The Original Synthy Pop-punk Hanukkah Song You Didn’t Know You Needed

I am a Boston-based ska and punk musician and songwriter and I’ve just released my original pop-punk Hanukkah song entitled “Spinning (Like a Dreidel).” Good luck getting it out of your head.

Fans of bands like Motion City Soundtrack, The Rentals, and The Cars will immediately connect with the synth hooks and crunchy guitars. I am a lover of all things bubblegum, and I’m more often known as the guitarist and songwriter for Boston ska band The New Limits, and bassist for New England post-punk act The Roland High Life.

This singalong captures the ups and downs of a relationship over the eight special nights of Hanukkah. Like any good December pop song, it’s less about Maccabees or messiahs, and more about make-ups and break-ups.

As the child of an interfaith marriage, I grew up with an appreciation for Christmas music while fully embracing my Jewish faith and community. I avoided writing Hanukkah songs for a long time because I’ve always been careful not to let this minor holiday become ‘Jewish Christmas.’ However, I eventually reached a point where I just wanted more songs for me, my friends, and my family to listen to. Over Hannukah 2019, I penned the lyrics to this song.

Conscious of the COVID quarantine, I recorded, mixed, and mastered the song myself in my basement studio in Roslindale in the Fall of 2020. The video soon followed, and I played the roles of each of my bandmates in that same basement.

My last — and first! — solo effort was “Date Night,” a pop/punk love song released in December 2019 as a gift to my wife. That song is available for streaming everywhere. My recordings with The New Limits and The Roland High Life are also streaming.

I hope this song is a welcomed break from the more predictable sounds of the season. Happy Hanukkah!