We continue to be amazed by the musical output of some musicians. Granted, it has become easier in the internet age to get music recorded and distributed to the world but the ability to constantly write new songs is a talent that few can master. One such master is our friend Steve Lieberman, The King Of Jewish Punk, better known as the Gangsta Rabbi.
It has been a long and winding road since picking up a bass guitar in High School. The Gangsta Rabbi has developed a long career of experimentation with different instruments and a DIY attitude. Creating music was never a problem for him though as there has been a seemingly infinite number of releases by ‘King Of Jewish Punk’.
Health, on the other hand, has not been a friend to The Gangsta Rabbi. Steve has dealt with a variety of ailments from bipolar disorder to depression to Cancer and Leukemia. The outlooks keep getting worse but The King of Jewish Punk just keeps pushing ahead making new and innovative music.
The latest release King Of Jewish Punk is the 30th album from the always working Gangsta Rabbi. The 20 song collection includes some reworked music from his song library using a wide array of instrumentation. The opener “4th Diaspora” puts t all on sonic display right from the start with noises coming at you from every angle imaginable. The Jewish Punk hits hard on “Crotch Rocket”, a throwback to the raw NYC punk of the 1970’s. Grinding guitars and pounding drums clash with exotic sounds creating a dirty blanket of sound complete with lice and unrecognizable stains.
To think a song titled “Puppy” would be a mellow easy-listener is an obvious mistake. The mix of tracks drowning together meshes together in a typical King of Jewish Punk style. With the holidays coming we get treated to “Punk Rock Chanukah”. The vocals come out for this one alongside the distorted guitar creating maybe the most standard song of the album.
The fun continues through tracks such as “Glad I Am A Vegetarian”, “Yada Yada Ya Ya”, and the cacophony of “Crank That Kosher Boy”. To close with his own very different rendition of “Wish You Were Here” reminds us why the Gangsta Rabbi is will forever be The King Of Jewish Punk.
I am sure the music will continue to come. Keep up at http://gangstarabbi.com/
