Star Matriarch

Mỹ Lai to Rafah

2026 · Exotic Fever · Tacoma, Washington

Artist
Star Matriarch
Title
Mỹ Lai to Rafah
Release
Red Ship
Year
2026
Label
Exotic Fever
Format
Digital · Album
Language
English
Country
Tacoma, Washington, USA
Genre
Punk · Post-Punk · Riot Grrrl
Primary theme
Post-War

Notes

Bui's track-by-track (Punknews) links her parents' refugee experience to Rafah; built on a nawari rhythm learned from dabke. The album's cover of Trịnh Công Sơn's "Xin Cho Tôi" is a separate track. Digital June 2025; vinyl January 2026. Location sources conflict (Tacoma, WA in 2026; DC area earlier).

About the artist

Project of the Vietnamese-American multidisciplinary artist Carol Bui, daughter of refugees from the war, a dancer (raqs sharqi, dabke) who first released "Red Ship" under her own name in 2011 (Ex Oh) and re-recorded and expanded it as Star Matriarch in 2025 for Exotic Fever; performs with Pax Allen (drums) and Cameron Arneson (bass). [Source: Punknews; Discogs; AnalogueTrash]

Themes

My Lai · My Lai Analogy · Palestine · Anti-Imperialism · Refugees · Civilian Casualties · Agent Orange