On June 24, the Supreme Court moved the country forward by moving it back nearly half a century. Yep, that’s the day SCOTUS officially reversed 1973’s Roe v. Wade and eliminated a constitutional right to an abortion. Unreal. Fuck. You. SCOTUS.
Or, in the words of a new Milwaukee/Chicago punk/electro/indie/femme-fronted music compilation: Oh SCOTUS Up Yours! The 14-track comp, released today, is the work of Milwaukee and Chicago-based musicians Ashley Altadonna and Emily Agustin of the band Vacancy Chain.
“So many people we know were outraged and discouraged by the court’s ruling. They wanted to do something…anything,” Altadonna says. “As musicians, the natural thing to do was to write a song about it.”
Oh SCOTUS is a multi-genre affair, touching on punk, electro, lo-fi, DIY indie, and even spoken word. Participating Milwaukee artists include Vacancy Chain (“No Vacancy”), The LOL (“I’m On The Pill”), the recently retired Fox Face (a live version of “Vessels”), and Moustache Bride (“Insist Inconvenience”). Altadonna and Agustin’s former band, The Glacial Speed, appeared on a similar protest comp in 2017, UNPRESIDENTED: DIY vs. Donald Trump.
All proceeds from the sale of the $10 Oh SCOTUS comp will be donated to SisterSong. (“SisterSong’s mission is to strengthen and amplify the collective voices of indigenous women and women of color to achieve reproductive justice by eradicating reproductive oppression and securing human rights.”)
“We hope that this compilation can help in some small way,” Agustin says, “whether it’s throwing some cash towards a very worthy organization, or just helping other folks know they’re not alone and that we can be angry and frustrated and sad together. I hope our collective anger can spark motivation for change.”
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