I spent much of last night with the songs of Schmekel stuck in my head. I thought I might post about them today, just in time for Shabbes. And then I found out the band broke up (amicably!) in February. So much for looking forward to their next album and encouraging friends in Brooklyn to their shows. I shall celebrate them nonetheless.
Schmekel described themselves as "Queer Jewcore from Brooklyn—100% Transgender, 100% Jewish!" I discovered them in 2011 through an article in the Jewish Daily Forward and learned Bandcamp in order to download their Hanukkah single; I preordered both of their albums and was not disappointed in either, especially watching their musicianship sharpen with the second. I never saw them live. I didn't know they existed when they played at Brandeis in 2011. (The same thing happened ten years ago with the Dresden Dolls. Man, Brandeis.) There's a nice late interview here in Tablet and an early one I just found in TG Forum. They were funny, catchy, Jewish, political, queer. Not all of their songs were as strong as their best lyrics, but some of their best lyrics were great. I hope I can keep track of the musicians from here on. I'll miss them together.
And here's some music. If you like it, I recommend buying more. It's still there and it's still awesome.
"I'll Be Your Maccabee"
I know you do it like a Greek and you're hung like a Christmas tree
But you can be my Shabbes boy—I'll be your Maccabee
"I'm Sorry, It's Yom Kippur"
Still mad? I'm not sure
But today is Yom Kippur
So I'm atoning for some shit I might have done wrong
"Tranny Chaser"
If you are a man, then wanting me makes you a homo
And women, if you want me, that does not make you more po-mo
"Super Transsexual Bros."
The way that your coding my gender's a mess
Your worldview's as boring as Microsoft Chess
Go read a book because, baby, your princess
Is in another castle
"I <3 Str8 Men (Butt Not 4 Sex)"
I don't want the kind of sodomite who will put it in a broad a night
Unless he's bi or queer or pan and wants to do me like a man
"Sex with Pans"
You like the twinks and the bears and the girls and the boys
And the leather dykes with the silicone toys
"Genderqueer Love Song"
I don't want to be a fascist—I'm not Aryan
They're the one for me
"Hold My Yod"
Hope you don't mind that I'm smitten looking at the place where you
Left a giant black and blue
"The Binding of Isaac"
I look like I'm twelve—at least my face is not a pizza
No one recognizes me on this side of the mechitzah
"FTM at the DMV"
Your grandma's sitting shiva 'cause punk is dead
"Maybe She's Shomer Negiah"
But nobody minds listening to a man sing
Before my transition, it would have led to mixed dancing
"New Men with Old Man Names"
Sometimes we have nails that sparkle
Our names are somewhat patriarchal
But even Republican snark'll
Admit that we read the Bible
Schmekel described themselves as "Queer Jewcore from Brooklyn—100% Transgender, 100% Jewish!" I discovered them in 2011 through an article in the Jewish Daily Forward and learned Bandcamp in order to download their Hanukkah single; I preordered both of their albums and was not disappointed in either, especially watching their musicianship sharpen with the second. I never saw them live. I didn't know they existed when they played at Brandeis in 2011. (The same thing happened ten years ago with the Dresden Dolls. Man, Brandeis.) There's a nice late interview here in Tablet and an early one I just found in TG Forum. They were funny, catchy, Jewish, political, queer. Not all of their songs were as strong as their best lyrics, but some of their best lyrics were great. I hope I can keep track of the musicians from here on. I'll miss them together.
And here's some music. If you like it, I recommend buying more. It's still there and it's still awesome.
"I'll Be Your Maccabee"
I know you do it like a Greek and you're hung like a Christmas tree
But you can be my Shabbes boy—I'll be your Maccabee
"I'm Sorry, It's Yom Kippur"
Still mad? I'm not sure
But today is Yom Kippur
So I'm atoning for some shit I might have done wrong
"Tranny Chaser"
If you are a man, then wanting me makes you a homo
And women, if you want me, that does not make you more po-mo
"Super Transsexual Bros."
The way that your coding my gender's a mess
Your worldview's as boring as Microsoft Chess
Go read a book because, baby, your princess
Is in another castle
"I <3 Str8 Men (Butt Not 4 Sex)"
I don't want the kind of sodomite who will put it in a broad a night
Unless he's bi or queer or pan and wants to do me like a man
"Sex with Pans"
You like the twinks and the bears and the girls and the boys
And the leather dykes with the silicone toys
"Genderqueer Love Song"
I don't want to be a fascist—I'm not Aryan
They're the one for me
"Hold My Yod"
Hope you don't mind that I'm smitten looking at the place where you
Left a giant black and blue
"The Binding of Isaac"
I look like I'm twelve—at least my face is not a pizza
No one recognizes me on this side of the mechitzah
"FTM at the DMV"
Your grandma's sitting shiva 'cause punk is dead
"Maybe She's Shomer Negiah"
But nobody minds listening to a man sing
Before my transition, it would have led to mixed dancing
"New Men with Old Man Names"
Sometimes we have nails that sparkle
Our names are somewhat patriarchal
But even Republican snark'll
Admit that we read the Bible
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