Welcome to Sonic Baptism with Spirit Lust and friends. Dim Things graciously gave me a platform to share my favorite recent releases and shows of the week (no shows this week). For a playlist of all the songs, and artists mentioned in the week’s article follow here (also includes our friends and releases). Along with the new music, we are also providing materials and resources for people to use to educate themselves on becoming a better and more knowledgeable member of their community. Without further interruption Sonic Baptism, this week with Paloma Magana, Sergio Falvo, Cath Spino, & Jacob Saxton.
The Bobby Lees – “Wendy”
The Bobby Lees are back. After making a name for themselves by coming in first place at the Our Wicked Lady Winter Madness, their new album, “Skin Suit” is being released on July 17th. This week, we got another little taste of that with “Wendy.” “Wendy” is built on the base of rock and roll but has so much punk mentality to go with it. With fuzzy riffs and lo-fi vocals, it’s hard not to get out of bed for this jam (because what else do we do but lay in bed anymore). The Bobby Lees are a band that you need to start paying attention to if you already haven’t. These kids are going far and we can’t wait for the album to drop. – SF
Hunter LaMar – “Tobacco” ft. Haasan Barclay
On Juneteenth, LA-based singer, rapper, keyboardist, arranger, and activist Hunter LaMar released two of his most powerful tracks to date. In an announcement leading up to the release, he said “the oppressor has made violence their language of choice and evidently the only language that they respond to. Fuck this. Fuck everything. Juneteenth, I’m funneling my rage into my art.” And with that, he gave us “Tobacco” and “Still Runnin.” Two absolutely killer tracks that are loaded with energy and power. “Tobacco” featuring Haasan Barclay of CAMP BLOOD, is a new personal favorite. Starting out, it feels low key without a big sound, but it has a huge auspicious vibe, where you know something is about to kick in. Once the verses hit the production booms with it, showing their incredible lyricism, and songwriting ability. The song is in reference to the tobacco plantations of the south, but as Hunter LaMar says “We are cutting that shit down,” and with a song like this, they cut it down and lit it on fire. – JS
Dehd – “Month”
The cat’s pajamas, the bee’s knees, the fox’s socks, the duck’s quack, all synonyms of Dehd. We love Dehd if you couldn’t tell. We can’t wait for the new album, but we’ll continue to have their singles on repeat until that day comes. Yesterday Dehd released a new single, “Month.” “Month” leads off with some twinkly feel-good guitar and eventually leads way to the beautiful vocals that we know and love. Through their last album and last three singles, they have solidified themselves at the top of the game. While it may be too early to tell, with a little traction, Dehd could make a lot of “End of the Year” lists, and we can’t wait. – SF
The Radio Dept. – “Could You be the One”
There is something so comforting about listening to The Radio Dept. It could be the lo-fi vocals of frontman Johan Duncanson, dripping in vulnerability, or the hazy evenness of their melodies that evoke grey cloudy days, a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer, the long branches of a willow tree. Or maybe it’s this timeless need for their music, a need that reminds many of the first time they heard the frontman’s croon or the dreamy ethereal opening melody to one of their songs they’d eventually play over and over again (for me, it was “Pulling Our Weight” from the Marie Antoinette soundtrack when I was an 8th grader at Catholic School. I claimed my allegiance to the band right then and there.) The Swedish dream pop band has dropped a new single “Could You Be The One?” and boy, what a great time it is to be comforted by them. Their single vocalizes the struggles and reflection of a lost love and the song is grander with the added horn on the track. The chorus has a gorgeous call and response between Johan’s tragic questioning and the wordless yet reassuring answer of the horn. Ultimately, Johan’s vocals meet the horn in the last chorus bus the band leaves us with about a minute of gorgeous, poppy soundscape before the song ends, allowing us to drift into the what could have beens in our lives. “Could You Be The One?” is featured as the B side of their single record “You’re Looking at My Guy”, take a listen! – CS
NNAMDÏ – “Have Mercy, Take Mercy”
Chicago based multi-instrumentalist, NNAMDÏ has been releasing music left and right this year, and if you thought he was done, well, you were wrong. Last week NNAMDÏ dropped Krazy Karl, a 10 track LP further carrying on his legacy of genre-defying music. “Have Mercy, Take Mercy” has a fun, loose, feel to it, and as tagged on his Bandcamp, it captures a delightful Looney Tunes vibe, taking you away to your childhood living room, where you can see a sneaking Daffy Duck tiptoeing across the screen. The song is loaded with percussion parts that can feel like a nonstop drum solo but also has a dynamic, ever-developing melodic progression that accompanies it. This song and the album as a whole continues to show NNAMDÏ’s knack for original, eccentric composition. The limited (300 copies), hand-numbered LP has already sold out, so if you slept on it, you will just have to pick up a digital copy to hold you over. – JS
Angela Davis – “Are Prisons Obsolete?”
As someone who knew very little about police abolition less than a month ago, Angela Davis’s, “Are Prisons Obsolete?”, was such an enlightening read with profound insights on every page – literally every page. The 115-page book goes into topics such as prison reform vs abolition, the history of slavery & the civil rights movement, gender & prison, and the prison industrial complex. I’d recommend this book for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of police abolition and is interested in learning the history behind our current prison system. This book really helped me understand and participate in conversations that are happening around me. And now a takeaway from Davis: “In other words, we would not be looking for prisonlike substitutes for the prison, such as house arrest safeguarded by electronic surveillance bracelets. Rather, positing decarceration as our overarching strategy, we would try to envision a continuum of alternatives to imprisonment-demilitarization of schools, revitalization of education at all levels, a health system that provides free physical and mental care to all, and a justice system based on reparation and reconciliation rather than retribution and vengeance.” You can read “Are Prisons Obsolete?” for free here. – PM
Vigils, Protests, and Organizations
7:00 PM (Nightly) – McCarren Park Vigil
A silent vigil at the baseball fields.
6:00 PM (7/9) – At Stone Wall Inn – Sex Workers Speak Out Against Police Brutality
Gathering at Stone Wall Inn with a few speakers to be confirmed. Note that the time recently changed.
Helpful Rebuttals for Racist Talking Points
The Instagram account @charcubed recently shared an infographic with lots of helpful rebuttals and information to have ready the next time your cousin or aunt says something like “WhAT aBoUt BlAcK oN BlAcK cRiMe??”
Show the Boardroom
An Instagram account dedicated to showing top executives and board members of the largest companies in the country. Spoiler alert, it’s primarily a bunch of old white dudes.