and The Don’t Tread on We! album remains ‘essential’ …
Birthright Punk Rock is never apologetic, nor written for digital real estate. It speaks truth to discomfort. Yes, and to power.
It’s the kind of music that can make you lose social media friends, if done right.
Which means The 1865’s debut album, Don’t Tread on We!, is likely about as Punk as you would’ve gotten in 2019, the album’s release year.
What can be more discomforting than a furious and poetic contemplation of freedom and oppression from the viewpoint of African slaves at the dawn of post-bellum America? Performed in Punk? By African descendants who were guided by the ancestral songbook aesthetic?
Don’t just stream the album — buy it. Don’t Tread on We! is an “essential document” — the highest praise I hold for albums you’ll want to play years from now.
I need to insert an apology at this moment. With all the posts I’ve published over time, I remain notorious for writing stories that never get to see the world — and it happens for no reason. But I then think about Prince and his vault cuts to feel a little better about it. Sort of.
Anyway, I produced a glowing piece last year about Don’t Tread on We!, and never published it. I apologize. I resolve to not let that happen again.
But here’s some cool news. The 1865 will bang live tomorrow at Lincoln Center Outdoors, and you can score tickets at a discount with code NEWSTAGE15. I think this gig will sell out, so make plans now.
The photo up top is me with my copy of the album. Just a reminder that you should support independent music — including your friends who create …
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