Ben's Playlist - Thursday, December 1, 2011

Good Morning Tucson - Jonathan Coulton
Sing Your Own Song - John Wesley Harding
Let Your Hair Hang Down - They Might Be Giants
The Happy Vegan Thanksgiving Song - Todd McHatton
Turning Tables - Adele
Richie and Ruben - Fountains of Wayne
Worms - Dog On Fleas
I Kissed A Girl - Glee
Get Me Out Of Here - Bill Harley
Set Me On Fire - Spirits and the Melchizedek Children

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Cave - Mumford and Sons
The Happy Whistler - Don Robertson
See the Seasons - The Rock Doves
Worms - Ratboy Jr.
Walking Wires - Radical Dads
River of Blood - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Laugh In Any Language - The Jimmies
A Road Song - Fountains Of Wayne
Tommy Got In Trouble - The Bazillions
Someone Like You - Adele

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Hometown Glory - Adele
I Gotta Feeling - Wilco
Sweet Harness - Sharks
Baby (Feat. Ludacris) - Justin Bieber
Say It Loudly - The Not-Its!
Lucy and Tighty - Okee-Dokee Brothers
Flying - Recess Monkey
Rocket Ship - Laura Doherty
Can You Picture That? - Quazar and the Bamboozled

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 28, 2011

Palomino - Mates of State
Harry Elefante - Rocknoceros
Wandering Free - The Plants
I Think I'm A Bunny - Todd McHatton
Ooh La La (Play Me That Song) - Baron Von Rumblebuss
Mighty Milo - Music For Aardvarks Presents David Weinstone
Amish Paradise - Weird Al Yankovic
Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
We Just Won't Be Defeated - The Go! Team
Horse and Buggy - Kindercastle

Ben's Playlist - Friday, November 25, 2011

Don't Stop It Won't Pop - Todd McHatton
Dancing Queen - Glee
The Daylight Strong - The Figgs
Rolling In the Deep - Adele
Little Brown Dog - The Missing Piece
Nemeses - Jonathan Coulton
TV - Music For Aardvarks Presents David Weinstone
Polka Face - Weird Al Yankovic
Ferris Wheel - Kindercastle
Jingle Bells Redux - The Jimmies
Sleepy Tigers - Her Space Holiday

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, November 24, 2011

Jamberry - Ethan Rossiter & the Hartwells
Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - Stevie Wonder
Slumber Party - In The Nick Of Time
Ole´ - Pearl Jam
Come Up, Horsey - Victoria Williams
You Can Stop The Beat - Glee
Wrong Thing - The Hipwaders
Let The Good Times Roll - Harry Nilsson
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
I Really Like You, Baby - ScribbleMonster
Hi 5 Dance - Flannery Brothers

Happy 1st Birthday to Ben's brother, Matthew!!!

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Say Hello to My Hippo - Todd McHatton
The Happy Whistler - Don Robertson
First Light - My Morning Jacket
The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars
Jump - Scott Fischer
Chrismukaah - The Jimmies
Up Up Up - Givers
Victor Jara's Hands - Calexico
Banana Stand - Ratboy Jr.
All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Christmas Eve - The Jimmies
Animal - Neon Trees
You Might Think - Weezer
Go Out and Play - The Plants
New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
Henry (Hudson), How Ya Gonna Find a Way? - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Bubble Test - Daniel Hales & the Frost Heaves
Hit Me With Your Best Shot / One Way or Another - Glee
Someone Like You - Adele
Say, Say, Oh Playmate - April Smith & The Great Picture

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 21, 2011

For Those About To Walk (We Salute You) - Daddy A Go Go
I Feel So - Box Car Racer
Mr. Bassman - Sondre Lerche
Ruling Me - Weezer
Ooh La La (Play Me That Song) - Baron Von Rumblebuss
Sesame Street Theme - ScribbleMonster
Chanukah, Oh Hanuka, Oh Hanukkah Medley - The Jimmies
Back To Black - Amy Winehouse
Big Black Snake - Dog On Fleas
Keep On Dancing, Pt. 1 - Alvin Cash

Starve a Cold, Feed a Chanukah Fever

Mama Doni Band Rocks Eight Days a Festive Week

Chanukah is back! It actually never went away. The year 2011 is the (Jewish) year 5572. That's a lot of candles and kugel. Not to mention dreidel-spinning. And speaking of festive jewish holidays, you can't get any happier than Chanukah, no matter how you spell it.

The Mama Doni Band celebrated its favorite celebratory event in 2009 with an entire children's CD, CHANUKAH FEVER, (subtitled, "13 Macca-beats for the Whole Family!"). The CD is a primer to the holiday, reminding parents and relatives of what's behind all the hoopla and mishigas.



From a 2007 start as the music teacher for her children's preschool, Doni has expanded into a full-fledged frontperson for a traveling band of Jewish minstrels, performing at JCCs and temples from coast to coast, including Manhattan's 92nd Street Y. I stumbled across the band on a clip from E! Television's "The Soup," technically a credit to boast about - even if the band is overshadowed by the antics of the hosts of the morning show program where they were performing.



Mama Doni strives for authenticity with its message. You get the hebrew and the meaning to the family and community. The band is committed to preserving Jewish (not to mention Yiddish) spirit in a world filled with 24-hour Christmas music marathons. Not every jewish children's act is sponsored by Streit's Matzoh. Surely a kosher stamp of approval.

Oh yes, the CD. You get the funky title track, the vaudevillian-esque "Honey, This Ain't Money" (an ode to Chanukah gelt), and clever tracks breaking down dreidels, the legend of Judah Maccabee, menorahs, and latkes. Aah, potato pancakes. One-year-old Matt is demanding "real" food now and loves to share latkes with his older brother. It'll take another year before he can polish off an entire pancake by himself, though.

Mixing culture with children's music is a tricky deal. It's frustrating that Christmas music coopts the "holiday" theme every December. And even when Adam Sandler's "Hanukah Song" gets mixed in on a pop station, it's seen as an ethnic curio instead of just another holiday standard.

The optimists inside me hopes that CHANUKAH FEVER helps stem the tide caused by the annual avalanche of Christmas CDs from Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey, among others. Let's light a festive candle, ladle on the apple sauce (my choice) with our potato pancakes, and hear some happy hebrew tunes from Mama Doni and her band.

Ben's Playlist - Friday, November 18, 2011

Building of the Road - Caroline Herring
Daydreams - Adele
Reminds Me Of You - LMFAO
Nogturne in C Minor - The Jimmies
Dancing Crazy - Miranda Cosgrove
Mammal - They Might Be Giants
Marry You - Bruno Mars
Uptown Girl - Glee
The Rockford Files - Mike Post
Lucy Lawcy - Keller Williams

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, November 17, 2011

It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
Baby In My Pocket - Dean Jones
The Wrath of Marcie - The Go! Team
Don't Drink Sea Water - Captain Bogg & Salty
don't like change - Brady Rymer
I'm Just Thinkin' About What I'm Thinkin' About - Chip Taylor & the Grandkids
Hello - Martin Solveig feat. Dragonette
Action Hero - Fountains Of Wayne
River of Blood - Deedle Deedle Dees
Octopus - Artichoke

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Not Too Young for a Song - Dan Bern
You're Not The Bossa Nova Me - Daddy A Go-Go
White And Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic
A Good Good Time - Nikolai Moderbacher
Making Promises - Indigo Girls
Someone Like You - Adele
Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart - Fountains Of Wayne
Honest Face - Liam Finn + Eliza Jane
Somewhere - Glee
Type A Prayer - Alchemystics

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Get Together - Youngbloods
Shake Me Down - Cage the Elephant
Something's Coming - Glee
A Song for Abigail Adams - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Great To Be A Kid - The Not-Its!
Cosmology, Your Futon, and You - The Amoeba People
You've Got A Friend - Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - The Jimmies
The Fox - Waco Brothers
Jamberry - Ethan Rossiter & the Hartwells
Shoo Fly - Don't Bother Me - Sweet Honey In the Rock

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 14, 2011

Why - Steve Weeks
When We First Met - Hellogoodbye
Your Room's A Mess - Rock Daddy Rock
Rocket Ship - Laura Doherty
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
I Really Like You, Baby - ScribbleMonster
Because I Said So - Keller Williams
Burn It To The Ground - Nickelback
One Hand, One Heart - Glee
Grandmom's House - Recess Monkey
Hi 5 Dance - Flannery Brothers

Ben's Playlist - Friday, November 11, 2011

It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
Song of the Passaic - Fountains of Wayne
The Only Exception - Paramore
Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
They Lady And The Tiger - They Might Be Giants
Hurts Like Heaven - Coldplay
Goodbye, Bird - The Fastbacks
Twistification - Dog on Fleas
Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, November 10, 2011

Daybreak - Barry Manilow
Meet Me Halfway - The Black Eyed Peas
Mama Dont 'Low - Ben Rudnick
eBay - Weird Al Yankovic
Set Me On Fire - Spirits and the Melchizedek Children
Laugh In Any Language - The Jimmies
Black Socks - Bill Harley
You Might Think - Weezer
Ole´ - Pearl Jam
Tomorrow - Me First & The Gimme Gimmes

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Six Months in a Leaky Boat - Split Enz
Promise of a New Day - Paula Abdul
You're Pitiful - Weird Al Yankovic
Where Do The Children Play - Horace Andy
All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople
Change My Luck - The Not-Its!
She Walks In So Many Ways - The Jayhawks
You Can Stop The Beat - Glee
I've Got a Brother - Nick Cope
Onyonghasayo - Skankin' Pickle

Ben's Playlist - Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Last Friday Night - Glee
Sliver - Nirvana
Dream All Day - The Posies
Reminds Me Of You - LMFAO
Baby Brother - Detective Kalita
Sacagawea - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Stalk of Wheat - They Might Be Giants
Sunglasses - Recess Monkey
Someone Like You - Adele
Ruling Me - Weezer
Octopus - Artichoke

Ben's Playlist - Monday, November 7, 2011

Angry White Boy Polka - Weird Al Yankovic
I Gotta Feeling - Wilco
Craigslist - Weird Al Yankovic
Bein' Green - Glee
The Daylight Strong - The Figgs
In Wonder With the World - The Boogers
8 Is A Number - Board of Education
Uncharted - Sara Bareilles
Marry You - Bruno Mars
Last Song - The Hipwaders

Ben's Playlist - Friday, November 4, 2011

Muriel's Hoof - Soft Boys
Princess Of China - Coldplay Feat. Rihanna
Horse and Buggy - Kindercastle
All The Best - R.E.M.
Jen - Stacey Peasley
Don't Download This Song - Weird Al Yankovic
You Might Think - Weezer
I Want A Hippopotamus for Hanukkah - The Jimmies
Vacation - The Not-Its!

Ben's Playlist - Thursday, November 3, 2011

Willy Won't - Debbie and Friends
Daydreams - Adele
White And Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic
Come To California - The Hipwaders
Grandmom's House - Recess Monkey
New Shoes - Paolo Nutini
Marshmallow World - The Jimmies
River of Blood - Deedle Deedle Dees
Twin Cinema - New Pornographers
Wrong Thing - The Hipwaders

Ben's Playlist - Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Alphabet Produce - Kathleen Edwards
The Golem - The Deedle Deedle Dees
Wandering Free - The Plants
Hometown Glory - Adele
Ode To A Superhero - Weird Al Yankovic
(Drawing) Rings Around the World - Super Furry Animals
Conservation - Rocknoceros
Wimoweh - Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights
Wild Thing - Troggs