Track Of The Day: ALA.NI – ‘Lament for Emmett Till’

A poignant, deeply moving recognition of enduring grief and racial injustice, Paris-based, London-born artist ALA.NI has shared ‘Lament for Emmett Till’ to help mark the 65th anniversary of the 14 year old African-American boy’s death. Her pensive vocals and gentle instrumentation allow listeners to revisit the tragedy of Till’s story, and to question why racial injustice still has such a frighteningly profound presence in modern society.

Taking its title and lyrics from a 1955 poem of the same name by the radical activist, journalist and organiser of the first Notting Hill Carnival, Claudia Jones, ‘Lament for Emmett Till’ explores the brutal kidnapping and lynching of the 14 year old after he was wrongfully accused of sexually harassing Carolyn Bryant, a white female clerk, at a Mississippi grocery store.

When his murderers were acquitted of the crime – despite confessing their guilt in a paid magazine interview only months later – Till’s mother decided to have an open casket funeral so others could see the horrifying violence he’d endured, which lead to him becoming a posthumous symbol of The Civil Rights Movement.

The FBI have since reopened the case and are seeking to make lynching a federal crime, but a Republican senator is controversially blocking the bill and Carolyn Bryant herself admitted in a 2007 interview that she had lied about the events that led to Till’s murder. There has still been no formal apology, no compensation, and no conviction for Till’s murder.

ALA.NI’s single acknowledges this injustice, and is supported by the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, which she is an official ambassador of. The foundation is currently asking the public to sign a petition demanding justice for Till and, specifically, that the FBI release the findings of their recent re-investigation into his murder as a matter of urgency. ALA.NI’s track is accompanied by a monochrome video that shows pictures and press clippings from the time of Till’s murder, and will prompt listeners to sign the petition (which you can do here).

“We find ourselves at a pivotal point in world history, where we must act now and fast, before all is too late. This is our last chance to fight for rightful equalities before the fascists take over,” ALA.NI explains. “I’m reaching out to the people to seek justice for Emmett Till. Knowing the power of music, I hope it can be used as an effective tool to bring the much needed awareness to this long-overdue murder case. Justice for Emmett Till will set a president for the systematic reform that must take place, that we can no longer afford to ignore and wait patiently for.”

Watch the video for ‘Lament for Emmett Till’ below.

Follow ALA.NI on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Alice Dellal

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: HAAi – ‘Head Above The Parakeets’

An experimental, bright musing on pre-empting personal risk, HAAi has shared her latest single ‘Head Above The Parakeets’. Released via Mute, the track is paired with another song titled ‘Rotating In Unison’, and both are lifted from HAAi’s new EP, which is set for release on 11th September.

HAAi has been busy during the lockdown period, performing online shows alongside Mute label boss Daniel Miller for the Love Record Stores event, and a show from her flat in East London for Boiler Room’s Streaming from Isolation series. Now, she’s gearing up to release her new EP, and ‘Head Above The Parakeets’ is a hazy, slickly produced seven minute taste of what’s to come.

Of the track, HAAi explains: “‘Head Above The Parakeets’ is an obvious play on words. To signify the feeling of risk, apprehension and being exposed in what you create. The [accompanying] video was made from footage from some of my favourite festivals and shows over the past year, some of my own visuals and some that were made for my 2019 Sonar show by INSRT. It’s a nostalgic, psychedelic nod to the job and people I love so much, and a reaction to the whirlwind that was my life for the past couple of years.”

Watch the video for ‘Head Above The Parakeets’ below and follow HAAi on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Bang Bang Romeo to Headline Loud Women Festival in 2021

Today, Loud Women have announced that Doncaster/Sheffield rockers Bang Bang Romeo will be headlining their fifth festival, which is set to take place at 229 London on 20th March 2021. The Loud Women team are promising to turn the volume up even higher next year, as they’ve received a much needed grant from the Arts Council.

Designed to celebrate and support women in the DIY, punk and rock music scenes, the Loud Women Festival has showcased some of our favourite artists, including; Dream Nails, The Menstrual Cramps, ARXX and Petrol Girls. The team received over 500 applications from across the globe from artists wanting to play the forthcoming festival, and there are still more than 20 artists to be announced on the line-up.

Loud Women Founder Cassie Fox says: “The aim of the festival is to show how many incredible womxn-powered bands are out there, as a counter to every other festival, those that struggle to even book 50% female acts. In starting and growing the Loud Women community, I wanted to curate top quality, safe-space gigs that showcased some of the awesome womxn-powered bands in the scene, and to create a community of womxn musicians to support each other. I am super-excited that Bang Bang Romeo are coming to play LOUD WOMEN Fest 5 – they are just explosive live, and Stars is such a driven and inspiring frontwoman with a phenomenal voice. The perfect headliner for a festival celebrating female musical power!”

Earlybird tickets for Loud Women Fest are available now at a special price of £16. Grab your tickets here.

Follow Loud Women on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: REWS – ‘Today We’re Warriors’

A defiant guitar tune designed to empower and motivate listeners into action, REWS have shared their latest single ‘Today We’re Warriors’. Lifted from the band’s upcoming second album Warriors, which is set for release on 7th August via Marshall Records, the track mixes heavy riffs and catchy melodies to help spark the fires of personal revolution.

REWS front-woman and founder Shauna Tohill has been busy during the covid-19 lockdown period performing online gigs, and promoting her “Femme Focus” Sunday sessions where she speaks to other female musicians about their work (watch ep. 3 with Jen from False Advertising here). Now, she’s gearing up for the release of her second album, and ‘Today We’re Warriors’ is another shining example of her tenacity and passion as a songwriter.

Speaking about the track, she explains: “The song exclaims exactly what the name suggests! Every morning we wake up, we have a choice in what kind of journey we will lead. There are dark days where our path is unclear and blocked (some more than others) and that’s when I want to encourage everyone to keep fighting forward, to gather together in the spirit of music with those who are good in your life, to support and respect each other! Today, we got this, we will get through this and we will keep moving forward to see a better, positive, thriving and equal future for all women, men, children from all races and backgrounds. Today, we’re warriors!”

The track is accompanied by two music videos, an official video that shows Shauna running through the wilderness, and a fan video directed by GIHE photographer Jon Mo. The fan video also features one of the GIHE grrrls (spoiler: it’s Kate).

Watch both videos below and follow REWS on Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

You can pre-order REWS’ new album Warriors here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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