SeanPress: Sean Altman's "Hanukah with Monica" in the Press





	Time Out New York January 21-28, 1999
	Altman is a one-man popster in the Michael Penn mode who's pals with the Loser's Lounge crew. His album, seanDEMOnium, even delves into kooky, a cappella-style tunes. And he'll probably give you a taste of his latest creation, the hilarious "Hanukah With Monica."


	The New York Daily News Daily Dish - Rush & Molloy December 25, 1998 'Hanukah With Monica' in Stereo
	Monica Lewinsky probably won't be flattered. But she has now inspired two songs titled "Hanukah With Monica." You may have heard Don Imus' version on his WFAN morning show. But Details magazine writer Rob Tannenbaum claims that he was the first out with a CD marrying the White House intern and the Jewish holiday. Tannenbaum finds it curious that Imus should air his ditty soon after getting Tannenbaum's CD in the mail. "Some of the ideas are the same -- blowing a harmonica, the cigar joke, all the words ending in -onica," said Tannenbaum (who peddles his CD via 1-800-711-3627). "We can't prove any theft in this case but it's certainly a deeply suspicious coincidence." Mark Chernoff, programming director for WFAN, denies any cribbing. "It's that time of the year, and Rob [Bartlett, Imus' producer] is a pretty creative and smart guy. He comes up with stuff like that all the time." Whatever. We have to give the edge to Tannenbaum — if only for the lyric: "Tis the season to be noshing — on Big Bubba's hamentaschen."


	Rolling Stone (www.rollingstone.com) December 23, 1998
	Hanukah's officially kaput for another year, but that hasn't stopped the requests for the parody single released by the tandem of Sean Altman and Rob Tannenbaum (no, you're not supposed to know who they are) called "Hanukah With Monica." Thus far, stations like KLOS in Los Angeles, WBCN in Boston and KPFA in Berkeley, Calif., have given the tune spins during the President's greatest moment of discontent. Tannenbaum revealed that it's his partner's hope that this coarse homage to Monica Lewinsky, which features lyrics like "She put that age-old myth to bed/About Jewish girls not giving head/One thing she was not was underfed," will bring the two lost souls together. "Sean thinks he's gonna get a date outta this," says Tannenbaum. "I think all he's gonna get is a restraining order." To order the ditty, which features the b-side "(It's Good to Be) a Jew at Christmas," call (800) 711-3627 or preview a clip on www.Big Sean.com . . .


	Sonicnet (www.sonicnet.com) December 21, 1998 Single Celebrates Monica, Hanukkah
	"Hanukah With Monica," a new, self-released CD single by two New York musicians, celebrates both impeachment and the holiday season. The song by singer Sean Altman and Details contributing editor Rob Tannenbaum fetes President Clinton and his one-time paramour, Monica Lewinsky, with such lyrics as, "He likes jazz, but she likes electronica -- Monica/ He plays sax, but she toots his harmonica -- Monica." The single also includes "(It's Good To Be) A Jew At Christmas" and can be ordered at www.BigSean.com.


	Pure Pop Bash on Pop December, 1998
	Contrary to what some people believe, we're in the midst of one of the richest pop music explosions of all time. There's a lot of worthwhile music out there to talk about. Let's start out with a timely release. "Hanukah With Monica" and "(It’s Good To Be) A Jew At Christmas" Sean Altman and Rob Tannenbaum (Self-released) Let's hoist a stein of Manischewitz and spin a dreidel or two with these New Yorkers who here give the Jewish holiday some equal footing with Christmas. The results will make you choke on your gefilte fish with laughter. "Hanukah With Monica" is an uptempo doo-woppy take on the Clinton/Lewinski debacle; rhyming "noshin'" with "hamantashen" and "paparazzi" with "matzi" is ingenious. "(It's Good to be a Jew) at Christmas" highlights the positive side of not having anything to do on December 25 because of your religious persuasion. Oy vey, I should only write songs this clever! David Bash


	JAM! Music ( www.canoe.com/JamMusic) JAM! Showbiz December 17, 1998 'Hanukah With Monica' destined to become festive classic
	As impeachment looms ever closer for Bill Clinton, a new song exploiting the President's woes seems sure to become a hit with Republicans on Capitol Hill this festive season. "Hanukah With Monica," a holiday tune that both celebrates and derides the current fascination with Ms. Lewinsky, is the brainchild of New York-based Jewish musicians Rob Tannenbaum (a contributing editor for "Details" magazine) and Sean Altman. Not content to focus entirely on the Lewinsky affair, the politically topical tune also delves into other equally tasteful areas. "I'm sure it's the first pop song ever to mention Yasser Arafat, oral sex, and Manischewitz wine", Altman says in a statement on his web site. Adds Tannenbaum, "This song is equal parts Tom Lehrer and 'Weird Al' Yankovic. I dare Kenneth Starr to subpoena us." On a lyrical note, the humourous ode to Lewinsky incorporates every conceivable rhyme with Monica, among them "patriotica", "bubonica", "chronica", and "platonica". No stone is left unturned as the lyrics try to tie in the Jewish holiday with the famous events in the oval office. "Yes it's Hanukah with Monica/This condition's chronica." The CD single is only available from the duo's web site www.bigsean.com or by phone 1-800-711-3627. Canadians can order the disc for $6.50 US plus $3.50 for postage and packing. The two-track single also contains a second seasonal song, "(It's Good To Be) A Jew At Christmas." A hint for Canadians eager to orde: The 1-800 number is for Americans only. Sean Altman, is a NYC-based singer-songwriter who founded the vocal group Rockapella. He's best known for his theme song to the PSB series "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?", in which he also starred. Readers of "Details" will recognize Rob Tannenbaum's name. As a contributing editor to that magazine, Tannenbaum has written 11 cover stories, including one on pretty boy Leonardo DiCaprio. Tannenbaum is also a member of the band White Courtesy Telephone, who recently put out their first record, "Everything Is Fun". Richard John



	TV Guide Entertainment Network Daily Dish December 17, 1998 Hanukah Tune Celebrates Monica
	Sure, Monica Lewinsky might help to bring down a presidency. But two New York musicians are grateful to the beret-wearing vixen: She provided the inspiration for their new holiday novelty tune, "Hanukah With Monica." The song, written and recorded about three weeks ago by Sean Altman and Rob Tannenbaum, immortalizes the infamous intern with such lyrics as "It's Hanukah with Monica/This plague is so bubonica/'Tis the season to be noshin'/On big Bubba's hamentashen." While it hasn't yet reached the heights of Adam Sandler's "Hanukah Song," the risqu ditty has been played on several radio stations across the country. Tannenbaum, a contributing editor at Details who's also written for TV Guide, says he and Altman -- a singer-songwriter who starred in PBS's Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? -- came up with the idea while trying to think of a follow-up to their 1997 holiday song, "(It's Good to Be) A Jew at Christmas." Writing Hanukah-themed lyrics is no easy task, says Tannenbaum: "It's really hard to find a word that rhymes with 'dreidel' or 'menorah.' " The Clinton crisis provided a minor miracle for the tunesmiths. As Tannenbaum explains, "The rhyme for Hanukah was on the front page of all the papers." Were Altman and Tannenbaum, who are both Jewish, concerned that not everyone would find the song amusing? "The one Jewish group I was worried about offending was my mother," says Tannenbaum. "My mother is a one-woman Anti-Defamation League." His mom seemed to be OK with the tune, especially since Tannenbaum made sure to talk over the racy bits when he played it for her. As for Lewinsky herself, Tannenbaum hasn't sent her a copy of the song, but he hopes she'd "be flattered by it." Representatives for the former presidential paramour hadn't returned our request for comment at press time. Like all the best novelty items, "Hanukah With Monica" is not available in stores. For ordering information and samples of the song, visit Altman's web site. Susan Campbell Beachy


	Music Business Daily December 16, 1998 New York, NY "Hanukah With Monica" Proving to be a Surprise Holiday Hit
	"Hanukah With Monica," the satirical holiday single by Sean Altman and Rob Tannenbaum, has taken off at radio and press in just its second week, and looks to become the surprise holiday hit of the year. Already, New York Magazine interviewed Altman and Tannenbaum for a profile in the Gotham section; the New York Post's widely-read Page Six devoted an item to the song; the influential New York Observer predicted, "It could be the biggest Hanukah smash since Adam Sandler's 'The Hanukah Song'"; and the Forward, a weekly Jewish newspaper, called it a "must-hear holiday carol." Also, "Hanukah With Monica" has begun to gain national radio airplay on a variety of formats, from rock giant KLOS in Los Angeles (on the nationally syndicated Mark and Brian morning-radio show), to college-rock tastemaker WMBR in Boston, to the radical, free-form Berkeley, California, station KPFA. "It's funny as hell," raves Mike Peer, music director at WXRK New York, the home of Howard Stern. "'Hanukah With Monica' is so good, I began my show with it," adds Bruce Sylvester of WMBR. And David Gans of KPFA says, "I played it tonight and got some good feedback from callers." Future stories about "Hanukah With Monica," are already planned in Billboard Online, and on The Hotline, a Washington, D.C.-based newsletter serving thousands of political insiders. "I'm not surprised by any of this attention," says Rob Tannenbaum, an accomplished journalist who wrote the current Details magazine cover story on model Rebecca Romijn. "People are sick to death of 'White Christmas,' or punk-rock 'White Christmas,' or reggae 'White Christmas.' It's time for some new holiday songs, even ones as tasteless as ours." Altman, whose angst-ridden power pop has made him a poster boy for the male perpective on heartbreak, muses "I hope this gets me a date with Monica, or maybe her mom." Altman and Tannenbaum wrote and recorded "Hanukah With Monica," along with the B-side, their duet of Tannenbaum's "(It's Good To Be) A Jew At Christmas," premiered the song at a "Holiday Harmonies" benefit concert at the Bottom Line on December 7, and released the single on Big Sean Music. It is available exclusively through 1-800-711-3627, or by visiting www.BigSean.com.


	Billboard Daily Music Update December 15, 1998 Hanukah Song Satirizes Lewinsky Affair
	With the President a razor's edge from impeachment, two Jewish musicians have written a holiday tune about Monica Lewinsky. "Hanukah With Monica," out now on Big Sean Music, bemoans the American public's fascination with the former White House intern. Offering such lyrics as "Yes, It's Hanukah with Monica - this condition's chronica / We all want to dance the hora / But she blew the whole menorah / Careful don't make a mess / 'That's Manischewitz on my dress!'" the track is both a satire and an addition to the slim canon of Hanukah songs. "The symbolism of [Hanukah] doesn't lend itself to writing great songs," says Rob Tannenbaum, who authored the track with Sean Altman. "Try to find something that rhymes with dreidel. Even Irving Berlin, a Jew, gave up and wrote 'White Christmas.'" Both "Hanukah" writers bring ample talents to the project: Tannenbaum, who performs with the band White Courtesy Telephone, is a contributing editor at Details, while Altman, the former leader of vocal group Rockapella, has recorded nine albums and starred for five years in the acclaimed PBS-TV series Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?" "Hanukah With Monica" is backed with a second season song, "(It's Good To Be) A Jew At Christmas" The CD-only release, which is receiving airplay at various U.S. public radio stations, may be ordered by calling 1-800-711-3627. Edited by Julie Taraska


	New York Observer December 14, 1998
	Hanukkah with Monica? (Yes, as in Lewinsky!) Just in time for the first day of the celebration, Details music critic Rob Tannenbaum has joined forces with singer and songwriter Sean Altman for "Hanukah with Monica" (now available as a CD single). If they can get it out to the people, it could be the biggest Hanukkah novelty smash since Adam Sandler's "The Hanukkah Song." Is that you singing on the record, Mr. Tannenbaum? "It's both of us. Among a certain mid-teenage group, Sean is famous. Sean is kind of a George Michael - oh, no, no, that has implications that I don't want to make... Sean is a real musician. I'm an atrocious singer." Sample couplet from the new Monica song: "She put that age-old myth to bed/'Bout Jewish girls not giving head." (To order, call 1-800-711-6327.)


	The New York Post Page Six December 12, 1998 Monica Muse
	A couple of local musicians have written a Monica Lewinsky-inspired Hanukah song that they hope will be a topical hit. "Hanukah With Monica," by Sean Altman and Rob Tannenbaum, is being released on CD through an 800 number. It starts out tamely enough, "The underwear she wore was so erotica/ She liked to serve 'cause she was patriotica ... " - but proceeds way downhill from there. "I'm sure it's the first song ever to mention Yasser Arafat, oral sex, and Manischevitz wine," says Altman.

	The Forward (Jewish News & Culture) December 21, 1998 It's Moronica
	"It's hard to write a Chanukah song; not many words rhyme with dreidel," says Rob Tannenbaum, co-author of the satirical must-hear holiday carol "Hanukah With Monica." Writing about a national scandal, of course, made the task much easier. The upbeat song combines familiar images of Jewish culture with Ms. Lewinsky's story. "And every day she's in the news / Is one more bad day for the Jews / How long must we suffer through the blues?" And: "Careful, don't you make a mess / 'That's Manischewitz on my dress.'" The two-song CD, $10, can be ordered from 800-711-3627 or from www.BigSean.com.


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