by Spencer Ackerman

I learned this lesson at a young age when growing up in Brooklyn. Hi, Jew-rockers: Spencer Ackerman here from the decidedly un-rock & roll New Republic magazine. (Actually, you'd be surprised.) Kara has been kind enough to let me blog here over the next few days. By way of introduction, I'd like to explain why the whole conceit of this website is wrong.

It's not that Jews don't rock. It's demonstrably true that many do. But can we really speak of "Jews" rocking? Lou Reed, sure. Sylvain Sylvain, you bet your tuchis. But the guy from Biohazard? Come on, and I'm from Brooklyn -- as I conspicuously mentioned above and will continue to mention as long as this forum is available to me. I just feel that we're making a mistake if we get too invested in the idea that The Tribe rocks, as if rock & roll prowess were included in the Covenant.

Think of it this way. The contributions blacks have made and continue to make to rock & roll are tremendous and irreplaceable. Think Bad Brains. Think Hendrix. More recently, think Dirtbombs. But the idea that black rockers owe a kind of racial solidarity to one another tends to lead to the promotion of some pretty wretched bands, like, oh, I don't know, Living Colour. It saddened me when Mos Def, a fellow Brooklynite (told you) decided to include some Living Colour-ish riffs on his disappointing New Danger LP. (Didn't some of LC actually play on the record? I don't know.) Does Mos really like Living Colour--I guess it's possible--or did he feel he ought to like Living Colour? There's honor in calling attention to those who paved the way. But sometimes it can risk the beatification of musically inferior acts. And I don't want to see Jews--not anyone, really, but especially not Jews-- falling into that same trap.

None of which is to say that there isn't a place for celebrating the musical achievements of Tribesmen. When I was 15, I remember getting my hands on a copy of the brilliant one-off fanzine Mazel-Tov Cocktail. (MTC was the work of Jenn Bleyer, who went on to found and edit Heeb.) The pride I felt when I learned of the judaica undergirding much of punk rock, from the 1970s to the mid-90s! But, upon further reflection, I had to admit: some of those bands and labels truly sucked.

All I ask is this: by all means, let's recognize the rocking that Jews have done. Let's just not set the bar so low that any Jew can clear it. After all, we tend to be short people with dubious athletic ability. Or maybe that's just me.