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January 27, 2006
Masters of War
GOT MORE GUNS THAN ANYBODY
There has been some talk about the lack of protest music while our country is at war. While I do not disagree, the motivation to make such statements can be reduced to the following three motivations. 1- Blind patriotism, 2- outrage at the lack of outrage (not being) communicated in song, or 3- nostalgia for the 60s style Rock and Roll fueled revolution that empowers the masses, provides soundtracks to future films, and ensures long (however caricatured) careers for countless bands. Those pointing out that there isn't a modern day Bob Dylan or Joan Baez kumbayaing with the youth are either starved for a leader or dream of a romanticized ‘don’t be evil’ pop culture cult of personality for guidance. Its a desire to personify dissent with humility and poetic brilliance, or shocked that somehow the law of averages hasn’t caught up to us yet because these kind of people “must exist” during wartime.
Valid or not, it is what it is. In actuality there have been many songs since March of 2003 that dwell on the state of global affairs, some great, some clichéd and others rubbish. Bright Eyes’ “When the President Talks to God” is a jarring, pull no punches attack at Dubya’s relationship with the ultimate advisor. TV on the Radio released “Dry Drunk Emperor” when their fury at the government overtook them last fall during the Katrina crisis. Even the always subtle Eminem got in on the action with a brilliant animated voter encouragement video for “Mosh” circa 2004’s presidential election. Pearl Jam’s last studio album, Riot Act, was scathing with criticism for most of its fifteen tracks, topped with an irony-enriched album title that played on another, Federal and more Famous, controversial act. Give it to Eddie Vedder to conjure such juxtaposition between Riot and Patriot.
So what does it all mean? I suppose peeps got to stop wishing for so much damn cyclical culture. Carte blanche to call bullshit on this space when the next retro trend in music is praised. Clearly inevitable, like “I’m never drinking again” proclamations.
Right. On with today’s pick of the day.
Not even going to touch the obvious, kick a drunk hobo while he’s down or; hijack a friends myspace account and send sketchy messages to exes, too easy of an observation that is a band called Celebration writing a song titled “War.”
Effusing urgency through a marching snare, looping keys and questioning lyrics, its no wonder this track was produced by David Sitek from TV on the Radio. TV on the Radio songs are like pouring a bucket of melted plastic over a pile of legos – that is when the oozing plastic represents layered sound creeping through crevices and the legos are both the musical core of the song and our brains being blown away with noise. Which continues to envelope the dead tissue. Not gothic, but just so damn dense.
//Celebration - Celebration - buy
Tags: Celebration, war, MP3, TV on the Radio, Protest, Pearl Jam, Bright Eyes, Eminem
Posted by Merry Swankster at January 27, 2006 08:11 AM
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