MUSIC IS LIFE
this group is to show the importance of music and how it expresses your feelings and thoughts, it is also a place for people to talk about music and maybe excange some thoughts.
Humanity
So let’s imagine the apocalypse. Let’s assume that global warming – to put a contemporary (and highly probable) spin on it – has become irreversible. The climate is fated to change and change and change until the earth winds up, as Stephen Hawking put it, much like Venus— 250 degrees Celsius and raining sulphuric acid. We are doomed from this moment on. It’s a prospect that’s extraordinarily frightening. To face death is one thing. It is a personal struggle, but able to be handled because (and I am speaking for myself here, but I feel that it’s true with most) we have the knowledge that life will go on without us. We may die, but others are born and others live, and then they die, and more still are born, and so on. But death in the face of apocalypse?
All You Artists, Musicians, Writers, and Poets Out There...
...dig on Creative Commons. It's a rather awesome project that sets up a correlary to some contemporary copyright laws.If you dig on the legal aspect of your work, or of artistic work in general, then learn more about the whole shebang here.
Rock the Bells
I was lucky enough to attend Rock the Bells, headlined by Rage Against the Machine, in New York on Saturday and let me tell you it was incredible. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera (though my profile pic was taken on my cell phone).
It was a little strange to see 50,000 white males descend on Harlem, but I suppose that is Rage Against the Machine's main audience.
The lineup was a mix of old and new hip-hop for the most part and most of the groups were vocal advocates of social justice to varying degrees. The desire for real meaning in hip-hop and the desire for change tied all the acts together. Regardless, where else can you see Public Enemy share a stage with Rage Against the Machine, Wu Tang, and the Roots.
Conscious Listening: Offspring - Not the One. Also, generation gap rant.
I heard this old song for the first time a few days ago and I'm very much in love with the lyrics.
I'm not the one who made the world what it is today
I'm not the one who caused the problems started long ago
But now I deal with all the consequence that troubles our times
I carry on and never once have even questioned why
Yeah! I'm innocent
But the weight of the world is on my shoulders
Yeah! I'm innocent
But the battles started are far from over
Let’s Overthrow the RIAA
The RIAA sues 6th graders. The RIAA bullies its artists. The RIAA is why your radio wishes you’d unplug it. Without the RIAA, Britney Spears doing _____ would not be front page news.
But you already knew that. What you might not have noticed is that the RIAA no longer serves any function that we the independent artists and non-idiot listeners can’t provide ourselves.
As a singer/songwriter, I strongly support the ongoing effort to boycott RIAA-affiliated artists.
Conscious Listening: Bob Dylan - Masters of War
He released this song in 1963, which would have made him about 22. I bolded my favorite verses.
Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
Conscious Listening: Fugazi - In Defense of Humans
I think I was 15, maybe 16, when I first heard this song. It was the first Fugazi song I ever heard and the first {real} punk song I ever heard. I was immediately hooked on both for life. Without this song, I wouldn't have gotten into music that much, so I probably never would have picked up a guitar, so I'd probably be a pretty sad bastard right about now.
Fun facts about Fugazi:
Conscious Listening: Jake Thorn - Trust Your Distrust
I released an album the other day, so I figured hey, why the fuck not do a CL post about one of the tracks? Any of the songs could fit, but I'm just going highlight the most glaringly obvious one: track 4 -- Trust Your Distrust.
In a nutshell, this is my take on 2001-2006.
Here are the lyrics of the live version. The recorded version is slightly different. Neither is coming to a radio station near you.
Conscious Listening: Rage Against the Machine -- Freedom
Rage Against the Machine -- Freedom.
Brotha, did ya forget ya name?
Did ya lose it on the wall
Playin' tic-tac-toe?
Yo, check the diagonal
Three million gone
Come on
'Cause you know they're counting backwards to zero
Environment
The environment exceeding on the level
Of our unconciousness
For example
What does the billboard say?
Come and play!, come and play!
Forget about the movement
List of "songs with questionable lyrics" following 9/11
If you think what you hear on the radio isn't carefully selected then check out this list. I saw it a while ago but came across it again today. It is a list distributed by Clear Channel Radio that has 165 songs deemed innapropriate for airplay following 9/11. My favorite part is that "all Rage Against The Machine songs" are banned.
Conscious Listening Wednesday: Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine
It's not an inspiring song, but definitely a reminder of how things are set up in this world. You can watch the video here. Pink Floyd made some good ones; Roger Waters had a knack for expressing dark messages in his lyrics and worked with some equally adept artists when creating videos. This one can be credited to Gerald Scarfe.
Conscious Listening: Bad Religion - Punk Rock Song
At the beginning, I was doing a daily series of posts called Conscious Listening, highlighting a social justice oriented song every day. I'm going to start it up again, but as a weekly (Wednesdays) thing.
Rock the Bells
If this lineup had Dead Prez it would be the revolution come to life through music. This could turn into the protest concert. Check it out
Conscious Listening: Saves the Day - Cars and Calories
I love this song's lyrics. Great commentary on American culture. I bolded my two favorite lines.
Conscious Listening: Country Joe - Feels Like I'm Fixin to Die Rag
I'm going old school with CL this time. Back to 1969, Woodstock.
Come on all of you big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
he's got himself in a terrible jam
way down yonder in Viet Nam so
put down your books and pick up a gun we're
gonna have a whole lotta fun
(CHORUS)
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for
don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die
Conscious Listening: Rage Against the Machine - No Shelter
This song requires no commentary.
The exit choruses:
Cinema, simulated life, ill drama
Fourth Reich culture - Americana
Chained to the dream they got ya searchin for
Tha thin line between entertainment and war
There be no shelter here.
The front line is everywhere.
American eyes, American eyes....
View the world from American eyes
Bury the past, rob us blind
And leave nothin behind
Emmanuel Jal
This is a real quick post, but check out Emmanuel Jal's music. He is an escaped child soldier from Sudan who fled into Chad as a refugee. He now works with the U.N. trying to help end the use of child soldiers, and tours and records. His latest album, "Ceasefire", was recorded with Abdel Gadir Salim. It was considered to be pretty revolutionary, since Emmanuel is Christian, and was a rebel soldier in southern Sudan, and Abdel is Islamic and from northern Sudan. It's rap music, but unlike any you've ever heard. Peace!
Broken Music
As many of you may well know, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA for short) has long made it a practice to troll file-sharing networks, subpoena internet service providers for customer data, and sue people for hundreds of thousands of dollars on grounds of music piracy with often spurious evidence. They have also thrown the concept of fair use out the window, by requiring restrictive and paranoid technologies of third-party software and equipment manufacturers.
All of this is with the intent of controlling what you as a consumer do with your music, so that they can effectively dictate the terms on which you give them your money.
Conscious Listening: Sage Francis - Makeshift Patriot
This is a song by rapper Sage Francis, a direct response to 9/11. It highlights problems with the media, our knee-jerk military response, mindless patriotism and willingness to sacrifice civil liberties. Also touches on racial profiling, America's role helping Al Queda during the '80s and the health problems associated with the WTC rubble.
You can hear the song here.
The lyrics are excellent, his best, in my opinion. Here are my favorite verses.
Political Rock
Here are some politically-oriented artists I like. There are a lot, so I'll group them by genre, artist and include a couple of my favorite tracks. Go download them Purchase their CD at your nearest friendly music retailer.
Contemporary Rock (and delicious '90s leftovers)
Rage Against the Machine
(Yeah, I know, no duh... but they need to be at the top of the list.)
Top Five Favorite Tracks: No Shelter, Guerrilla Radio, Vietnow, Down Rodeo, Killing in the Name
Ani DiFranco
RATM reunion
So most people know that Rage will be playing Coachella in April, but apparently they'll be playing 3 more dates this summer. Hopefully they'll just decide to do a full tour.
Don't know why they haven't had a true official statement from the band yet, just random quotes (mainly from Tom). Regardless, I'm excited.
-Jerome