We need this generations Woodie Guthrie

[hollysmom]

Music can over come money, can over come citizen's united.

In the midle ages there were the troubadours, during the depression there was Woodie. Give people a song about rights that they can pass by singing and we might just have a fighting chance.

Sorry, had 2 hours to think on the drive home today. I put in my Woodie Guthrie album since I was out of radio I like range and the words seemed almost current, well maybe not all the words, but the thoughts behind them were still valid. Of course I had to sing out when it played This Land Is Your Land.

Any very talented musicians out there who are politically inclined? I have not kept up with current music.

[JitterbugPerfume]

1. Rage Against the Machine

[XemaSab]

2. Who broke up like 15 years ago

*However* they made better music about the years since 2000 than anyone else ever has.

[JitterbugPerfume]

22. Tom Morrelo (sp?)

I couldn't recall his name , but he is still doing great stuff

[Kalidurga]

3. How about this guy...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/13/hawaiian-singer-surprises-obama-summit-with-occupy-song/

I think he has the same spirit and definitely has talent.

[hollysmom]

4. He has a lovely voice,

It is jut he might sound a little old fashioned to some, but will he travel and play for people to listen?

[Scootaloo]

5. First, a suggestion

Nikki Lynette;

Second... You're thinking of Arlo Guthrie, Woody's dad.

Third... I hate to rain on the parade, but music didn't do anything on its own. Sorry folks, just like waving signs isn't going to fix shit, singing a folksy tune isn't going to do it either. I understand the hippy ethic of "sit back and let it work itself out" is still going strong in most "progressive" circles, but that stuff didn't end any wars, it hasn't solved any social problems, and it's just never going to. It's great to have a soundtrack to work by, but for god's sake, you need to be doing some work.

[ashling]

6. Point # 2: Uh, no

Father


Son

[Scootaloo]

24. ...Wow. Where the fuck did my brain go?

Derp derp

[ashling]

26. Spending too much time inhaling

down at at Alice's Restaurant?

[Scootaloo]

27. I watch it every Thanksgiving; tides me over all year

[ForgoTheConsequence]

7. No.

Arlo Guthrie is Woody Guthrie's son.

[randome]

15. You're so right about music not being the 'cure'.

It takes much more than that.

[limpyhobbler]

8. Woody gets played in my car too.

You might like some of these artists:
http://www.woody100.com/newreleases.htm

Also there was a music thread in socialist progressives group a while ago that had a lot of good music. Depends what you like though:
http://democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1024&pid=1090

[dipsydoodle]

9. Closest I've come across is Steve Earle

[Hoyt]

12. Earle's "Revolution Starts Now" tour after 2004's disappointing election was quite timely.

It was shortly after bush won in 2004 and the crowd was into moving on from the depression of another 4 years of bush.

A lot of his work is political -- and quite liberal.

Good suggestion.

[HooptieWagon]

10. Mermaid Avenue.

Woody's lyrics and music written for them by Wilco, performed by Billy Bragg and Wilco. I think they did two volumes (I only have the first, which is excellent), I believe another is in the works with Billy Bragg and Son Volt (whom I like even better than Wilco).

[limpyhobbler]

25. Hey check out that "Man in the Sand" documentary

If you haven't already. It's about the Mermaid Ave collab with some of Woody's biography mixed in.

[HooptieWagon]

29. I hadn't heard of it... Thanks! I will!

[rainy]

11. Makana -

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[dipsydoodle]

13. Steve Earle to Host Woodyfest in New York City

Country outlaw Steve Earle will curate and host Woodyfest at the City Winery in New York City on July 11, 12 and 13. The three-night series of intimate concerts will feature Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, Allen Toussaint, Tim Robbins, John Hammond, Rachel Yamagata, Amy Helm, The Wood Brothers and more performing songs written or inspired by Woody Guthrie.

The intimate concerts will be held in celebration of Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday and a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Woody Guthrie Foundation. Tickets are on sale now at the City Winery box office and citywinery.com.

http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/steve-earle-to-host-woodyfest-in-new-york-city/10124598

[jwirr]

14. I have a bunch of cassett tapes that I collected in the early 80s. It is surprising how current they

are. They really make one sad.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. TIMZ, stage name

http://www.timzonline.com/

[Brickbat]

17. We don't spread information and ideas through folk music so much anymore for a variety of reasons.

Woody Guthrie was a version of his generation's viral marketing. He got the word out and planted information about news stories and new ideas through easy-to-remember songs that people could sing to each other.

[Initech]

18. Tom Morello maybe?

[Comrade_McKenzie]

19. New Politics...

[Romulox]

20. Where the FUCK is Chuck D. at?

[IDemo]

21. A vote for James McMurtry:

&feature=related

[Chan790]

23. Laura Jane Grace (previously Tom Gabel) of Against Me!

Both her work with Against Me! and as a collaborating/solo artist is extremely political and spans multiple genres from folk to punk to rock to some forays into metal. Has mainstream popularity and sells a lot of records. Collaborates with other mainstream artists.

If there's a downside it's possibly that she's too political.

(Note: The video is mildly disturbing to people with delicate sensibilities. This is actually the *official* video distributed to music channels with the single for White People for Peace.)

[Scootaloo]

28. I see what you did there n/t

[Chan790]

31. I'm confused by this comment. n/t

[Scootaloo]

33. The OP asks for the "Next generation" Woody Guthrie

You provide a song that makes fun of protest songs.

East and West could not agree
So their generals gave a call and gathered troops at the border
With guns ready, drawn and aimed
each side was praying to a God
to bless them with strength and courage
it was in His name that artillery lit the sky on fire
the people sang protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun

Protest Songs in a response to Military Aggression
Protest songs to try and stop the soldier's gun
But the battle raged on

[Chan790]

34. It's a little more nuanced than that.

It's not making fun of protest songs, it's making fun of people who think that singing protest songs in lieu of action is a legitimate response. The purpose of those Woody Guthrie songs wasn't the songs, it was to instigate people to action.

That's part of what I meant by too political in terms of Against Me! and Grace. It's a theme her lyrics return to a lot. I very nearly posted the folk-ballad "Baby, I'm an Anarchist!" instead, a song where where we see the same calling-out of non-actors and ambivalence towards debased and empty movements. Ultimately, I chose away from "Baby..." because it's a lot blunter, not merely critical of "spineless liberals" but critical of "spineless liberals" specifically for not wholeheartedly embracing black-bloc tactics, molotov cocktails, political violence, looting and vandalism.

^^tactics I can't support.

Nevertheless, the last two Against Me! albums have charted high on Billboard. Not too many other artists in this thread can say that.

[Scootaloo]

35. Well, I wasn't coming down on it

Like I said in my post upthread, music alone just doesn't do it.

As for the stuff about political violence... Well... My opinion is that Americans have let the hippy-dippy bullshit about playing a guitar and weaving a flower chain "changing the world" dominate their protest culture for far too long. We've sat on our thumbs for so long, that i'm certain no amount of singing, chanting, placard-waving, or anything like that is going to help. Radical action is needed

We're not at a point where violence against people is called for. But you know what, if you've got to break a trespassing law to get your point across, fuck it, go for it. If you've got to hit the streets without a permit, go for it. The men at the lunch counters of Jackson didn't ask the mayor for permission to conduct their sit-in, they just did it.

[GObamaGO]

30. Who is this generation's Woody Guthrie?

[hollysmom]

36. well, first of all, they would have to be classified as a country singer

because that is the only way to reach some people. Folk, and rck and pop is associated only with liberals.

Then they would have to identify as a populist, not a liberal...

I still think it would be possible, we would just need the right person -

OK, it could be a charismatic speaker,. but they are hard to come by and are dissected by the right before they can get started, which is why I think we need someone to work under the surface.

[Tom Ripley]

32. Unfortunately, they will only be singing to the converted

times are different now