STEVE LIEBERMAN THE GANGSTA RABBI
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STEVE LIEBERMAN THE GANGSTA RABBI

Freeport, New York, United States | INDIE

Freeport, New York, United States | INDIE
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"REALLY AMAZING"

what's really amazing here is that Steve is a one-man band playing all kinds of instruments while relying on the flute and derivative woodwinds from around the world.---insanely complex and certainly aimed to change the face of music. Steve Lieberman has an incredible disc that will have you contemplating the face of music today(4/2004-re-LIQUIDATIA-455 - HUSSIESKUNK PUNK RADIO


"but there is a juvenile joy that comes through the music"

Steve Lieberman – Psych Ward
2008, Steve Lieberman

Steve Lieberman, AKA The Gangsta Rabbi, has been making music for 40 years in one capacity or another. On his 14th release, Psych Ward, Lieberman shares his experiences as a Manic Depressive, in the hopes of helping others who experience the same illness.

Psych Ward is low-fi garage recording all the way. It's a cross between the Wesley Willis Fiasco and Jethro Tull, with a little bit of Ozzy Osbourne thrown in. This is one of the most bizarre recordings I've ever heard, but somehow strangely charming. Lieberman tackles aspects of his illness and society's response to with (one supposes) humor, biting rhetoric, and a lot of angry ranting (in musical form). From the musical parody of The Divinyls (When I Think About You) I Cut Myself to the hilarious Wrong Day To Go Commando, Lieberman will leave you chuckling, laughing out loud, and occasionally just scratching your head.

Other highlights include Jew In An Institution, Spring, and I Got Suspended. The material on Psych Ward is probably not appropriate for the kiddies, as some of the subject matter is a little on the adult side (An Hour To Masturbate), but there is a juvenile joy that comes through the music; even in songs that sound angry. Lieberman is a talented musician, and may well be able to go toe-to-toe with Ian Anderson on the flute.

Psych Ward is a bizarre sonic treat for those with the constitution to get through it. It's fun, funny, bizarre, and not a little unbalanced. Steve Lieberman is either daft or part genius. I'll leave it to you to decide.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Steve Lieberman at www.gangstarabbi.com. You can purchase Psych Ward at www.cdbaby.com/lieberman14.
Posted by Wildy at 7:09 AM
- WILDY'S WORLD


"musical madman or genius with a vision"

Steve Lieberman: The Gangsta Rabbi- Shake the Missile Base
Friday, December 21, 2007, 12:02 AM - CD Reviews
Posted by CW Ross
Artist: Steve Lieberman: The Gangsta Rabbi
Title: Shake the Missile Base
Website: http://www.gangstarabbi.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/gangstarabbi
Style: Experimental Rock
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
By Senior Writer C.W. Ross

As I listened to the CD and read about The Gangsta Rabbi my mind was sent racing. This is some very different stuff musically, that you need to set back and try slowing down your mind's thought process in order to take it all in.

The Gangsta Rabbi, also known as Steve Lieberman, is either a musical madman or genius with a vision depending on who you ask. He's had almost a dozen releases with, Shake the Missile Base , being the latest. This album is filled with 22 songs lasting over one hour that feature distorted bass guitar parts that would probably make even the most hardcore punk bands cringe.

Here's what his press material had to say about it- " He is a punk-rocker who doesn't know how to play the guitar so he plays the chords on a distorted bass from hell held upside-down and backward ."

You'll also find The Gangsta Rabbi playing a lot of flute parts in the songs which I enjoyed. I know that anybody who plays the flute is compared to Jethro Tull but I could hear a bit of that Tull flute flutter in his music.

Without a doubt this is the most lo-fi release that I've heard since I started the site. I think that some of it was wanted for effect but it went a little overboard. The recording has a tinny sound that makes trying to hear what the song's vocals are saying next to impossible unless you have the ears of a canine.

The Gangsta Rabbi's press material says that the songs deal with anti-racism and Jewish pride. Another prevalent them though seems to be suicide with several of the songs having it in the title.

This release isn't for the faint of heart or those easily offended with song titles like, "Sex Whore," and "I Masturbate."

I do give The Gangsta Rabbi credit for not being afraid to do what he wants with his music and let the chips fall where they may.

While The Gangsta Rabbi's music wasn't to my liking if you're looking for some really experimental rock and like your guitar music hardcore distorted then Shake the Missile Base is for you.


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- INDIE MUSIC STOP


"another dazzling display of musicianship and the off-kilter oddness that makes Steve really shine"

Steve Lieberman — Shake the Missile Base Buy it at Amazon

Buy it from InSound

One of my favorite independent avant garde artists out there, Steve Lieberman, also known as the Gangsta Rabbi, has written me a song. Yes, all of my pleadings finally made him succumb to putting pen to paper, flute to mouth, and guitar plug to amp. A heavily distorted album as is the usual Lieberman fare, he distances himself from the more sunshine-laden lyrics for angry words of rage, heartache, suicide, and depression. “Editor’s Pick” is the one written for me, and it’s yet another dazzling display of musicianship and the off-kilter oddness that makes Steve really shine; ironically enough the song is about all the idiot reviewers that didn’t give him the time of day, or shrugged him off because they just didn’t get it. Well, I’m not sure if I necessarily always get everything that Mr. Lieberman is trying to espouse but damn if I want to. That’s why I listen, intently, to every damn word, note, and flute craziness that comprises “Shake the Missile Base” and more. “J-Sin made me the editor’s pick!” You’re damn
- SMOTHER.NET


"SHAKE THE MISSILE BASE"

Steve Lieberman – Shake The Missile Base / 2007 Self / 22 Tracks / http://www.gangstarabbi.com /

Despite the fact that I already know most of the ongs that Lieberman puts on eir “cover” albums, I rather prefer the albums that have a large amount of unique material on them. This gives me more of a sense of what Lieberman wants to do with music, rather than having eir constrained by the framework of a song influential to eir. The 22 tracks on this disc seem to have a more political edge to them, whether it be “Love@Defcon 5”, “Gimme Desert Fever”, “Commando Commando”, or “ld50/Private Suicide”.

“Public Suicide” is one of the strongest opening to any Lieberman album that I’ve had the opportunity to review. Despite the fact that flute has a fairly focal position on the track, the instrumentation meshes well together and creates a track that is very influenced by late seventies punk rock. Hell, Lieberman has created the best track that I’ve ever come forth from the “Gangsta Rabbi”. This track, “A Girl For Everyone But Me”, has a bouncing beat to it that has never been heard during a previous Lieberman song. While there still is a high amount of distortion during this track, there is almost a pirate-type of shanty style present that will keep individuals listening in to the next 17 tracks. Lieberman continues this grove with eir cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Radio Nowhere”. The more mellow aspect of Lieberman is something that I can definitely get behind.

This is due to the fact there is still a good clip to things, but the distortion opens up a little bit and allows listeners to hear what each constituent instrument is trying to do. The percussion is another strength during Lieberman’s cover of “Radio Nowhere”, which adds a little bit of a tribal sound to things. Overall, Lieberman gets into the zone for these two tracks. “I Masturbate” continues with the same strong suit, despite the fact that the vocals are a little on the sharp side during this track. “Gimme Desert Fever”, quite a few tracks removed from the previous three tracks, still is head and shoulders above prior Lieberman works. Artists, especially those that are as voluminous as Lieberman, typically fall into ruts. However, Lieberman has increased the quality of the tracks on “Shake The Missile Base” while still keeping the nucleus of eir own unique sound. Check Lieberman out; ey may just be able to further clarify and expand on eir sound.

Top Tracks: Lovesick Again, The Bad Touch

Rating: 6.8/10

- NEUFUTUR


"IAN ANDERSON WHISKEY DRUNK--SPLENDIDLY QUIRKY"

Any description will do it no justice. it's like Ian Anderson whiskey-drunk,attempting basement-level punk, singing through a megaphone and showing off his assortment of exotic instruments in the hurried in-between.you must experience it first hand to understand how splendidly quirky the real thing is.(Radio Free Diaspora-greatest Hits Of One Year In the Anti-Mainstream) - NEO-ZINE(10/2003)


"HIS DISCONTENTMENT LENDS TO HIS GENIOUS AND COMPLEXITY"

Steve's passion to express his views and discontentment lends to the genious and complexity of his music--strong with punk stylings and Jethro Tull-esque flute--definitely worth making a part of your collection - INSIDE CONNECTION MAGAZINE(3/2005)


""NEVER FAILS TO BE PROVOCATIVE""

The Gangsta Rabbi is at it again, this time with a musical telling of the travails of Israel and her children on Diaspora: A Folk/Punk History Of The Hebrew Nation. Diaspora is a highly interesting song cycle; based in Lieberman's trademark Garage sound, listeners will be extremely lost without a lyric sheet. Whether it's the vocal mix or issues of diction, I found it next to impossible to decipher the lyrics. Lieberman goes a bit further than just detailing the struggles of Israelites around the world; he assigns blame. Lieberman essentially chalks up all of Israel's struggles to sin; implying that each time Israel is separated from her land it is because her people weren't following God's will. Lieberman incorporates the flute into many of the songs here ala Ian Anderson, as always, and even plays with electronic instrumentation from time to time. Midianites comes across as a bit of cultural trash talk to all the peoples over time who scorned The Hebrew Nation but who found the end of their own cultural lines while Rachel's children continued on. Meri'bah-Kad'Esh caused me to chuckle a bit; it's a song about being freed from Egyptian dominance and sounds something like a polka.

The Fall Of Jerusa'lem introduces electronic instrumentation along with flute in bass in what becomes an interesting if slightly messy sonic stew. 4th Diaspora: The Endtime makes explicit what Lieberman has implied throughout; Israel constantly fights for her own survival because of her own sin, yet remains God's chosen people. The album closes out with For The Children Of The Ga'Za, reaching out to the innocent victims of Israel's on-going struggle with the Palestinians, bemoaning the deaths of innocents on both sides along the way.

Lieberman never fails to be provocative and straight-forward in song. Diaspora is no different. Lieberman tells stories drawn directly from the Torah colored by his own personal insights and beliefs. The result is a historical perspective with minimal political shading that is compelling for its willingness to share the blame. Diaspora is an interesting listen, but it is truly Lo-Fi and may just not fly for some listeners. Nevertheless, Lieberman is always worth a spin.

- WILDY'S WORLD


"LO-FI AT IT'S FINEST"

Steve ‘The Gangsta Rabbi’ Lieberman is a prolific songwriter with this release being, I think, number 16 for him. I’ve lost track of how many of them I’ve reviewed, it’s either 4 or 5, including this one.

If you’ve never heard his music before the first time you hear it you’ll either want to cut off your ears or appreciate all of the lo-fi goodness that it offers up. His own website bills him as, ‘The Most F-CKIN’ Controversial ‘artist’ in the World.’

Some of his previous releases include titles like, Psych Ward, Overthrow the Government, Last of the Jewish Pirates, and Shake The Missile Base.

The Gangsta Rabbi is a one-man band playing all of the instruments found on Diaspora, along with performing all of the vocals.

The music that The Gangsta Rabbi offers up is lo-fi at its finest. His songs are filled with overdriven/distorted guitar parts, tinny sounding drum machine beats and flute parts, along with the occasional sound from, whistles, recorder, steel drums, and beats. The odd ball in that grouping is the very well done flute work that is often a major part of The Gangsta Rabbi’s sound. Although I heard a lot less of it in this release when compared to other releases of his that I’ve reviewed.

This release is loaded with 18 tracks, including one instrumental track, that adds up to just over one full hour of music. Most of the songs have references to Books found in the Old Testament. The songs lyrics deal with the plight of the Jewish people.

The releases title, Diaspora comes from a term referring to a permanently displaced and relocated collective of people. The first mention of a Diaspora created as a result of exile is found in Deuteronomy 28:25 “thou shalt be a dispersion in all kingdoms of the earth.” It has become a term used to show the plight of the Jewish people over the years.

Stylistically the songs found on this release range from world beats, to folk, rock, and punk.

The Gangsta Rabbi makes no secret of the fact that he is bi-polar, his release Psych Ward was built around his time spent in one. That being said his music isn’t for everyone, if you willing though to take a trip into his musical world you just might find that you’ll enjoy the journey.

- WORDPRESS (5/2009)


"Genuine street poet speaking the vernacular of the ghetto"

Steve Lieberman - DiKtatoR 17
2009, Steve Lieberman

The Gangsta Rabbi is at it again, releasing his 17th CD in the last 7 years. DiKtatoR 17 is vintage Lieberman with a twist, offering up 22 tracks of Psychedelic Punk focusing on social injustice, Judaism, living with Bipolar disorder and showing a remarkably light sense of self-deprecation. Lieberman's style of bass-driven punk accented with Jethro Tull-style flute playing has won him fans and admirers throughout the New York City Indie music scene, and The Gangsta Rabbi doesn't disappoint on DiKtator 17. The same righteous indignation at the unfairness of the world is here, but behind it all, you'd almost think Lieberman has reached a point in his life where he's happy.

DiKtatoR 17 opens with Obama-Rama Yeah, a joyous celebration of the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Lieberman is notoriously hard to understand at times, a fact that he lampoons later on in Novelty Hit. Novelty Hit is one of three songs in which Lieberman takes gentle swipes at himself, something that hasn't been readily apparent in previous efforts. On Pay To Play Lieberman sings "If I didn't pay to play I wouldn't play anywhere at all". Lieberman also takes a playful swipe at himself in I Should Have Been A Musician. The DiKtator is an interesting track, sounding something like The Ramones playing with Wesley Willis.

Lieberman throws in a couple of unusual covers on the album as well. Waler'Ah (Happy Wanderer) is a unique take on Friedrich-Wilhelm Moller's tune that might just live in infamy. The song, originally titled The Happy Wanderer was an international phenomenon in the early 1950's, and a major Pop hit for the Obernkirchen Children's Choir. I don't know if Moller would ever have conceived of the Punk arrangement Lieberman sets it in, but I almost tend to think he wouldn't be displeased either. Lieberman also mines the Jerry Bock/Sheldon Harnick penned Fiddler On The Roof for Sunrise, Sunset in a highly entertaining turn. I Wish That I Was Hot is another surprise, an enticingly Pop/Punk missive that sounds like it could be soundtrack material for a teen comedy like American Pie. Lieberman hasn't lost his touch on social justice issues (We Have No Rights!, Terrorist, The Labourer), and displays a wicked sense of humor at times (Poopin' At Work). He even touches on his illness, singing the praises of Alprazalam and crediting it for who he is today. Perhaps the most telling moment on the album, however, is G-D Loves Me Tho' I'm Crazy. Once you get to the bottom of Lieberman's story you find a man who perhaps is finally at peace with himself; at least in that moment.

Steve Lieberman, AKA The Gangsta Rabbi is about as eclectic as they come. While he could be dismissed as a novelty, the fact of the matter is that Lieberman is a genuine street poet; speaking the vernacular of a ghetto that exists in all major cities but perhaps isn't recognized because society has colorized our views of what a ghetto is and is not. DiKtatoR 17 might be Lieberman's best work yet, if only because the humanity in his music is becoming more and more human with time.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

- Wildy Haskell


Discography

Hydroxyl-32(1977)
Nuclear Blitz(Edit 96 &85) (1984)
Bang The Bass Bopmania(1991)
Civil Disobedience(1992)
Resurgence In the Factory(1993)
Inseminator(1993)
Resistorslam(live)(1993)
Pit Bash Holiday(1994)
Mission of Tolerance 5755(live)(1994)
Labrador Pit-Core(1995)
Radio Zion(1995)
Sounds From The Underground (Compilation)(1995)
Ministering The Badlan'im(Live)(1995)
Gangsta Rabbi(1996)
Proselityzer 5758(1997)
Another Political Refugee(1997)
Upper Desert Discourse(1998)
Laboured All These Years(1999)
Bop Gun (2000)
The Noisy Minority(2000)
Diaspora Blaster(2001)
Bad'lania Rising(2002)
Public Kennel Wagging(2002)
Crank Spiv Records Compilation #4(2002)
Bad'lania Remixxed(2003)
Sonic Awareness Alternative Compilation(2003)
Jewish Lightning(2003)
Radio Free Diaspora(one Jew Against The Racist Machine)(2003)
Desert Fever Brigade(2003)
Kid Antrim Alternative/Hard Rock Compilation(2004)
Liquidatia-455(2004)
Hussieskunk Punk Compilation#2( 2004)
Arbeiter At The Gate( 2004)
Jewish Riot OY OY OY(Live) (2005)
Jew In tHe Underground(2005)
Punkifier( 2005)
VIVA THE GANGSTA RABBI( 2006)
Jewish Pirate( 2006)
Melancholia Falling(2006)
Last of the Jewish Pirates(2007)
Shake the Missile Base(2007)
Psych Ward(2008)
Overthrow the Government(2008)
Diaspora( 2009)
diKtatoR 17(2009)
DikTatoR 17(2010) JDub Records
Jewish Engineer 18(2010)
Jewish Engineer 18(2010) JDub Records

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Bio

Yeah--30+ years--17 CD's--and dilligently playing late weeknight open mic's or shows with hundreds of fans with the attitute of someone who's actually some kind of star playing Madison Square Garden.--hey WAIT-HE DID PLAY MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ON 9/24/2008 with Weezer! this dude rocks hard!! and is now JDub Records' newest artist!-yes Steve Lieberman the Gangsta Rabbi was SIGNED!

LONG LIVE THE GANGSTA RABBI!!!!

influenced by everybody from Jethro Tull to Green Day to the Sex Pistols to Flogging Molly.Live on stage, Steve Lieberman is a one-man sonic wrecking crew playing 1977-style heavy fast punk rhythms and leads strummed with his left index finger ON AN UPSIDE-DOWN BACKWARDS BASS at breakneck speed and heavy overdrive, sounding like nothing else but let's say an 1866 Iron Horse on it's way westward. yet on record, he provides the same angst, mixing the punk with folk, prog, Jewish and dance music with a bit more refinement.
there is no artist like Steve Lieberman the Gangsta Rabbi. his sound is unmistakable his-and with production tweeks in his last 4 releases, those left of the mainstream are really taking notice.
The self-proclaimed King of Obscuro Punk,the Father of the Punk Rock flute Steve Lieberman the Gangsta Rabbi' and patriarch of the
Pit Bash genre. Lieberman is a bass revolutionary, eccentric flutist and exotic multi-instrumentalist who has played dark, dusty late night open-mic's, opened for Andrew WK at a large Long Island club, has had entire radio shows on college and community radio and has even played flute with Weezer at Madison Square Garden.
He is a prolific songwriter, commercially releasing 17cd's since 2002 all listed in the All Music Guide with his 17th "DiKtator 17" coming soon. His creativity extends from bi-polar upcycles. Sales figures for his releases are over 20,000 as of January 2010 of which all proceeds were donated to Jewish and animal rights charities.

Lieberman's content throughout his career dealt with controversial subject matter as Jewish pride, struggles with bi-polar disorder, anti-racism. poitics and sex. A favorite of the outsiders because he speaks for them, he is not really understood by the mainsteam.

Musically, Steve Lieberman's music was described by WRXP New York City DJ Rich Russo as "Jethro Tull meets the Beastie Boys" when he played "I Wish That I Was Hot" on the Anything Anything radio show on 7/26/2009. Using no 6-string guitars, Lieberman plays all leads and chord on overdriven 4-string basses, fusing punk, metal, Jewish music, dance and prog-rock forming the Diaspora Punk genre
!


Many called Steve Lieberman a madman and many more called him a genious but love him or hate him, it cannot be denied that Steve Lieberman is a musical innovator hell-bent on changing modern music forever.
His fans explain Steve's popularity because he is certainly one of the most original, prolific and energetic artists on all levels--instrumentation, production, songwriting, lyrical content--you name it. Steve cheerfully disregards all the long-standing rules by substituting guitars with a series of overdriven BASSES playing chords and leads at a fever-pitch with a style reminiscent of the late JOHN ENTWISTLE as he wails away on the FLUTE over the proceedings like the illegitimate protege' of IAN ANDERSON himself, as STEVE earned the designation-THE FATHER OF THE PUNK-ROCK FLUTE!! If that's not enough, he masterfully adds to this already eclectic mixture , the TROMBONE, FIDDLE,MELODICA, and a bunch of exotic instruments, many of them not even heard of in the Western Hemisphere. His critics however have a different explanation for Steve's success. They say his music is like a train wreck. It happens and because of the shock value, you must keep returning to the scene to check it out because you just can't believe it. Either way, STEVE LIEBERMAN's music has been downloaded like 2 MILLION times in his first many years on the scene--be it for originality and energy of for shock, his popularity is as questionable as his music is addicting.

This however didn't happen overnight for Steve.It took over 3 decades!Teaching himself to play the Bass in 1971. he quickly discovered that by turning the instrument upside-down without reversing the strings and applying distortion, the bass can sound like a Strat on steroids.He became the wild-man lead bass player in a series of prototype metal bands throughout the 1970's. During the 80's and '90's, Lieberman became an angst-possessed post-punk singer-songwriter, a favorite at the local Long Island, NY original music scene because of his chain-saw bass strumming, lightning-fast leads and in-your-face thought-provoking politically and religiously charged lyrics and Chasidic hippy demeanor. From 1991-2001, Steve Lieberman released 38 independent albums.

After a house fire in 2001, Steve quickly "mastered "the flute (being a Jethro Tull fan from birth) and discovered some instrumental oddites as