if a song could be freedom…Organized Sounds of Resistance

June 25 – September 6, 2015
Opening Thursday June 25
7-10 pm

Music has been at the core of hundreds of political and social struggles across the globe. This exhibition features the picture sleeves of over 200 political recordings that will expose the broad scope of the intersection of music and politics. In addition, flyers, lyric sheets, buttons, publications, and other ephemera are on display. A series of programs will run throughout the run of exhibition, where we will actively and collectively listen to—and discuss—how music has shaped the manners in which we understand ourselves in the past, present, and into the future.

Limited Edition 7″ Release & Exhibition Closing Party!

Thursday, September 3, 2015
7–9pm

Come on out and celebrate the release of the record and the closing of if a song could be freedom… with a party! If you pre-ordered a record you can pick up your copy, and everyone else will be able to purchase one at the event. There will be beer, socializing, and, of course, music.

If a song could be freedom . . . Singing the Archive and Jam!

Friday, August 28th, 2015
7-11pm

Join Jeremy Thal and A’yen Tran in singing the songs of if a song could be freedom. An open acoustic jam will follow around 9pm. Feel free to bring a song and an instrument.

Film Night: Positive Force—More Than a Witness

Friday August 21, 2015
7:30pm

Punk activist collective Positive Force DC emerged in 1985, rising from the creative, politically-charged ferment of DC punk’s Revolution Summer. Born in a dynamic local scene sparked by Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and Rites of Spring, a handful of young activists also drew inspiration from UK anarcho-punks Crass and the original “Positive Force” band Seven Seconds to become one of the most long-lasting and influential exponents of punk politics. This feature-length film by Robin Bell skillfully mixes rare archival footage with new interviews of key Positive Force activists.

Collective Listening Party

Sunday, August 16th, 2015
2–5pm

Spend a Sunday afternoon at Interference Archive listening to records and discussing their sound, historical context, and emotional resonance. Everyone is invited to bring a song to share, either on vinyl or a portable device. In an era and city where listening too often happens in the isolation of earbuds or closed apartments, we’d like to offer a space to enjoy and reflect upon music as a powerful social experience. Drop in anytime between 2:00 and 5:00 and bring a friend!

Not for You: Stories of Music & Work from the Precarious Service Industry

Wednesday, August 19, 2015
7pm

Join Matt Dineen for a reading and discussion around his new zine “Not for You: Stories of Music & Work in the Precarious Service Industry.” The zine is part of the Music & Work Project and explores the antagonistic dynamics between management, workers, and customers in relationship to the beats, rhythms, lyrics, and melodies played at his past jobs. Come share your own experiences!

Noise Uprising: The Audiopolitics of a World Musical Revolution

September 4, 7:30pm

Join cultural historian and Verso author Michael Denning in a discussion of the politics of early recorded music, the subject of his new book, Noise Uprising: The Audiopolitics of a World Musical Revolution.

if a song could be freedom mixtape 005- Listening to Detroit

Our mixtape files live at our page on Archive.org where they can be shared and downloaded more easily. Here is this weeks if a song could be freedom mixtape 005 is a Detroit themed set curated by Dan S. Wang. Dan is a writer, artist, organizer, and printer who was born in the American Midwest | More »

Urban Democracy Lab: July 24, 2015

Interview with Kevin Caplicki, Interference Archive on “if a song could be freedom…” if a song could be freedom… Organized Sounds of Resistance exhibits the crucial role of music in movement building and participatory democracy… When thinking of political movements and the artifacts they leave behind, music isn’t necessarily the first medium to come to | More »

BK Live: July 22, 2015

Watch Josh MacPhee and Amy Roberts discuss the if a song could be freedom… Organized Sounds of Resistance exhibition on BK Live.