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This is the New Year

The Maccabeats — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 20:47:30 +0000

There’s a lot of great music out there, but every so often we’ll hear a song for the first time and just know that this is a song we need to sing.

A Great Big World’s “This Is the New Year,” was one of those songs. Its catchy melody, captivating meter (try counting along, we dare you!), and driving rhythm are only exceeded by it’s powerful and timely messages.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is replete with contradictory ideas: a time set aside for introspection is celebrated as a community; “the day of judgement” is also a festival; and “the day of remembrance” is a day we spend looking forward to the coming year. This year’s song doesn’t shy away from these complicated ideas, telling us to “embrace the past” and “live for now;” asking us “pray for the life we’ve wanted” for ourselves but also to “tear the wall down that divides us;” and reminding us that though the world was created for each of us, “there’s so much to be done.”

Wishing all of our friends and family a happy, healthy, sweet, and musical new year!

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

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

Despacito – דספסיטו

The Maccabeats — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 20:42:46 +0000

Have you ever had the feeling that the more you do, the faster time seems to go? Or that you’re a spectator – not a participant – in your own life?

Our newest video, a cover of Amram Adar and Itzik Shamli’s timely adaption of the summer mega-hit Despacito, asks us to pause and live deliberately. Family, faith, and meaning should never take a backseat to the rat race of work and blind ambition. As we sing in the chorus (translated from Hebrew) “Slowly – take things slowly, everything will come in it’s time my dear. And all delays will turn out fine as long as we keep faith.”

We’d really appreciated if you could take the time share this video with your own friends and family!

Finally, our love goes out to our friends in Houston, hometown of one of the Maccabeats. Please consider donating to the Jewish Federation’s relief fund (link here) or the cause of your choice, they need our help.

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

Sound of Silence with Jew in the City

Maccabeats — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 21:48:09 +0000

Fifty years ago, one of our favorite artists wrote a powerful, enduring, and almost prophetic song about, in the words of Art Garfunkel, “the inability of people to communicate with each other.” Simon and Garfunkel’s classic “Sound of Silence” is more relevant than ever in the age of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and ubiquitous devices.

We would argue that perhaps our friends at Jew in the City used our cover to portray a more positive angle: despite our seeming addicion, we all have the ability to turn off our phones and connect with our friends and family, or maybe even just spend some quality time with ourselves. Indeed, Shabbat is a particularly auspicious time for this and we feel fortunate to have this “time-out” built into the rhythm of our lives.

DWe think Jew in the City did a great job on the visuals and story for this video and if you enjoyed the music don’t forget to grab the single:

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-sound-of-silence-single/id1187098421
CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/maccabeats20

New Pesach Video – Mah Nishtanah!

Maccabeats — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 03:32:51 +0000

Music is all around us, and the Passover Seder table is no exception! The Seder introduces many small variations from our typical meal-time routines; These differences are the subject of the famous “Four Questions” or “Mah Nishtanah,” usually translated as “Why is This Night Different?”

In that spirit, this year’s Pesach video is a little different. Using only our voices, mouths, and the objects traditionally found on the Seder table, we replaced our usual vocal percussion with “Pesach-cussion” and added a four-cups glass harp to fill out our arrangement. Needless to say, we had a blast filming this and we hope you enjoy – have a Chag Kasher V’Sameach and a Great Passover!

Don’t forget to share this with your family and friends, and don’t try this at home!
Check out our previous Pesach videos:
Les Misérables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmthKpnTHYQ
Dayenu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgDNPGZ9Sg
Let My People Go, Story, Why Do We Lean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1jRAf0u9Kc

Download this track for FREE here: https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/maccabeats21
Our music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/maccabeats/id367163195

Hasmonean – A Hamilton Hanukkah

Maccabeats — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 04:41:40 +0000

An empire bent on ruling a sovereign territory without fair representation. A scrappy country rising up against the odds and their much greater opponent. A young leader with history’s eyes on him, leading his people to a miraculous victory. This, of course, is the plot of the Hanukkah story, the subject of our newest video.

We’re huge fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical Hamilton, and we were especially impressed at how he used modern musical styles to direct the hearts and minds of millions towards the characters and lessons of history.

We borrow the tunes (and a few costumes) from Hamilton to trace the characters and lessons of the Hanukkah story, following Judah Maccabee as he leads the fight against the Assyrian Greeks and retakes the Temple. Don’t throw away your shot to share this video with your friends, and have a great Hanukkah!

Our EP, A Maccabeats Hanukkah, makes the perfect holiday gift:
Make this Hanukkah “A Maccabeats Hanukkah!”
iTunes: http://tinyurl.com/olwd8ov
CDBaby: http://tinyurl.com/no44vdm
Amazon (CD): http://tinyurl.com/qzldcxv
Jewish Jukebox (CD): http://tinyurl.com/przh65n

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

What I Am with Camp HASC

Maccabeats — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 16:45:33 +0000

Tensions are high. And while we realize that a music video probably can’t solve all, or even most, of the world’s problems, we hope to use our little corner of the internet to slightly brighten up our seemingly dark world.

This past summer we had the extraordinary opportunity to film a video with the special staff and campers at Camp HASC, the Jewish community’s premier summer program for children and adults with special needs. The ties between the Maccabeats and Camp HASC are strong, as we count no fewer than three of our members as former staff members there.

To best capture the themes of Camp HASC and why we find it so inspiring, we chose to sing will.i.am‘s “What I Am,” an anthem of empowerment, personal growth, and positivity. The song is an affirmation that each individual is special in his or her own way, and that we can draw strength from this uniqueness: “What I am is special: there’s nothing I can’t achieve because in myself I believe..”

Thanks as well to our new friends from the Chai Riders and the Hartford’s Proud Drill, Drum, and Dance Corp, all of whom brought their own special enthusiasm to this project.

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

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

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.

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

Latke Recipe – Hanukkah

Maccabeats — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 15:23:19 +0000

You knew we love to sing, but did you know we could also cook? We combine our passions for Jewish food and Jewish pop-parody music in this year’s Hanukkah offering, “Latke Recipe.”

A parody of Walk the Moon’s infectious summer hit “Shut Up and Dance,” our sixth Hanukkah video leads the viewer through the steps of making delicious, crispy potato pancakes.

The traditional explanation for the custom of preparing latkes on Hanukkah is that we eat an oil-heavy food to celebrate the “single jar” of undefiled oil “that burned for eight days” after the Maccabees retook the Temple.
We celebrate this miracle and the joys of spending the holiday with loved ones in “Latke Recipe.”

Enjoy latkes responsibly!

If you’re still looking for Hanukkah gifts, check out our brand new album, “A Maccabeats Hanukkah,” available everywhere:

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

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

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/