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When non-Orthodox Jews becomefrum(religious), they encounter much more than dietary laws and Sabbath prohibitions. They find themselves in the midst of a whole new culture, involving matchmakers, homemade gefilte fish, and Yiddish-influenced grammar.Becoming Frumexplains how these newcomers learn Orthodox language and culture through their interactions with community veterans and other newcomers. Some take on as much as they can as quickly as they can, going beyond the norms of those raised in the community. Others maintain aspects of their pre-Orthodox selves, yielding unique combinations, like Matisyahu's reggae music or Hebrew words and sing-song intonation used with American slang, as in \"mamish(really) keepin' it real.\"Sarah Bunin Benor brings insight into the phenomenon of adopting a new identity based on ethnographic and sociolinguistic research among men and women in an American Orthodox community. Her analysis is applicable to other situations of adult language socialization, such as students learning medical jargon or Canadians moving to Australia.Becoming Frumoffers a scholarly and accessible look at the linguistic and cultural process of \"becoming.\"

Abstract In this brief essay, I will describe the compatibility of a postmodern turn in sociology and the symbolic interactionist approach to the study of music in everyday life. This compatibility is reflected in the work and career of musical artist Matisyahu, as illustrated by the concept of pastiche. The interaction among the three dimensions of image, music, and religious ideology in Matisyahu’s work operationalizes this concept. The primary resources for this analysis include Matisyahu’s recorded music; an interview conducted with him by The Times of Israel in which he explains his personal transition from the Labuvitch movement to the Modern Orthodox Movement and how this transition affected his music; and my attendance at four of his concerts in Central Texas. Pastiche refers to “a free-floating, crazy quilt, collage, hodgepodge patchwork of ideas or views. It includes elements of opposites such as the old and new. It denies regularity, logic or symmetry; it glories in contradiction and confusion” (Rosenau, 1991, xiii). I conclude with a brief pedagogical argument on how to expand the use of music to explain complex sociological theory and social phenomena. By highlighting theoretical concepts through music, we can ground new and complex ideas in lived experiences and engage students with a topic that is grounded in their daily life experience.

\"It's not really any longer about me being the Hasidic reggae guy,\" he says an interview. \"I'm informed by Hassidism and Judaism and reggae music, but it's not that black and white, and it's not that simple.\" His 2004 debut \"Shake Off The Dust ... Arise,\" and the subsequent CDs \"Live at Stubb's\" and \"Youth\" -- all featuring versions of his biggest single \"King Without a Crown\" -- became a crossover hit. Not bad for a former Deadhead who, before his conversion, had followed Phish on tour, dabbled in drugs and grew up nonreligious in White Plains, N.Y. \"He's got to convince the fans and the radio community that, 'Hey, there's more to me than just that one song from three years ago. I've grown as an artist and here's another song and another record that will help me stand out,' \" [Keith Dakin] says. \"That's definitely his cross to bear. He's got to figure out a way not to turn into Chumbawamba.\"

Mudhoney, \"Under A Billion Suns\" (Sub Pop): Mudhoney has long been the Seattle band that fame forgot. Bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains sold millions of CDs and got rich, while Mudhoney -- the band whose 1988 debut EP, \"Superfuzz Bigmuff,\" is widely regarded as the early prototype for grunge -- soldiered along, releasing a steady string of CDs that never gained the favor of radio. In truth, Mudhoney's sound was always sloppier and uglier than its more successful Seattle peers, and frontman Mark Arm never displayed the charisma (or vocal pipes) of Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell or the sadly departed Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley. That was enough to keep radio just out of reach for Mudhoney.

So after all the buildup, after the Hasidic Jewish singer became an unlikely Pied Piper luring U.S. rock fans to reggae music, how does Matisyahu do on his major-label studio album debut (due in stores Tuesday)?