Is that it seems better music comes out of more repressive regimes. American college rock throughout the mid 80s during Reagan era America, Punk, new-wave, post punk in Britain during Margaret Thatchers tenure, and so on and so forth. Your thoughts?

I think the times now than they were with Reagan. Reagan's victories really were victories for his policies. The GOP wins yesterday were just as much about fear and Sept. 11 than they were about Republican policies--if not more so. Give it a few more years, and then if we really wind up in a major movement of conservative America, I think we'll start to see something really take off.

Originally posted by sawdust restaurants
I think the times now than they were with Reagan. Reagan's victories really were victories for his policies. The GOP wins yesterday were just as much about fear and Sept. 11 than they were about Republican policies--if not more so. Give it a few more years, and then if we really wind up in a major movement of conservative America, I think we'll start to see something really take off.


We've returned to 1991:

-Pearl Jam and Nirvana have hit songs

-A Bush is President

-Saddam's back


:(

Overtly political American music sucks. The last thing I need are 45 new punk bands telling me that "BUSH SUCKS!" The only really political band I can think of from the 80's that I liked were The Minutemen, and they spent more time bitching about Latin American policy than our own fuckups at home.

Originally posted by I Hate Music
Overtly political American music sucks. The last thing I need are 45 new punk bands telling me that "BUSH SUCKS!" The only really political band I can think of from the 80's that I liked were The Minutemen, and they spent more time bitching about Latin American policy than our own fuckups at home.

What about Husker Du and R.E.M.? They've got some great political songs. RATM was a joke, though...

<font color=33FFFF> I didn't think this political shit would find its way over to this board, but hey there you go</font>

Originally posted by strange_one
<font color=33FFFF> I didn't think this political shit would find its way over to this board, but hey there you go</font>

Don't try to deny that politics doesn't have a major influence on music. John Lennon admitted freely that "Imagine" was a piece of propoganda. He encouraged political musicians to "soften the message with melody" or something like that.

Originally posted by I Hate Music
Overtly political American music sucks. The last thing I need are 45 new punk bands telling me that "BUSH SUCKS!" The only really political band I can think of from the 80's that I liked were The Minutemen, and they spent more time bitching about Latin American policy than our own fuckups at home.

Yes overtly political music often can suck, but a lot of late 70s-80s music came out of pissed off youth who were very dissatisfied with their condition and the marginilaztion of ideas and values they respected. I'm not talking about bands like RATM who are going to beat you over the head, but what about Thatcher era British music like The Smiths, Joy Division, etc....not totally political but with definitely political undertones (especially if you buy the personal is political argument). That's what im talking about.

Hey, let's not forget Tears for Fears.

Originally posted by killtheyouth


Don't try to deny that politics doesn't have a major influence on music. John Lennon admitted freely that "Imagine" was a piece of propoganda. He encouraged political musicians to "soften the message with melody" or something like that.

for some reason, i've never been a very huge fan of the song Imagine(i think its just an okay song and nothing else, don't ask me why i say that, just for some reason to me it is....)

Originally posted by killtheyouth


Don't try to deny that politics doesn't have a major influence on music. John Lennon admitted freely that "Imagine" was a piece of propoganda. He encouraged political musicians to "soften the message with melody" or something like that.
<font color=33FFFF> I'm not trying to deny anything, I just don't care and I'm not american</font>

But why is it that so many of these liberal artists don't know what the fuck they're talking about (Barbara Streisand is a joke). It's almost enough to make me a hard-line Republican, but for now, I'll just hate both parties with slightly unequal passions.

Nation of Ulysses was cool, they even got put on the government's potential danger list or some crap like that.

they are so punk rock.

Originally posted by bloop
But why is it that so many of these liberal artists don't know what the fuck they're talking about (Barbara Streisand is a joke). It's almost enough to make me a hard-line Republican, but for now, I'll just hate both parties with slightly unequal passions.

We're not talking about Barbara Streisand or anyone even remotely like that. I'm talking for the most part about the American Underground. Yes, there are artists there that still don't know shit but there are also plenty that do. Barbara Streisand. hah. christ.

if republicans bring out the punk bands, i'm fucking glad i voted for democrats

OK...why does the American Underground keep putting out shit political music?

Originally posted by King of the Horseflies
if republicans bring out the punk bands, i'm fucking glad i voted for democrats

Originally posted by Tessellation

RATM was a joke, though... Whatever junior.

Originally posted by bloop
OK...why does the American Underground keep putting out shit political music?

Nation of Ulysses, Fugazi, Husker Du, R.E.M, Nirvana (bush was in control when they formed), Pearl Jam(same for them), Mission of Burma, Embrace, Television, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Suicide...etc.

For the British: The Smiths, The Fall, Joy Division/New Order, Gang of Four, Wire, U2...etc.

And more my brain can't think of right now. Don't be dumb. Post-punk and punk coincided with Thatchers grip over England, A lot of American punk bands started in the mid 70s during the Ford presidency, American hardcore/college rock(or indie rock if you will) was formed during the Reagan years (and while much of it is derivitave now, it was wildly creative back then), and Grunge and alternative was born during the first Bush's term.

Look, this isn't just about political bands either. I never said it was only political music, although as you can see there are plenty of bands i listed that are either predominantly political or partially political, this is about how repressive regimes seem to kickstart the underground, leading not only to lyrical themes and frustration, but to changes in form and musical directions. Repression breeds the desire to create, it's as old as time. Some people will react in a strong manner to efforts to clamp down on them.

And King of the Horseflies...you're just pissed that punk killed prog-rock. Get over it.