When's the last time you heard a rock band singing about rabbis "sheppin' nachas" (translation: doling out pride) or parents kickin "tuchas?" Uh, never? Well, now there's a band on the scene to fill that void. They're called Blue Fringe, and they're a group of Orthodox 20-somethings who travel the U.S. playing catchy rock/pop music to packed shows. Think Oasis meets . . .well, an orthodox band.

When a staff member dropped Blue Fringe's CD on my desk, and I saw Hebrew titles on the song list, I had immediate hesitations (hey, how many cool Orthodox rockers do you know?). But then I found myself grooving along to their tunes, some in Hebrew, some in English, and when it got to the final song, "City of Gold," a love song for the country of Israel (sounds a little hoaky, I know), I was sold. They had actually managed to make cool music with Jewish messages.

Not long after, I noted that Jewsweek Magazine, a popular webzine for Jews, recently created a "Sizzlin' 60" list of people, places, trends, web sites, and concepts that "make Judaism hot today." Making the list at No. 47 was Blue Fringe. They placed just above the torah and Krispy Kreme donuts (which are going Kosher).

It all started in 1999. . .

Dov Rosenblatt, the lead singer, recorded a song in Israel with some friends called "Flippin' Out," a spoof of young Jews who go to Israel and suddenly become super religious. The song made its way around colleges via the Internet and found its way to Napster ("I had no clue what Napster even was at the time," says Dov). It then made its way across the Atlantic, where it started getting major airplay in the U.S. on Jewish radio shows.

Jon Perl, their current manager, eventually heard the song and called Dov (who'd returned to the U.S.), asking if he could put together a band to play an upcoming concert at the University of Pennsylvania. Dov agreed and grabbed his friend Chaim, the bassist, who'd recorded "Flippin' Out" with him; Chaim called his friend Avi, who plays lead guitar and write songs, and Avi called his old friend Danny, the drummer. All four were (and still are) students at Yeshiva University in New York. They didn't have a name, but they did manage to come up with 20 songs in just a few weeks. They were a hit at the show, and decided they should stick together. All they'd need is a name. They picked Blue Fringe, a reference to the blue strings woven onto a tallit.

Looking for their own Jewish sound . . .

According to Dov, who has been writing songs since third grade, the group did not want to create what they call "a generic Jewish sound that usually includes a horn section, strings, keyboards and studio drums." He says, "I'm not saying anything bad about that kind of music, but we wanted to create something different. A lot of our friends listen to secular music, and that's what I like‹the Beatles, Counting Crows, Wallflowers and Dave Matthews." In fact, the band intentionally hired a producer who wasn't Jewish to ensure they wouldn't get a generic sound.

But the Judaism is in there. Some of the Hebrew songs include "Shma Kolanu" and "Ani Maamin," and the English ones talk about things like Israeli bombings, Ben Yehuda, and the necessary "catch phrases for becoming "a frum Jew." One of Dov's favorite songs, "City of Gold," was written after waking up and hearing of yet another bombing in Israel. "I felt so helpless," he says. "I wanted to do something to help. But I also felt, like, what could I possibly do? So I just sat down and started writing."

Adds Chaim, "We didn't set out to send a Jewish message. We just wanted to make good music. And our music should let you feel whatever it is you feel‹love, encouragement, God, whatever."

The thrill of makin' it . . .

Recently the group came out with their first CD, "My Awakening," and they're building a substantial fan base. While they love having a CD, they pride themselves on being a live band and love getting busy on the stage, whether it's for small Jewish camps or large clubs and college campuses. Next up: The band is scheduled to play at New York's Makor (where Norah Jones is said to have gotten her start).

The biggest surprise, according to Chaim, is that he "can't believe we get paid for doing this." He says one of their highlights was when they toured in Florida with a group called Soul Farm and were paid to fly out, give concerts and stay at a five-star hotel. The whole thing floored Chaim, whose hoping for much more of the same.

As for placing ahead of the Torah on Jewsweek's Sizzlin' 60, Dov had this to say: "It's pretty big. I mean the Torah is definitely a good book. . ." Their goal for the future: "Keep doing this," says Dov. "We're having so much fun. . ."

To learn more about Blue Fringe and sample their music, go to www.bluefringe.com.

Michelle Cove is the former Editorial Director for JVibe.