Some Socialist Bands

[Tobythered]

Let's start this off by getting a good list of socialist bands..

Dead Prez is pretty awesome, in my oppinion, if they just went a little easier on their "Fuck whitey" shit.

Billy Bragg, whether or not he was a Stalinist, produced some awesome, awesome songs. (Waiting for the Great Leap Forward is a personal favorite.)

Some Rage Against The Machine, if you overlook the whole corporate, SONY rock band thing.

The Coup, though I'm not really into them, I guess is pretty class concious.

Sole's new albulm Selling Live Water, though not very socialist at all, is just amazingly good. :)

Then there's the one socialist song on every albulm like Books Lie's Capitalism is some scary ass vampire or The International Noise Conspiracy's Capitalism stole my virginity.

Hm, let's get some more going. I'll keep posting as I think of them.

Red,
Toby

[Sputnik 1]

I think a very good sound for a Marxist to listen to is the industrial rhythm of KMFDM. All through out there music there is a constant reference to "the revolution", such lines include: "we need a revolution to rip the system, millions are starving and the rest are missing.", "The Revolution will be synthesized."

One of their songs that they put out as MDFMK is actually called "American Dream", it blatantly spells out America today... such as the line "Imperialism with the best of intentions - our nation is built on ruthless expansion." If KMFDM/MDFMK has any fault it is there cynicism. Although Sascha Koneitzko has quoted Lenin on the groups website he seems to be a bit tinged with petty bourgeois individualism and general pessimism.

The truth about a lot of the music put out in the 80's 90's and now the 00's is that a lot of it has a reference to "The Revolution"; in the collective consciousness of humanity today everyone knows a radical change is needed in the world before anything can progress again. The revolution runs through todays music like a red thread.

JF

[marx_was_right]

Im a big fan of RATM, apart from that I dont know many political bands, maybe Hell is for Heroes. Im more into rock/grunge :cool:

[OUTOFTHENIGHT]

Loas of music to check out! The Clash, The Ruts, Gang of Four, (uk 70s)...Billy Bragg, The Redskins (cliffite band!!!) New Model Army, The Three Johns (uk 80s)....some of the so called anarchist bands have pretty perceptive lyrics i.e. The Dead Kennedys, Millions of Dead Cops, The Circle Jerks (us early 80s)....Its all good!! Ian.

[2-0-Sixx]

Definately Dead Prez.  

They are a great rap group, although I also agree that they tend to say "cracka" too many times, but besides that, their message is strong.

The coup is another good one.  Check their album cover BEFORE the 9/11 attacks.

[comrade_tom]

Im more a thrash metal man, but i was horrified to discover in my 'rust in peace' album(megadeth) Dave Mustain is wearing an anti communist t-shirt!

[redjordi]

Hi all,

In Venezuela right now what revolutionaries listen most to is Ali Primera who is a revolutionary singer song writer from the 70s and 80s, many of his songs are actually very relevant for today's situation there. There is also another group called Grupo Madera, they use to collaborate with Primera. They have now a new song which is a hip-hop, caribean music mix in favour of Chavez, excellent, it is actually played as the intro tune for Chavez's weekly Alo Presidente (Hi President) TV broadcasts.

There is a good political band in Argentina called Bersuit Bergaravat. They are very left wing and played at a benefit gig for the Zanon ceramic workers who have occupied their factory and run it under workers' control.

Also form Argentina and (mildly) left wing are the more famous Fabulosos Cadillac.

In Spain there are a whole lot of bands which are political, some more famous (and less political) and some less known (and more political). You have Skape (an anarchist ska band with a classic working class anthem which talks about being proud of being a proletarian), Reincidentes (a hard rock band from Andalusia with extreme left politics), etc.

There is a classic heavy metal band from the late 70s called Baron Rojo (the Red Baron). They were all Communist party members and they are still playing (though they are a bit aged now) and even not so long ago played a benefit gig for the Marxist-led Spanish Students Union .

comradely,

redjordi

[T.K.A.-Denmark]

Hmm I don't know if you can call the bands I list socialist but anyway here they come.
Rancid - has had working class lyrics, especialy on the old albums.
Reagan Youth - which is an old N.Y hardcore band, has had some quite good lyrics against the right wing.
Dead Kennedys of course, but they have already been mentioned.
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles have also had some quite good lyrics about reaganomics and being stuck in a factory.

From Denmark theres the newly reformed band Røde Mor (Red Mother), they have some quite funny socialist lyrics.
One of them is about a guy who likes to spank people so he ends up joining the police. LOL it's a bit hard to translate but trust me!

Anyway that was what I could come up with now, I will look trough my record collection and see what I forgot.
Oh and congratulations on the discussion board, it has been needed for a long time.
Comradely
Teis

[jpjones]

I think in Germany there is a very popular socialist band called Die Toten Hosen.  It's been a couple of years since I was in Germany, but I'm pretty sure these are they guys.  Also, you would be able to list at least a few songs by Led Zeppelin, except all they were interested in was making money.  Oh well.

[DanT]

Actually, I believe Led Zeppelin was more interested in something other than money, and anyone who has listened to ANY of their songs knows what I'm referring to.

Anyway, although they're not socialist, the most poignant lyrics I've ever heard come from Black Sabbath's War Pigs.

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that up to the poor

[Tobythered]

Desaparecidos!!!!! How could I forget? Everyone has to check them out. They're fucking off the hook.

[OUTOFTHENIGHT]

Comrades.
I am very surprised no one has mentioned Paul Weller and The Jam/The Style Council yet?
While Weller may have gone all wishy -washy of late his material in the 80s was excellent .He had close connections with the LPYS during this time ,even mentioning one of the campaigns we led at this time (YTURC-Youth Trade Union Rights Campaign) in the sleeve notes .The album 'Our Favourite Shop', while not to the taste of all you metalheads out there, was certainly the  closest any artist came to our position at that time.
Unfortunately I still have the album on vinyl so I cant put it on a file for the comrades to have but check it out if you can at your local cd out let its worth the money!!!
Ian.

[Frederik]

I think some really good ones have been mentioned.

I would like to add Loop Troop. Some really nice hip-hop frem sweden. They don't really have socialist lyrics, but they are out of question left wing. I like the song "long arm of the law" myself.

Toten Hosen have been mentioned. They're also good.

Tehere is also a danish band called skalar. It's ska music if anyone is into that.

In Denmark we have this band called Vestrbro Ungdomsgård. It is youngsters from a youth centre in a working class neighbourhood in Copenhagen. They have existed for 30 years now (of course with different kids). They sing about daily life problems. About school, love, wars and a lot of other stuff that fills the minds of ordinary working class youth.

I met this guy from Norway, who's making music. When he heard I was a socialist he gave me a copy of his CD. It is really nice. It is some sort of folkmusic. He's called Steinar Albrigtsen and he's playing with a guy called Tom Pacheco from the US which some of you US comrades might know. They have quite working class lyrics, although it is not communist or socialist. There is one funny song that are about Teddy Roosevelt being an imperialist.

From Germany there is Propagandhi. Some sort of hardcore.

Most of these are probably not known at all otside national (or local) borders. But I think you should know anyway.

comradely,
Frederik

[T.K.A.-Denmark]

Frederik we should be ashamed! We forgot one very important danish group! Folkets Progressive Talerør! (The Peoples Progressive Voice). They unfortunately disbanded some years ago, but they where a danish marxist Hip Hop group.
Actually both me and Frederik are making the paper Socialistisk Standpunkt (Socialist Standpoint) with one of the exmembers.
They were both workingclass and they had lyrics about the crisis of capitalism and how you get screwed by your boss.
I at least know that Jordi is familiar with them.
Comradely
Teis

[paulx]

I don't know about bands but here are some socialist singer/songwriters that I like:

Dick Gaughan (pronounced Gokin). A Scot who is an old Communist Party type.
Robb Johnson, An English anarchist (There are very few anarchists in Britain but this one sings and writes some excellent songs).
Leon Rosselson. English, a bit wordy on occasions, but good anyway.
Si Kahn, an American songwriter/political activist. Insightful and often gentle songs (one of my favourites).
David Rovics, an American anarchist. Powerful and moving songs (if you ignore the occasional hippy drug culture influences).
Eric Bogle, A Scot living in Australia.

There is also Banner Theatre based in Birmingham who have been around for about 30 years. Although they tend to do "actuality" shows, they've written over 100 political songs which are available on cassette and cd.'s.

Someone mentioned Billy Bragg. Although I like some of his personal/love songs and I like the political songs that he performs which were written by someone else, I find that his own political songs are cynical. It could be that I've misinterpreted his songs but isn't "Waiting for the Great Leap forward" just cynical and anti-revolutionary?
Dont' forget that this is the "socialist" who is quoted as saying " I have never been in favour of abolishing capitalism".

So we have comminist and anarchist singer/songwriters, Where are the Trotskyists?:)