Moshiach Oi!
| Moshiach Oi! | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Long Beach, New York, USA |
| Genres |
Jewish rock Hardcore punk |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Shemspeed, Shabasa |
| Associated acts | Moshe Hecht Band, Blanket Statementstein, White Shabbos, Rockazion, Shin Shin Mem |
| Website |
moshiachoi |
| Members |
Yishai Romanoff Mike Wagner Mitchell "Mordechai" Harrison Paul "Pesach" Alpert |
Moshiach Oi! is an American Hasidic punk rock band from Long Beach, New York. Formed in 2008 by lead singer Yishai Romanoff and guitarist Mike Wagner, they released their debut album, Better Get Ready (2009), on Shemspeed Records, followed in 2011 by This World is Nothing. They were prominently featured in the 2012 documentary Punk Jews.
Band history
Moshiach Oi! was started in 2008 by singer/guitarist Yishai Romanoff, who sought to reconcile his then-recently renewed Jewish faith with the punk rock music he had loved as a teenager.[1] Initially a solo act, Romanoff eventually brought in his friend Mike Wagner, as well as bassist Mitchell "Mordechai" Harrison and drummer Paul "Pesach" Alpert, to complete the band.[2][3]
The group's debut album, Better Get Ready, produced by Wagner and mastered by veteran punk producer Don Fury, was released by Shemspeed Records and the band's own Shabasa Records label on August 25, 2009.[2] A second album, This World is Nothing, was released two years later just on Shabasa,[4] accompanied by the single and music video "Got Nothing On Me". The band was prominently featured in the 2012 documentary Punk Jews.[5]
Musical style
Moshiach Oi's music combines the sound of traditional hardcore punk with lyrics that promote Jewish ideals and values. While the music is inspired by Romanoff's teenage love of punk bands like Leftöver Crack and F-Minus,[1] lyrical topics include blessing God, Shabbat, Torah study, idolatry, Moshiach, and Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.[6] Patrick Aleph of the website Jewcy summarized Better Get Ready as "a blistering punk rock siddurim that effortlessly ties together Black Flag and Rambam, 7 Seconds and the Rebbe, The Casualties and the Kabballists."[7]
Shabasa Records
| Shabasa Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Mike Wagner, Yishai Romanoff, Paul Alpert, Mitchell Harrison |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Jewish rock, punk rock, folk, reggae |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | Long Beach, New York |
Moshiach Oi! collectively owns the independent label Shabasa Records, which has released all of their music. In addition, the label hosts several other acts, all of which contain members of Moshiach Oi!.
- Current artists
- Moshiach Oi!
- Blanket Statementstein
- RockaZion
- White Shabbos
- Mr. Shabbos
- Shin Shin Mem
- Na Nach Oi!
Members
- Yishai Romanoff — lead vocals, guitar
- Mike Wagner — guitar, vocals, trombone
- Mitchell "Mordechai" Harrison — bass guitar, vocals
- Paul "Pesach" Alpert — drums
Discography
- Albums
- Better Get Ready (June 20, 2009; Shemspeed, Shabasa)
- This World Is Nothing (June 28, 2011; Shabasa)
- Singles
- "Got Nothing on Me" (This World is Nothing; music video)
References
- 1 2 Leland, John (Mar 9, 2013). "The Orthodox Fringe". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- 1 2 Savage, Emily (Sep 2009). "Moshiach Oi! Hardcore Torah-lovers". Jweekly. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ↑ Suskind, Alex (Aug 2009). "A Blitzkrieg Bop for God". The Forward. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ↑ "This World Is Nothing". Amazon.com. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ↑ Osgood, Kelsey (Dec 10, 2012). "Abrahamic Rockers". The New Yorker. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ↑ Croland, Michael (June 2010). "Punk Jews in the East Village". Jewcy. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
- ↑ Aleph, Patrick (Sep 2009). "Album Review: Moshiach Oi! "Better Get Ready"". Jewcy. Retrieved 31 March 2013.