Tom Morello and Bloody Beetroots have dropped a new song, “Radium Girls,” featuring Pussy Riot, Aimee Interrupter, Mish Way, and the Last Internationale. The track will appear on Morello and the Bloody Beetroots’ upcoming collaborative EP, The Catastrophists, out June 18th.
“Radium Girls” is exactly what you’d expect from a collaboration between Morello and the Bloody Beetroots — monster guitar riffs paired with equally massive blasts of electroclash synths and stomping drums. Along with all the guest vocalists, the song was co-written with Jehnny Beth from Savages, Carl Restivo, and Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova.
In a statement, Morello noted that “Radium Girls” is based on the true story of a group of Illinois factory workers “who were the victims of one of the most heinous crimes in U.S. industrial history.” He continued: “I spent every summer as a kid near Ottawa, Illinois, where these doomed girls used deadly radium laced paint to make glow in the dark watches. They were encouraged to lick the paintbrushes to a point to increase productivity and profit and in the end, their bones literally fell apart from cancer and they were so toxic they had to be buried in lead-lined coffins. The resulting court cases and publicity led to historic nationwide labor protection legislation. Every year I place flowers at the small monument to these quiet heroes and this song is dedicated to their memory.”
“Radium Girls” marks the first official offering from The Catastrophists, although the EP will also include a Bloody Beetroots remix of “Weather Strike,” a song Morello and Pussy Riot released in April.
The Catastrophists EP Tracklist
1. “The Devil’s Infantry”
2. “Radium Girls” feat. Pussy Riot, Aimee Interrupter, Mish Way, and the Last Internationale
3. “Lightning Over Mexico” feat. Ana Tijoux
4. “Keep Going”
5. “Weather Strike” (The Bloody Beetroots Remix) feat. Pussy Riot
6. “Field of Tigers”
7. “Mary Celeste”
Comments