The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Haim, Jack Black record songs for Hanukkah album

‘Hanukkah+’ is a collection of classics, original music.

- By Nancy Clanton nancy.clanton@ajc.com

There are so many Christmas albums recorded each year it’s difficult to keep track. But when it comes to Hanukkah, the songs aren’t as mainstream. “The Dreidel Song” and Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song,” are well-known, but few others quickly come to mind.

That might change with an album produced by Grammywinn­ing music supervisor Randall Poster, and featuring Haim, the Flaming Lips and Jack Black.

“With the collision of these artists and songs, I tried to create a spiritual reflection of one of the three big Jewish holidays,” Poster said in a statement. “How do you make something where each song is part of a whole? I built it piece by piece, artist by artist.”

“Hanukkah+” was released Friday via Verve Forecast, Rolling Stone reported, with a vinyl release on Dec. 13.

Haim — sisters Este, Danielle and Alana — will sing Leonard Cohen’s “If It Be

Your Will.” Black contribute­s two original songs: “Oh Hanukkah” and “Chad Gadya (Passover Bonus).”

Also on the album are Loudon Wainwright III, Moldy Peaches’ Adam Green, Holy Ghost’s Alex Frankel, Craig Wedren and Yo La Tengo.

The collection was inspired in part, Rolling Stone reported, by Yo La Tengo’s annual eight-night concert series “Hanukkah Run.”

“When our old friend Randy Poster asked us to contribute to an album of Hanukkah songs he was putting together, we were kind of stumped,” Yo La Tengo said in a statement. “As non-practicing Jews (and non-Jews), truthfully the holiday has little meaning for us (that’s the meta joke behind Yo La Tengo’s Hanukkah shows), but we were open to inspiratio­n. We thought maybe another friend, Sam Elwitt, could crack the code, and we think he did a fantastic job with his compositio­n ‘Eight Candles.’”

The album is available for preorder at verveforec­ast. lnk.to/Hanukkah.

The ‘Hanukkah+’ tracklist

■ “Oh Hanukkah,” Jack Black

■ “Dreidels Of Fire,” Adam Green

■ “Eight Candles,” Yo La Tengo

■ “If It Be Your Will,”

HAIM

■ “Sing It Now, Sing It Somehow,” The Flaming Lips

■ “Hanukkah In ‘96,” Alex Frankel

■ “Give You Everything,” Buzzy Lee

■ “Dedication.” Tommy Guerrero

■ “Eight Nights A Week,” Loudon Wainwright III

■ “Hanukkah Dance,” Watkins Family Hour

■ “Sanctuary,” Craig Wedren

■ “Chad Gadya (Passover Bonus),” Jack Black

 ?? LARRY BUSACCA/GETTY IMAGES ?? Este Haim (from left), Danielle Haim and Alana Haim of Haim are part of a new Hanukkah album.
LARRY BUSACCA/GETTY IMAGES Este Haim (from left), Danielle Haim and Alana Haim of Haim are part of a new Hanukkah album.

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