Bands/Artists Respected For Politics More Than Music

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Name some bands/artists you think have been overrated seemingly because their politics and lyrical themes are seen as positive and/or progressive? I'm mostly referring to treatment of these bands in the US/UK rock press, but other examples count as well. Exclude bands who've made great music to back up their politics (e.g. the Clash or Fugazi, though those are just personal choices of mine).

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Bob Roberts

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Bloody rage aginst the machine

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Michael Franti/Spearhead

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Asian Dub Foundation

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Primal Scream!!!!

Ha ha, just kidding.

― HRH Queen Kate (kate), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The Ex, whom I had the pleasure of seeing lst night and who were very good indeed.

Nation of Ulysses?

― neil simpson (neil simpson), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Fun-Da-Mental

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Refused

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Billy Bragg, above (almost) all others - ADF are a good call, maybe, but "Rafi's Revenge" was a great album.

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Dylan

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

dylan didn't sing about politics at all on his best albums. he was reviled for *not* being political.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Regarding Refused, I'd say it was the other way round if anything, especially with the benefit of hindsight and their evolution into the increasingly dull International Noise Conspiracy.

Similar goes for NOU - there may still be people around who take Svenonious' freeform blather *seriously*, but I wouldn't want to get trapped in a lift with them.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Midnight Oil
Little Steven (solo)
Consolidated

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

shakin' stevens

― kevin brady (groeuvre), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Public Enemy

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I know a few socialists who have Refused and (I)NC albums in their otherwise mostly folk and mopey collections.

But there are lots of sub-Boomers (not a judgment, merely people younger than Dylan's original fanbase) who consider him nothing else but a, if not THE, protest singer.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Joan Baez

(shakin' stevens was my fave as a kid!)

― pete s, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Lots and lots of hardcore bands. Same goes for lots and lots of Riot Grrrl bands.

― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Public Enemy's music was....ahh, I'm talking to a wall.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 19:56 (twenty-two years ago)

But there are lots of sub-Boomers (not a judgment, merely people younger than Dylan's original fanbase) who consider him nothing else but a, if not THE, protest singer.

understood. but they're wrong. and the people who love and respect dylan for real know that. dylan's a protest singer like john travolta is a sweathog.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 20:04 (twenty-two years ago)

He is a multitude.

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

or does he contain multitudes?

― Huckleberry Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

SCORPIONS

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 20:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Sting and his Blue Turtles have just purchased this thread. Thank you. Good luck in your new abode/adobe.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Le Tigre, for the most part. Though I do really like about six of their songs.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Atari Teenage Riot

― paulhw (paulhw), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:13 (twenty-two years ago)

BLACKMORE'S NIGHT!!!

http://www.blackmoresnight.com/photos/promo/pics/tall/02.jpg

Oh, okay, not really.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

The Levellers

(this only applies in Totnes, Devon)

― pete s, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Speaking of which...New Model Army. I hope.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

jackson browne

― j fail (cenotaph), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:50 (twenty-two years ago)

and Glastonbury even more, surely, Pete?

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought Glastonbury had moved on to Feeder

― pete s, Wednesday, 10 December 2003 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I dare say ...

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't think Atari Teenage Riot was respected for their politics either.

― Christian Rawk (Christian Rawk), Wednesday, 10 December 2003 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Midnight Oil

bah, no! If anything they're underrated musically (those guitars! Rotsey & Moginie I kiss you!!), no one pays attention to the music cos all anyone thinks is "oh, it's those tree huggin' hippies whining again." which, if anyone actually thinks that, they can blow me. Not so peaceful now, huh? HUH? Get back here and listen to Head Injuries RIGHT NOW, or you'll be experiencing one goddammit!! GRRR! ! !

On the other hand, their fans are really mental.

― Poppy (poppy), Thursday, 11 December 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i wonder if any band will write a song about how the supreme court just upheld a ban on negative political ads. all this false hysteria over the patriot act and near silence over the court shooting down what the first amendment was created for.

― keith m (keithmcl), Thursday, 11 December 2003 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Vegan Reich, Shelter, et all.

Although I really couldn't see getting into there music unless you were into "the message".

― earlnash, Thursday, 11 December 2003 01:51 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.skullbonepark.com/nugent.jpg

― stephen morris, Thursday, 11 December 2003 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

What the fuck is that?

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 11 December 2003 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Ted Nugent.

Although his politics don't go much further than shoot, f*** and eat anything/everything that moves, do they? (NB: sometimes the aforementioned events actually happen in that order...)

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 11 December 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Skrewdriver.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 December 2003 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

That's the Nuge? Good lord. There's something of a survivalist side to him, isn't there?

I was actually thinking about this the other day, how Ted makes a point of eating everything he offs (I think - I could have got this arse-backwards) which in a sense is a lot more decent and conservationist than people give him credit for. Like a lot of vegetarians say, if you eat meat you should have the balls to be able to kill the animal you're eating yourself.

Also the Amboy Dukes are quite 'respected' by garage conisseurs these days, no?

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Hasn't quite happened yet - bit early innit - but I think Living Things will very quickly become respected for their political nouse, far more than their music will ever touch anyone.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Thursday, 11 December 2003 11:20 (twenty-two years ago)

phew so no mention of the minuteman yet (though it might have been one of the 'hardcore' bands jeanne was referring to).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 11 December 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Again, I think they're an example of a band who are/were lucky enough to be highly respected on both fronts. Ditto Fugazi

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 11 December 2003 13:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I think minuteman are a million times better than fugazi.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 11 December 2003 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Crass?

― Jason J, Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Jay Kid OTM.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say Crass, I skimread this and kind of assumed they'd already been mentioned. A lot of their politics just read like pious hectoring when you look at it now, but maybe that's just me.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 11 December 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

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