Bell's Roar Releases Debut LP 'We Carry Us' Announces Art Funds Art Tour Openers
By: Caryn Robbins Jan. 12, 2018
The brilliant Albany, NY-based artist and activist bell's roar (Sean Desiree, pronouns they/them) has today released their debut album We Carry Us. The 10-song manifesto includes previously released songs "We Carry Us" and "Celebrate." After working with esteemed drummer Madame Gandhi for their self-titled first EP (2014) and Tom Morello's Firebrand Records for their Second Chances, Vol. 1 EP (2015), Sean has produced, recorded, and mixed every song on We Carry Us entirely themself. Continued and expanded upon from these EPs are bell's roar's inspiring, beautiful themes of sustaining the queer and trans arts communities of color from within and evocative, dream pop-influenced compositions.
Stream and purchase We Carry Us via bell's roar's Bandcamp
It could be said that advocating for the QTPOC community is bell's roar's trademark. Case in point is their Art Funds Art Tour, which launches February 2. It had previously been set to launch February 1; the opening show in Sean's current city of Albany, NY has been moved to February 25 at the Albany Social Justice Center. Art Funds Art Tour takes the profits from ticket sales and distributes them into artist grants and performance stipends to underfunded queer and trans artists of color in each of the cities it visits; it begins in Albany and travels all the way down to Atlanta over the course of 12 days. Art Funds Art Tour is Sean's way of matching their words with action; it's also an effort to keep the arts community thriving as the current US government slashes funding for artistic and intellectual pursuits and systematically oppresses trans people and people of color.
In each city, a local QTPOC artist will open for bell's roar as they tour We Carry Us for the first time. The tour's openers are newly announced; info on them and dates/locations for each Art Funds Art Tour show is below.
Read more about Art Funds Art Tour in Autostraddle
Art Funds Art Tour:
February 2: Boston, MA @ Make Shift Boston (w/ Anjimile)Anjimile
Anjimile is a queer & trans songsinger melodymaker folkboy lovebloom with a heart of gold. Listen to "Therapy" here.
Tubafresh
tubafresh is the solo project of Chanell Crichlow, who for the past several years fronted Brooklyn based, PitchBlak Brass Band. Since then, she has retrieved to the hills of Sunset Park, where she composes songs of all kinds with an acute focus on lo-fi pop gold. Listen to her music here.
opener TBD
February 6: Baltimore, MD @ MotorhouseAbdu Ali
Abdu Ali is an independent music artist, writer, and multimedia arts curator based in Baltimore and Brooklyn. Ali has released five musical projects, all notable for his idiosyncratic blend of punk, futurism, Baltimore Club Music, and rap music, with lyrics yielding poetic uprise. Listen to his music here.
Gemynii
Gemynii is a self taught artist who mainly works with painting. She is also a poet, art instructor, and community activist/organizer. You can see her art here.
February 12: Atlanta, GA @ The Mammal Gallery (w/ Taylor Alxndr)
TAYLOR ALXNDR
TAYLOR ALXNDR is a DIY musician, drag queen, and community organizer from Atlanta, GA. Making music ranging from darkwave to house, they use their art to draw outside the lines that box them in. Listen to NOISE here.
February 25: Albany, NY @ Albany Social Justice Center (w/ Katani, Alisadance)
KataniBest friends first, Katani is a rap duo that came together to spread an alternative message to the misogyny that permeates popular music and culture. Their ultimate aim is to educate uplift and unite people with a specific focus on folks whom patriarchy, racism and oppression make invisible.. Listen to "KODACK MELLOWnin" here.
dancealisadance
dancealisadance composes original music as inspired from sad room/root of their little giant heart. dancealisadance sings about heartache, oceans, being a mom and queer/dear love. Her artwork can be viewed at www.alisasikelianoscarter.com
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