Today is May 1, which doesn’t mean a great deal in America, but is celebrated in much of the world as International Workers’ Day. Given that it commemorates American history (specifically, the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886), it’s strange that the date has no currency here, but for whatever reason, the USA has stuck with Labor Day in September – perhaps because of the more radical associations of May 1, which is celebrated by many communist and anarchist organizations. In any case, here at Flavorpill, the global waving of the red flag has got us thinking about how many great musicians have had leftist leanings over the years. Here’s a selection of our favorites. (Obligatory disclaimer: Flavorpill doesn’t necessarily endorse these bands’ politics; we just like the music.)

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1. In which Gawker asks: Who is the hipster of the decade? While we love Hipster Runoff’s Carles, we’re going to have to go with Dash Snow. [via Gawker]
2. Quentin Tarantino‘s next project is going to be “smaller, less epic” in scale than Inglourious Basterds, and in a “different genre entirely.” [via Vulture]
3. Zing: Rage Against The Machine have invited Simon Cowell to host the free gig they’re planning to celebrate beating The X Factor to Christmas Number One, which is a big deal in the UK. [via NME]
4. The first trailer for the fourth and final Shrek movie is out; it hits theaters next summer. [via Digital Spy]
5. Def Leppard are pitching a cartoon show starring themselves to networks in the US. [via BBC]

Bonus link: Lord of the Rings Facebook Statuses

Given that Tim Robbins founded the Actors Gang in response to a lack of opportunities for independent writers and actors to produce socially and politically salient new work, it’s no surprise that his response to the threat of a paralyzing budget crunch was to curate an ambitious ten-week festival of theatre, dance, music, conversation, performance, and education. The WTF?! Festival brings together scores of voices as diverse as those of Tom Morello, Naomi Klein, Gore Vidal, John Doe, Sarah Silverman, anti-war Veterans, and members of Cirque du Soleil — all in the name of saving one of the country’s bravest voices for progressive art by raising not only money, but awareness.

Flavorpill’s Shana Nys Dambrot caught up with Robbins on the eve of the LA festival to talk politics, art, and record collections. Read More »