This section as you may have guessed contains links to and information about bands who use their popularity and status to spread the word of understanding, tolerance, and awareness about the world today. these are the bands who carry the praise of the world socialist community for their efforts towards freedom and free speech for all the human race and against repression, from that of minorities to that of entire countries. Currently the only bands/artists listed are those who are still alive.
The name originated from the proposed name of the second record by Zack's
previous band, Inside Out. Inside Out broke up and the second album
was never released, but the name eventually became known to millions of
people. Zack was born in Mexico, and grew up in a heavily racist society,
where brown-skins could not hold any important position in society or even
a well-paid job. His music reflects his childhood, through the aggressive
lyrics and the violent rap-metal music of the band. He has many grudges
against the US society that inflicted suffering upon his race (which is
still going on today,) and the governments that let it happen. The
guitarist, Tom, has often been compared to Jimi Hendrix and is purported
to be the world's best living guitar player. Many extreme right christian
groups and even governments have attempted to wipe out the band, without
much success. They have produced three albums.
The sites:
Rage
Against the Machine
The
complete Rage Against The Machine website
WSN
Files on
RATM
iNsuRge released their first album in 1996, on the Warner label. The record
company saw the band's potential and signed them in the expectation that
their cult popularity would boost sales. So far the record company has
gained very little in comparison to what iNsuRge have. They are based in
Sydney, Australia, which means that most of their music is not about racial
matters and violence as that of RATM is, but more of social and political
criticism of the Australian Coalition government and the organisations
in which it is involved, namely the World bank, the IMF, GATT and the way
the UN is being starved by the USA. They have very recently split with Warner, but have a complete album and no debt. They are currently looking for a reliable distributor for the new album.
The sites:
Billy Bragg has been writing poetry and music since the early 1980s and
has been the target of much (jealous) criticism by the British government
and police force, even to the extent of attempting to arrest him because
of the messages in his music. He has released 12 albums and it appears
that he is not going to stop any time soon. His style is social criticism,
which appeals to more observant listeners who can see the undertones in
many of his songs which would otherwise sound socially inert. Along
with his ambiguous songs he also writes some which leave no thinking to
the listener, the message is so clear that anyone can understand what he
means.
The sites:
Billy
Bragg
WSN
Files on Billy Bragg
John would be proud of him. Julian Lennon, first son of the late
John Lennon, has taken up his father's passions and continues his work
for world peace. His music is somewhat an extention on his fathers,
albeit more modern. Perhaps his most famous song, "Saltwater," was
misunderstood by many and has been relegated to the rank of pub singalong,
which is a great pity because it could have changed the world if enough
people had the sense to listen to its message. He has written many
albums, most with social commentary and criticism mixed with contemporary
& experimental rock styles to give an easy listening experience which
educates the listener at the same time.
The sites:
Julian
Lennon
WSN
Files on Julian Lennon
The Beastie Boys, rather than writing lots of politically motivated or
oriented music, give their time to causes such as the many "Tibetan Freedom"
& "Free Mumia" concerts etc, and write a song for each. They
have a well defined style and have been working on it for more than a decade,
and have inspired many other artists in their time. They too have
been harassed by extreme right religions groups and government departments
for supporting various causes, and along with RATM and Pearl Jam, are on
China's music blacklist (for supporting the liberation of Tibet of course.)
The sites:
Beastie
Boys
WSN
Files on
Beastie Boys
Pearl Jam formed at the beginning of the 90s, and reflected the way they
express themselves in the title of their first album, Ten. Ten hands,
Ten eyes, Ten ears. The 5 members were made for music, as any listener
will discover. Their music covers a wide range of styles, right from
metal to slow almost ballad rock, and each song evokes completely different
emotions in the listener. The lead singer, Eddie Vedder, is one of
the most outstanding lyricists in the rock universe, and their concerts
are phenomenally moving. They donate much time and money to causes
such as the "Tibetan Freedom" tours and support gigs for all sorts of organisations.
Their lyrics are also very important, as they criticise the ways of thinking
which we have all been taught from an early age, they encourage the listener
to break free from themselves and those that would otherwise have control
over them, and discover what it is like to have their life in their own
hands.
The sites:
Pearl
Jam
Five
Horizons
WSN
Files on
Pearl Jam
