The Shondes
My Dear One
May 4, 2010 (Fanatic Records)
Named for the word your grandmother might utter if she even heard the term “genderqueer,” The Shondes are a refreshing page in the new Jewish music catalogue. A legitimate “Jewish band,” (i.e., actual Jewish members and influences), The Shondes do not fall in the novelty band category, nor are they preservationists. Here, notes of Klezmer and traditional Jewish music combine with post-punk brashness, political activist bite, and riot grrl intensity: In other words, awesome.

Their 2008 debut album, The Red Sea, took the indie music world by surprised storm, and generated a tornado of critical acclaim (including favorable comparisons to Sleater-Kinney and the Raincoats). The celebration for the band was short lived, for not long after its release and (allegedly) mid-tour, guitarist Ian Brannigan quit the band. Their new album, My Dear One, is a break-up album of the highest order, resulting directly from Brannigan’s departure. Rather than moping or whining, the album feels like the byproduct of musical catharsis. As bassist Louisa Solomon sings in “Make It Beautiful,” “I write songs to save my life/give me four more bars to make it right.”

Shuffling off some of the post-punk crunchiness of their first album, the songwriting on My Dear One feels more concentrated, distilled into its most lovely, devastating emotions.

And one cannot talk about The Shondes without mention violinist Elijah Oberman, whose elegant but angular playing vies with Solomon’s vocals for most the distinctive, memorable element.

Cobra Starship
Hot Mess
August 11, 2009 (Decaydance Records)
Merchandise that includes gold medallions. Song titles like “Hot Mess” and “Kiss My Sass.” A name inspired by a dream the lead singer had, where a snake from outer space told him to “start laying down beats.” Neon leopard print.

Either you’re wetting yourself with excitement, or rolling your eyes in disgust. Whether you’re 100 percent on the indie-electro dance rock train, or you’re beyond ready to see it derailed forever, Cobra Starship’s lead singer Gabe Saporta is a member of the tribe, so it is my duty to inform you of his shenanigans.

Saporta’s background in pop-punk (formerly the bassist of Midtown) is evident in the basic poppy structure of Cobra Starship’s songs and in his vocal style. Like his contemporaries in Fall Out Boy, Saporta made the strange journey from his original genre to indie dance. At least he had the decency to start a new band for it.

Add some synth, drum machine, and club-anthem-style crowd vocals to your average pop-punk song, speed it up a bit, and you have Cobra Starship. It’s not bad or unpleasant to listen to, and if you played it at a party I’d dance to it, but that’s about as far as it goes. I, for one, am ready for the 1980s nostalgia train to reverse direction and go back to the past where it belongs.

Mirah
Gone Are The Days (Gone Disco remix) 10” single
August 24, 2010 (K Records)
I’ve been remiss, dear readers. For in the realm of Jewish musicians from the Northwest, what could be a better story than Portland’s gentle folkster Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn ending her four-year sabbatical with a new album? Unfortunately for me, I somehow missed the release of (a)spera in March 2009. I beg your forgiveness, and offer as my olive branch news of her new vinyl single, featuring a remix of one of (a)spera’s loveliest tunes, “Gone Are The Days.” The uncharacteristically bluesy, jazz-based tune (I’m pretty sure it has the same bass line as “Fever”) allegedly took on a bouncier form when Mirah played it live with her band, and K Records implored them to commit that version to vinyl.

The song works surprisingly well as a disco tune, bringing to mind the many ‘60s pop songs reworked during that era (“You Keep Me Hanging On” and the like). The single also comes with the requisite instrumental and a capella versions, the latter of which is a particular bonus. Mirah’s distinct, emotive voice is her trademark, and it would be a treat to hear this song sans-instruments. Either way, fans of Mirah’s usually-mellow singer-songwriter style couldn’t possibly not enjoy this delightful disco remix.