“From the River to the Sea: The Horrible Truth About Palestine – A Fundraiser for the United Palestinian Appeal” brings together more than twenty eclectic artists, poets and bands in countries like Palestine, the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Australia and Japan with songs in English, Yiddish and Arabic.
It is both a fundraiser and a show of solidarity from a diverse group of incredible artists including bedbug, Frog, Laptop Funeral, PHONODELICA, Kahil Ali, HARDCOREBAE, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Magana, Brivele, Cloud, SuperKnova and many others. I never thought I’d see a Yiddish folk band and frog on the same comp, but that’s the magic of Audio Antihero: Jamie Halliday (they/them) has a knack for finding beautiful, immersive music that pushes to the truths of the strangeness, isolation, and beauty of the human experience.
The compilation album, the first Audio Antihero release in over a year.
“The compilation is primarily intended to raise funds for the United Palestinian Appeal’s essential work in Palestine,” writes Halliday of Audio Antihero. “But I also want to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people and our opposition to the Israeli government as well as our own. We cannot be too polite or too afraid to acknowledge that Palestinians are living under apartheid and that even protected classes (children, the disabled, medics, protestors and journalists) face constant acts of racist military violence and assassination which are clearly defined as war crimes. These acts of genocide are supported, defended and funded by so many of our own governments. We don’t have the luxury of feeling unable to comment on this one sided ‘conflict.’”
Halliday walks us through some of the tracks on this gargantuan compilation brimming with rage — and hope.
Kahlil Ali – Marsha
This is one of two songs that I specifically went and sought out for this compilation and I’m grateful that FDH Records agreed to let me use it. I love this for an opener. It’s so fun and full of energy, it has so much emotion and momentum. I love that the song celebrates Marsha P. Johnson, I think that connecting our struggles is important. Not in the sense of interrupting one another but more that so much of the world’s ugliness and cruelty comes from the same traditions and institutions of the ruling classes. I don’t see it as a distraction to talk about the pigs and transphobia or capitalism and racism while addressing Palestine.
“Fuck the Misfits, I’m the Misfits” is probably the big line in here but I clench my fists tight when they scream “Shouts out Black Trans Lives / “Shouts out Every Cop Dies!”
They’re making music as Zula now and did a really gorgeous freestyle session earlier this year.
Josaleigh Pollett – Something Pretty
Josaleigh’s “No Woman Is the Sea” was a gorgeous album I picked up during my wilderness year. Such warm, emotive and evocative songwriting. I thought of her immediately when I was trying to find guests who’d be willing to contribute to the cause. I knew she’d bring beauty to the album when it needed it most and “Something Pretty” does just that.
It’s such a privilege to be able to find small ways to work with musicians you admire and I’ve been so lucky in that regard. She’s also somehow become my one woman NB affirmation league on twitter lately. And boy do I need one. Feels lovely!
Frog – Rubbernecking (Live in Edinburgh)
This was the song that hooked me on Frog years ago. “Last I night fuckin’ killed a man and you know it didn’t change shit” just hits me. Maybe it’s all those issues of The Punisher I read. Anyway, hearing this song wound up changing my life in terms of where I am and who I know. Edinburgh is maybe my favourite city and I’m pretty sure they’ve forgotten how to play this song so I’m glad it’s preserved here.
HARDCOREBAE – no indictment / hang yourself
I was lucky enough to meet Adrian (HARDCOREBAE/H.B.I.C.) in my civilian life. I think they really exemplify that Punk is meant to be more than how the song sounds. My own writing doesn’t come close to comparing but this song inspired me to try my hand at poetry and writing too. Just the idea that you can really say anything is freeing and I needed them to show me that.
A lot of what’s on the compilation is previously unreleased but this was an existing song I was desperate to have on the album. It tackles violence and oppression from the pigs with a visceral hostility. There’s few things as cathartic in music as HARDCOREBAE snarling “Darren Wilson, hang yourself / George Zimmerman, hang yourself / Dylann Roof, go hang yourself / Daniel Pantaleo, hang yourself!”
This song is overwhelmed with a righteous hatred for its oppressor. And I think that’s beautiful.
Melissa Lozada-Oliva – I Love You in My Dead Grandfather’s Button Down
This was my biggest “wouldn’t it be cool if…” email gambit. I’ve loved Melissa’s poetry since I heard her work on the bedbug (another wonderful guest on this compilation) album “I’ll Count To Heaven In Years Without Seasons” and had to buy her wonderful book “Peluda” right after.
This story is immersed in love and flirtation while facing generational trauma. I recently met a nice person when I was out in the city and I gave her my copy of Melissa’s book. It seemed like a sweet and wholesome thing to do at the time but now I don’t have a copy…
Brivele – In Dokh Zing Ikh
Such a cool and fun trio. They make anti-fascist klezmer folk-punk and incorporate traditional Jewish songs into their work. With “In Dokh Zing Ikh” I think it’s really powerful how they have applied Yiddish lyrics of struggle and expulsion (“Pak zikh ayn [Pack Up]” and “Khotsh ikh hob kayn heym nisht [Though I Have No Home]”) to the Nakba.
Laptop Funeral – A Familiar Feeling (feat. Port Lucian & Turi)
Laptop Funeral was always a stand out from the Z Tapes catalogue and her work just seems to get better and better with every release. This collaboration with Port Lucian and Turi is so gorgeous. It’s less than two minutes long but it’s just filled with melodies and ideas and leaves me wanting more every single time.
When I asked Ray to be a part of the release, they said that they had “grown up” listening to Audio Antihero’s releases and I thought that would make me feel old but it just made me happy.
PHONODELICA – 1896 [Extended Version] (featuring Huda Asfour)
Dr. Donia Jarrar is a fascinating human being. An extremely unique interdisciplinary artist with a brilliant catalogue of music which centers Palestinians and explores Islamophobia, solidarity and survival against the odds while preserving stories and culture which so many forces seem hellbent on erasing.
She contributed an extended version of ‘1896’ (featuring Huda Asfour) which originally appears on the soundtrack to her documentary and opera “Seamstress” which collects oral histories from Palestinian women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank. It’s an honour to have been able to close the album with someone who is such an authority on its subject.
You can purchase the compilation album on Bandcamp.