“SHAS” by DJ Capgun (Parody of “Shots” by LMFAO)

Today is the day many of us have been waiting for...SIYUM HA'SHAS! Congrats to all of those (including my dad) who made time each day for the past 7.5 years to learn the entire Talmud, and I hope I can one day celebrate my completion of the cycle.


Below are lyrics I wrote for the song "Shas", a parody of "Shots" by LMFAO (I know, not the most appropriate song out there). The karaoke version of "Shots" can be found at the YouTube link below, but it does show some scantily clad women. The song can be purchased on iTunes/Amazon. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5fs3QWWQqQ

When I enter Metlife On August 1 With the Daf Yomi crew We say Hadran We like Yoma Moed Katan We came for a siyum Everybody it’s on Let’s go Shas shas shas shas shas shas Shas shas shas shas shas Shas shas shas shas shas everybody (x2) Hey (x21) The rabbis love us When we finish shas They need an excuse For bagels and lox We spent seven years How about you? Seven more? Let’s go round two Shas shas shas shas shas shas Shas shas shas shas shas Shas shas shas shas shas everybody (x2) If you ain’t learning shtark get the heck out MetLife If you ain’t learning shas get the heck out MetLife If you ain’t kovea itim get the heck out MetLife Now where my Agudah-niks let me see ya hands up What you shteiging? Temurah Menachos Avodah Zarah Ketuvos Bava Kamma Shekalim Wait a minute... Get me Gittin Shas Not here to watch the Jets, I’m ready for some Shas No peanuts or beer vendors around, only Shas Recite all the names of Rav Pappa’s sons at the Siyum Ha’Shas So black hats in the air, everybody finished Shas If you feeling frum, put your hands in the air & if you a magid shiur, put your hands in the air Now say Hadran Alach (Hadran Alach) Hadran Alach (Hadran Alach) Yasher koach (yasher koach) Yasher koach (yasher koach) Shas Yisgadal v’yiskadash...we just finished Shas We’re restarting the Daf Yomi cycle we’ve done Shas Tailgate party by the West Gate, we completed Shas Who cares if speeches are in Yiddish we’ve learned Shas. La dad a da La dad a dad a da (x8)

About DJ CapGun

Hailing from Central New Jersey and currently residing in The Big Apple, DJ CapGun (aka Adam Caplan) grew up on tunes. Born with an innate ear for music, CapGun's first exposure to mainstream music included listening to his parents' Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson records. He began piano lessons at age 7, and later added the keyboard to the mix. His radio was constantly tuned into Q104.3--New York's classic rock station--and he was inspired by bands such as Boston, Van Halen and The Cars. Over time, Z100--New York's top-40 station--went from being CapGun's guilty pleasure to the seeds spawning his interest in electronic music and DJing.

CapGun also became technically savvy in his pre-teen years. His uncle introduced him to Anvil Studio--a MIDI sequencing program--from which he arranged both Jewish and secular music, covers and originals. He purchased a Roland XV-5050 sound module to give his antiquated computer MIDI sounds a face lift. He began composing jingles for company trade shows, college radio shows, and some just for the fun of it. While in college, CapGun took several classes at Yeshiva University's Belz School of Music. Influenced by his teachers Cantor Joseph Malovany and celebrated musician Shelly Lang, CapGun took interest in Jewish cantorial music and soon became a regular leader of prayer services in his hometown in New Jersey.

CapGun's foray into DJing began after attending a class at New York's Scratch DJ Academy. There, he learned the art of beatmatching, cross-fading, and scribble/crab scratching. Now, with his modest but effective setup of a Traktor Kontrol S4 and Traktor Pro 2, CapGun's DJ career is on the up-and-up.

Adam's GO GIANTS Parody of Miley Cyrus's "See You Again"

Hi guys. I wrote this little parody of Miley Cyrus's "See You Again" but with a NY Giants twist. I sent it to several radio stations in the week prior to the Super Bowl, hoping one would like it and possibly record it for me. Unfortuantely, that did not happen, though I did influence Z100's playlist the night I sent it to them (on two occassions they played Miley's version followed by a Go Giants remix of Daft Punk's "Celebration"). Anyway, here's my version:

"Face You Again (Go Giants!)"

We've got our sights set on you
Tynes is ready to aim
Eli and Plaxico will never be tame
We know you're undefeated
That'll change next game
Now we can't wait to face you again

You Pats got a way of cheatin'
And that just ain't right
Gisele's gonna pull a Jessica
And create strife
Tom will throw three interceptions
Then bow out dreary-eyed
Now we can't wait to face you again

CHORUS
The last game we played out
You guys were 12 points down
Our defense stuttered when Moss scored on that sideline route
You guys then took the lead
Went on to victory
Then Belichick is like
"Oh he's just being Brady"
The next game we play out
We will redeem ourselves
Our boys won't rest till then
Oh whoa whoa
We, we can't wait, to face you again

We've got this crazy feelin' deep inside
Giants pull off the upset on Sunday night
Who thought we'd beat the Packers
To XLII
Oh you don't want to face us again

CHORUS
The last game we played out
You guys were 12 points down
Our defense stuttered when Moss scored on that sideline route
You guys then took the lead
Went on to victory
Then Belichick is like
"Oh he's just being Brady"
The next game we play out
We will redeem ourselves
Our boys won't rest till then
Oh whoa whoa
We, we can't wait, to face you again

We're winning the Super Bowl
So you'd better pray

CHORUS
The last game we played out
You guys were 12 points down
Our defense stuttered when Moss scored on that sideline route
You guys then took the lead
Went on to victory
Then Belichick is like
"Oh he's just being Brady"
The next game we play out
We will redeem ourselves
Our boys won't rest till then
Oh whoa whoa
We, we can't wait, to face you again
Oh whoa whoa
We, we can't wait, to face you again

Top 50 Songs of 2007

Okay, ladies and gents. Though I haven't touched this blog in over six months, I'm going to round out the year with my Top 50 songs of 2007. This was based on my typical criteria of originality, familiarity by the general public, and longevity.

50. Lloyd - "You"
49. JLo - "Do It Well"
48. Lumidee - "She's Like The Wind"
47. Diddy Ft. Christina Aguilera - "Tell Me"
46. 50 Cent/JT/Timbaland - "Ayo Technology"
45. Baby Bash Feat. T-Pain - "Cyclone"
44. Katharine McPhee - "Over It"
43. Fergie - "Fergalicious"
42. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - "Face Down"
41. Avril Lavigne - "Keep Holding On"
40. Chris Brown - "Kiss Kiss"
39. OneRepublic Feat. Timbaland - "Apologize"
38. Colbie Caillat - "Bubbly"
37. Rihanna Ft. Ne-Yo - "Hate That I Love You"
36. Hellogoodbye - "(Here) In Your Arms"
35. Akon - "Don't Matter"
34. Omarion - "Ice Box"
33. Pink - "U & Ur Hand"
32. Sean Kingston - "Beautiful Girls"
31. Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder"
30. Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"
29. Daughtry - "It's Not Over"
28. Justin Timberlake - "Summer Love"
27. Kat Deluna - "Whine Up"
26. Fergie - "Glamorous"
25. Diddy Feat. Keyshia Cole - "Last Night"
24. Sean Kingston - "Me Love"
23. Ne-Yo - "Because of You"
22. Nelly Furtado/Timbaland/Justin Timberlake - "Give it to Me"
21. MIMS - "This is Why I'm Hot"
20. Alicia Keys - "No One"
19. My Chemical Romance - "Welcome to the Black Parade"
18. Fall Out Boy - "Thks Fr Th Mmrs"
17. Mary J. Blige - "Runaway Love"
16. Nelly Furtado Feat. Timbaland - "Say It Right"
15. Plain White T's - "Hey There Delilah"
14. Britney Spears - "Gimme More"
13. Gwen Stefani Ft. Akon - "The Sweet Escape"
12. Daughtry - "Home"
11. Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats"
10. Fall Out Boy - "This Ain't A Scene"
9. Soulja Boy - "Crank That"
8. Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson - "The Way I Are"
7. Nickelback - "If Everyone Cared"
6. Kanye West - "Stronger"
5. Gym Class Heroes - "Cupid's Chokehold"
4. Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry"
3. Beyonce - "Irreplaceable"
2. Justin Timberlake - "What Goes Around"
1. Rihanna - "Umbrella"

Akon - Don't Matter

LONGEVITY: 3/5

When I first heard "Don't Matter", I despised it. This was blatantly similar to R. Kelly's "Intuition" in the chorus, and I thought this song only made it big because Akon's been banging out the hits lately.

Well, it's a couple months since then, and I still feel the same way. The tune and singing style of the chorus is exactly the same as R. Kelly's, with the same echoing and pausing by both singers in the same relative spots. Perhaps some of the younger teens were not listening to R. Kelly back in 2003, and for them this would be considered innovative.

To its credit, the song does have a reggae flavor and Akon reveals his vocal potential to the listener. Unfortunately, he does little more than sing the same chorus over and over. It's about time that he learn from Usher and show off his soulful vocals. Then again, as previously mentioned, the guy has mastered the art of putting out hit singles. This is not a great song to blast out of a car stereo, but the chorus grows on you...even I, a detractor of the song, was singing it after a while.

Fergie - Glamorous

LONGEVITY: 2.5/5

It seems as if dreamy midtempo songs in minor scales have dominated the charts lately--consider Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" and Rihanna's "Umbrella". "Glamorous", the third hit single from Fergie's debut solo album, is no exception.

Everyone criticizes Ms. Ferguson's tendency to spell out words in her songs, but G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S is only done during two parts of the song, clearly not as rampant as was in "Fergalicious". Let's focus on the actual song instead of a bunch of letters...this is not Sesame Street!

I came across a copy of the instrumental version of the song, and after hearing it I was literally about to fall asleep. Not because the song is boring, but because it has a new-age sound with a large-hall reverb. The synth strings, combined with Fergie's sexy harmonies and interesting accent (particularly on the word "flossy") are major contributors to the song's catchiness.

Another key to the song is the bleep-filled hook playing behind Fergie's vocals in the bridge and chorus. Come to think of it, bleeps are very "in" too. Hillary Duff's "With Love" and The Pussycat Dolls' "Beep" also made the square lead (a technical term for a synthesized bleep) in vogue.

One detractor to "Glamorous" is the drumbeat, which is bland at best. It is handclap-heavy, and does not quite fit the music.

The song is definitely a hit right now and pleasant to the ear, but Fergie seems to be afraid to sing without heavy vocal processing. It's about time she show off her real vocal talent (most of us young folk don't remember her Kids Incorporated days) and prove to the world that there's more to her than a hot body. I guess you'll have to wait for my review of Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" to find out my assessment of her true vocals.

Timbaland - Give It To Me

LONGEVITY: 2.5/5

Before I actually analyze the song itself, here's a little game:

• First click here (or sit down in front of a piano/keyboard in your house).
• Scroll down to the piano, and play the following keys in this order:
  #G -(then pause for a second) - #D - #G - A - #D - #G

Sound familiar? Well, this is the background loop that plays throughout most of Timbaland's "Give It To Me". However, don't think I'm knocking this hit song due to its relative simplicity. What is clear about popular music nowadays is that hit songs are not necessarily the Beethoven masterpieces, but rather what's catchy and sounds good in the car with the bass pumped up. The Beethoven "equivalent" of the last two years is arguably Timbaland (neck and neck with Akon). He has been the defibrillator of Nelly Furtado's career, which was all but over ever since her "Turn Off The Light" and "I'm Like A Bird" fell off the charts.

Some may view Furtado--who is featured alongside Justin Timberlake on this track--as a sellout who forsook her good-girl image to sell more albums. My response: no wonder they call it the music business. Could I have written this song? Quite possibly. But as is the case in many industries: it's all about who you know. And Timbaland is quite the connection to have.

Truth is, any female pop star could have sung Furtado's chorus. Her voice is noticeably dubbed over at least once, and the tune itself does not allow for much vocal exploration.

All in all, the song's chorus and flute-flavored background sequence you played earlier are ear-catching and placed the song at the top of the charts.

Katharine McPhee - Over It

LONGEVITY: 2/5

I am not an avid American Idol fanatic, and I first discovered Katharine McPhee when "Over It" hit the airwaves.

Initially, I was not overly impressed with "Over It"; for some reason, I associated the chorus with a country song. Unaware that she was an Idol contestant, I thought some of the harmonies and Katharine's vocal techniques were reminiscent of Martina McBride or Shania Twain. Case in point: the portamento she applies in "that ain't" and the second "now I'm". Nevertheless, as is the case for most pop songs, the more airplay they get the more the songs grow on you. This song was stuck in my head for at least a couple days, and in the music video Katharine was kind of cute, er, hot!

Another aspect of the song that caught my attention was its striking similarity to JoJo's "Too Little Too Late". The introductory guitar riffs in both songs, along with similar beats and background effects, were the dead giveaway that the two were written and produced by Billy Steinberg. Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham.

This song is far from a masterpiece, but Katharine's singing fits right into the mainstream pop mold as did her Idol predecessor Kelly Clarkson at the outset of her career.

Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"

LONGEVITY: 2/5

Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" is not quite her greatest hit, but synthesizes her new girly-girl image with her hard-rock roots to make this song the French Canadian's highest-ranking chart debut. Once again, Avril has found a way to appeal to her wide-ranging female audience with a pop-punk sound after several consecutive melodic singles. This is the powerful Avril many of her original fanbase missed for the past three years (minus the ties, of course). The song is fast-paced like "Sk8er Boi", but unlike Lavigne's second-ever hit single, the foundation of "Girlfriend" is Avril's multi-track vocals and her drummer (versus the dominant electric guitars in "Sk8er Boi").

"Girlfriend" could very well become the song of the summer, and Avril certainly has a grasp as to adjusting her music and image with the times (unlike her then-rival Britney Spears).

Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder"

LONGEVITY (i.e. Will adult contemporary stations play it? Will anyone remember it in 10 years?): 3.5/5

A record-breaking song that has topped the Billboard Hot 100 as well as A/C charts in just four weeks, Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" is a feel good song with not-so-positive undertones. According to lead singer Adam Levine, he wrote the song to vent his anger with the current political state of affairs, particularly the Iraq war. I'm not going to let that sway my opinion of the song either way, because the war theme is virtually undetectable.
This song has an 80's sound to it, but actually reminds me somewhat of George Michael's 2003 hit "Amazing", with abundant seventh chords and falsetto interspersed throughout. You might say Levine resorts to falsetto too often, but I believe it to be his signature sound. There are certain artists that have mastered falsetto, including Justin Timberlake and Daniel Bedingfield. All too often have lead singers explored their quasi-feminine register and sounded utterly ridiculous, such as Dave Matthews in "Where Are You Going," and The Darkness' Justin Hawkins in "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" (the former peaked on the Hot 100 at #38, and the latter did not even chart in the U.S.). Mr. Levine makes it work, though the key of Maroon 5's songs is often too high for his normal vocal range and thereby forces him to go falsetto.
"She Will Be Loved" has clung to adult contemporary playlists since its release; "Makes Me Wonder" will likely be no different.