I am nothing of a builder

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.