Happines comes to me when I discover exciting new music, In those moments of revelation I feel like a child in a new candy store.

OFRIN is one of those new and exciting musical revelations that makes what one can say: a brilliant music. After two well acclaimed albums that she made with her partner (“Rust&Velvet” and “On Shore Remain”, in which the band cooperated with Producer/ keyboarder Eddie Stevens from Moloko) comes her latest album “The Bringer” – A fresh start as a solo for the very first time produced all by her. Inspired by such as Bjork, Fever Ray and Planningtorock this amazing album combines all of Ofrin’s inspirations in one becoming a very sharp and honest conceptional album full of powerful and breathtaking songs mixing east and west and discovering her own roots. Coming from north of Israel and living in Berlin for 10 years now you can’t ignore the influence of the city and musical culture on her music, making her an artist that is not afraid of discovering new territories in the musical landscapes mixing between bedroom electronica with Bulgarian choir and other instruments singing about the new people in the new world.

Watch the video for “Sacks On Our Backs” and listen to the full album below and CATCH her performing live at The Pasáž on Wednesday (12.03)

OFRIN

The Spring is definitely almost here so I began with the search after the perfect music for these spring days.

NoaBe, also known as Noa Briro, just released her debut album called “ExtraVagantic Things” after 2 years of work. Its mixture of Folk, Rock, Classical and even Electronic influences make the experience of listening to the album so much better. Noa easily  jumps from the Americana influenced “Worthwile” to a more Rocky style in the title-song to the Folky Ballad-like “Speed of Heart” and “Sweet Corn from a Can” all with big passion and great lyrics. The album was written and composed by Noa herself and on the musical production you can hear Yossi Mizrahi’s (Acollective) magic touch. ”ExtraVagantic Things” is one of those album that is best to take with you on a road trip or just listen to it at home and feel as if you are on an amazing journey.

Catch NoaBe and her band performing this Saturday (22.02) at the OzenBar and listen to the full album bellow.

Apperently the Israeli winter forgot about us, the sun is outside and there’s no chance of rain in the foreseeable future. So I’m left with the only option I can imagine: listening to wintry songs and imagine about real winter with rain and all.

David Lavi was discovered in the 9th season of the Israeli version of a music reality seeking after the next great musicians. He was one of the more memorable contestants with amazing interpretations to the songs he chose and at the end he won the very promising 2nd place and I truly believe that in the manner of music reality shows the second place is always kept for the really interesting musicians that are not afraid of going to deep with their music. Since the show he is  working on his debut album with the search after the exact sound and production that will soothe his musical soul and combine his very religious past as a kid with his new life. Until the album will be released you can listen to “Two Rooms”, a song beautifully produced by the acclaimed Tzach Drori.

Catch him performing TODAY  (11.02) with a special acoustic show with his old & new songs at “Shpagat Live”.

Sometimes you’re not quite ready for good music. It just slides through an open door and crawls into your bed and sets its tunes right into your ears and heart.

Guy Baron’s music project as “Semi Precious” began as a project for his music degree in Goldsmiths University in London and developed into a beautiful and intriguing body of work compiled into a short and stunning EP. The songs are based on samples from not-to-old songs by different artist that Guy cherishes and wanted to leave a mark on them before he continues to other musical projects combined with his soft vocals floating above all (à la James Blake). You can totally fall in love with these 4 songs while drifting to other dimensions and hoping he will release more of this beauty in the future.

Listen below to the beautiful “When It’s Hard” (combining the Isreali artist Sivan Shavit  with Jazzanova’s “Another Day”) and visit the “Semi Precious” web site for more info about the project.

Sometimes all you need is one great song to be hooked on let it warm you in these winter days.

Anat Ester Hitman‘s new single from her forthcoming self-titled debut album is exactly one of those songs to be hooked on. I’ve heard this song as a sketch almost 2 years ago but then it was a more mellow version as expected from a sketch version, since then Anat decided to disconnect herself from everything and start working and recording her debut album. The songs grew and got a full rock treatment full of layers and textures becoming into these great songs with Anat’s powerful and dominating voice above all taking me back to Skunk Anansie’s “Post Orgasmic Chill” era. The full album will be out later this years so there’s something to wait for.

Watch the video for “Hayiti Menasa” below and catch her performing TODAY (09.01) at “Caffe Bialik”.

After a cold and stormy weekend, the sun is finally shining again and bringing warmth to us, it’s the perfect time to introduce Shelly Yosha and her sun kissed music.

Shelly was born and raised in Los Angeles until the age of 7 when she moved with her family to Israel.  When she was 17, she left for New York to study and make music.

She released her debut EP “Before the Last Light is Blown” in 2011 and has now returned to Tel Aviv to work on her follow up album. While surrounded by friends, family and musical colleagues, she is taking on a new approach as you can hear in the single,“Peter (Take Me Away)” – a beautiful song with folky and rocky textures, overwhelming lyrics, and her heart-breaking voice.

Catch her performing at the “Shpagat Live” (Nachalat Benyamin 43) on the 17th of October. More info HERE. Also Listen to “Peter (Take Me Away)” and watch the acoustic performance of “Christian” (also from the forthcoming album) below.

Shelly Yosha

Shelly Yosha

Shelly Yosha

For now the winter is officially here so it’s a great opportunity to introduce you to the lovely Shulamit Epstein.

Her debut single “Haya Oh Lo (Was It Real)” is one of those rare and beautiful songs that can swoop you and take you away to different dimensions. It has a grainy and Jazzy flavored sound that reminds me of vinyls and times that I wasn’t born in yet but still can imagine how it felt to live then and yet it sounds fresh and new. It feels like you are going through looking in old family albums and remember wistfully old love stories and heartbreaks. The song is taken from Shulamit’s debut album “Davar” all produced by the amazing Zach Drory and it will be out in January of 2014.

Watch the beautiful video for “Haya Oh Lo” directed by Jeremy Jaffe below.

“Jane Bordeaux”, a new act based in Tel Aviv, is making unbelievable folk-country music in Hebrew.

Doron Talmon came to Tel Aviv to study music and that’s when she met the musicians that became “Jane Bordeaux” at the end : Mati Gilad and Amir Zeevi. They released a short EP and started to collect fans and followers to their great interpretation in Hebrew of the American folk-country music – something that never happened in Israel before.

Now they are working on their first full length album to be released next year while performing all over the country. You can catch them live at the “Shpagat” on December 3. For more info check HERE and watch the video for the raw version of “Einav” below and listen to the more up beat “Lo Pashut Li”.

Apperently the summer is back (the weather man says it’s until the weekend hopefully…) so it means it’s the perfect time for some summer flavoured music.

Meet Uri Brauner Kinrot A.K.A. UBK – a gifted guitarist known mostly for the great-chart-successful drunken-wedding Balkan surf guitar-tuba-drums power trio Boom Pam and his 2009 oriental-remix album “Massive Soundtrack For The Modern Belly Dancer”. UBK also collaborated with some of the best groups in the world such as Balkan Beat Box and Shantel  and recorded with the Macedonian Romani brass band Kočani Orkestar. Now he is prepared for the release of his very anticipated debut album as a solo artist accompanied with the first single “I Got It” – an immediate rock classic with exotic surf  flavours.

Watch the great video for “I Got You” below and catch UBK performing on the 3rd of December at the “Pasáž”. More info HERE.

The sun outside demands a more ‘electronic sadness’ tunes and Hexe effectively delivers the goods. HEXE is Jonathan Lipitz a true musician in his heart and soul. After years engaging with musical productions, events and “YouTube selfies” with his piano he’s now ready to let his voice to go outhere. His interpretation of Kavinsky’s “Night Call” is one of those covers that break from the original and become an entirely new song full of heartbreak and emotions. Released by the Berlin located label “Yellow Brick” and Produced by Jonathan himself and Tamir Gordin it lays out every emotion out there with mixed feelings about the broken hearts and the pieces out there and the ability to collect them back and restore a new heart and a new love. Listen to “Night Call” below (you can download it from HERE) and also to his first single “Started”.

HEXE