Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
How Listening To Duke Ellington Might Keep You Healthy, And Other Musical Cures From Chicano Batman
The coronavirus pandemic has been disastrous for the music industry, leading to the cancelation of festivals and tours for the foreseeable future. And yet, listening to music has never felt more necessary. And new music continues to get made.
On May 1, east L.A. quartet Chicano Batman will release their new album, "Invisible People," an ambitious work that pays homage to their West Coast roots and brings a message of social justice.
But like so many other groups, the band will not be able to tour in support of their new record. To make the most of their time in lockdown, guitarist Carlos Arevalo has been teaching guitar over Instagram Live.
Support for LAist comes from
“It was a way to connect that I’ve never done before, and I don’t know if it would happen in any other circumstance,” he said.
And bassist Eduardo Arenas has some suggestions for fans who are also stuck at home:
“Get into Duke Ellington. Get into Tito Puente. See what he does on the timbales. Understand why Celia Cruz is the queen. We have time to think and a lot of space to really let things sink in right now. It’s some kind of mental revolution going on. We have to make light of all the positive stuff that we can right now and not let the fear dominate our psyche right now. Because then we’re all going to get sick.”
With their new album, the band wanted to stretch themselves musically, so they hired Grammy-award winning engineer Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, War on Drugs) and producer Leon Michels (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings) to add an extra layer of experimentalism to their already established retro soul sound.
You can listen to the rest of their interview below.
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist