I’ve been listening to these two albums this week.
Broken Politics by Neneh Cherry
Bandcamp Link: Broken Politics
Broken Politics pointedly asks the question; how do we conduct ourselves in extraordinary times? In an era where the signal-to-noise ratio is more uneven than ever, what are the measures we must take to retain and remember our own personhood? It searches for answers, patiently and with great care, and with a fearlessness to acknowledge that sometimes the answers don’t even exist. It’s a record that’s equal parts angry, thoughtful, melancholy, and emboldening, as Cherry and her collaborators continue to expand her ever-widening sonic palette to craft truly singular and potent music.
Songs Of Resistance 1942 – 2018 by Marc Ribot with Sam Amidon, Justin Vivian Bond, Ohene Cornelius, Steve Earle, Meshell Ndegeocello, Fay Victor, and Tom Waits, plus Domenica Fossati, Tift Merritt, and Syd Straw.
Bandcamp Link: Songs Of Resistance 1942 – 2018
“Every movement which has ever won anything has had songs,” says accomplished New York City guitarist, Marc Ribot. “The songs in this collection are what I wish I’d been able to hear or sing at the demostrations and benefits I’ve attended since Donald Trump’s election. Through them, I’ve tried to channel some of the deep rivers of song from movements past into something that may be useful now. A few tunes are arrangements of US Civil Rights (We Are Soldiers In The Army, We’ll Never Turn Back) and WWII European resistance songs (Bella Ciao, Fischia Il Vento). One is a Mexican romantic pop ballad originally written as a political attack (Rata de dos Patas). Others are my own tunes based on or inspired by these.”
