Aryeh Kunstler | |
---|---|
Born | Belle Harbor, Queens, New York |
Origin | New York City, New York |
Genres | Jewish rock, alternative rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, composer |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, bass |
Years active | 2004–present |
Labels | Aderet, Sameach, Roar |
Website | aryehkunstler |
Aryeh Kunstler is an American Orthodox Jewish singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer.
Born into a musical family, Kunstler performed with his brother Dani in the group V'Havieinu before starting a solo career, releasing his debut album, From the Depths, in 2007. He also became the bassist for the rock band Yaakov Chesed. He currently plays guitar with the EvanAl Orchestra and is a record producer and arranger, having worked with artists including Benny Friedman, The Groggers, and Yosef Karduner.
Kunstler grew up in Belle Harbor, Queens, New York. [1] His father, Avi Kunstler, was a professional singer, as was Aryeh's brother Dani, a member of the Miami Boys Choir. Both were featured on the choir's first live album, Miami Experience 1 (1991), duetting on the song "K'rachem Av". Despite this, Aryeh initially had little interest in music, turning down offers to join the Choir and giving up guitar lessons after three months. He only began seriously pursuing music in seventh grade, when a friend who had just received a drum set for his bar mitzvah asked him to bring his guitar over to play with him. [1]
He attended Touro College and Sh'or Yoshuv yeshiva. [2]
In 2004, he began recording with Dani and several other singers under the name V'Havieinu. Although minimally involved in their first album, he became a prominent vocalist and arranger with the group starting with Vol. 2 (2006). [1]
In 2007, Kunstler released his debut solo album, From The Depths. Produced by Eli Yona, the album featured vocals from Dani and Lenny Solomon of Shlock Rock, as well as a song co-written with Peter Himmelman, "Show Me Your Love".
The same year, Kunstler became the bassist for Yeshiva University-based rock band Yaakov Chesed after previous bassist Dovi Salamon left to attend Yeshiva in Israel. Kunstler subsequently began touring with the band and has played on both of their albums, Rise Above (2007) and The Passage (2009).
In 2010, he released his second solo album, Our Eyes Are On You, recorded with producer and former Genesis drummer Nir Zidkyahu. During this time, Kuntsler had been touring with a backing band called the Aryeh Kunstler Band (AKB), featuring drummer Avidon Moscovits (formerly a guitarist for Yehuda Green), Avromi Spitz, and Eli Staiman, the latter of whom would become known as the lead singer of The Groggers. [1] (Kunstler would later collaborate with Staiman and The Groggers, engineering their first album and co-writing their 2014 song "Not Going to Shacharis".) In 2011, he released a remix of his song "Gam" with Orthodox rapper Hebro, and in 2012 he released a cover of Moshav's "Don't Give Up". The following year, he joined Benny Friedman and Shloime Dachs for a fundraising concert at Congregation Ohab Zedek, with proceeds going to help Kunstler's hometown of Belle Harbor in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. [3]
In December 2019, nine years after his last album, Kunstler returned to music with a new single, "Up Like A Lion". [4] Two months later, he released the song "Keli" featuring Yosef Karduner. [5]
Kunstler contributed guitar and arrangements to singer Benny Friedman's second album, Yesh Tikvah (2012). He was also featured in the video for the album's single "Maaleh Ani". [6]
In 2013, Kunstler, Yaakov Chesed bandmate Jake Polansky, Immanuel Shalev of The Maccabeats, and recording artist Simcha Leiner were judges at the third annual V'Ata Banim Shiru, an a cappella competition at Torah Academy of Bergen County that raises money for the Koby Mandell Foundation. [7] That same year, he contributed to the Moshe Yess tribute album The Yess Legacy with a cover of "Coming Home".
Moshav, formerly known as Moshav Band, is an Israeli-American Jewish rock band originating from Moshav Mevo Modi'im. Founded in 1996 by Yehuda Solomon and Duvid Swirsky, the group moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and have released ten studio albums. With a sound incorporating elements of alternative rock, folk, funk, and reggae, they were credited, alongside Soulfarm and Blue Fringe, with advancing Jewish rock in the early 2000s.
Yaakov Choueka, better known by his stage name Yaakov Shwekey, is an Orthodox Jewish recording artist and musical entertainer. He is of Egyptian and Syrian Sephardic heritage from his father's side; and Ashkenazi from his mother‘s side.
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The Groggers is an American Jewish pop punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 2010 by lead singer L.E. Doug Staiman, they are known for their satirical, often controversial songs dealing with a variety of Jewish issues.
Yaakov ("Yanky") Lemmer is an American Chazzan and performing artist. Lemmer performs traditional Hebrew liturgy, Yiddish folk, opera, Broadway, Israeli, and Hasidic music.
Benzion Hakohen "Benny" Friedman is an American Hasidic Jewish singer and a non-pulpit rabbi. Professionally trained in voice, he rose to prominence on the Orthodox pop scene with his first album in 2009. Singing mainly in Hebrew, Friedman tours extensively and also appears in music videos. He views his music as a shlichus (outreach) tool, with the goal of drawing Jews closer to Judaism.
Miriam Israeli, also known as Miri Israeli, is an American-born lyricist and singer of contemporary Jewish religious music. Her biggest hits are "Ima Tagidi Li", "Yesh Tikvah", and "Tikvah LeYeled". She performs internationally for women-only audiences.
Ari Goldwag is an American Orthodox Jewish singer, songwriter, composer, and producer of contemporary Jewish religious music, as well as an author and teacher living in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel. He was a soloist for the Miami Boys Choir at age 10 and starred on five albums and three videos before his voice changed at age 14. He launched a music career after his marriage and move to Israel. He has released nine solo albums, and composes songs and produces albums for other artists.
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Yaakov Chesed is an American Jewish rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2006, the group won Battle of the Bands competitions at Yeshiva University and Lander College before recording two studio albums, Rise Above (2007) and The Passage (2009). Their name is a quote from the Uva letzion prayer in Shacharis.
There's No 'I' in Cherem is the debut album by American Jewish pop punk band The Groggers, released through CD Baby on August 29, 2011. Originating as a series of demos recorded by lead singer L.E. Doug Staiman in his bedroom, he formed the Groggers in early 2010 after the video for "Get" became a minor viral hit. The album was engineered by Aryeh Kunstler and features vocals from Bram Presser of the Australian Jewish punk band Yidcore.
"Get" is the debut single and music video by American Jewish pop punk band The Groggers, taken from their debut album There's No 'I' in Cherem. It is also the group's first song recorded together; written by lead singer L.E. Doug Staiman before the band had formed, he decided to film a low-budget music video for the song using a pickup band, which would later become The Groggers.
Eliyahu Noah "Eli" Staiman, professionally known as L.E. Doug Staiman or simply L.E. Staiman, is an American musician, actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He was the frontman and founder of the Jewish pop punk band The Groggers, which he formed with guitarist Ari Friedman in 2010. Outside of The Groggers, he has performed with artists including Aryeh Kunstler, Benny Friedman, and Dave Days, and released several solo singles, including with the short-lived duo 3 Day Yuntif. In addition to music he has pursued filmmaking, directing music videos and comedy sketches for various YouTubers and making his feature film directorial debut in 2022 with Love Virtually, starring Cheri Oteri, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Paul F. Tompkins.
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