Song of the Day: Alice Bag - Programmed

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is "Programmed" by Alice Bag from her 2016 self-titled album on Don Giovanni Records.

Alice Bag - Programmed (MP3)

Upon first glance, the debut solo record from Alice Bag may be accompanied by insurmountable expectations. Since gaining exposure as the lead vocalist in legendary L.A. punk band The Bags (who only released one single during their four-year existence), Alice Bag has continued to produce dynamic, fiercely political music over a 40+ year career with a variety of projects, including Castration Unit, Las Tres, and Cholita! The Female Menudo. On her self-titled debut album, which came out in early July, Bag spiritedly indicts a variety of institutions and societal woes, still charged with the energy and fury which has echoed throughout her best work. Take, for instance, "He's So Sorry," a frank exploration of domestic violence set to a Phil Spector-esque backing track, complete with spoken-word intro.  The track sounds at once instantly familiar and eerily twisted, the pairing of material and style hardly a coincidence.

On today's Song of the Day, "Programmed," Bag focuses her attention on the US education system, tearing into corporate education with a razor focus. With a slogan-like chorus ("education be damned//we are being programmed,") Bag rages against corruption and homogeneity in modern schooling. What immediately distinguishes the music is Bag's husky, cracked-at-the-edges voice, which has gained a startling beauty with age. It acts as a melodic counterpart to the track's grinding guitars and fervent speed, Bag's wit and passion ringing loudly over the musical accompaniment. When the track's two-plus minutes have run their course, one thing is glaringly evident: over 40 years after she started her first band, Alice Bag's messages and voice remain more vital than ever.

Bag is currently finishing up a tour of the U.S., but no Seattle date has been announced as of right now. For more information, check out her website and Facebook page. For now, watch the video for another album highlight, "He's So Sorry."