 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2019) |
The following is a list of Jewish rock bands and artists, bands which have Jewish themes in their music.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(October 2019) |
The following is a list of Jewish rock bands and artists, bands which have Jewish themes in their music.
| Established | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Shlomo Carlebach | German-born Hasidic rabbi and musician. Drew inspiration from then-contemporary folk music and hippie culture. Founded Moshav Mevo Modi'im, birthplace of several influential Jewish rock bands. |
| 1967 | The Voices Four | Consisted of students of various New York theological seminaries. Drew inspiration from the contemporary psychedelic rock scene, creating a sound labeled by director David Koffman as “Jewish Soul.” |
| 1976 | Diaspora Yeshiva Band | Formed at Diaspora Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Played a bluegrass and rock fusion with Jewish lyrics. |
| 1976 | Safam | "Jewish-American" folk rock band formed by members of the Zamir Chorale of Boston. |
| 1981 | Yosi Piamenta | Jerusalem-born Orthodox singer-songwriter and rock guitarist. Described his music as "klezmer with electric guitar". |
| Craig Taubman | Conservative singer-songwriter, best known for his children's music. | |
| 1982 | Isaac Bitton | |
| 1984 | Tofa'ah | All-female Jewish rock/blues/jazz band from Jerusalem. |
| 1985 | John Zorn | Avant-garde composer and founder of Tzadik Records. |
| 1987 | Shlock Rock | Known for their Jewish-themed parodies of popular songs. |
| 1991 | Steve Lieberman | American Jewish outsider musician with elements of punk and metal. Also known as "The Gangsta Rabbi". |
| 1992 | Sam Glaser | Los Angeles-based Orthodox singer-songwriter. |
| 1993 | Reva L'Sheva | Carlebach-influenced folk rock band. Bassist Adam Wexler was in Diaspora Yeshiva Band. |
| 1996 | Soulfarm | Carlebach-inspired folk rock band. Lead singer Noah Solomon Chase is the son of Diaspora Yeshiva Band's Ben Zion Solomon. |
| Dan Nichols | Reform singer-songwriter from Raleigh, North Carolina; founder of the band E18hteen. | |
| Hasidic New Wave | Experimental klezmer band from Manhattan. | |
| 1998 | Moshav Band | Founded at Mevo Modi'im in 1995. Members Yehuda, Yosef, and Meir Solomon are sons of Diaspora Yeshiva Band's Ben Zion Solomon and were neighbors of Carlebach growing up. |
| Rick Recht | St. Louis-based singer-songwriter who made his name performing at Jewish summer camps. Founded Jewish Rock Radio in 2010. | |
| Adi Ran | Hasidic musician based in Ramat Gan. Songs featured in the 2004 Israeli film Ushpizin . | |
| 2000 | Yidcore | Australian comedic punk rock band. |
| Pharaoh's Daughter | American psychedelic folk band with Middle Eastern and klezmer influences, promoted through Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series. | |
| 2001 | La Mar Enfortuna | Side project of Elysian Fields focused on rediscovering Sephardic music. Incorporates jazz, folk, rock, Middle Eastern, and Latin music. Formerly signed to Tzadik Records. |
| 2002 | Oi Va Voi | British Jewish experimental klezmer band. |
| 2003 | Blue Fringe | Carlebach-inspired pop rock band, formed at Yeshiva University in 2001. |
| Sefarad | Turkish Sefardic rock band. | |
| 2004 | Matisyahu | Formerly-Hasidic reggae fusion artist; experienced mainstream success with his album Youth and its single "King Without a Crown". |
| Black Ox Orkestar | Canadian folk/jazz/rock band performing Yiddish folk songs. [1] | |
| 2005 | Golem | New York-based klezmer/folk punk band. |
| 2006 | Rav Shmuel | Hasidic rabbi and singer-songwriter playing alternative rock and anti-folk music. |
| Heedoosh | American-born Yemenite grunge/britpop band led by brothers Yaniv and Yahav Tsaidi. | |
| Aharit Hayamim | Israeli reggae rock band influenced by Carlebach and Nachman of Breslov. | |
| 2007 | Aryeh Kunstler | Orthodox alternative rock singer-songwriter from Queens, New York. Bassist in Yaakov Chesed. |
| Hamakor | American-Israeli grunge/trance band from Mevo Modi'im. Lead singer Nachman Solomon is the son of Diaspora's Ben Zion Solomon and has brothers in Soulfarm and Moshav Band. | |
| Yood | Israeli blues rock trio from Beit Shemesh. Formed by Lazer Lloyd of Reva L'Sheva. | |
| Yaakov Chesed | Orthodox alternative rock band from Long Island. Won Yeshiva University's Battle of the Bands in 2007. | |
| 2008 | The Shondes | Brooklyn-based Jewish feminist punk band known for their political activism. |
| 2009 | Moshiach Oi! | Breslov-oriented hardcore punk band from Long Island. |
| Ashira | All-female Orthodox Israeli band formed at Bar-Ilan University. | |
| Breslov Bar Band | Ensemble combining traditional Breslov melodies with styles including rock, punk, funk, jazz, reggae, and klezmer. | |
| 2010 | JudaBlue | Orthodox rock band formed in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lead singer Shlomo Gaisin later formed Zusha. |
| The Groggers | A Modern Orthodox satirical pop punk band from New York. | |
| 2011 | Schmekel | Transgender Jewish folk punk band from Brooklyn, known for their humorous lyrics. |
| Moshe Hecht Band | Folk rock band fronted by Moshe Hecht, a Chabad rabbi from Brooklyn. | |
| 8th Day | Formed in California by nephews of Avraham Fried. Incorporates klezmer, funk, blues, and reggae. | |
| Shtar | Haredi rap rock band composed of American, British, and Israeli members. Formed at Aish HaTorah yeshiva in Jerusalem. Uses elements of Sephardic music. | |
| 2012 | Bulletproof Stockings | All-female Hasidic alternative rock band from Crown Heights. |
| 2013 | Deveykus | Philadelphia-based drone/doom metal band incorporating traditional Hasidic nigunnim . Signed to Tzadik Records. |
| 2014 | Distant Cousins | Los Angeles indie pop band. Formed by Dov Rosenblatt of Blue Fringe and Duvid Swirsky of Moshav Band. |
| Zusha | Neo-Hasidic folk/soul band specializing in nigunim . Co-formed by Shlomo Gaisin of JudaBlue. |
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The Diaspora Yeshiva Band was an American-Israeli Orthodox Jewish rock band founded at the Diaspora Yeshiva on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, by baal teshuva students from the United States. In existence from 1975 to 1983, the band infused rock and bluegrass music with Jewish lyrics, creating a style of music it called "Chassidic rock" or "Country and Eastern". The band had an international following, having become famous after winning three Israel Chassidic Festivals, in 1977, 1978, and 1980 and produced many hit songs. They were very popular with Jewish Youth Groups and tourists in the early to mid-1980s, and became very well known in Jerusalem for their Saturday-night concerts at King David Tomb. DYB had a considerable influence on contemporary Jewish religious music, inspiring later bands such as Blue Fringe, 8th Day, Reva L'Sheva, Soulfarm, the Moshav Band, and Shlock Rock. Fifteen years after it disbanded, band leader Avraham Rosenblum revived the band under the name Avraham Rosenblum & Diaspora and produced several more albums.
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