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The Maccabeats – Pan Fry

Maccabeats — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 21:09:21 +0000

For our tenth (!) Hanukkah video, we return to our roots. Parodying two of the most critically and commercially successful songs of 2019, we sing about the holiday’s rituals, traditions and ideas in colored boxes.

But there’s more. Though 2019 is still one of the best times in history to be Jewish, we’re beginning to feel tremors of uncertainty. Pittsburgh, Poway, and now Jersey City all remind us that there are forces of hate who would prefer a world without us. And to them we say: “we’re not going anywhere.”

This year’s lyrics focus on Hanukkah’s unambiguously public celebration of our faith and tradition. From the menorahs in the windows of private homes, to the menorah lightings in public squares, we “light our flames for all to see.”

Happy Hanukkah!

P.S. Make sure to stick around after the main song for some “outtakes”

Maccabeats on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2plllpJj0sU7FsdZrn8EHq
Maccabeats on Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/367163195

Stay in touch:
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Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

MaccaBeatles Medley

Maccabeats — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 18:02:52 +0000

Iconic. Most influential band of all time. Cultural phenomenon. Musical legends.

These are just some phrases we hope will one day be used to describe the Maccabeats. But for now, we pay tribute to one of the greatest acts in Western Music with our signature Maccabeats twist. Ladies and gentlemen…the MaccaBeatles!

Many Beatles songs have enjoyed second lives in other languages, and the Maccabeats are the latest in a long line of artists to draw inspiration from the Fab Four.

The Beatles themselves recorded their classic “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in German as “Komm gib mir deine Hand,” which we then adapted into the similar Yiddish. Similarly, noted Israeli singer-songwriters Arik Einstein and Ran Eliran recorded a Hebrew version of “Yesterday,” performed as “Rak Etmol.” Finally, Naomi Shemer originally fashioned her classic Lu Yehi to the tune of “Let It Be” before later composing an original melody.

Maccabeats on Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/367163195

Stay in touch:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Maccabeats
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Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

The Maccabeats Minute

Maccabeats — Fri, 31 May 2019 17:57:42 +0000

Exciting new!
We’ve launched a new series of one-minute performances called “Maccabeats Minutes” which will allow us to share more of our music than ever before.

We’ve already released two of these videos:
1. I Wouldn’t Be, in honor of Mother’s Day
2. Mi Bon Siach – a Jewish wedding song we set to the tune of “You Are the Reason” by Calum Scott – released on Lag BaOmer to mark the beginning of the traditional Jewish wedding season.

Maccabeats Minutes will be featured on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, so make sure to follow us there to be the first to see these and other Maccabeats updates.

You can also listen to Maccabeats Minutes on our Spotify page.

One more thing: We want to hear from you what you’d like to hear, so please do let us know what we should sing next.

Dreidel – Hanukkah 2018

Maccabeats — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 22:53:16 +0000

There are certain seasonal songs that become so powerfully connected to a holiday that it seems as though they’ve been around as long as the holiday itself.

“I Have a Little Dreidel,” originally composed by Samuel Goldfarb some 100 years ago, does not date back to the period of the Maccabees, but – for reasons no one will ever know – has become perhaps the best-known English song of the Hanukkah canon. For this year’s Hanukkah video, we’ve transformed this simple melody into a multi-genre adventure testing the limits of a cappella music and challenging us all to find new ways to bring excitement to our traditions.

The dreidel, a Jewish variant on the teetotum, traditionally memorializes a time when religious practice had to be concealed from an oppressive government; it thus celebrates religious freedom. Its four letters also remind us of the great miracles of Hanukkah. We hope our renewal of this classic continues to spread those messages and helps everyone celebrate a Happy Hanukkah.

Enjoy our “I Have a Little Dreidel” video and make sure to grab the track on CDBaby or iTunes!

Grab Our Music
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/Maccabeats

Justin Beiber Passover Mashup

Maccabeats — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:42:25 +0000

The Hagaddah, or the traditional text recited on Passover eve, famously enjoins each person in every generation to see him or herself as having been redeemed from Egypt. In a sense, by telling the Passover story, we become part of that story.

In that spirit, we’re proud to present this year’s Pesach video, a mashup of the three Justin Bieber pop earworms from this past year. In this song, we transition from the first person as the enslaved people of Israel asking Pharaoh to “forget your hardened heart” to a modern day observer of Passover. Because “when you believe” you become “part of the story.”

They say the best way to get rid a song that’s stuck in your head is to sing along to a parody of it, so give our new video a listen and let us know what you think.

Chag Kasher V’Sameach – have a great Passover!

Stay in touch:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/maccabeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maccabeats/
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

Our Music:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195

Shed a Little Light – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Maccabeats — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 21:08:51 +0000

Our newest video celebrates a different kind of holiday than usual, but one that’s more important now than ever. We consider ourselves very fortunate to join Naturally 7, one of the best musical acts of our day, in covering James Taylor’s Shed a Little Light in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2016.

We’re deeply committed to our Jewish Heritage, but we’re also proud American citizens and citizens of the world. In that sense, it’s very special for us to celebrate the life and work of a man who gave the world so much. We filmed the video for Shed a Little Light at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of Dr. King’s iconic “I Had a Dream” speech, a speech which has and will continue to inspire billions in their search for a more just world.

In an era in which so many wish to divide, we united with new musical friends to remind the world that when we work together we can be stronger than the sum of our parts.

Please share our video with your friends and don’t forget to grab the track on iTunes or CDBaby.

Stay in touch:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/maccabeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maccabeats/
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

And if you don’t already have a copy, check our latest EP “A Maccabeats Hanukkah”

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-maccabeats-hanukkah/id1055932520
CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/maccabeats17
Amazon (CD): http://amzn.com/B017MFNMG4
Jewish Jukebox (CD): http://www.jewishjukebox.com/products/chanukah_music/2451.asp

New Album – A Maccabeats Hanukkah!

Maccabeats — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 16:53:41 +0000

As the holiday that first launched us into the public spotlight, Hanukkah has always had a special place in our hearts. Each year, we’ve celebrated with our fans by touring and releasing a Hanukkah video. And that will all happen again this year.

But instead of just releasing one Hanukkah song this year, we recorded an entire EP of classic and new Hanukkah tracks. The seven brand-new songs on this album help make it the perfect holiday gift, so don’t just get it for yourself, get one for a friend too!

iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/olwd8ov
CDBaby: http://tinyurl.com/no44vdm
Amazon (CD): http://tinyurl.com/qzldcxv
Jewish Jukebox (CD): http://tinyurl.com/przh65n

Don’t forget to follow us on social media where we’ll be talking about the different tracks and giving out lot of free stuff over the next few weeks.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/maccabeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maccabeats/
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

P.S. In one our coolest collaborations to date, we worked with Office Depot and Mensch on a Bench to add a Hanukkah option to their wildly popular and hilarious “Elf Yourself” app.
See a dance video that we made here and make your own at http://www.elfyourself.com/

The Shabbos Project – Havdallah

Maccabeats — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:33:00 +0000

One year ago, communities around the world came together for an innovative and singular initiative: the Shabbos Project.

Shabbat, the traditional day of rest, is a chance for us to spend time with our communities, spend time with our families, or even just spend reflective time with ourselves. It is a time to recharge our physical and spiritual batteries.

At the conclusion of Shabbat each week the transitional Havdallah verses and blessings are recited, giving us the opportunity to take the beauty and holiness of Shabbat with us into the rest of the week.
In partnership with the Shabbos Project and joined by world-class cantor Netanel Hershtik and full orchestra, we are proud to present our newest video: Havdallah. Filmed at the iconic Avatar Studios in NYC and featuring footage from Havdallah celebrations around the world, our rendition follows the popular combination of a traditional Modzitz Hasidic melody with a tune composed by Jewish singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman.

This year, we’ll be celebrating the Shabbos Project with a Saturday night concert in Mexico City. This will be our first performance in Mexico and we’re very excited to interact with a new community and culture over the weekend.

Make sure to check out the Shabbos Project celebrations in your city, and have a great Shabbos! As always, stay in touch.

PS: Some huge news coming real soon. It may or may not be related to a certain upcoming holiday :)

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Maccabeats
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

All About That Neis – Hanukkah 2014

Maccabeats — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 15:20:29 +0000

Each year for the past four years, we’ve been honored and humbled by the emails, Facebook posts, and YouTube comments from fans describing how our music and videos help them celebrate Hanukkah.

Indeed, the Hanukkah video has almost taken its place alongside menorah, dreidel, and latkes as an annual holiday ritual; each Hanukkah sees different groups and organizations attempt to best the previous years’ offerings by debuting increasingly more dynamic, professional, and exciting Hanukkah videos. We like to think that part of the blame for this trend lies with us, and to the extent that Hanukkah is more popularly observed and appreciated, we welcome this development.

Hanukkah is always, as it should be, a great time to have a great time. It’s arguably the most delicious of the Jewish holidays. There’s a very visible, public element to Hanukkah (“pirsumei nisa” in the traditional sources) which has become part of the popular culture. And it certainly helps that the Hanukkah narrative has all the elements of our modern Hollywood blockbusters: a victorious underdog, intense political drama, and a last-minute day-saving supernatural miracle.

But why do we eat those foods? Why do we light those candles? Why do we tell this story, reminiscent of a Ridley Scott movie? In the words of this year’s song, a parody of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass”: faith, family, freedom we celebrate for eight nights.

Our song’s chorus carries a double meaning. “All About That Neis, No Oil” reflects the miracle of insufficient oil lasting for eight nights, but it also speaks to the core of the holiday - how it’s about the story and message of the neis (miracle) much more than it’s about eating oily foods.

We hope you enjoy this year’s video, and that you’ll grab the track on iTunes or CDBaby!

Stay in touch:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Maccabeats
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos

New Maccabeats Album – One Day More!

Maccabeats — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 18:44:00 +0000

Grab One Day More on iTunes, CDBaby and at your local Jewish music source!

You can order a physical album directly from Sameach Music.

We had a hard time naming our new album. How could we describe the sum total of our experiences in just a few words or a phrase? We considered Interstate 95, the East Coast’s primary north-south highway, on which we’ve spent many early mornings and late nights. Another candidate was Music Of A People, a powerful lyric from the musical Les Misérables, which expresses that our music belongs not just to us, but to everyone. And, in line with a long-help a cappella tradition, we couldn’t help but toy with a few kitschier ideas: Orthodox Jukebox, To A Different Beat, The (Blue and) White Album, Maccle-beats and Ari Lewis.

One Day More, another climactic lyric from Les Mis, stood out because it speaks not just to where we have been, but to where we are going. The following is excerpted from the liner notes:

In Jewish law and custom, the third recurrence of an event establishes a chazakah, or permanence. One Day More, a climactic lyric from the musical Les Misérables, is about being powerfully aware that though we’ve achieved our chazakah, the journey continues.

One Day More is about more than declaring that, contrary to everyone’s – including our own – wildest expectations, we are here to stay. One Day More is about the traffic jams spent counting the cars on the New Jersey turnpike; the nights spent on cold airport floors; the hours in the studio trying to get that one perfect take; the low of reading hateful commentary on the internet; the high of hearing from a fan that our music helped her celebrate a Jewish holiday for the first time; the power, pleasure, and pain of singing one more hoarse encore with a roaring crowd.

These experiences do not deter or distract us; it is from these very occasions that we draw the strength to journey on. One Day More is about pausing to reflect on yesterday while simultaneously looking to tomorrow, eyes trained on the next avenue to spread literal and figurative harmony.

Stay in touch:
Facebook: facebook.com/Maccabeats
Twitter: twitter.com/Maccabeats
Instagram: instagram.com/maccabeats
Email: info@maccabeats.com
YouTube: youtube.com/user/MaccabeatsVideos