Free Speech: themusicalrevolution.com

THEMUSICALREVOLUTION.COM THIS MONTH: This month we'd like to recognize these NEW countries to tha fold: Turks and Caicos Islands, Qatar & Brunei Darussalam. 72 Countries and counting. The "NewMusicalRevolution" Update: Well, the naked picture debate has been solved. The breasts get to stay but the link to the young fan's (of Corporate Cash Cow... LOL!) website has been deemed innappropriate. The main beef was that young folks needn't be exposed to pornography or promotion there of. Seeing as this is a music interest site, that is probably a good assessment. I hope that this hasn't offended any of the younger revolutionaries. Respect.

EDITORIAL: In the middle of May, I happened across an article that dared to ask, "what has happened to the voice of political protest in today's music?" The writer decided to seek the opinion of artists like Chuck D (Public Enemy), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave), The Dixie Chicks, Saul Williams, Hamilton Leithauser (Walkmen), Kirk Huffman (Gatsby's American Dream), Marty Larson-Xu (Rock and Roll Soldiers singer) and Anti-Flag singer Justin Sane. Note, that she/he didn't seek my opinion on this matter but I'm gonna throw it in there just the same ;)

What were the reasons for this seeming artistic political apathy cited by our music heros; past and future? Well. Some felt that hip hop has dropped the ball, favouring the way of the "bling bling" rather than social conciousness. It was stated that opposition to today's American government by any artist could lead to nothing short of musical exile. The fact that it is hard to make the almighty dollar when out of favour came up as a possibility. Some blamed the time it takes to release a label album these days (making relevence an issue), others looked to the fact that everybody is protesting something and it's overkill. Still others felt that taking on the government is futile today, the reality being that, "one person just can't make a difference like in the 'good old days'" :S

Hmmnnn... Interesting. *The writer checks their list* Got the token hip hop legend, token rock legend, token country led*coughhackughh*ends... Got the newcomers who aren't making any money but have an opinion... Got the ONE artist who is not political... got the reasons that really aren't any reason at all... negated anything incriminating to save MY job... LOL!!

Back in tha day, we had your Bob Marleys with your CIA files on them. We had your John Lennon's with your files on them. We had your rebels who all died (broke) from overdoses. We had your malcontents who all died from... overdoses.

I only have one question for you. What labels were these artists on? I think that you'll find that most started out on independent labels that either were bought out or grew into the label structure that we have today. I'm not going to (once again) bore you with the music industry set up and its faults, I'm just going to state this one thing. Change is bad for industry - period! The slower it comes the better for the number crunchers! Political, economical, sociological, whatever change is BAAAADDDD!

I would say that there is MORE protest music than ever out there. Any organization that doesn't recognize that is defunct, irrelevent and no longer necessary. The real artists are multiplying like a bad disease and those still releasing watered down shit on labels need to recognize this and get the hell out!

Oh, and if that isn't idealist and pure rant enough for yas, don't get me started on the merits of North American Government. A leader can have me killed in a second but can't wipe his ass unless his/her sponsors say so and it's on a "brand accepted" roll of toilet paper.

Tom. Please stop raging against the machine and start raging against those driving it (which includes you at the moment).

Mad (as in wackjob) Love,
i220

MUSIC NEWS:

1. BEARSHARE SIDESTEPS LEGAL ACTION: Free Peers Inc. (BearShare) has agreed to no longer operate any unlicensed online music services, has anted up $30 Million and has agreed to sell off it's wares all to avoid the wrath of the recording industry and it's lawyers.

2. BOB DYLAN - A DISC JOCKEY: XM (Deep Tracks Channel) has secured the folk legend for an hour of "theme based" music; Wednesdays. According to XM's brass, Bob has complete freedom both musically and in what he says. Music will be selected from the man's own personal collection.

3. STUDYING POP CULTURE POST SECONDARY SCHOOL: Universities across the greater U.S. of A. are more and more inclined to offer courses of study focused on what music we're receiving through mass media. Classes with names like "Hip-Hop Eshu: Queen Bitch 101", "The Beatles - Music History 4", "Hip-Hop Culture - African American Studies 160", or "Perfectly Frank: A Celebration of the Music of Frank Sinatra - Humanities 041" are all actual course names from various American universities and colleges.

4. XM VS. THE RIA: The satelite radio's new "Inno" device which can record and store up to 50 hours of music (automatically organize recordings by song and artist) is the latest piece of technology under fire from the Recording Industry of America. The plaintiff's lawyers state that "Inno" is similar to an iPod and should be subject to the same fees. The defendent's camp likens its new product to a VCR and feels that it should be treated as so.

5. WHO CARES?: Britney - pregnant - ahh, fuck it!.. 50 vs. Oprah. Ludacris vs. Oprah. My money's on Harpo the killer whale.. 2 seconds max... A NEW Johnny Cash song. "Cashing in on Cash"; it has a nice ring to it huh?.. Stadium Arcadium was leaked to the internet. Flea is VERY upset. I still want my money back for "By The Way"... Snoop DAWG is banned from the U.K. folks! Damn! That is incredible. Finally, some good old fashioned musical decadence... Gn'R is BACK! Tommy Hilfiger won't go away! Let's get Axl Rose and the king of fashion/racial prejudice irony together and see what ensues shall we?.. Madonna is pissing off the Catholic church. Wait a minute, did I just slip back into the late '80s again? Sorry... "These boots were made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk poor Jessica Simpson's ass right out of the role of Daisy Duke." I DO care!.. Beanie Sigel has been shot; unfortunately not by me :(.. Linda McCartney. Heather Mills. Paul, you were right the first time, all you do need is love... And I love you!

*Collected from a variety of online NEWS sources and summed up here for your enjoyment/enlightenment.*

Until next month:
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