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10 Great Songs about 21st-Century Politics

By Tom Hawking on

“The financial crisis has been a difficult topic for songwriters to wrestle with,” Dorian Lynskey told The New York Times last year. “What do you say about a financial crisis where the villains are obscure and the solutions are obscure? That’s a challenge.” The idea that there’s not much political music being made these days has been a popular one of late, but frankly, we’re having none of it. Sure, perhaps there aren’t the flag-waving anthems that characterize the ’60s, but there are still plenty of politically aware songwriters these days. Why, this very week, there are at least two politically weighty records dropping — the new Bruce Springsteen album, and the official release of Cass McCombs’ song about Bradley Manning. We thought we’d celebrate with a selection of the finest lyrics thus far about 21st-century politics. Suggestions are, as ever, welcome. … Read More

Music

10 Memorable “Minimalist” Music Videos

By Judy Berman on

Now that Kanye West is making 35-minute videos for his songs, and every dense, new Lady Gaga clip must be endlessly dissected for cultural references, there is something undeniably refreshing about a simple, straightforward music video. In a recent ArtsBeat post, Dwight Garner confesses, “I was always a minimalist – give me a concert clip, or even a bit of straight-on lip syncing to a good song” and asks readers for their favorite no-frills videos. Commenters over at The New York Times came up with quite a few suggestions, but we couldn’t help but compile a list of our own (which overlaps slightly with theirs). Add your picks in the comments. … Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. Does Seth MacFalane wish that Family Guy would get canceled? In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter he says: “Part of me thinks that Family Guy should have already ended. I think seven seasons is about the right lifespan for a TV series. I talk to the fans and in a… Read More

Music

New Music for a New Movement: An Occupy Wall Street Playlist

By Judy Berman on

“What is the music of #OccupyWallStreet?” NPR music critic Ann Powers asked on Twitter over the weekend. As the movement rolls on after a weekend that brought hundreds of arrests and lots of publicity, we think that’s an excellent question. From the hippie ’60s to the riot grrrl ’90s, every great political struggle has had a soundtrack of its own. And while past anthems like Crass’s “Do They Owe Us a Living?” and Dead Kennedys’ “Kill the Poor” are certainly applicable to Occupy Wall Street’s critique of economic injustice and capitalism run amok, we think new music is vital to new movements. With that in mind, we’ve taken a stab at compiling some great politically conscious songs that have come out in the past five years. Add your suggestions (or, you know, gripe about “kids these days”) in the comments. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds In Our Office

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we were surprised to discover how Time Warner actually profits from Anonymous’ attacks thanks to the group’s fondness for wearing Guy Fawkes masks. We watched the Foo Fighters take an NSFW shower together. We wondered why Justin Bieber decided on someone as innocuous as Taylor Swift… Read More

Pop Culture

The Real Musicians Behind Film and TV’s Fake Bands

By Jennifer Lewis on

No matter how much we love them, there comes a time when we must face up to the sad reality of film and TV’s fictional bands: They don’t write their own songs. It just isn’t possible. They aren’t real. Solace, however, can be found in the surprising little-known facts that accompany these fake jams. Many of them, for instance, were written and recorded by actual bands long before they became hits for your favorite faux ensembles, while others were simply ghostwritten by artists you probably know. Meet the real musicians behind film and TV’s fake bands after the jump. … Read More

Music

10 of the Most Genuinely Funny Musicians Around

By Tom Hawking on

Whether or not Lady Gaga’s weird motorcycle hybrid album cover thingy was meant to be funny is entirely open for debate, but either way, the finished product is pretty hilarious. Apart from other examples of God-awful album covers (of which there are plenty), the whole thing got us thinking about musicians who are genuinely funny – often unexpectedly so, like Gaga herself, who has often displayed a pleasantly self-deprecating sense of humor in interviews. Read our selection after the jump. For the sake of this post, we’ve excluded actual comedians who also play music – so no Flight of the Conchords, The Mighty Boosh, etc. But even then, there are plenty to choose from. … Read More

Music

Mixtape Primer: Unlikely Musical Collaborations That Worked

By Tom Hawking on

Collaborations are a risky business. For every “Where the Wild Roses Grow” or “Candy,” there’s 100 abominations like “Dancing in the Streets.” It’s easy enough to make lists of musical collaborations that stink up the stereo, but occasionally, just occasionally, there’s an pairing that works against all odds. With Nick Cave & UNKLE’s “Money and Run” getting released this week, here’s a mixtape of cross-genre or otherwise unlikely combinations that produced unexpected gold. … Read More

Music

Clubhopping Top 10: February’s Essential Dance Tracks

By Michaelangelo Matos on

Welcome to the Clubhopping Top 10, a monthly list of dance tracks that have caught us by the ears and feet (not necessarily in that order), with embeds (or, failing that, audio clips) so you can hear most of them for yourself. This month’s roundup includes everyone from Robert Owens and Tom Trago to Jarvis Cocker (!) and the Dirtbombs (!!), in alphabetical order after the jump. … Read More

Music

The 10 Most Powerful Protest Songs of the 21st Century

By Kate Hutchinson on

Somewhere in the gray area between Bob Dylan writing “Masters of War” and the 2004 presidential elections, singing songs about the things that matter got very uncool. Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, and Bob Marley were the hip, countercultural voices of their generation, but, up until recently, protest music has been the reserve of crusty punk rockers and be-dreaded folk singers – the kind you’d never want to end up to talking to across a non-vegan buffet table at a party.

However, the past decade has seen a revival of the modern protest song in pop and alternative music, spurred on by mounting disillusion with U.S. foreign policy, the Iraq War, and the increasing interest in politics among America’s youth. Everyone from Godspeed! You Black Emperor to Kanye West is doing it – heck, even Pink had a go with her cheese-layered ballad “Dear Mr. President.” … Read More