Millions upon millions of American kids need to mourn the passing of this band, Rage Against the Machine. Its morphed realization, Audioslave, is an equal in terms of musicality...but to have a new generation without a quality political band is a sham. They are entitled to it. They would thrive on it in times such as this. So lets take a moment to say R.I.P. R.A.t.M.Once again, you all must understand that I'm not some crazed radical. I'm unlikely to be on the tail end of police pepper spray at a WTO protest. I'll probably not handcuff myself to a building about to be knocked down for a Walmart. It's pretty small odds that I'll jump the paparazzi line to spraypaint DEATH on the side of Snoop Dogg's chincilla fur at the next MTV Music Awards.
That having been said, everyone can learn something from RAtM. Not only is it great, cathartic music, but it really has a conscious. Up next: Michelle Wie.
I am enormously proud to be an American. I would say that the things that our corporate-controlled government has done at best are shameful and at worst genocidal-but there's an incredible and a permanent culture of resistance in this country that I'm very proud to be a part of. It's not the tradition of slave-owningfounding fathers, it's the tradition of the Frederick Douglasses, the Underground Railroads, the Chief Josephs, the Joe Hills, and the Huey P. Newtons. There's so much to be proud of when you're American that's hidden from you. The incredible courage and bravery of the union organizers in the late 1800's and early 1900's-that's amazing. People of get tricked into going overseas and fighting Uncle Sam's Wall Street wars, but these are people who knew what they were fighting for here at home. I think that that's so much more courageous and brave. - Tom Morello
8 comments:
Don't be fooled into thinking that there are not quality bands making political statements. They may just not be on major labels.
And (not to be a stinker) but since when has the music industry been bereft of left-wing politics? I mean, you probably won't see Britney shouting "viva zapatista!" on TRL, but a hotbead of conservatism the Music Industry is not.
Or is it? I quit paying attention some time ago.
Ned (and other pinko commies): check out Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (http://www.antibalas.com/)
There has been no good political music since Woody Guthrie. Word.
Antibalas sorta sounds like Bobby McFerrin's Circle Songs on steroids. Not exactly what I was looking for. Eminem's "Mosh" was about the closest I've seen in a while to being a mainstream popular political song. And its more like a side-item with his usual main course of (although satiric) mysogyny, homophobia, and violence.
Hmmm . . . except Circle Songs doesn't include actual lyrics- just sounds.
And furthermore- what are you looking for, then? And was Woody Guthrie really mainstream? What about Dar Williams, REM, Digable Planets, Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs, Bruce Springsteen, Fugazi, Henry Rollins? Maybe if they put burning monks on their album covers?
OK OK OK....Springsteen's a good one. Nobody messes with the Boss, man. Maybe I was hoping to find a good REPLACEMENT for RAtM's niche. Folk Ballads.... reggae... are pretty much inherently political. Hard rock is usually only rebellious in the sort of "society misfit" way that punk is.
System of a Down?
Post a Comment