Asaf Avidan Thirty two-year-old Asaf Avidan just released a great, intimate solo album, Asaf Avidan – In a Box, featuring Israeli artists Rona Keinan and Shlomi Shaban. Check it out! Elisha Banai Twenty three-year-old Elisha Banai, one of the youngest stars to come out of the musical Banai family, has released a new album. He and his band, Elisha Banai Ve’Arbaim Ha’Shodedim (Elisha Banai and the 40 Thieves) released Kmo Kulam (Like Everyone Else) in February. Last summer, the band opened for Jane’s Addiction and this year they are touring all over Israel. Their hit song, “San Diego”, has received over 135,000 views on YouTube. The band of best friends is currently working on their second album, which will feature a heavier musical and lyrical style. Banai’s rock influence has carried him from being the teenage star of a band called Got no Shame to being the young front man of this up-and-coming group.Efrat Ben-Tzur This Israeli artist has found a kindred creative spirit in Emily Dickinson. Ben-Tzur, whose last album was released six years ago, has recently come out with an album that sets Dickinson’s poems to song. The album, Robin, features original takes on the poet’s classic works. She says she immediately felt an intense connection to Dickinson’s poetry. Ben-Tzur decided to work with the English versions of the poems rather than the Hebrew, both because of the clarity of the language and the ability of listeners all over the world to understand her songs. The 43-year-old Nahariya born artist, who was both a dancer and an actress before becoming a musician, is excited for the world-wide reception of this unique and heartfelt album.Karolina Two years after her brilliant first album, Karolina’s second album just came out and it sure lives up to the expectations. Zohar is a beautiful piece of work, which reminded us very much of the sound of 70s Israeli beat bands. All the album’s songs were written and composed by Karolina and the talented musician from Boom Pam, Uri Kinarot, and the result is amazing.Karolina combines soul, funk and Middle Eastern music into a great collage, which stays with you even after you turn off your stereo. Karolina’s solo album was one of the most successful Israeli albums of the last few years, as well as her collaborations with reggae band Solico and the all-women ensemble Habanot Nechama.Harel Moyal To most Israelis, he is known as the 31-year-old winner of the second season of Kochav Nolad. Moyal has grown up since then, and he is now leaping forward with “Sami”. It is the first single from his fourth album, which was released last summer.When asked how the fourth album is different from his past three, he said “apart from the songs people are used to hearing from me, this album has another message. The fact that I’m now a father of two and I was in Hisardut VIP (The Israeli Survivor) really affected me. Being in an isolated place has brought a lot of things out. It’s a mix of Eastern/Western music, influenced from music here and a lot away from home.”
