Chicano Batman Debuts Politically Charged Video

Article Contributed by The Syndicate | Published on Sunday, September 24, 2017

Acclaimed psych-soul outfit Chicano Batman released Freedom Is Free via ATO Records earlier this year. The album not only foregrounds the soul and R&B elements of the band's sound, but also speaks volumes during the political climate of this time. Today, the band shares the powerful new video for the title-track that is a compelling statement of the band's frustrations in a world of oppression; passionately fighting back against their captors to free themselves both figuratively and literally. Though it was filmed in July it's earily applicable to our most recent situations and debuted this morning at NPR Music.

"Freedom is a word that describes one of our best states of being," says the band. "It's a birthright, subject only to the infinite flow of the elements. When we fight abusive governing bodies or oppressive forces that try to control our freedom, we are actually fighting them to accept something which is universal in nature."

The video was filmed by Latin GRAMMY-winning director Carl Zitelmann who said, “Oppressors usually design situations so people succumb to racism, hate, resentment, etc, in order to benefit their agendas. The purpose of showing the band both peacefully and defiantly in a circumstance as extreme as being tortured by drowning was exactly that: you can take away the air from me, but you can’t change ME. 'you can’t control how I feel, no way.’ Remaining who you are, even under the most excruciating situations, is the ultimate success.”

Chicano Batman starts a fall tour this week with three SOLD OUT nights at The Fonda in LA. Khruangbin and The Shacks join for most of the dates, which can be found below.
 
Freedom Is Free is among Billboard’s ‘Best Albums of 2017 So Far’ and the Leon Michels (El Michels Affair, The Arcs) produced album's cultural significance continues to build, even though, ironically, it wasn't written and recorded with our current political situation in mind. Having surpassed 10,000 albums on the consumption charts, Chicano Batman has gained accolades from the LA Times, NPR’s All Things Considered, Chicago Tribune and an LA Weekly cover story along with a Tiny Desk Concert and their national TV debut on CONAN.
 
Chicano Batman Tour Dates
Sep 29 — Milwaukee, WI — Turner Hall Ballroom #
Sep 30 — Chicago, IL — Thalia Hall #
Oct 01 – Toronto, ON – The Mod Club #
Oct 03 – Columbus, OH – The A&R Music Bar #
Oct 04 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club #
Oct 05 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza #
Oct 06 – Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw #
Oct 07 – Boston, MA – Paradise #
Oct 08 — Philadelphia, PA — Theater of the Living Arts #
Oct 20 – Black Mountain, NC – Leaf Festival #
Oct 21 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre #
Oct 22 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West #
Oct 24 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger #
Oct 25 – Dallas, TX – Grenada Theater #
Oct 27-Oct 29 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
Oct 28 – Austin, TX – Emo’s #
Oct 29 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live #
Oct 31 – Albuquerque, NM – El Rey Theatre #
Nov 01 – Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre #
Nov 02 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge #
Nov 03 – Las Vegas, NV – Fremont Country Club #
Nov 04 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren #
Nov 10 — Oakland, CA — Fox Theater #
Nov 11 — Long Beach, CA — Queen Mary Events Park #
Nov 12 – Reno, NV – Whitney Peak Hotel #
Nov 14 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Fremont Theatre #
Nov 15 – Fresno, CA – Strummer’s #
Nov 16 – Arcata, CA – Van Duzer Theatre @ HSU #
Nov 17 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom #
Nov 18 — Seattle, WA — The Showbox #

# w/ Khruangbin & The Shacks

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