Quickly glancing at the hundreds of year-end “best of” lists, it would appear 2009 was the year of the animal in independent music: The Antlers, Grizzly Bear, Phoenix, Animal Collective, and Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca to name a few. But it would be careless to neglect the equally fantastic (though less hyped) non-animal albums of the past year as well, like St.
Hot Take
“Artist 4 Ceasefire” pins are not enough
By Charlotte Hayes, Staff Writer
At nearly every major awards show this year, a number of (American) celebrities , like Billie Eilish and Quinta Brunson, have attended red carpets donning a small red pin on their lapel. The circular metal brooch showing an extended hand and a black heart is a symbol of the organization “Artists 4 Ceasefire,” a group of musicians, filmmakers, and actors urging the U.S. government to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. While raising awareness is a good start, it is only one small part of showing solidarity and cannot be where activism ends. Very few artists seen wearing these pins have spoken about a ceasefire on red carpets and even fewer in acceptance speeches—it is crucial that those with a platform actually, tangibly use it to advocate for Palestinian liberation.