Ezra Furman - "Book of Our Names"

Photo by Buck Meek

The latest from Ezra Furman is a protest piano ballad. That might sound like an odd combination, but this is Ezra Furman so you know she makes it work. The driving force is Furman's vocals. They're not always the most pleasant as Furman strains with emotions at times, but it's always powerful. Of course, as with any music put out by Furman, "Book of Our Names" is hardly a straightforward piano ballad. There are some indie rock touches and some Wilco style noise throughout making the song much more compelling.

Ezra Furman says of her new song:

“This song is about what it feels like to live together under an empire that doesn’t value your lives. I sing it as a Jew and as a trans woman, knowing well the stakes and consequences of being part of a hated population. But it is a protest song intended for use by any movement for collective survival and freedom. I noticed that the book of the Bible called Exodus in English, the one where the Hebrews escape slavery in Egypt, is called the Book of Names in Hebrew. And I started to think that the act of saying names out loud, of seeing individuals in their full irreplaceable uniqueness, holds the seed of true liberation.”

You can watch the video for "Book of Our Names" below. The song is available as a single via ANTI- Records and Bella Union, and can be downloaded here. For more on Ezra Furman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.

Thu. May 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *

Sat. May 21 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *

Mon. May 23 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile *

Tue. May 24 - Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre *

Wed. May 25 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *

Thu. May 26 - Boise, ID @ Visual Arts Collective *

Sat. May 28 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre *

Mon. May 30 - Des Moines, IA @ Gas Lamp *

Tue. May 31 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *

Wed. Jun. 1 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *

Thu. Jun. 9 - Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom (Ezra Solo)

Thu. Jul. 21  - Valencia, ES @ Diversity Festival 

Sun. Jul. 24 - Hertfordshire, UK @ Standon Calling Festival

Sun. Aug. 14 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom ^

Tues. Aug. 16 - Milwaukee, WI @ UWM Panther Arena ^

Wed. Aug. 17 - Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park ^

Sun. Aug. 21 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival

Tues. Aug  23 - Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh International Festival

Mon. Sep. 12 - Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rosa 

Tue. Sep. 13 - Toronto, ON @ Rec Room 

Wed. Sep. 14 - Detroit, MI @ The Loving Touch

Thu. Sep. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Small's

Sun. Sep. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts

Mon. Sep. 19 - Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom

Tue. Sep. 20 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair 

Wed. Sep. 21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall 

Thu. Sep. 22 - Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival

 

* w/ Grace Cummings

^ w/ Jack White