Tag: music
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Conor Oberst and Other Musicians Urge State Senators to Block Passage of Proposal
JAN 25, 2012 - Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, and 16 other musicians from Omaha are all urging the state lawmakers to not pass a proposal that would ban Omaha and other communities from passing any anti-discrimination ordinances or laws. Mynabirds singer and songwriter Laura Berhenn who organized the group of musicians told Paul Hammel of the Omaha World-Herald, “Don't keep selling Omaha as another fly-over Midwestern city, We have a lot of progressive people here who are welcoming. ” Some of the musical groups involved are Azure Ray, The Faint, Honeybee and Hers, the Conduits and more.
The letter in part said:
"Dear Senators,
We are musicians who have chosen to live in the Omaha community. Our work has had national and international media attention, and when we tour around the country and around the world, we want to be proud to say that we’ve come from Omaha, Nebraska. It’s extremely important to us that the policies of our community reflect our values.
We want to continue to be proud of our community and keep our creative class and entrepreneurial spirit strong. Please don’t let LB 912 move forward and let the state of Nebraska block the City of Omaha’s attempt to do the right thing and create equal opportunity for everyone."
Read the whole letter at VoiceOmaha.org.
(Photo credit: Owen Prior/Wiki)
Occupy This Album: More Artists Join On
JAN 23, 2012 - Occupy This Album, an album to be released this spring to help support the movement, has a growing list of musicians. Third Eye Blind, Willie Nelson and Jackson Browne were a few of the artists signing up early on, and now the list has grown to over 40 bands and musicians. JTMP was at Occupy DC and caught the band Junkyard Empire, and posted videos of the activist band's performance on our YouTube Channel HERE. They will be one of the bands contributing to the album; along with Tom Morello, the Guthrie Family, Yoko Ono, Lucinda Williams, Immortal Technique, Crosby/Nash and more. Check out the full list here.
Ani DiFranco: “Pete Seeger Best Protest Song Writer Right Now”
JAN 23, 2012 - Musician activist Ani DiFranco just released a new album, "Which Side Are You On?", and when asked in a NY Times interview who she admires among the people playing protest songs these days she said, "Pete Seeger for one...I had received two things in the mail from him, not only ideas for “Which Side Are You On?” and how we could do it but other new protest songs that he’s been working on. Beautiful songs. Amazing new vibrant sentiments from this man who is endlessly engaged. ” And when asked if she is bothered there is not much protest music these days she responded, “Hopefully that tide will be turning. There certainly is a reinvigorated energy in our society. ”
Read more on NY Times here.
(Photo credit: Erinc Salor/ Wiki)
Judy Collins: “The 99 Percenters have had their jobs lost and been decimated..”
JAN 23, 2012 - Judy Collins, who has been a musical activist for over 40 years, has just released a new album and a memoir, and she gives an interview to Chicago Sun-Times. In it she speaks about the Occupy movement and says, “The 99 per cent have had their jobs lost and been decimated by the government’s ideas of how they should support the rich. And (we) allow lobbyists to take over the world and bust the unions, and not give our teachers and our artists who make this a democratic community where we can get education and health care, and pay attention to the things in our lives. ... what’s it’s going to take is legislation. We’ve got to get control over these large money escapades that involve people who are greedy and crooked, and who have every kind of support from government. ”
Read the whole interview here.
(Photo credit Prennatt1166/Wiki)
Review of Ministry’s New Song “99 Percenter’s”
JAN 23, 2012 - Ministry has released their new album, "Relapse", and one of the tracks is a pro-Occupy track called "99 Percenters". Iann Robinson over at CraveOnline reviews the album, and for the "99 Percenters" track he says, "Part metal, part machine, part human players and part samples, it’s a rich pudding of delights. Lyrically the tune attacks the reaction of the public to the Occupy movement that swept through 2011. Usually musicians try to bring their most learned sack of bullshit to their political songs. Not Jourgensen, he screams about it the way people would in their living rooms, which is really refreshing."
