There's No 'I' in Cherem

Originating as a series of demos recorded by lead singer L.E. Doug Staiman in his bedroom, he formed The Groggers in early 2010 after the video for "Get", originally made as a joke, became a minor viral hit. The album was engineered by Aryeh Kunstler (whose touring band Staiman had previously been a member of) and mixed by Jake Antelis, and features Bram Presser of the Australian Jewish punk band Yidcore on the track "Farbrengiton".

The album title is a combination of the expression "There's no 'I' in 'team'" and cherem, a Jewish communal practice of shunning those considered heretical. Speaking on the title's meaning, guitarist Ari Friedman said in 2012:

“The album title is just funny. And Doug [Staiman] had no idea why it was so deep and profound. It means you’re not alone. It’s not always about the individual, whether it’s a person or a whole sect. There’s a whole team to think about. There’s a lot of in-group-out-group sort of thing between Jews, and it’s terrible…It’s not your good deeds, it’s our good deeds. It’s not your bad deeds. It’s our bad deeds.”[1]

Binyomin Ginzberg of The Forward praised the album for its "good-natured yet sarcastic take on contemporary Judaism".[2] Blogger Heshy Fried, writing for Heeb magazine, called it "pop-punk, feel-good music that makes you bob your head in the car and forget about the stop and go traffic on your morning commute."[3]

The Groggers

• L.E. Doug Staiman – lead vocals, guitar, songwriting
• Ari Friedman – lead guitar, vocals
• C.J. Glass – bass guitar
• Chemy Soibelman – drums

Other

• Jake Antelis – mixing
• Aryeh Kunstler – engineering
• Bram Presser – guest vocals ("Farbrengiton")