#shabang

Happy Festival Friday!

Here's a flicker of frames from my last performance with Ashmo_fire at Shbang Festival.

She went with a bang ✊😔

Masterpost

<- 005: Thrown Away - 007: The Piper ->

From Ms. Marvel Annual Vol. 2 #001, “The Sting”

Art by Jon Lam and Msassyk

L.A. rock band, Cherry Glazerr, is one of three headliners to play Shabang Reborn on May 4 at Laguna Lake Park. If you don’t already know about this quintessential feminist psychedelic-grunge-punk-rock band, now’s the time you do.

Cherry Glazerr spent most of 2018 touring and preparing for the release of their latest album, Stuffed & Ready. The band played at 2018’s Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA and played many shows opening for Grammy Award-winning band, Portugal. the Man. After their appearance at Shabang Reborn, Cherry Glazerr is scheduled to go on to play big name festivals Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Woodstock later this year. 

However, Cherry Glazerr is no stranger to the Shabang-esque humble beginnings. Cherry Glazerr was started as a solo bedroom-recording project under the name of “Clembutt” back in 2012 by lead singer, Clementine Creevy, who was only 15 at the time. Creevy was recording and uploading songs to Soundcloud when Burger Records (Fullerton, CA) co-founder, Sean Bohrman, discovered the tracks and eventually helped Cherry Glazerr release their first EP in 2013, Papa Cremp. Since then, Cherry Glazerr has gone on to release albums Haxel Princess, Apocalipstick, and Stuffed & Ready with record label Secretly Canadian, which also houses the likes of bands The War on Drugs and Whitney. And the crazy thing is, Creevy is only 22.

While youth is a defining element that makes Cherry Glazerr the impressive band that it is, your ears would never know. Both musically and lyrically, the band creates a smooth rock sound. Creevy uses her musical platform to combat sexism, sometimes subtly and sometimes transparently. In a Rolling Stone article featuring Cherry Glazerr as an “Artist You Need to Know,” Creevy said, “Feminism and music are the two things I’m passionate about. I try to keep my life anchored in those two things, because that’s when I feel most myself.”

Creevy described Cherry Glazerr’s most recent release, Stuffed & Ready, as her way of showing people who she is, more than she ever has before. The insecurities, the uncertainty and the anger is clear, while Cherry Glazerr’s typical satirical humor is also present. The song “Daddi” on the new record is a satirical take on patriarchy that could easily fly over listeners’ heads.

The feminist passion found in Cherry Glazerr’s music is just as apparent here in San Luis Obispo, and the two will meet for the first time at Shabang Reborn.

Piccasso Black:

An artist whose words hit you like "shabang", Piccasso Black is widely known for slapping the norm upside its head by narrating personal stories in different perceptions. In hopes to aspire others or hype them up, Piccasso Black creates a vibe for all occasions. Whether it be toward love, self-reflection, world awareness or just having fun -- Piccasso Black holds alot of technicalities such as solid punchlines, entendres & metaphors in his rhyming skill. Sonically, Piccasso Black draws from the golden era of hip-hop. It provides enough base to knock the speaker off its hinges and gully to spook the neighbors. Take "Sunday Morning" for instance. Here, Piccasso Black uses the brilliant punchline "Scared the devil out him/Afraid to be holy/Noah's arc had to capsize." to describe how he's trying to turn over a new leaf despite his troubled past or even "Aretha Franklin" where his one-liner takes it home, "Stay fly/I flock with papi cause he got them birds." Regardless, Piccasso Black seeks to create his own name in the hip-hop scene. Moreso he wants his music to be simplistically complex. Even honest. "I'd describe it as "sophisticated ignorance." Black goes on to say.

Piccasso Black's music journey began in the 7th grade during his lunch period. "I used to freestyle during those times & I gained attention then just kept at it." Black adds. From the very first day, Piccasso Black went home & used his brother's street radio & an instrumental from a street vendor to record his first track. Since then, he's been taking more advantage in the means to do it big. He says now that he's older, music also falls in as his therapy. Picasso Black's main inspiration is life, God & his kids because it leaves him with a warm feeling. "It's a good feeling when my daughter is in the back seat singing the hook to songs of mine or when my son is in the room & he hears a Instagram clip of me rapping, then starts jumping, smiling & grabbing me." However, Piccasso Black also draws from other creators. Likewise, Piccasso Black would work with everybody from his hometown, Paterson, N.J if given the opportunity because its "us v.s them naturally." One thing he says about Paterson, NJ is that its where he finished high school. Still, he spent most of his youth in Atlanta, Georgia which is where his daughter happens to be from as well. When it comes to his music, Piccasso Black's strength is staying uptempo. But if he needs to go along with a slow tempo, it isn't hard for him to adapt. Besides this, Piccasso Black believes NJ supports NJ. "I strongly believe in energy & the phrase " you get in what you put in" Black says "If somebody a f-ck n-gga, that doesn't mean stop networking & supporting. It's our human nature to be flawed & also our human nature to band together in time of need. We just got to embrace that aspect more." Since he's always punched in and gets minimal shut-eye, expect more things in the works for Piccasso Black. Just know he has some tracks releasing soon & would rather have his actions speak for him. His #1 advice for any upcoming artist is to PUT GOD FIRST & to drink alot of water, "Ever since I paid homage & humbled myself..blessings & opportunities grew. It allowed me to showcase my talent."

Make sure to hear what Piccasso Black has sketched off the canvas & follow him on all platforms.

By: Natalee Gilbert

LINK(s):

1. Instagram: @shabang___tv & @ijustwantapiccasso