JDUB Closing

Dear Friends, Fans, and Supporters,

I have to share some unfortunate news. After almost 9 years in operation, JDub's Board of Directors has decided to wind down the organization.

The decision to close was entirely financial, as the challenges facing our business model are too great to overcome. We were never a normal record label, nor were we ever just a record company. We always knew that in order to discover, curate, and promote unique, proud Jewish voices and role models in the mainstream we would need to rely, at least in part, on philanthropic support. In addition to buying our albums, sharing the music with your friends, and attending our concerts and events, so many of you supported us as donors, talent scouts, and stream teamers. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

JDub would never have grown into the organization that it was without you.

JDub earned half of its annual budget from mission-related revenue, including album sales, concert tickets, and consulting fees, and the other half from foundations and individual donors. The collapse of the music business in the decade that JDub has existed, combined with recessionary effects and aging out of the cohort of Jewish "start ups," made securing the necessary operating support an insurmountable challenge.

We have shared some incredible memories - bringing 3,500 people together for The Unity Sessions at Celebrate Brooklyn; watching Balkan Beat Box play to sold out crowds of Gypsy bikers in Portland; jumping into a spontaneous hora at The Independent in San Francisco while a half naked Golem played frenetically onstage; putting many of you onstage at the Bowery Ballroom for an American Shmidol karaoke battle; being told "I've never felt Jewish until tonight."

We'd love to hear your memories and reflections as well. Please post them on Facebook, or tweet them to @jdubrecords.

Just as JDub modeled what a new Jewish organization could look like and achieve, we will also model how one appropriately winds down. We plan to share as much information as possible, and seek appropriate homes for our successful programs and assets. We hope that our albums will continue to be available on iTunes, Amazon, and record store shelves long into the future.

We are extremely grateful to all of our fans, funders and supporters, the creative and inspiring artists with whom we've had the pleasure to work, their devoted fans, and our innovative and energetic team. We close with heavy hearts, but incredible pride in our collective accomplishments and impact.

We hope you will join us for the last official JDub event this Sunday night on the Roof of the 14th St Y in NYC, where Deleon will play songs from their new album, Casata, which you'll get, along with free beer, when you attend.

Thank you again for supporting us in all our endeavors. It has been a true honor.
Sincerely,

Aaron Bisman
Co-Founder & CEO, JDub


A final JDub snapshot:
- 150,000 event participants in 472 cities
- 35 album releases
- 3 Gold Records
- 3,500 attendees at The Unity Sessions, the largest Israeli/Palestinian concert in the history of the United States
- 52 songs placed in major films, TV shows, or ads
- 800+ mainstream press stories including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, MTV, CNN, NPR, David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Rolling Stone, SPIN, Billboard, and Pitchfork
- 26 foundation and Federation funders
- 630 individual donors
- 2.7 million unique visitors to Jewcy.com since JDub's adoption


JDub is a not-for-profit that forges vibrant connections to Judaism through
music, media, and cultural events. We also run the website Jewcy.com.
JDub Music Inc | 37 West 28th St, 8th floor | New York, New York 10001
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JDub Music Inc. | 37 west 28th, 8th floor | New York | NY | 10001

Shotnez Bursts Onto The Scene

Once in a great while there appears on the musical horizon a fresh, new sound that pushes into new areas of the sonic spectrum. Today, that new sound comes from Shotnez, a band formed by Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat, of Balkan Beat Box fame. The music comes from an experimental base, but still speaks to us from their Mediterranean roots. Smooth melodies are punctuated with wild improvisations and complex rhythms.

The Guitar lines of Stephen Ulrich have a surf quality that adds another dimension to the antics of Kaplan’s multiple Saxes and Muskat’s eastern punk Drumming and mixed Electronica, while Itamar Ziegler’s Bass holds everything together with finesse. Short bits of spoken word add to the mood and randomness of the endeavor.

The band’s website uses the terms Art Rock, Noise Rock, and Crime Jazz to describe the music, but I think that I can most easily relate to Mediterranean Surf Noir. Shotnez truly is cutting edge music and defies classification by genre. The genre listed in the iTunes Store is “Alternative,” a term that I think is vastly over-used. All that being said, I think that Shotnez is on to something here that is rich, deep, and exciting.

The opener, Stolen Goods is a fast-paced tour-de-force that will whet your appetite for what is to follow. Driving Drums, Bass, and Electronica back the Sax/Guitar lines that have both a Surf and Balkan quality, if such a thing is possible.

Bagdad is a bit more experimental in nature, and has only a slight Middle-Eastern rhythmic quality.

Golden Apples is a bit more low key, with sparse percussion and longer melodic lines from the Saxes, and Jazz Organ pads underneath. Some tasty improvisational turns from the Sax and Guitar add some authenticity and remind us that Jazz is to be found here in some measure. The slightly out-of-tempo bending melody near the end is a nice touch that lets us down easy and shows the soul of the band.

Swag is a smooth groove with a swinging drum feel and great interaction between Sax and Guitar.

New Country starts with a nice Guitar riff, with Bass and Percussion. The Saxes join in with a very smooth Jazz line in harmony, then break into a sweet improv section. I Wish it was a longer track.

Chaos features some cool interplay between Sax and Guitar, with a lot of background Percussion going on. A nice slow jam is happening here!

Untested cranks up the heat with a frenetic beat and cool electronic rhythms going on, and a jazzy line from Sax and Guitar.

New Low is a moderate tempo jam featuring Guitar in a Punk-Jazz vibe followed by the Sax in a similar vein. I guess this is what Crime Jazz is all about. Yeah, baby!

Black Eyed Susan starts off easy, but soon the Saxes come raging in with the melody, supported with the strong attack of Bass and Drums. This is my favorite track and, I think, really defines what Shotnez is all about. Great stuff!

East Broadway takes us back into the Jazz groove, with Sax taking the lead on a smooth line that sounds like it could be a movie score. Probably the most traditional song on the album, it is a fabulous crossover piece for those just discovering the Shotnez universe.

Dear John is a rich interlude for the Guitar. This could also make for a good movie score, as the smooth lines lead to a sense of serenity.

Make It Run takes us back to a bluesy Surf Noir groove, this time with a Vocal. It has a beatnik 1950’s feel that is so cool and so fitting the Shotnez vibe. Check out the driving Bass lines that keep everything moving forward.

Shotnez has burst onto the scene and thrown down the gauntlet for all those Alternative-Punk-Jazz-Rock-Electronica fans out there. These guys are not about to be pinned down to a single music style. They have created their own distinct brand, and that is Shotnez. Enough said! Highly recommended for all of you who enjoy seeking out new sounds and new musical expressions. Yeah, man. Groovy!


Shotnez:
1. Stolen Goods 03:28
2. Baghdad 03:45
3. Golden Apple 05:17
4. Swag 03:09
5. New Country 02:06
6. Chaos 03:51
7. Untested (Fifth Bordeaux) 03:23
8. New Low 03:42
9. Black Eyed Susan 04:35
10. East Broadway Boogaloo 03:04
11. Dear John 02:46
12. Make It Run 04:30

The Band:
Ori Kaplan- Sax
Tamir Muskat- Drums/Electronica
Stephen Ulrich- Guitar
Itamar Ziegler- Bass

Shotnez- JDUB Records

JDub Presents Jewltide: A Hanukkah Bash- Saturday, December 20, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, December 20, 2008

in Los Angeles, CA

Jewltide featuring DeLeon, The Sway Machinery & Festival of Rights

@ The Troubadour

8:00 PM

Tickets:
$12

 

JDub Presents Jewltide: A Hanukkah Bash
The Troubadour - 9081 Santa Monica Blvd
Valet Parking available

 

Featuring live performances by
Deleon – 15th Century Spanish indie rock
The Sway Machinery - Cantorial afropop and blues from members of Balkan Beat Box, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Antibalas
The night kicks off with PJA’s Festival of Rights multi-media menorah lighting

Plus, dredyls, gelt, latkas (until they run out), and a free JDub compilation CD with every ticket!

Made possible through the support of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles

Sponsored by Progressive Jewish Alliance

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