Jewish Monkeys - Catastrophic Life

After Mania Regressia and High Words, Tel Aviv's grandfathers of punk are back to present their latest album Catastrophic Life. Grandfathers of punk?! Not all band members will agree. In fact, several talented young bloods joined the ranks of the Jewish Monkeys over the past years, flashing polyphonic brass and shredding guitar riffs to keep the old guys on their heels. The ten new album tracks were all written by the band itself and see the expedition venturing into unfamiliar territory. Judging by their previous two albums, we were well aware that popular shtetl tunes blended well with ska rhythms.This time however, they up the dosage, adding afrobeat, reggae and funk licks, Caribbean flair, wild guitars as well as a pinch of Balkan sauce to the driving mix. While their biting, satirical verses are quick to rub salt in the wound, the Monkeys are equally prone to address their own inadequacies as they come to terms with old age, impotence, lying politicians and the incessantly rising temperatures on planet earth. Social criticism is simply part of the game as is Jewish humour and a knack for emphasizing one's personal shortcomings: Indeed, it is a Catastrophic Life for all those hopelessly married forever, claims a song from the album, but there's always hope. For All the Great Things always happen when you're least expecting them and in the end, it's all just one Grand Bazar, a grand mix of cultures and neuralgic points. We're living in a Robot Age as submissive victims to the algorithms. We'd be hopelessly lost, were it not for the one they call My Jewish Girl. And finally, Punkfurt takes things back to the city, where it all began: Frankfurt. It was there that the adventure started, their second home and the city the Jewish Monkeys will always hold dear to their heart. One of their notorious performances was even documented by German public television (ARD).