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Listen/purchase: Corrido de Gloria Arellanes by Alice Bag

***100% of funds from downloads of this song will go to the Gofundme for Gloria Arellanes.*** Gloria Arellanes has been an inspiration to me. I wrote this song with Quetzal Flores several years ago. I wanted to use the Mexican corrido format for passing down an oral history through music. I think it is an especially important tool for women and people of color whose stories are oftentimes untold or erased. Gloria Arellanes, a political activist, was one of the first women to join the Brown Berets during the Chicano Movement, as well as a co-founder of Las Adelitas de Aztlán. Similar to the Brown Berets, Las Adelitas de Aztlán strove to assist its community members in creating awareness for better bilingual education in Los Angeles as well as protesting against the Vietnam war. She is also a respected Tongva Elder of the first nation of the Los Angeles Basin & has fought for preservation of the indigenous people of Los Angeles. Now that she is in need of around-the-clock care, we are reaching out to the community she has spent her life serving. If you are unable to donate, please consider sharing this post and the love.

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It’s new music Friday, time for the first single by Lucía y los Alfileres! Please give it a listen!

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The story of Lucía y Los Alfileres.

A few years ago, Ruben Martinez and Raquel Gutierrez wrote a play about the history of Los Angeles as shaped by people of color. They asked me and Allison Wolfe to stand in for Maria Talavera and her daughter, Lucía Norman. The two women were political activists and anarchists during the 1910’s and 1920’s, who at one particular rally defended themselves from male policemen attempting to arrest them by stabbing them with the only weapons they had at hand, the long pins (called alfileres in Spanish) used to secure their hats.

During that filming I took time to research the women. I found a few newspaper articles, in particular about Lucía who had slapped a male witness and rushed a line of policemen in court. She seemed to have a healthy disrespect for male authority except for the great love and respect she had for her stepfather, Ricardo Flores Magón.

Last summer when I moved to Mexico City, I was sitting at the kitchen table with my friend, Sara Norman. She asked me about my move and I told her I wanted to be closer to my family and find out more about my Mexican ancestors. Sara understood, she said she had recently found out that she had a great aunt who was an anarchist. She started to say her name but I jumped in excitedly: “LUCÍA NORMAN IS YOUR GREAT AUNT?”

“You’ve heard of her?” Sara responded. I told Sara about the play and how Lucía had been part of Los Angeles history. At that very moment we decided we wanted to make sure Lucía’s name was not forgotten. We told the story to our friend Violeta and we all decided to form a band and call it Lucía y Los Alfileres.

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"La tía abuela Lucía Norman fue adoptada por Ricardo Flores Magón y lo defendió durante toda su vida, aunque murió bien joven siempre fue anarquista de corazón. Junto con su jefita ahí andaban duro y dale tratando de liberar a los presos políticos y arriesgando sus vidas para promover las ideas del PLM, haciendo periodismo y activísimo social transnacional y anarcosindicalista, que bonitas señoritas rebeldes!" Reposted from @proto_plot

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SONG: AVIÉNTATE YA by Alice BagVIDEO: Reposted from @cineseizure The Forest Song / Lisova pisnya (Viktor Ivchenko, 1961)STREAM AVIÉNTATE YA NOWMusicians: @theeexplodingflower on guitars, @candohando on drums, @chlo.mo.jo on bass, Vocals by @alice_bag, @sarashanik, @violeta_______________________

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Listen/purchase: AVIENTATE YA by Alice Bag

With vocals by Sara Norman and Violeta Hinojosa, respectively, the guitarist and bassist of the Mexico City hardcore punk band, Soga. Sara & Violeta immediately made me feel like punk family when I relocated to Mexico City in 2021, so it’s only fitting that they became my “Coro de Brujas” (Choir of Witches) for this song.

Ahh que riesgo emocionante Tiene efecto intoxicarte Atrévete, andale Que pa’ luego es tarde Ve sin temor, ten valor No seas cobarde Atrévete, andale Que pa’ luego es tarde Ve sin temor, ten valor No seas cobarde Te vas con cautela y me desesperas Enfréntate al riesgo No hay otra manera Aviéntate ya! Aviéntate ya! Aviéntate ya! Es un poco intimidante Molestoso, irritante Atrévete, andale Que pa’ luego es tarde Ve sin temor, ten valor No seas cobarde Atrévete, andale Que pa’ luego es tarde Ve sin temor, ten valor No seas cobarde Lo desconocido es como el océano Deja el salvavidas tírate un clavado! Aviéntate ya! Aviéntate ya! Aviéntate ya! No es necesario, dar tanta vuelta Por mientras piensas, se cierra la puerta Atrévete, andale Que pa’ luego es tarde Ve sin temor, ten valor No seas cobarde Atrévete, andale Que pa’ luego es tarde Ve sin temor, ten valor No seas cobarde No se pueda a medias, Aunque sea con miedo Hay que entrarle entero, Hay que entrarle entero! Aviéntate ya! Aviéntate ya! Aviéntate ya!

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"Sadly, very few Christmas carols include the image of Santa Claus beating the sh*t out of white supremacists. But today, we’ve got a new entry in the canon." No Gifts for Nazis

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I rarely share this song because it doesn’t have that joyous, happy holiday feel. I wrote this song when someone very close to me was in prison. It was a struggle being apart during such an important time of year and the separation felt especially harsh when contrasted with all the cheerful people, movies, music and decorations around me. I survived that Christmas by treating it as just another day.I know a lot of people are not able to be around their loved ones this year and may feel alone in not enjoying Christmas. This song is for you. Hard times pass. Better days are ahead. Hang tight and stay strong.

Listen/download for free: Christmas Is Just Another Day by Alice Bag

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FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

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Revisiting this oldie but goodie meme.

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“Sending love to all the young queers and weirdos out there who might have have to dim their spark in order to feel safe at home. Your online communities are here for you and one day we will be able to embrace in person.” - Dahlia Lopez via Youtube comments. This music video for my song, Spark was  directed by: Rudy Bleu Garcia, Cinematographer and Editor: Graham Kobleins Starring: Vander Von Odd, Taco, Lady Forbidden, Dvvsk, Erick Moreno , Fasique, Skirt Cocaine, Vincente Carillo, Kimberly Miranda, Adam Morello Reyes, Audrey Silvestre, Judy Ornelas, Patricia Wang, Maia Villa, Neyva, Annie Padilla, Dewie Hernandez, Jaylen Zanelli, Lorenzo Del Castillo, Melody Yenn Thanks to Club Chico and Sonido Del Valle  

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Fit for the Apocalypse - Alice Bag (warmup with Itch by Fea)

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No you will not see Santa’s gifts under your tree. 

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Stay out there and look for your candy house ever-sweet smiling spouse that’s not me

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Join me tonight (Thursday, 8/30) at Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park, DTLA for a free, all ages concert starting at 7pm with Generacion Suicida.

http://www.blog.levitt.org/2018/08/spotlight-series-alice-bag/#more-8448

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When a person of color tries to protest, suddenly it turns into something that must be shut down at any cost. As a society, we don’t take the time to reflect on why people of color are upset and why people are asking for a change of policy. In my experience as a brown woman, it seems that it’s just like, ‘shut them up by any means necessary,’ and if a few brown or black people die, it’s seen as what’s needed to maintain the status quo. So we are sacrificed.

‘Gray smoke in ’70.

I still choke when I stop to think.

Our struggle then was here at home.

And it’s still going on.

Black clubs, blue collars.

Blood red, silver dollars.

You say justice is colorblind.

But I know you’re lying.

I know you’re lying.

White justice doesn’t work for me.’

Always remember August 29, 1970.

The struggle continues.

La lucha sigue.