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Catastrophic Life: The Album

08/11/2019The Jewish Monkeys Release Triumphant Third Full-Length
 

Thank G*d it's Friday! We survived another week, the world has not yet imploded and Agent Orange is still POTUS. Shabbat shalom everybody and l'chaim! Let us raise our glasses to life in all its glorious absurdity, "Catastrophic Life" that is, as our Jewish Monkeys release their triumphant third longplayer and kick off a string of live dates. After all, who better to comment on modern-day ennui than this band of sharp-tongued, middle-aged, manly manly men?

That's right, Tel Aviv's grandfathers of punk are back to present their latest chef d'oeuvre. But wait, "grandfathers of punk"? Well, they're definitely grand and some of them are fathers and they all bleed punk so let's leave it at that. In fact, several talented young bloods have joined the ranks of the Jewish Monkeys over the past months, flashing polyphonic brass and shredding guitar riffs to keep the old guys on their heels.

The ten new album tracks were all written by the band itself and see the joyous expedition venturing into unfamiliar territory. While their two previous works "Mania Regressia" (2014) and "High Words" (2017) skillfully combined popular shtetl tunes with ska rhythms, this latest masterpiece turns the affair into a true melting pot of styles, adding afrobeat, reggae and funk licks, Caribbean flair, wild guitars as well as a pinch of Balkan sauce to the driving "anarcho-Klezmer" mix. 

And let's not ignore their trademark biting, satirical verses, quick to rub salt in the wound and point fingers at the elephant in the room. But the Jewish Monkeys equally prone to address their own inadequacies as they come to terms with old age, impotence, lying politicians and the incessantly rising temperatures on planet Earth. Social criticism is simply part of the game as is Jewish humour and a knack for emphasising one’s personal shortcomings:

"Today is a very exciting day for us," says the band. "Our new and third album, on which we’ve been working intensively for the last couple of years is out! In the process of making it we took the liberty of being more direct, more critical. We experimented and expanded our boundaries as a band with new genres; musically and textually. So here it is, our new baby: 'Catastrophic Life'. Also, tonight we are going to Germany to start our tour, and we can’t wait to meet new crowds and spread some Jewish Monkeys love!"

That being said, the band will bring its vibrant, life-affirming show to stages in Germany, the Czech Republic, Israel and France this month. Check our shows section to find out more. You can stream "Catastrophic Life" in full and check out the magnificent companion video below. Again, l'chaim!

AUTHOR: Lev Nordstrom