New Song “Epiphany” + “Two Headed Boy Pt II” cover Interview + In-Studio Session on Uncommon Discussion podcast Listen to a new(ish) song & come to Permanent Wave’s first Boston show Back in Blog-ness (Not) A Call to Action.

I posted some new summer shows – I’m playing at Allston DIY Fest on July 21st and at a Free Pussy Riot benefit show at the Burrow August 4th, presented by Permanent Wave.

Here’s a newish song called “Epiphany” I wrote a couple months ago:

Below the cut you’ll find a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Two Headed Boy pt II”. (You can see Part I here!)

Continue reading ‘New Song “Epiphany” + “Two Headed Boy Pt II” cover’

I recently recorded a Podcast with Uncommon Discussion, a podcast from students who work at Mugar Library at Boston University. It includes a short interview about some activist work I’ve been involved with as well as several songs we recorded in studio. Thanks to Ali Donahue and Mike Tom for making this happen!

LISTEN: Allison Francis on Uncommon Discussion (4/2012)

I’m gonna skip the apologies for being a bad blogger and get straight to the goods. Here is a demo of a new song (new to the internet, anyway!) called “Morning Song (Faithless & Free)”. You can stream it or download it and do whatever you want with it! Y’all know I just want people to hear it.

I also updated this site with new photos and more accurate info and FEELINGS.

Dig this. Permanent Wave Boston, an amazing artist-activist collective dedicated to feminist art and causes, is having its first show on Monday, March 26th at Midway. And I’m playing! Other performers include Violent Vickie (“Peaches style electropop on tour from SF. Super fun. Super awesome”), Cathy Cathodic (“Boston ladywonder blowing minds with her fast words”) and Nicky Click (“queer femme pop”).

My genre, according to this Facebook event, is “badass anarchafeminist singer-songwriter with a side of corgis”. I’ll take it.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! I’m also playing at another lady-centric show on April 1st: Women Rock! at BU Central. This is my third year playing this event and I’m mad psyched. Other performers include SARALEE, Eva Walsh, & Miss Geo. Details to come.

Thanks for your loveliness! I’ll put out another album, someday…

xo

I will never get my blogging business together. It’s okay, life’s been busy & good. I have an awesome job in downtown Boston doing communications for a queer theater company who doesn’t care if I swear on Twitter. I’m so lucky!

Best friend and hero Felecia & the Dinosaur is visiting Boston this month & we have a show together –

Join us SATURDAY, FEB 18th @ THE BURROW in Allston. It’s a house show with good folks & free rock and roll music, so what could possibly stop you from wanting to come??

I need to update this website. I look different now from all the pictures on here. I have this sweet ‘hawk that’s really fun to thrash around on stage with, and that my parents hate. No one told me rebellion continues into your twenties! Here’s a video of me performing in the fall with said ‘hawk, though I’m growing it a lil’ fuzzier on the sides now for winter! … like anyone who cares about my music needs to hear about my grooming habits.

Hope to see you on the 18th. Love to all!

xo

I used to try to separate my “artist” persona from my personal life, the same way I used to not realize that the personal is political. But now I realize I am my best self (as a person/artist/activist/etc) only when I am fully me — that is, I am a stronger artist when I incorporate my personal life and my activism into my art, and I am a stronger activist when I incorporate my art and my personal life into my activism.

I’ve been heavily involved with the Occupy movement since early October when I first visited Dewey Square in Boston because Amanda Palmer was playing at the encampment. Nothing has been the same for me since then; you might say I’ve been “occupied” with direct action, engaging my communities locally and globally, and helping facilitate the Occupy Boston Women’s Caucus, which has been an amazing experience and brought my life even more purpose than I already felt I had.

I hope to share more about my Occupy experiences/insights as time goes on (though, if you’ve followed me on this blog for long, you know I can be incredibly inconsistent with posting!) but for now I am issuing this call to action: if you are in the Boston area, please come to the Occupy Boston Women’s March this Sunday at noon. (Here’s the Facebook event!)

We have some really cool entertainment planned during the march, as well as some amazing spoken word and music afterwards in Dewey Square (Letta Neely, Spectra Speaks, Idalia, Zilla McCue and Gemma Cooper-Novack). We are expecting over 1,000 people and hoping for it to be an inspiring and eye-opening day of advocacy, awareness, and support for disenfranchised communities and under-served voices.

This is your chance to help make change in the world. This is your chance to be a part of a movement that has the potential to change our nation’s rapid downward spiral. This is your chance to stand up for what’s right — whether you identify as a woman or just someone who believes that everyone should be treated equally.

Invite all your friends and join us at the Occupy Boston Women’s March on Sunday!

xo Allison

PS — The video below is from my first day at Occupy Boston. “The Ukulele Anthem” sums up my views on music (and saving the world!) amazingly…

Source : allisonfrancismusic[dot]wordpress[dot]com