/|\(;,;)/|\ There's an ocean of music, and I'm swimming as hard as I can. I use this blog to post music & commentary; I hope you find something here that does it for you. Peace!
“Gang Control” by Leftover Crack
Because there’s a reason why people hate cops.
Policia, policia; why can’t you see
Your bullets will never pacify me
I dont fight the world; the world fights me
Cause the gang in control is the fucking PD
“This isn’t even capitalism anymore—this is feudalism.” —Jello Biafra
You can read more about The No W.T.O. Combo here, but basically is was a one-shot Punk band fronted by Jello Biafra that performed for the anti-globalization protesters in the ‘99 “Battle in Seattle.” Fortunately, Biafra’s label Alternative Tentacles made a live record of the festivities.
In a way, the Occupy movement is playing catch-up. The abuses we’re now protesting have been gaining on us for a very long time. In a video he recently posted, Jello points out that Americans tend to wait until their backs are against the wall before they raise their voices—but when we do, amazing things happen.
So, Apparently I’m A Fucking Criminal
We’re still in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’re still polluting the shit out of the only planet we have. We’re still in a recession. We still don’t have a Jobs Bill that both parties can agree on. We’re still turning into a brutal police state. But don’t worry, folks, because our Fearless Leaders have their priorities straight: They want to pass a bill to crack down on bloggers like me who post copyrighted material.
Apparently I’m Public Enemy Number One right now. It’s nice to know I’m moving up in the world.
Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be pigs.
Dreadful Children are a great Punk band from Seattle. I caught them live at Thee Parkside last spring and was so impressed I bought this CD-R. Keep an eye out for these guys if they come to your neighborhood, because they put on one helluva show.
Recently, as police have been ripping up tents and tear gassing protestors at Occupy sites, there has been an attitude shift in the conservative punditry. The scathing school bully humor has transformed into real anger that barely masks true fear. This Occupy business is getting to them.
Jello Biafra is a hero of mine. His work with Dead Kennedys is legendary, of course, as are his battles against Tipper Gore and the PMRC. His label, Alternative Tentacles, consistently releases awesome Punk records. He’s collaborated with D.O.A., Melvins, nomeansno, and Mojo Nixon. And I’m a big fan of his new band The Guantanamo School of Medicine. (Though I kinda wish he’d picked somebody other than me to land on when he made a stage-dive halfway through “Holiday In Cambodia” at Thee Parkside this year; he’s still a lovable maniac onstage, but he’s put on a few pounds, y’know?)
Anyhow, have you heard his spoken word records? He released the Die For Oil, Sucker EP in 1991 as a timely rant against the Gulf War, and enough time has passed that it should feel dated, but I found a battered vinyl copy at Rasputin Records not long after I returned home from my second deployment to Iraq and as I listened to it I couldn’t help but reflect on how little has changed. Apparently Jello felt the same way, because he included an updated version on his 2006 spoken word release, In The Grip Of Official Treason.
I like Anti-Flag. They tend to piss off some of the more hardcore Punk fanatics—I’ve heard terms like “over-produced” thrown around a lot—but they’re a great Pop-Punk band, and frontman Justin Sane was cool enough to perform for the Occupy Wall Street protesters last week. Anyhow, here’s a song I used to play extra loud when I was in the Army, especially on those mornings when coffee wasn’t enough to get me out of bed.
Here’s a video I made yesterday at Occupy San Francisco. (Sorry for the shitty camera work.) If you live in the Bay Area, you really need to check this out for yourself.
Keep on rockin’ in the Free World, folks—
Doc Shoe
How cool is this? Here’s Justin Sane of Anti-Flag performing a song by The Clash for the protesters at Occupy Wall Street. This might just be more awesomeness than I’m authorized to post on this blog.
