The Original Nerdy-Sexy-Commie-Girl
March 17, 2021 8:12 AM Subscribe
The Charming Hostess lost its frontwoman, Jewlia Eisenberg, last week.
An article in the Forward (originally known in Yiddish as the Forverts) provides a good introduction to the life of Jewlia Eisenberg, who created music she called "Nerdy-Sexy-Commie-Girly" by blending blues, folk music, and Jewish piyyut.
Her Wikipedia article
Looking around for her performances, YouTube seems to be a place to start.
A good example of her explaining and performing a song
Inspiration for Passover
One of her major works was a music adaptation of Sarajevo Blues, a book of poetry by Semezdin Mehmedinović.
I was struck by the last paragraph of the Forward article, where it mentioned that she was survived by her wife, AnMarie Rodgers. Jewlia's death is a great loss to the queer, socialist Jewish community. May her memory be for a blessing.
Her Wikipedia article
Looking around for her performances, YouTube seems to be a place to start.
A good example of her explaining and performing a song
Inspiration for Passover
One of her major works was a music adaptation of Sarajevo Blues, a book of poetry by Semezdin Mehmedinović.
I was struck by the last paragraph of the Forward article, where it mentioned that she was survived by her wife, AnMarie Rodgers. Jewlia's death is a great loss to the queer, socialist Jewish community. May her memory be for a blessing.
I got into Charming Hostess after stumbling across Elenke (SLYT, 7/8, funk, klezmer) ... sorry, I have no big insights, I just really like their music
posted by kurumi at 10:35 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by kurumi at 10:35 AM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
My first introduction to Jewlia was Charming Hostess's version of the Albanian jilted lover battle song Dali Tzerni.
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 11:14 AM on March 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 11:14 AM on March 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
. An amazing person. This is a tremendous loss.
posted by lasagnaboy at 4:06 PM on March 17, 2021
posted by lasagnaboy at 4:06 PM on March 17, 2021
Oh, that's terrible. She was so young!
I first heard her music in the Berkeley co-ops (the article mentions that she had lived in Barrington Hall, which must have been more than a decade earlier). It reached me at a time when I was struggling with, or perhaps I should say against, my own Jewishness. In her music I found beauty, edification, political commitments I admired, all espoused by someone who proudly spelled her name Jewlia. It was eye-opening.
Unfortunately, YouTube has only a spotty selection of her music, but go listen to Lady Gay and Klezsex. If you like those, the albums Sarajevo Blues and Trilectic are amazing and worth your money.
posted by aws17576 at 4:49 PM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
I first heard her music in the Berkeley co-ops (the article mentions that she had lived in Barrington Hall, which must have been more than a decade earlier). It reached me at a time when I was struggling with, or perhaps I should say against, my own Jewishness. In her music I found beauty, edification, political commitments I admired, all espoused by someone who proudly spelled her name Jewlia. It was eye-opening.
Unfortunately, YouTube has only a spotty selection of her music, but go listen to Lady Gay and Klezsex. If you like those, the albums Sarajevo Blues and Trilectic are amazing and worth your money.
posted by aws17576 at 4:49 PM on March 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
I am really saddened that I had never encountered her music before now. It is so good, and deserved an even wider audience. This has been a hard year+ and it is sad to see yet another loss.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:51 PM on March 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Dip Flash at 6:51 PM on March 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
. I feel terrible that I never heard of her before. Went and gave one song a listen and felt worse about never hearing of her before her passing. Going to hav to buy some of her music.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 1:01 AM on March 18, 2021
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 1:01 AM on March 18, 2021
.
i loved that band, so precise and so wild at the same time, wailing harmonies and virtuosic playing, passion and anger and wry humor and absurdity. here's one of my favorites by them: "Ferret Said"
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 8:17 PM on March 18, 2021
i loved that band, so precise and so wild at the same time, wailing harmonies and virtuosic playing, passion and anger and wry humor and absurdity. here's one of my favorites by them: "Ferret Said"
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 8:17 PM on March 18, 2021
. So sad. Loved seeing CH in the early days, they were a breath of fresh air.
posted by quarterframer at 3:46 PM on March 19, 2021
posted by quarterframer at 3:46 PM on March 19, 2021
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posted by ejs at 9:46 AM on March 17, 2021