stereo sinai 5769

Shalom Aleichem!

2010-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

To all the new Thumpers... Welcome to stereosinai.com! ("Thumpers" is what fans of Stereo Sinai and Biblegum Pop music call themselves; from the term 'Bible thumpers'.)

Have a blast perusing our site and blog, and especially be sure to check out our music page here!
Comment, contact us, and enjoy!

And to all our existing Thumpers, we love you, and keep on thumping!

Stereo Sinai's Guide to the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival

2010-06-11T08:55:00.001-07:00

Thumpers! We at Stereo Sinai are very excited to remind you that this Sunday, June 13th, at 4:00pm on the Cabaret Stage, we will be playing the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival! We've got all kinds of fun things in store, so we hope you'll join us for some rockin' out, biblegum pop style...

But, shlepping out to the 'burbs, you may as well make a day of it. The following list comprises Stereo Sinai's picks of our Festival favorites - enjoy!

There are a bunch of cool acts performing - here are some highlights:

The Moshe Skier Band - 11:00am, Crain-Maling Stage

The Ruby Harris Band - 12:00pm, Crain-Maling Stage

David Broza - 12:45pm, Crain-Maling Stage

(Get ready for more shameless self-promotion in 3...2...)

STEREO SINAI, HOORAY! - 4:00pm, Cabaret Stage

Aaron Freeman (comedian) - 5:00pm, Cabaret Stage

(Sadly, our friends at Even Sh'siyah will not be playing this year, as they have in the past, but we encourage you to check them out around town whenever you can. Their unbelievable drummer, Matt Kanter, will be performing with a fun, goofy outfit called Tzioni 'R' Us at 11:00am on the Crain-Maling Stage.)

And definitely take some time to stop by the organization booths of some of our brilliant buddies:

Kfar Jewish Arts Center

PunkTorah

The Gan Project

The Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago

Limmud Chicago

There are some truly talented visual artists exhibiting and selling their wares. Take a moment to visit Limor Katz-Evans of Ella Klara Designs (a sponsor of Stereo Sinai) and Fran Moss's fun and funky Chai Note Designs.

Once you've done sufficient wandering, there are all kinds of kosher (even vegetarian!) options available at the various food booths.

So go, gey gezunterheyt. See you there!

Help PunkTorah Invade Chicago!

2010-05-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Some of our favorite altera-frummies, the PunkTorah crew, are coming to Chicago! PunkTorah (which you can check out for yourself at punktorah.org or on Facebook), founded by the unstoppable Patrick Aleph, is...well, they explain it better than I ever could:

Because the term “punk”, like “rebel”, “renegade” or “revolutionary”, is at the heart of the Jewish experience. “Punk” as a mindset, not a musical style.
Avraham Avinu, Abraham, our father, was the original punk. Abraham smashed idols like Jimi Hendirx smashed guitars. Abraham completely rebelled against the mainstream culture of his time, spreading a message that was hated and feared by many. He taught those willing to be taught, and stood firm against the tide of social blindness running rampant in his day. Like our ancestors, we are a tribe of people who don’t take “no” for an answer. We survive and flourish because of our individuality, but also our collective responsibility for each other. When you dig into your heart, and pull out a Jewish answer to the issues that confront you, that is “as PunkTorah as it gets”.
A non-profit organization (501c3 pending), PunkTorah is committed to the idea that you can approach “doing Jewish” without undoing yourself. You don’t have to be someone that you are not. It’s not about taking stuff away from your life, or taking things away from you. It’s about adding to your life.

PunkTorah has registered a booth at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival - where we will also be playing at 4:00pm - and we hope you'll stop by and say hi to them. In order to get there and make their mark, though, they're gonna need some gelt. An $18 donation through PayPal (to punktorah@gmail.com) will not only get them to Chicago, but will help them develop new outreach programs on progressive approaches to prayer and kashrut, organize a tikkun olam trip to Uganda, counteract the anti-Thumpers at Westboro Baptist Church, run interfaith Shabbat dinners, and so many other incredible things.

Got questions? Want to know more, or help out? Definitely check out PunkTorah.org, or connect with Patrick: punktorah@punktorah.org.

Upcoming Biblegum Pop Shows - 5/11 and 5/16

2010-05-10T08:21:00.001-07:00

Thumpers! We have some exciting events coming up that... well, we just couldn't contain ourselves. We had to let you know.

In case there was any doubt, Stereo Sinai does indeed rock the suburbs. On May 11th we'll be celebrating with Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation, and we hope to see you there!

Yom Yerushalayim Concert (Jerusalem Day)

Tuesday, May 11th

at Lincolnwood Jewish Congregation

7117 N Crawford Ave in Lincolnwood

6:30-8:00pm

Tix are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, $5 for students w/ID

(BUT we have a few FREE tix to give away - shoot us a message and we'll hook you up!)

Also, we are very excited to be playing in the VIP room of Emanuel Congregation's Comedy Night with Fred Armisen, Jeff Garlin, and special musical guest Jeff Tweedy of Wilco!!! (Yes, really.) Info is below, but be sure to check out all the details here.

Comedy, Q & A's with Fred Armisen and Jeff Garlin

Sunday, May 16th

at Emanuel Congregation

5959 N Sheridan in Chicago

7:00-9:00pm (doors at 7, show at 8)

Ask us about ticket prices, or check out www.armisenshow.com

Oy, and there is so much more to come... Keep your ears to the ground, thumpers!

Thanks for the Love - Free Download for You!

2010-04-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Thumpers,

In appreciation of your support for our Earth Day push on behalf of the Arava Institute, and for your general marvelousness, we offer our song, "David and Goliath," as a free download until midnight tomorrow (Tuesday, April 27th). Check it out!

Our respective reactions are depicted visually. That is all.

Miriam and Alan

Earth Day Special - Help Us Help the Arava Institute!

2010-04-22T06:54:00.001-07:00

Thumpers! Stereo Sinai is doing a huge promotion in honor of Earth Day 2010!

For every 100 new "likes" on our Facebook page, we will donate $50 to the Arava Institute in Israel, an organization that promotes both cooperation and environmental sustainability in the Middle East.

So what are you waiting for? Find us on Facebook, tell your friends, help us get there!

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

See you at the Jewish Festival, June 13th!

2010-04-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Thumpers! We are proud to announce that Stereo Sinai is a judges' pick to play this year's Greater Chicago Jewish Festival!!!

Thank you to everyone who came out to vote and cheer for us at Jewish Chicago's Got Talent - y'all are the best. We're very excited to have been offered a slot performing alongside so many other cool Chicago acts and this year's headliner, the incomparable David Broza. Mark your calendars and we'll see you there!

Generation Gap

2010-04-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

As you may know, yesterday was Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Rememberance Day. Our friend Eli Ungar-Sargon, who is a filmmaker/photographer currently based in Chicago, used the day to release his new film documenting three generations of his family - his grandfather, father, and Eli himself - and how they relate to the Holocaust. "Generation Gap" is a deceptively simple, powerful film that is both deeply personal and undeniably universal. And we're proud to say that the short snippets of music included (a niggun, or wordless tune, that is one of the Ungar family's last vestiges left from before the Holocaust) were recorded in the Stereo Sinai studio.

We hope you'll take a moment to watch, reflect, remember, challenge, and take action.

Help Stereo Sinai Play This Year's Folk Festival!

2010-04-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Thumpers! This Sunday Stereo Sinai will be auditioning alongside a whole slew of cool local acts (including our friends the Moshe Skier Band) for a slot at this year's Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, and we need your help!

Everyone is welcome to this show. Admission is $5, which gets you into the Skokie Theater and grants you 5 votes, which you can cast for any band you like. You can also, in this oh-so-democratic system, buy extra votes for a buck each, or 25 for $20.

Anyway, below are all the details fit to print. We're the 4th band to play, so come by early and hang out with us afterwards... :)

Jewish Chicago's Got Talent (we know, we know...)

Sunday, April 11th

6-9:00pm

Skokie Theater

7929 Lincoln Ave.

Skokie, IL

See you there!

And, as always, there is more biblegum pop to come, so stay tuned...

Huh. Turns Out Kids' Music Doesn't Suck - "Eats Paste" Out Today!

2010-04-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

No April Fools, we promise.

ToyBlock Music, that unique and funky project dedicated to making children's music not suck, released its EP, aptly entitled "Eats Paste," today! Talk about punking kids' music. Anyway, Stereo Sinai's version of the Dutch lullaby "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" is featured, so download away!

Other tunes included are a funk version of "The Wheels on the Bus," a surf-punk "The Cat Came Back," and...well, go see for yourself at toyblockmusic.com.

Also, we have to mention that Miriam is more intimately involved in this stupendous project - she wrote all those snarky descriptions of the songs and has done other fun things behind the scenes.

We're really proud to have been included in this amazing effort. Keep your eyes open for the full-length CD (due out in the fall) with more cool interpretations from your favorite biblegum poppers...

April 4th Show: Oranges ROCK the Seder Plate

2010-03-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hey Thumpers! Big big show coming up - we'll be playing alongside crazy cool chick rockers Girls in Trouble and Naomi Less at an event to honor Jewish female performers and citrus fruit. (And if you're wondering about this whole orange-seder plate thing, check this out.) A full afternoon of amazing women sparking your souls to head into the last days of the festival of freedom...there's nothing else like it. Here are all the details:

Oranges ROCK the Seder Plate

Featuring Girls in Trouble, Stereo Sinai, and Naomi Less

Sunday, April 4th

3-5:00pm

BooCoo Cultural Center

Evanston, IL

Grab tix early through Kfar Jewish Arts Center!

The "Mi Yimalel" Dance

2010-03-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

This past Chanukah, the festival of lights, Stereo Sinai was asked by our buddies over at MyJewishLearning.com to produce a hip new version of "Mi Yimalel" (or "Who Can Retell"). The song was available for free download through Chanukah and now - yes Thumpers, the waiting is over - you can get it right here!

You must be overcome. We understand. But we're going to have to go against our better judgment and up the excitement, and even add a splash of sheer cute-osity. Below is a video of one of our tiniest fans dancing to the song, and, we're telling you, she has got some moves (right on, Ezzah!). Enjoy!

TODAY: ToyBlock Music on I Wear Your Shirt

2010-03-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

ToyBlock Music is unlike anything else out in the music world today. It is an ongoing collection of real artists reinterpreting their favorite childhood songs and making them, well, real music. The EP, coming out officially on April 1st (yep, April Fool's Day), is called Eats Paste and will feature a super funky "The Wheels on the Bus," a surf/lounge "The Cat Came Back," and Stereo Sinai's special take on "Wynken, Blynken and Nod," among others. We've heard them, and believe us, they seriously rock.

Catch a sneak peek of the project today on I Wear Your Shirt! And, in the meantime, you can head over to the website, www.toyblockmusic.com, and sign up for the mailing list to get insider information and special deals on way cool ToyBlock Music stuff in the future.

Need more? How about this: a portion of the proceeds from ToyBlock Music will be donated to PAGER, a national charity that works with families and kids with GERD, a truly nasty disease that not too many people know about, or know how to diagnose.

Oh, and did we mention there are not one, but TWO Grammy Award winners featured on this project? That's right. Ricco Lumpkins (who won for TLC's album, Fanmail - yes, the one with "No Scrubs") and Matt Shane (Flight of the Conchords) are mixing, producing, and mastering a bunch of the tracks, making them sparkle with that unique Grammy-shine.

Anyway, we're way excited about ToyBlock Music. Our track is a lullaby Miriam's mom used to sing her to sleep with. She even has a recording of the two of them singing it together when Miriam was only three. So you'll definitely hear about it from us again. In the meantime, check out I Wear Your Shirt, and maybe, just maybe, something magical will happen...

It's Always Purim at Stereo Sinai! Help Us Use "Purim Hayom" to Raise Money for Cancer Research

2010-03-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today is Shushan Purim, a fancy way of saying it's the day after the funnest of all Jewish holidays where we dress up and make a lot of noise and get a little shickered. Not bad, eh?

A while back, Stereo Sinai recorded a song about this particularly awesome holiday called "Purim Hayom." The recording was made for the "Pioneers for a Cure" project, whose aim is to raise a bunch of money for cancer research by recording and selling new versions of old pioneer songs. Yeah, it's mad cool. The proceeds from our song go to the American Lung Association, cuz lung cancer blows.

So let's show our friends at Pioneers and the ALA that Purim ain't over yet! Listen to and download "Purim Hayom" for only $1.99 (or the denomination of your choice) here.

Thanks, Thumpers!

ps. The picture featured is from our very favorite version of the scroll read on Purim, Megillat Esther. Find out more about this unbelievable graphic novel here.

We Rocked FOX

2010-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Thumpers! We were on the TV! It's not as cool as being on the web (as we explained on the TV), but it'll do. Check out our segment with the incomparable Leah Jones below...

Stereo Sinai and Leah Jones on FOX Chicago Tonight!

2010-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Finally, some real news...

Tonight at 9pm, tune in to FOX Chicago, or go online to MyFoxChicago.com to catch a special segment with your favorite biblegum pop duo and our brilliant social media coach, Leah Jones!

In the meantime, we'll attempt to satisfy your insatiable need for more Stereo Sinai... Here's a live video of our performance from JCUA's Cafe Finjan 2010 (Look! New hair!):

Cafe Finjan 2010

2010-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Thumpers! We know it's been a while since you've heard from us. Alan was in Israel for a while, and we've been spending lots of time in the studio prepping new tracks for your biblegum pop enjoyment. But never fear! We are back out and rocking again with Cafe Finjan, coming up this Thursday on the Loyola University campus. Here is the info on this unique, exciting event that we're so proud to be part of - see you there!:

Café Finjan is a series of interfaith arts exchanges begun in 2002 as part of the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative (JMCBI). The series establishes points of contact, and nurtures a greater understanding between Jews and Muslims of Chicago while creating spaces for people of these diverse backgrounds to come together and give voice to their identity and experience as part of a larger community.

The theme of the upcoming Café Finjan is “2020 Vision”.

This dynamic evening, featuring performing artists and interactive audience participation, will explore both a common vision for the future (a vision for the year 2020) as well as clarity of vision (20/20) with regards to the challenges we face and the complexity of our identities.

Thursday, Feb. 4th

7-9:30pm

at the Loyola University/Mundelein Center Auditorium

1020 W. Sheridan Rd

$5 suggested donation

Read All About(.com) It!

2009-12-14T14:40:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to take a moment and thank the lovely and talented (for real, though, not in that generic, nothing-else-to-say introductory way) Joanna Quargnali-Linsley of Misery Loves Co. and Toy Block Music for the fantastic shout-out to Stereo Sinai on About.com! She mentioned us in her music business year-end wrap up alongside the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir as "bands that may not be new to everyone, but should be." Right on!

For those who didn't see it, you can catch the article here.

And...

If you're in Chitown, be sure to stop by Uncommon Ground on Clark tomorrow night for a kick-ass show alongside human beatbox Yuri Lane. All the details are here.

See you there!

New Hanukkah Song Available on MyJewishLearning.com

2009-12-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again - dreidels a-spinning, latkes a-frying, biblegum a-popping...

It's (almost) Hanukkah!

We are thrilled to announce that Stereo Sinai's version of one of our favorite Hanukkah songs, "Mi Yimalel (Who Can Retell)," has been featured on the endlessly cool (and consistently helpful) site MyJewishLearning.com!

You can hear and download the song ABSOLUTELY FREE by following this link.

And be sure to check out the other awesome tracks that offer their own spins on Hanukkah- Dov Rosenblatt, Rosi Golan, and Deena Goodman contributed a beautiful, almost haunting version of "Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)," Mista Cookie Jar of Chibi Vision sings "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah" how it's meant to be sung (like a gypsy cowboy, of course), and Alicia Jo Rabins of the fabulous biblical-indie-rock band Girls in Trouble performs "Sivivon, Sov Sov Sov" the way I'd expect Alice to sing it while lost in one of the more sinister parts of Wonderland...love it.

You gotta hear them. Such a cool collection, and did I mention you can download them all for FREE?!

Consider it an early Hanukkah present. Happy holidays, everyone!

Stereo Sinai on TV

2009-12-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

Stereo Sinai's performance on E.N.E. Chicago Rocks will be aired on Chicago Cable 25 this Wednesday at 8pm, then again on Sunday at 5pm!

And now for the story...

Last night Stereo Sinai was out at the Subterranean for the filming of a very cool local live music show called E.N.E. Chicago Rocks. ENE, apparently, stands for "errores no eliminados/errors not eliminated." The show is a fixture of latin alternative media in Chicago and has featured some very cool acts. When we walked in, two TVs were screening a movie on the story of the life of Jesus- specifically a scene where two characters were getting married under a chuppah. Between that and the poppy Spanish-language dance tunes pumping through the speakers, we felt right at home.

We got nine minutes to play and were then interviewed by the show's host, Beatriz Castillo (also known as Mean Little Bumble Bee- check out her awesome music blog here). We want to give a big thank-you to Bea for inviting us out to play. AND thank you to all our wonderful Thumpers who came out to make crazy noise and keep the show sounding good- y'all are the best. Lotsa love.

Again, the show will air this Wednesday night on Cable 25 at 8pm, then again on the same channel on Sunday at 5pm. Really, it's totally worth checking out. In the meantime, we hope these pics will tide you over...

Writing the Rails

2009-12-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

There's so much crazy talent in this city it's ridiculous. And, even better, it's being put to use for a good cause.

David Kav, a local singer-songwriter friend of ours, just kicked off a really incredible tour: Writing the Rails. David is going from Chicago to Memphis, with a bunch of stops along the way, playing gigs to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. David and Leah Jones, founder of Natiiv Arts and Media and social media coach extraordinaire, came up with the concept for the train-tour during a caffeine-induced brainstorming session. He is accompanied by Theresa Carter, also known as The Local Tourist, who is helping document the whole process (and we musicians sometimes just need a little help...). The good folks over at Misery Loves Co. and Unscene Chicago are lending some amazing support to the project as well.

We hope you'll keep up with David and Theresa's travels through their site, writingtherails.com, and maybe contribute to the cause.

In the meantime, check out the fun videos they're posting from the road on their YouTube page. And here's a special one from when David lent Miriam his guitar at Maui Wowi...

Stand Out in a Digital World

2009-11-21T21:28:00.001-08:00

Last Monday night, Stereo Sinai had the exciting privilege of being featured on a panel of local working musicians who are using social media to build fan relationships, better their brands, and generally stand out in a digital world. We were joined by an amazing group: singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Jeffrey David Goldford, Tim Toomey of Assault, Inc., and our fabulous moderator Jim Goodrich. It was an awesome night- lots of fun covering all kinds of interesting topics.

You can listen to the entire panel here, or check it out on the Chicago Music Commission website.

You can also check out the sound-bite version by scrolling through some of the #mawf (Musicians at Work Forum) tweets on Twitter. (Everyone on Twitter? Eh? We're @stereosinai.)

We wanted to take a minute to give a shout-out to our social media coach extraordinaire, Leah Jones of Natiiv Arts and Media. She got some love from the panel (as you'll hear), but she deserves way more. And as far as Stereo Sinai is concerned, the unsung heroes of the CMC panel are the amazing folks at Misery Loves Co. You're the best!

G-dcast- Lech Lecha's One Year Anniversary

2009-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we contributed our track to the awesome, inspiring G-dcast project. But, so it goes. Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'...

Happy anniversary, G-dcast- Lech-Lecha! Here's to another year of "going forth," taking chances and challenging assumptions, and finding strength in the journey.

Parshat Lech Lecha from G-dcast.com

More Torah cartoons at www.g-dcast.com

You can download the track for free right here at stereosinai.com- just go to the music page for this and other great biblegum pop.

Song Spotlight - "Good to Me"

2009-09-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

What can I give back to HASHEM? G-d is completely good to me. I'll raise my cup of salvations and call out in the name of HASHEM [Psalms 116:12-13]... halleluy-h. [Psalms 116:19]
מה אשיב לה' כל תגמולוהי עלי: כוס ישועות אשא ובשם ה' אקרא: [תהלים קטז:יב-יג] ... הללוי-ה: [תהלים קטז:יט]א
Mah Ashiv la-AMONAI kol tagmulohi alai. Kos yeshu'ot e-sah uv'shem AMONAI ekra: haleluka.

As the New Year approaches, Stereo Sinai has gotten into a contemplative mood. In Jewish tradition, this is the time of self-reflection- we look back on our actions and on our relationships. We think about how we can be better to our friends and family, to our earth and to ourselves. Sometimes this can be a tough exercise, and sometimes it's rejuvenating. Most of the time, in a strange way, it's both.

Regardless of what's happened in the past, we're thankful to be able to start new with the coming year. And Alan and I are especially thankful for all the wonderful people out there who have made this such an incredible year. Thanks for listening, supporting the music, and sharing the stage!

In appreciation of our fans, our beloved Thumpers, and in honor of kicking off the new year right, our latest track- "Good to Me"- will be available as a FREE download until this Friday, September 18th.

May you be signed and sealed (and delivered...haha) for a sweet new year!

Awesome Article on Stereo Sinai in the Chicago Jewish News!

2009-08-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Thumpers! Stereo Sinai has been featured in the most recent edition (the arts special, in fact) of the Chicago Jewish News! But to save you the digital leg-work, we've reprinted the full article right here for your reading enjoyment. We're just that proud of it. (Thanks, CJN!)

New tunes, ancient words

By CJN staff (08/28/2009)

They say they play Biblegum pop.

Look at the word again. No, Miriam Brosseau and Alan Jay Sufrin, the pair who make up StereoSinai, are not reincarnations of the 1910 Fruitgum Company or the Ohio Express.

Still, there are certain similarities. "We define ourselves as bubblegum pop music in biblical Hebrew," Sufrin says.

One of the most unusual and innovative new bands on the Jewish music scene (although not exclusively there, Brosseau and Sufrin insist), StereoSinai came into being in a way that is as out-of-the-ordinary as their modus operandi. And it all started with a rabbi.

Brosseau and Sufrin met when both were students at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where they belonged to a songwriters group. He was more into folk music, she into punk rock. They started writing music together and after graduation, moved to Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. (They married in February.) There they found Rabbi Asher Lopatin, the popular spiritual leader of Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel Congregation.

"He was so extremely welcoming to us," Brosseau relates. "His whole family reached out to us. Since they had been so kind to us, we wanted to do something for their baby" - Gideon, now almost two years old.

They decided to write a lullaby and, for inspiration, looked to the original story of Gideon in the Book of Judges. "We found a couple of verses that were very appropriate, about the angel of G-d coming to Gideon and telling him he would be very strong and that G-d would be with him," Brosseau says. "Alan started tinkering around on guitar and came up with a riff, and that was Gideon's song, our first single. We fell in love with the sound and started experimenting with other verses, other styles."

That was the beginning of StereoSinai's unique sound, which marries "bubblegum pop, the same style as the stuff you hear on pop radio," in Sufrin's words, with verses in biblical Hebrew and, occasionally, Aramaic and Yiddish. While the music is original, the words come from the Torah, the Talmud and the Tanach - "the best lyrics in the world," the pair say.

"We like to say we steal lyrics from G-d," Brosseau says. "If Kelly Clarkson had been on the mountain with Moses, it would have sounded a little like our music," Sufrin adds.

StereoSinai is different from many other modern bands in other ways as well. It is a download-only operation - no CDs - for a number of reasons. One is environmental. "CD packaging is harmful to the environment at every step of its existence, from production to disposal," Sufrin says. (Find the songs at http://www.stereosinai.com/)

There's also a financial motive - for the consumer. Downloads, at $1 a song, are definitely cheaper than CDs, and listeners can pick and choose which songs they want. This is a trend in the music industry, Sufrin notes, with 88 percent of American adults downloading their music rather than purchasing CDs. There is also an aesthetic aspect to the high-fidelity MP3 format the duo uses. It produces better sound at an initially lower volume, Sufrin explains.

"People confuse loud with good," he says. "Music has gotten louder and does more damage to people's ears. You can listen to StereoSinai's music and it is more nuanced, a more pleasing sound at a lower volume. It's music to your ears, music to your wallet and music to the earth."

"It's all about consumer empowerment," Brosseau adds. "You can choose your own songs, make your own mixes, make the music your own. Our philosophy and value system is very tech-forward with high-quality music that is eco-kosher."

Since that first song for the rabbi's baby, StereoSinai has garnered attention in diverse cultural venues. The duo played at the International Jewish Music Festival in Amsterdam last year (they also became engaged there) and was the first band commissioned to write a song for G-dcast.com, a Web site aimed at Jewish teens that narrates and illustrates the weekly Torah portion through animation. The band's song about Lech Lecha (coincidentally, also Sufrin's bar mitzvah portion) is downloadable for free on the site.

They are also intensely interested in how they can use their musical talents for good. "Tzedakah is a big part of our project," Sufrin says. They contributed a track to Pioneers for A Cure, a Jewish music project that honored Israel's 60th anniversary and raised money for cancer research, and also recently worked on a project for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. A song they wrote in college, "11 Below," was released as a download with all the proceeds going to the coalition - fitting, they say, because the homeless suffer during Chicago's cold winters.

"We have ourselves in a couple of different camps," Brosseau says. "There are the Jewish audiences at synagogues and Hillel gigs, but we've done at least as many bar gigs out in the regular everyday secular world. Somebody just told us his five-year-old daughter was a huge fan of StereoSinai. I don't think we would define ourselves as Jewish music. We're feeling out where our audience is."