News
Anti-Flag are streaming "The New Jim Crow," an exclusive b-side off of Cease Fires, now. Listn to the song HERE. Cease Fires is an album of b-sides and rerecorded material to be released on A-F Records December 18th. Pre-orders for the picture disc LP are available HERE. "The New Jim Crow" is one of two previously unreleased b-sides present on Cease Fires, with "Coward In My Veins" streaming last week. A quote from Justin on "The New Jim Crow" is below.
"The song 'The New Jim Crow' was inspired by the book of the same name written by Michelle Alexander which looks at the deep inequality and injustice in the United States as a result of entrenched racism. Written shortly before Ferguson and what is now the endless stream of videos depicting cops killing young black people, the song’s lyrics carry even more meaning than when they were written. The lyrics were penned as a letter of apology to those who have suffered as a result of our society’s inability to overcome racism, bigotry, and hatred. They are also meant to express solidarity to those victims and let them know that they are not alone, that there are others who care about their plight and are willing to support them and fight along side them in their struggle for equality and justice.
Early in Anti-Flag’s career, we became enlightened to injustice in the “legal system,” often and incorrectly referred to as the “justice system”, as a result of the cases of Mumia Abul Jamal and Troy Davis. We joined in the community of voices calling for reform in the legal system of the United States which disproportionately targets and hands out overly harsh and/or inhumane sentences to minorities.
You fight and lose, you fight and you lose, you fight and you lose… Then one day you win one. That is a lesson I have learned after many years of writing and performing songs with a message. Whether its issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, or in this case, the prison industrial complex, artists and activists are almost always ahead of the curve on issues of social justice, pushing society to wake up and catch up. It takes time, but if you hammer at a message long enough, eventually it begins to sink in. Today we hear presidential candidates discussing the need to reform the U.S. legal system and start to feel as if we are on the verge of winning one!" - Justin Sane, Anti-Flag
The material on Cease Fires comes from the 20 Years Of Hell 7" subscription series released in 2013. The 7"s, limited to 500 subscribers, featured re-recorded material from the Anti-Flag catalogue on the a-side, and new material from a A-F Records band on the b-side. Cease Fires is a compilation picture disc LP of all of the Anti-Flag tracks, including the two unreleased b-sides "Coward In My Veins" and "The New Jim Crow." This is the first time this material is available to fans outside the subscription series, and the first time any of this material has been available digitally.
Everyone who pre-orders the Cease Fires picture disc will be entered into an exclusive contest. One winner will receive the ESP guitar used in the making of the Brandenburg Gate music video, signed by the band. Five winners will receive the last remaining 7"s from the 20 Years Of Hell series. Each winner will receive all six 7"s.
Tour Dates:
02/19 - Houston, TX - Walters#
02/20 - Dallas, TX - The Prophet Bar#
02/21 - San Antonio, TX - Korva#
02/23 - Tuscon, AZ - The Rock#
02/24 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile Theater#
02/25 - San Diego, CA - Observatory North Park^
02/26 - Santa Ana, CA - Observatory^
02/27 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour^
02/28 - Las Vegas, NV - Vinyl^
03/01 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge^
03/02 - Reno, NV - Knitting Factory^
03/03 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre&
03/04 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon^
03/05 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre^
* w/ The Homeless Gospel Choir
# w/ War On Women, The Homeless Gospel Choir
^ w/ Leftover Crack, War On Women, The Homeless Gospel Choir, Blackbird Raum
& w/ Leftover Crack, Potato Pirates
