Picking up where Adam Sandler left off, Adam Gardner, Dave Schneider (The LeeVees) and friends turn in an entire batch of Hanukah novelty tunes that are simultaneously hummable, at times funny and clever and played with a ... more »kind of informed garage rock spirit and oddball sensibility that will appeal to fans of They Might Be Giants and NRBQ. They sing as much about the cultural underpinnings of the season as they do about the meaning of the menorah, musing about how the hell you spell "Channnnukah" (sic), "Kugel," and "Applesauce vs. Sour Cream" (on those delicious potato cakes). Clearly--like everyone else, Jew or Gentile--they live to eat at this festive time. The fun keeps rolling as they get Adam's mom involved on the tune about the timeshare in Florida, and rhyme Madonna with Kabala, pondering how the former got into the latter, then take us to the Matzah Ball in "Jewish Girls," a Jewish singles party with "girls all shapes and sizes." Oy, and yes it does, it rocks too! -- Martin Keller« less
Picking up where Adam Sandler left off, Adam Gardner, Dave Schneider (The LeeVees) and friends turn in an entire batch of Hanukah novelty tunes that are simultaneously hummable, at times funny and clever and played with a kind of informed garage rock spirit and oddball sensibility that will appeal to fans of They Might Be Giants and NRBQ. They sing as much about the cultural underpinnings of the season as they do about the meaning of the menorah, musing about how the hell you spell "Channnnukah" (sic), "Kugel," and "Applesauce vs. Sour Cream" (on those delicious potato cakes). Clearly--like everyone else, Jew or Gentile--they live to eat at this festive time. The fun keeps rolling as they get Adam's mom involved on the tune about the timeshare in Florida, and rhyme Madonna with Kabala, pondering how the former got into the latter, then take us to the Matzah Ball in "Jewish Girls," a Jewish singles party with "girls all shapes and sizes." Oy, and yes it does, it rocks too! -- Martin Keller
"Believe it or not it is a Hanukkah album and not one accordian can be heard on this CD. Finally, my Hanukkah music, not my great grandparents music from the old Country. The LeeVees are two guys who were recently touring with their bands and kept talking about the lack of Hanukkah music they could relate to and the the feelings of disinfrancisment during the holiday season.
They came up with this great record. Music about being Jewish, happy, and celebratory all to some great pop/rock hooks. I put this in the car and my two boys (10 & 8) had the heads bobbing and air guitar going.
All I can say is way to go LeeVee's and keep making records."
Awesome.
Bob Barnacle | New York, NY | 10/31/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Catchy hooks, incredible arrangements, tasteful production and hilariously clever lyrics will keep this disc in your CD player all holiday season. Whether you be Jew, Gentile, or a tasty mix of both, you will enjoy many a good listen to this excellent project. A perfect grab-bag gift/stocking stuffer."
Amazingly good!
J. Silver | 11/04/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow, this is so good! The songs are really well written and the production is fantastic... both way more so than you might expect for a "holiday" album. Makes a great gift and I promise you will love many (if not all) of these songs!"
It DOES rock!
J. B. Smith | Bucks County, PA | 02/02/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this for my Christmas-carol-weary daughters (ages 10 and 12) and they LOVE it. They downloaded it into their i-pods and listen to all the tunes even long after the holiday. The lyrics are funny for anyone,the attitude and tunes are sophisticated, and it really gives a sense of belonging to Jewish kids for whom the Christmas season can be alienating. I highly recommend this album to Jewish kids and parents."
An instant classic!
Doug Gordon | Brooklyn, NY | 11/02/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Finally, the Hanukkah - or is it Channukah? - album the festival of light truly deserves. The songs are instant classics and immensely catchy and will appeal to all ages. I've been listening to this album for a few weeks already and Hanukkah is still over a month away. Some of the songs, like "Kugel," stand on their own and don't require a calendar that says December for maximum enjoyment. No more "I Had a Little Dreidel" for me; from now on it's all about the LeeVees!"