Welcome to Ball of Wax 47: Songs of Resistance and Rebuilding. When I put out the call for this volume a little after November 8th, I could never have predicted the variety of musical responses it would generate. This collection contains fifteen tracks, covering an appropriately wide range of modes, from earnest and hopeful to bitter and sardonic to straight-up angry. We’ll be rolling out tracks for the next couple weeks, leading up to the release show on February 26th at the Sunset.
Wiscon starts us off on a positive, empowering note with “My First Day,” a rousing punk anthem that counters our current horrific reality with singer Taryn Dorsey’s vision of how she’d handle the job of president. “I’d end the war on women,” she sings, “and reassure our children that they are safe in their own land.” I’m with her.