USA: Just in time for the holidays, The LeeVees spread some rocking music for the Festival of Lights, Channukkah

The LeeVees is the brainchild of two Jewish rockers from successful indie bands who decided to write some songs after they realized there weren't enough catchy songs to fill the eight nights of Hanukkah. The lead singer of The LeeVees, Adam Gardner, who also fronts for indie fave Guster, and Dave Schneider, of the Zambonis, have taken up the important task of writing a bunch of rockin' Hanukkah songs. The guys were on tour with their bands when they decided to sit down and work on some tunes and now they have an album of indie-pop rock songs called "Hanukkah Rocks." "So Adam just said we should write some songs together and I thought maybe we should. Then I go to get some tea and he said we should write some songs about being Jewish. It really was a great idea and I looked at him and just we picked up two guitars and went to the back and started writing some songs. They came out so easily and we both like what we were doing. Lets just write a couple more and it just progressed. By the fifth song we said you know if we write four more songs we have got a record," Schneider said in Los Angeles, California. Hanukkah, meaning "dedication", marks the re-dedication of the Temple after its desecration under the Greeks. Hanukkah commemorates the Miracle of the Oil, at the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire. There was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days - which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate new oil. Tradition at Hannukah (spelled also Channukah for the hebrew translation of 'ch' which does not exist in the English language) is where Jews playing with dreidel (sevivon) game eating foods fried in olive oil such as latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts. "I think what's cool about this record is that you don't have to be Jewish to enjoy I think what you are hitting upon is that Jewish culture has sort of syndicated itself to Americans, more non-Jew Americans, are understanding the culture of Judaism and that could be through 'Seinfeld' or 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'," Gardner said. As an aside, the group are named after Gardner's childhood rabbi, Rabbi Levy. Unlike their Jewish predecessor, Adam Sandler, who traded in schtick with "The Hanukkah Song", their music is the real thing. It's fully thought music with a melody, chorus, and refrain. "We actually tried sending it to Adam and he sent it back sealed because he was working on something else and they didn't want any lawsuits. They said thank you very much but he is working on something else that is related and doesn't want to be influenced by this so they sent it back still in the shrink wrap," Gardner said of trying to get Sandler to listen to the music. So if you are looking for a rock tune to fill your eight nights -- whether you're Jewish or not -- you can listen to The LeeVees songs like "How Do You Spell Channukkah?" or "Latke Clan - Applesauce Vs. Sour Cream" or "Jewish Girls (at the Matzoh Ball)".

ITN Source | December 21, 2006

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