I dreamed I saw Dudley George last night

[fenella]

I don't know if I've mentioned this before here, but I've got a soft spot for protest music. More specifically, political protest re: land claims, but even a delinquent like me knows that's pushing it a little. As I learned last year (during Ethnomusicology Course of Doom, The Research Trek of Death and Other Illegal Substances), there isn't an awful lot of land claim music and what there is of it is usually, well, bad. As in, I wouldn't even use their albums as a glorified coaster. Not that I would anyways or ever do... okay, so that was a really bad example. But hopefully you get my point. On the promise of Ipperwash, I've dredged through some of Canada's worst punk bands. And man, do we have bad punk bands. And then there was the whiny, guiltladden lyrics of emo!activist and his best friend, the rainstick. I kid you not. If you want music about Aboriginal land claims issues go visit Australia, not Canada.

Anyways, I digress. I love when music is actually used for something, and given context. I love seeing where it comes from, where it's going and what it's actually doing. I love watching as a group, an artist or a song changes things - or at least starts the ball rolling. I'm not feeling very eloquent at the moment, but maybe someday I'll take a stab at explaining why this is so wonderful. If you've never had that moment of awe though, just trust me, it is that wonderful.

This is where I turn it over to you guys. I'm not asking for land claim music (although I'd seriously love you forever) but if you can point me in the direction of good protest music, or not so good protest music that's got a really interesting cause/story attached, I'd be twenty kinds of happy. I'm looking for things less obvious than Bob Marley, since duh, Bob Marley, but yeah.

Music + Activism = love, love, love.

Comments

[themis.livejournal.com]

There's always "L'Internationale". And Billy Bragg does, I understand, a lot of protest music although some of it's older. As in, about the English Civil War.

You might try some Celtic music, too.

[lyredenfers.livejournal.com]

The trouble is that very few protest songs, even mainstream, make it "big" until after the fact - and then it's just like, Oh.

I probably should have specified current affairs, but yeah that limits it quite a lot, and old issues deserve attention too. And a lot of them cross over in topic.

The trick is finding current bands/artists that I actually enjoy, who talk about relevent/interesting issues. Eugh. Like, protest music can't be confined to certain people/demographic/styles of music. Everyone has something that has the potential to get them worked up, and passionate. So why don't we hear about these things? Why aren't your average top twenty rock bands bothering to say something? Or should they, even? Or is it a case of U2, where people kind of pat Bono on the head, and say "Go make music, leave the politicians alone"?

[lea-hazel.livejournal.com]

Protest music is one of my great loves. Most of it isn't new, though. Life sucks, like that. Off the top of my head, though, there's Tracy Chapman (who I was listening to earlier today) and Sweet Honey in the Rock (who I'm listening to right now). Both of them handle multiple and ranging Issues. SHitR are a 70s-80s a cappella singing group; I think they're fairly obscure, but I discovered them when my aunt got my mother their double album (http://www.amazon.com/Selections-1976-1988-Sweet-Honey-Rock/dp/B000000MW8/sr=1-11/qid=1165664813/ref=sr_1_11/102-3377478-3554520?ie=UTF8&s=music), which I cannot recommend enough.

In terms of more recent stuff, I can only really think of Israeli music. Any interest in Israeli Hip Hop? There's some fantastic stuff I can recommend to you, and I'll even go so far as to write a blurb for each song and translate selected lyrics. Not the whole thing, though, because seriously, twelve songs? No.

[lyredenfers.livejournal.com]

<3 Bring on the Israeli Hip Hop, please!

(I'll track down the others when I've got a moment. Thank you!)

[anait.livejournal.com]

i echo your love of protest songs.

bob dylan's "the hurricane" is a classic protest song. it's got this furious energy to it, as well as being a catchy tune. also his "blowin' in the wind."

i remember hearing a protest song on Live8 Barrie, one of the few that did something for me from that very lackluster concert. it was one of the tried and true golden oldies songwriters of canada. pretty sure it was bruce coeburn. i remember being impressed.

for me, protest songs are linked to the 60's and 70's, where singer-songwriters like dylan and others honestly believed they could change the world through music. and people (some) were listening. think of john lennon's "imagine."

i think people still write protest songs today, but very different ones-- more subtle, or cynical, less hopeful than the earlier era. Like Offspring ("American Idiot") or the Violent Femme ("American Music") critiquing American culture. Don't forget our homegrown boy Sam, singing about socialism and the Canadian Dream.

[lyredenfers.livejournal.com]

Man, why didn't we grow up in the 60's? I'm sad. Although I'm really not on the Dylan loveboat. Lennon! He's my favourite fucked up Beatle who was murdered in NY.

S-O-C-I-A-L-I-S-M is here to stay! Ah, Sam.

Oh, and American Idiot's Greenday.

[anait.livejournal.com]

duh! Greenday. I lose the protest.

and you shouldn't write off dylan. he really is the man. some of his stuff is pure gold. "the hurricane" for one. it's like the flag banner of protest songs. and "you belong to me" is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written. if i get a chance i will try to upload for you. i think i have copies of both lying around somewhere.

now i want a protest post at audiography. or for you to stick up a protest mix!

[anait.livejournal.com]

oh, man! i'm kicking myself because i left out my boy ben harper.

he's always struck me as a throwback to the 60's and 70's, for that exact reason. he's all about the lone songwriter taking on injustice through his own integrity.

okay, this protest mix is now officially a must. do you want to start a thread on your lj, or shall I?