In his first week in office, Donald Trump showed us that the road ahead is going to be bumpy at best. As he continues to attempt to silent and discredit those who oppose him, as well as test the limits of his power by instilling fear and disregarding basic human dignity, how we resist falling into his administration’s traps is important.
A lot of that is bigger than I’m capable of answering, but, at this point, supporting those whom Trump — and Gov. Matt Bevin — are trying to diminish helps. Give money to jump through the online paywall of The New York Times or subscribe to another outlet that will be a thorn in their side, give money to the ACLU or support corporations that donate big money to organizations that will cause messy court battles for their administrations. And give money to artists, nonprofits and other outspoken activists who are going to suffer funding cuts.There certainly are quite a few ways to help out, but, if you want to go through the local music scene, here are three compilation albums that you can buy, where the proceeds will go to Planned Parenthood, young musicians and nonprofits working in the arts.
We Have A Bevin Problem: A Kentucky Music Compilation
La La Land Studio donated free time for musicians last year who wanted to record songs protesting Gov. Matt Bevin’s attacks on women’s rights, health care and the LGBTQ community. The result was We Have A Bevin Problem: A Kentucky Music Compilation, which features 44 original songs that all reiterate, in many clever ways, what a fundamentalist dipshit Bevin is — a hypocrite who points his finger at the federal government for being invasive, while actively working to strip people of rights that don’t fit within his values. Unfortunately, when the Kentucky House turned red in the last election, things got worse: A 20-week abortion ban and an ultrasound bill moved the maker further toward Bevin’s wing-nut zealot agenda. The album is still available through Bandcamp ($10), with the proceeds going to Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky.
Girls Rock Louisville Compilation
In December, Girls Rock Louisville — a volunteer-based music camp that teaches girls and gender non-conforming people how to start a band from the ground up — released their first compilation, featuring seven of the bands from the camp. The comp was released Dec. 3 at Guestroom records and outsold every 2016 release at the store. The album is available through the Girls Rock Louisville website (girlsrocklouisville.org), and costs $5, with the proceeds going toward future programming. You can also donate an instrument through their website.
The Louisville Accord
The Louisville Accord paired two musicians from two different genres and gave them four hours to write and record a song. Featuring Teddy Abrams, Cheyenne Mize, Jecorey “1200” Arthur, Carly Johnson, Tyrone Cotton and many more Louisville musicians, The Louisville Accord is a way to hear some of your favorite artists in a way you never have, and maybe never will again. The 10-song album is currently available at local record stores, with the proceeds going to Strive, a nonprofit that focuses on music therapy and wellness workshops.