Founded in Ra'anana in 1991, alternative rock band Selfish Gene - which broke up in 2000 - has reunited temporarily for the album and a couple of shows. The group's British-inspired indie style is still top quality despite members' time apart.
By VIVA SARAH PRESShagen disk 88 298(photo credit: )HA'GEN HA'ENOCHI
Self-titled
Rusty Records/Hed Arzi
A decade and a half after forming, one of the country's top indie rock bands has finally released its first album. Founded in Ra'anana in 1991, alternative rock band Selfish Gene - which broke up in 2000 - has reunited temporarily for the album and a couple of shows. The group's British-inspired indie style is still top quality despite members' time apart.
Critics hailed Selfish Gene's musicianship when the band first appeared, but somehow the group's music never took off commercially. Back in the Nineties, the group offered up indie rock quite different from other English-language music in Israel, releasing an EP and opening for other acts. In 1997, the five band members left Israel to try their luck in London, lasting three more years before going their separate ways.
Six years later, the band has released its Nineties work on a disc that features 19 tracks, a CD that also includes the new song "Daylight Savings." Band members insist they don't plan to continue together, and are releasing the album only to leave behind a reminder of the work they did together. "Charming," which was produced by Berry Sakharoff, is one of the disc's highlights, as are the hits "Radio Time," "Pacifier" and "The End of the World." The album also includes new mixes to old songs.
Israeli music fans obviously weren't ready for Selfish Gene's music a decade ago, and it's a shame the band didn't stick around to make more music. Nevertheless, the arrival of this collection, as the saying goes, is better late than never.
TIKI DAYAN
Best of: Songs and Skits
Hed Arzi
Though Tiki Dayan has long been celebrated for her film and theater work, her singing career never really took off. This double-album takes listeners on a time warp back to the late Sixties and early Seventies, when Dayan was a hip 20-something who sang and acted as only she could.
The first CD features 21 songs, among them "Tzipor Al Til," a Hebrew version of Leonard Cohen's "Bird on a Wire," and classic Israeli tunes like "Eich Zeh Shekochav" and popular children's song "Mi Ra'ah Et Bunny." Also included are Hebrew renditions of songs by Gilbert and Sullivan, "Veshuv Levad" ("Alone Again Naturally") and "Claire." And there's also the collection's inevitable English-language track, in this case Gary Jackson, Carl Smith and Raynard Miner's "Higher and Higher."
While the songs don't appear to follow any particular order, Dayan creates unity between them with her gentle tone. This isn't an album intended to top the music charts, but rather a wistful look back at some of the most enjoyable moments in Dayan's long career.
On the collection's second CD, fans are treated to five of Dayan's most famous Hebrew-language sketches, including "Marriage" with Uri Zohar. Those looking for a piece of Israeli entertainment history will find this album a good investment.
