black. lives. matter.

As a music and media publication dedicated to supporting marginalized communities, we’re using our platform to fight against racial injustice, particularly at the hands of the police. On Blackout Tuesday, an initiative was created by Atlantic Records exec Jamila Thomas and Platoon’s Brianna Agyemang, we dedicated the entire site to resources for justice, and we’ve compiled those materials here on a post that will remain on Audiofemme’s homepage as long as necessary and will be updated on an ongoing basis.

VOICES



“Here is the call…. Break out of the tendency to spin in your own guilt, ignorance, shame, resistance, or whatever is preventing you from living into a life of anti-racism and love for the humanity of Black, Indigenous and people of color. Break through the hardness of white supremacy so you can see every single way you uphold it. Break free… and step into a place that may be the only way out of this disastrous mess: a scrupulous interrogation of your complicity.”

Melia LaCour for South Seattle Emerald

PLAYLIST







DONATE

Rachel Cargle’s Loveland Foundation provides financial assistance to BIWOC seeking therapy.

Black Visions Collective seeks to expand the power of Black people across the Twin Cities metro area and Minnesota.

Pimento Relief Fund helps Black-owned businesses rebuilding in Minnesota; look for other orgs in your city.

Reclaim the Block organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety. You can also find petitions and orgs that seek to do the same in your city, like Communities United for Police Reform in NYC. Campaign Zero provides more resources for getting involved.

On a national level, Communities Against Police Brutality (CUAPB) provides assistance to individuals and families dealing with the effects of police brutality.

Donate directly to the families of victims lost to police brutality and other hate crimes.

National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) is a project of the National Lawyers Guild that works to hold police accountable for civil rights violations.

Unicorn Riot, a decentralized media organization, has been live-streaming uprisings.

Black Table Arts gathers Black communities through the arts, towards better black futures.

Southern Poverty Law Center monitors hate groups throughout the US.

Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) moves white folks into accountable action as part of a multi-racial movement through community organizing, mobilizing, and education.

The National Bail Fund Network lists organizations by state that share the goal of freeing people by paying bails and bonds and while fighting to abolish the money bail system and pretrial detention. Donate now on behalf of protesters arrested in demonstrations; donate often as this is an ongoing and systemic issue.

VOTE

Campaign for political candidates who model racial justice and fight for progressive policy change, ESPECIALLY DOWN BALLOT. Send money to finance progressive campaigns in states outside of the ones you live in. Research candidates’ platforms and voting records, as all too many proclaimed “liberal” candidates aren’t radical enough to effect real change. Vote for (and donate to) the ones who will push moderates to the left! American politics is flawed, but remember what’s at stake when you refuse to participate at all.

Terence Floyd, at a vigil for his slain brother in Minneapolis 6/1/2020

SHARE

The hand-drawn graphics (black background with white-script text) used in our posts were created by Tessa El Maleh and are available for use on social media (right click to save). We ask that you do not use the #BlackLivesMatter hash tag on your posts unless sharing resources or information for those on the ground. We do recommend that you make your post more meaningful than performative by sharing alongside general resources and wider calls to action.








Dedicated to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and all victims of police brutality and race-based violence.


Before his death at the hands of Minneapolis police, George Floyd was part of Houston’s rap scene, appearing on mixtapes with DJ Screw and Presidential Playas, as Stereogum reports.



“I want justice for her. I want them to say her name. There’s no reason Breonna should be dead at all.”

– Tamika Palmer, mother of Breonna Taylor, in an interview with Errin Haines for The Washington Post that shed light on the 26-year old essential worker’s death at the hands of Louisville police

“Arbery was enjoying a nice run on a beautiful day when he began to be stalked by armed men.

What must that have felt like?

What must he have felt when he approached the truck and saw that one of the stalkers was brandishing a shotgun?

What must he have thought when he fought for the gun?

What must he have thought when he took the first bullet?

Or the second?

What must he have thought as he collapsed to the ground and could feel the life leaving his body?”

The Killing of Ahmaud Arbery by Charles M. Blow for the New York Times

NEWS ROUNDUP: Kesha’s Countersuit, Neil Portnow Resigns & More

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Kesha photographed by Olivia Bee.

Kesha, Neil Portnow & More

By Jasmine Williams

Kesha’s Downhill Battle

Kesha was dealt another blow in her long battle with Dr. Luke and Sony. On Tuesday in New York, an appeals court ruled that she cannot pursue her countersuit with the producer, who she has publicly accused of sexual assault as well as physical and emotional abuse. The “Praying” singer sought to appeal against Dr. Luke’s 2016 legal claims of defamation and breach of contractual agreement. Kesha is still legally bound to Sony and Dr. Luke. Her most recent album, Rainbow, was released through Kemosabe Records, a label originally formed by Dr. Luke in collaboration with Sony in 2012.

On Thursday, Kesha released a music video in partnership with youth-led immigrant rights organization, United We Dream.

Bye Neil!

Recording Academy chief Neil Portnow will resign at the end of his contract next July. Earlier this year Portnow came under fire after defending a Grammy ceremony with little female representation. His comments, which included saying that women in the music industry needed “to step up” were met with outcry. In response he created a task force to address “explicit barriers and unconscious biases that impede female advancement in the music community.” He continued to face criticism following his announcement, which was considered a half measure by much of the industry.

That New New

This week brought a wealth of new releases, although we might not call them summer jams. Josh Tillman’s Father John Misty project brought all of the feels on his latest record, God’s Favorite Customer. “In short, it’s a heartbreak album,” says Tillman of the offering, which features songs such as “Hangout at the Gallows” and “Please Don’t Die.”

Neko Case dropped her seventh solo album and it’s a rager, but not in the typical sense. Of Hell-On, she told The New York Times, “I think there’s some sort of heat coming from the rest of the world that finished baking a long-existing rage-loaf that started in my body as a little kid.”

Twitter monster Kanye West released his newest album, YE, via livestream last night at midnight via a listening party in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We aren’t sure how it sounds yet because we didn’t download the app.

Gorillaz officially announced the album release for their next album and an upcoming stadium tour. The Now Now will come out June 29th. The virtual band accompanied the news with a Jack Black-starring clip called “Humility.”

Kamasi Washington, The 1975, and Charli XCX released singles this week. Washington’s “Street Fighter Mas” comes ahead of his forthcoming album, Heaven and Earth, out June 22nd. The 1975’s “Give Yourself A Try” will be included on their next album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, which will come out in October. Charli surprised fans with “5 in the Morning.” The single comes on the heels of her guest appearance on Rita Ora’s controversial song “Girls.”

End Notes

  • Come rain or shine, New York City festival season is kicking off this weekend with Governor’s Ball. Next week brings the Brooklyn-based Northside Fest.
  • The internet’s favorite Jurassic Park actor, Jeff Goldblum, has announced an upcoming jazz album.
  • Pusha T and Drake’s feud reached new heights this week. Talking points of their debate included blackface, multiple sclerosis, a secret child, and more. Hear NYT’s John Caramanica break it all down here.

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PREVIEW: 10+ Must-See Bands @ Northside Festival

Summer doesn’t officially start until June 21st, but in Brooklyn, the informal kick-off feels more like the first week of June thanks to the annual Northside Festival. Growing exponentially since its inception in 2009, Northside provides sensory overload in the best way possible, with hundreds of bands playing intimate showcases in various venues stretching from Williamsburg up to Greenpoint and out toward Bushwick’s borders. But in order to make your hunt for great live music a little easier, here are a few of our concert picks for the upcoming long weekend! See you on the dance floor (or in the mosh pit).

Thursday, June 8th

Kamasi Washington, 7:30 pm @McCarren Park

The renowned jazz saxophonist, producer, composer, and bandleader will take the stage at McCarren Park on Thursday night. Sandwiched on a killer bill between openers Jay Som and headliners Dirty Projectors, Washington might melt your face off with his searing tenor sax. If that scorching woodwind sounds familiar, it’s because he’s played with the likes of Kendrick Lamar (To Pimp A Butterfly, DAMN), Thundercat, and Ryan Adams. — Madison Bloom

Aldous Harding, 9:30 pm @Park Church Co-op

If this goth-folk New Zealander doesn’t bewitch you with her stunning voice, we don’t know what will. Aldous Harding recently released her sophomore LP Party, and its mournful hymns will surely become all the more staggering within the high ceilings of the Park Church Co-op (she also plays Baby’s All Right on Saturday). Saps beware: you may want to bring Kleenex. — Madison Bloom

No Joy, 10 pm @Knitting Factory Brooklyn

We’ve long admired shoegazey shredders No Joy, who released their four-track CREEP EP this February. They don’t just bank on head-banging distortion (though the dual guitarists’ hypnotizing ripples of blonde hair prove there’s plenty of that), deftly deploying well-crafted hooks with every ferocious track. They headline a bill featuring chilled-out Dutch power pop from Amber Arcades (fans of Camera Obscura or Still Corners take note) and Eartheater, the solo project of multi-instrunentalist Alexandra Drewchin that has to be seen to be believed (vacuum cleaners are often part of the show). — Lindsey Rhoades

Shilpa Ray, 11 pm @Sunnyvale

A harmonium-wielding heir to Patti Smith, Shilpa Ray is no one to be trifled with. Her snarl alone makes for a compelling live performance – but when it’s paired with heartbreaking melodies and the occasional pedal steel, you really feel like you’re in the presence of the rarest and rawest of performers. — Madison Bloom

Friday, June 9th

William Basinski, 9 pm @National Sawdust

If you’re looking to hear something atmospheric, experimental, or just downright gorgeous, pop by National Sawdust for a set by composer and multi-instrumentalist William Basinski. Basinski is perhaps best known for his collections of dissolving tape loops entitled The Disintegration Tapes, and his contemporary work is very in keeping with that hypnotic, cyclical aesthetic. If you’d like to be lulled into a tranquil dream state, don’t miss this set! — Madison Bloom

Yvette, 11:45 pm @Terra Firma

Conversely, if you are absolutely not trying to chill out at Northside, and prefer to move your bod a bit more brashly, get thee to Terra Firma, where local noise duo Yvette will rev you up. This band is a must-see for anyone into distortion, shouting, and infectious, driving drum rhythms. — Madison Bloom

Big Thief, 11 pm @Rough Trade

It’s hard to follow up a breakout debut, especially when it’s named Masterpiece. But Brooklyn band Big Thief aim to do just that with Capacity, which happens to drop the same day they take the stage at Rough Trade for a Northside appearance (they’re also playing Saturday at Park Church Co-op). Lead vocalist Adrianne Lenker is easily one of the best lyricists we’ve come across in recent years, her sweet voice often breaking into a raw moan as her bandmates’ backup fury blooms. — Lindsey Rhoades

Flock of Dimes, 1am @Baby’s All Right

We’re sort of obsessed with Jenn Wasner, whose soaring vocals first made our hearts pound as one half of Baltimore-based duo Wye Oak. Now relocated to North Carolina (after a tip from her pals in Sylvan Esso), Wasner’s still one of the hardest working women in indie rock. Last September, she released If You See Me, Say Yes, the debut LP from her solo electropop project Flock of Dimes. If you can stay awake long enough for the late show at Baby’s, definitely say yes to seeing Wasner live. — Lindsey Rhoades 

Saturday, June 10th

Timber Timbre, 10pm @Music Hall of Williamsburg

Riding in on the brilliance of their new record Sincerely, Future Pollution, Timber Timbre are likely to knock your socks off on Saturday night. Expect spooky, swampy, synth-washed blues atmospheric and elegant enough to soundtrack the new Twin Peaks— Madison Bloom

Nightspace, 10 pm @Vital Joint

There’s a nebulous quality that the name Nightspace implies – one of liminality, of dissolution, of suspended time and identity. It’s appropriate then, that queer artist of color Bailey Skye would adopt such a moniker to create their glimmering electronic darkwave debut Birth/Decay. Beautiful and surreal, these six tracks offer throbbing post-gender post-punk that’s unlike anything else you’ll hear at Northside. — Lindsey Rhoades

Audiofemme Showcase, 12:15 pm @Knitting Factory Brooklyn

Come hang out with us and listen to some of our favorite new artists! We’re co-hosting an awesome, five-hour daytime showcase with Glamglare featuring Blonde Maze, Gold Child, Letters to Nepal, Kinder Than Wolves, GIRL SKIN, and Josh Jacobson – you can read more about these artists here. Sets start at 12:15, so come say hi and hear some mind-blowing music!

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CMJ 2015: Bands to Hear

CMJ Music Marathon 2015 is here. With an overwhelming abundance of artist to sort through, we made your life easier by providing you with a list of a few can’t-miss bands to hear. Read on.

Cosmo Sheldrake

Cosmo Sheldrake

Rare is the mere mortal who can play more instruments than years they’ve lived. Cosmo Sheldrake is such a human (though I’m convinced some dealings with the devil are at play here). At 25 Sheldrake has scored films, composed music for a series of Samuel Beckett plays, and given a performance at TEDxWhitechapel entitled “Interspecies Collaboration.” Oh, and, you know, he plays over 30 instruments. Piano? Check. Drums? Check? Didgeridoo? Mmhm. Sousaphone, penny whistle, Mongolian throat singing, Tibetan chanting, computer? Yup.

I’m not sure how Sheldrake will get all this gear from London to Piano’s this Tuesday, but I am certain there will be an intriguing performance in store. While Sheldrake’s resume can leave us fearing overwrought and un-listenable prog rock, I can assure you that his sound is nothing short of delightful. His technical ability is matched by a penchant for catchy, beautifully textured songs that venture on the Baroque and folk corners of pop.

Cosmo Sheldrake:

Tuesday 10/13 @Piano’s 5:30pm

 

ezra

Ezra Furman

We’ve sung his praise before, and we’re not finished. The cross-dressing troubadour plays a vigorous set, spits a mean lyric, and looks a hell of a lot better in a frock than I do. Riding on the warm reception of his latest release Perpetual Motion People, Furman will be here by way of London, San Francisco, St. Paul, and lord knows where else. Expect manic folk, mangled vocals, doo-wop croons, punk rock, lipstick and plenty of saxophone. If you long to move this CMJ, but don’t have the taste for late night EDM, I assure you there will be sufficient dancing at the Ezra Furman gig.

If you’re schedule’s pretty full-up, worry not; Ezra is playing four dates next week. Though if I may recommend one above the rest it’s his headlining gig at Knitting Factory, where Juan Waters, Slim Twig and Drinks-among many others-will share the bill. Don’t miss it!

 

Ezra Furman:

Wednesday 10/14 @Knitting Factory 7pm (Juan Waters, Slim Twig, Drinks)

Thursday 10/15 @Rough Trade 4pm

Thursday 10/15 @le Poisson Rouge 10pm

Friday 10/16 @Baby’s All Right 2pm

 

SNS_PROMO_2015

Sean Nicholas Savage

Where Cosmo Sheldrake can be measured in instruments, Montreal’s Sean Nicholas Savage can be measured in albums. At 29 he’s released 11 studio LPs in a span of eight years. His latest record Other Death surfaced just last month on his Alma Mater Arbutus Records, home to fellow Canadians TOPS, Grimes and Doldrums.

With the guise of a shadier Morrissey, Savage’s music is at peace with sorrow, his signature crooning falsetto wavers over hushed keys and papery drums. His vocal range reaches heights that one might find unlikely from a live performance, but trust me, I’ve seen him pull it off on the spot to an even greater effect than his recordings. He’s a humble, somewhat shy performer, but a captivating one nonetheless. And if it’s charisma you’re looking for, he’s got that in spades.

 

Sean Nicholas Savage:

Thursday 10/15 @Silent Barn 8pm

Friday 10/16 @Arlene’s Grocery 8p

 

miya

Miya Folick

Resting somewhere between balladeer folk and dream pop, Miya Folick‘s latest EP Strange Darling is nothing short of mesmerizing.  There is a sweet sadness at play here that stabs pretty deep.  It’s a far cry from other music coming out of Los Angeles right now, which is often sun-bleached and relentlessly up-tempo.  Folick’s sound, while beautiful and fragile, is also haunting and morose.  There is an eerie quality to her which sets her apart from the crowd.

If you’re into Cat Power, Beach House, Hope Sandoval, etc, Folick is well worth your time this CMJ.

 

Miya Folick:

Tuesday 10/13 @Cakeshop 9pm

Wednesday 10/14@The Flat 8:15pm

ppl

Phony PPL

If I had to describe Brooklyn’s Phony PPL in one sentence it would read thus: late 70s Stevie Wonder has a hip hop group. I like both of those things. Mixing jazz fusion arrangements, R&B rhythms and rap vocal stylings, Phony PPL’s latest release Yesterday’s Tomorrow is already dotting some year-end lists. You may even remember seeing the boys on Jimmy Kimmel Live in June, standing in as Fetty Wap’s backing band for “Trap Queen.”

It’s not too often you come by a hip hop group that is a proper band. This is no discredit to the genre, which is heavily reliant on brilliant producers and session musicians. But the rarity of Phony PPl’s musical fluency is part of their appeal, aside from being fantastic songwriters, and, let’s face it, adorable.

 

Phony PPL:

Wednesday 10/14 @Arlene’s Grocery 5pm

Friday 10/16 @The Wick 6pm

 

hooton

Hooton Tennis Club

 While the U.K. once spat out its best music draped in a Union Jack, our friends across the pond seem to be peeking at our back catalogue for their latest inspirations. Hooton Tennis Club may be a British Pop band, but they are certainly not a Britpop band. Instead these Wirral four would sit more comfortably next to your Deerhunter and Pavement than your Blur and Suede.

Having just released their debut record The Highest Point in Cliff Town on the reputable Heavenly Recordings, Hooton have been on the tour circuit for quite some time, made an appearance on BBC Radio 6, and were featured in NME’s “New Band of the Week” column. Not bad for four lads from Wirral.

 

Hooton Tennis Club:

Tuesday 10/13 @Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2. 5pm

Wednesday 10/14 @Cakeshop 7pm

 

kamasi

Kamasi Washington

You may have not heard of Kamasi Washington, but you’ve probably heard him. He wrote most of the arrangements on this little record called To Pimp a Butterfly by some guy named Kendrick Lamar.

Washington is a man of many talents. A saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, he has performed and recorded with the likes of Thundercat, Broken Bells, Stanley Clarke and Snoop Dogg. Though his credits as collaborator and contributor finally gave way to a headlining title with the release of his LP The Epic this May. Epic is no understatement-the album clocks in just under three hours and has a transcendent quality to it. This is textured, full-bodied jazz with elements of gospel, funk and soul. What’s not to like?

 


Kamasi Washington:

Thursday 10/15 @BRIC House 7:30pm

Friday 10/16 @Le Poisson Rouge 6:30pm

 

Landshapes_HighRes-1957_732_487

Landshapes

Another U.K. band (we can’t help ourselves!) Landshapes merge noisy psych rock with pop-punk tempos and infectious melodies.  Originally called Lulu and the Lampshades, a Paris venue misspelled “Lampshades” as “Landshapes” and a new moniker was born.

Signed to the influential Bella Union label, Landshapes just released their second record Heyoon in May and it’s a rip-roaring slice of sound.  There is a bit of the odd in their music for sure as the band’s influences would have us believe.  Take the album’s first single lead single “Moongee,” a song inspired by a tale by 17th century Bishop Francis Godwin.  I hope their live show is as bizarre as their references!

 

Landshapes:

Wednesday 10/14 @Palisades 10pm

Thursday 10/15 @Le Poisson Rouge 9pm

Saturday 10/17 @Rockwood Music Hall Stage 1 7pm

 

outfit

Outfit

Whether it’s Manchester or Sheffield, the North of England seems to have a penchant for churning out great bands. Outfit is no exception. Originally from Liverpool, Outfit are only two albums deep in their catalogue, but quality is shouting louder than quantity in this case. Slowness, their latest LP, is a study in subtlety, drifting between melancholy and melody with a sophisticated ease for such a young band. To me they sound like a drowsy Prefab Sprout, so you can expect masterfully constructed pop songs that verge on the edge of bizarre.

More frequently Outfit is compared to Hot Chip, though I’m not hearing this so much, save for the fact that lead singer Andrew Hunt does sound oddly like Chip’s Alexis Taylor on a couple of tracks. Either way, Outfit is a band worth hearing.

 


Outfit:

Wednesday 10/14 @Passenger Bar 9pm

Saturday 10/17 @Pianos (Upstairs) 8:10pm

 

protomartyr

Protomartyr

In the broadest of terms, Protomartyr is a punk band from Detroit. Though listening closer you’ll discover a group with far more depth than that description. Piloted by singer/songwriter Joe Casey, Protomartyr exude a dark pensiveness akin to The Minutemen with swaths of aggressive post punk coating discordant melodies – if you can call them melodies.

Despite occupying a genre often bound by obscurity, Protomartyr have a decent following under their belt. Signed to Sub Pop imprint Hardly Art records, the foursome just released their third record The Agent Intellect today. What better way to celebrate their new LP than to catch them live next week?


Protomartyr:

Wednesday 10/14 @Santo’s Party House 11:15pm

Friday 10/16 @Rough Trade 7pm (with Drinks, Mothers, Car Seat Headreast, Modern Vices)