him seem like a jerk...