Who will keep Rockin’ the Free World?
Who describes the plight of the poor? Or helps feed the world? Or fuels counter-culture? Or has the guts to burn a flag?
Is there are any rock musician out there who really makes a stand?
Is rock ‘n’ roll revolution a thing of the past?
Yesterday Today?
When the Beatles formed in Liverpool in 1960, no one could guess how influential they would ever become, or how they might change the world.
But it wasn’t long before they were attracting criticism from across the whole establishment, including from mainstream conservative media and from groups as diverse as The Vatican and the Ku Klux Klan. But does the same thing happen today?
Here is a list of the artists that, we believe, are continuing to struggle against dominant culture and are seeking to modify and resist through their music…
To get a place in our list, these artists must have:
· Bold ambition
· Creative success
· Raised expectations
· Fermented revolution
· Engaged in peaceful resistance
· Challenged sources of oppression
Here is our list of Today’s Seven Most Important Musicians
1: The Decemberists
The American indie rock band The Decemberists employ folk history narratives and colourful parables to reveal hidden meanings and to explore moral lessons. They scrutinise the painful possibility that the truths we are told are not always as self-evident as they seem.
As a band, they have experimented with prog, heavy rock and pop. They are probably as close as you can get (right now) to REM.
Their new album “What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World” has a title that was inspired from the speech Barack Obama gave in response to the shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Rebellion: Check This Is Why We Fight
2: Mischief Brew
The gypsy-punk band from Philadelphia called Mischief Brew say they are influenced by the protest movements of 1960’s. They use what they describe as authentic ‘junk’ instruments to create unique sounds.
Idioms and everyday images are cleverly intertwined (and often subverted) to support their goals. The band have played shows in support of political issues such as Food Not Bombs and Iraq Veterans Against the War. Expect frenetic energy, bar-room songs that you can sing along to, and anarchic messages that tend to provide a glimmer of hope.
Rebellion: Check A Lawless World
3: Pussy Riot
This list would not be complete without the feminist and anti-capitalist punk rock collective based in Moscow known as Pussy Riot.
This band shamed all the others in the punk firmament when members were arrested for hooliganism in 2012.
The arrests followed their filmed performance of “Punk Prayer — Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!” Putin locked them up for that, and he explained later that they had “undermined moral foundations”. The video was also banned by the authorities. It was seen as extremist. After prison, the band members publicly stated that they would continue to champion human rights.
It is still too early to decide whether they are provocateurs, opportunists or genuine rock’ n ‘roll mutineers. Saints or sinners? Who knows? But whatever they are, they certainly rocked the institution. They don’t have a huge body of work available, but they fully embrace the main philosophies of punk.
Rebellion : Check Don’t Cry Genocide (House Of Cards End Credits)
4: Motörhead
Not surprisingly, for a list like this, there will be one-or-two entries that might be viewed as controversial. The choice of Motörhead might cause contention. (Just wait until you see our next choice though.)
But just think about the outlaw we know as Lemmy for a moment.
He wears symbols that are deliberately provocative, he dresses like a highway bandit, and he refuses to submit to what we consider to be ‘normal’ rock ‘n’ roll behaviour or our stereotypical perceptions of how a 70 year old pensioner should conduct himself.
The name “Motörhead” is a reference to amphetamine users. The band’s sound has always shared more common ground with punk (like ‘The Damned’ ) than it ever has with conventional ‘Heavy Metal’. The symbol of the War-Pig is actually, cleverly, rather subversive. It seems, on the face of it, to promote war, yet the band has always advanced pacifist doctrines. Their sedition might be moderated. But it is full on.
Rebellion: Check Brotherhood of Man
5: Kanye West
After a thorough and completely justified condemnation of his Glastonbury performance in 2015 (and especially of his rendition of the Mercury song) — you might think we are brave to place Kanye in our list. But the artist cannot be ignored.
He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, has won 21 Grammy Awards, and Time magazine has named him one of the most influential people in the world (three times over!)
Dependably blunt and always outspoken, he turned the spotlight on President Bush after Hurricane Katrina.
He posed as Jesus for the front cover of Rolling Stone. And he famously criticized MTV in 2009 when Taylor Swift came up to accept her award for Best Female Video. Although he apologized, later, for his outburst, he doesn’t give up. He was equally annoyed this year when Beck won the Album of the Year award at the 57th Grammy Awards. He speaks up for black rights (of course) — but also speaks out against homophobia in hip hop.
At the same time, he has created glossy and popular artworks that are adored by millions of fans world-wide, and he has helped to transform his chosen genre, taking it from gangsta rap to mainstream. Late Registration [2005], for example, incorporates styles that range from jazz, blues and rock to chamber music. But his songs always contain clever words games.
Maybe his ego has become too large to manage, but his best moments should not be overlooked. Check “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, which addresses the ‘blood diamonds’ problem.
Rebellion: Check Diamonds From Sierra Leone
6: Grimes
The award winning Canadian singer-songwriter Claire Elise Boucher aka Grimes creates her multimedia art using a myriad of influences ranging from electronica to pop and has even been known to include medieval balladry and hip hop elements.
Her transgressive cutting edge artistry is kind enough to get radio play. Her catchy synth-pop will catch the unwary listener out though… And this is how she encourages debate and stimulates thinking. She might claim that Mariah Carey is an influence or proclaim her love for Taylor Swift, but she regularly takes a public stand against misogyny. Cleverly, she has always aimed to make the changes from the ‘inside’ rather than attack conventions from the ‘outside’. This is her strength.
Rebellion: Unpick the lyrics and check Vowels = Space and Time
7: Sleaford Mods
This hip hop / post-punk duo based in Nottingham, UK (Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn) have suggested that their work is influenced by such diverse elements as the Wu-Tang Clan, British mod subculture and even hard-rockers Guns N’ Roses.
They have been ranting-on about inequality, unemployment, the pathetic state of pop culture, and all the social injustices that are caused by indifference since 2012 (with Fearn.) Their lyrics are always bold, and the use of profanity, they say, helps them to connect with their working class audience.
The Sleaford Mods are dissenting aggro-punks who deplore the state of modern Britain. They say they are not socialists or communists. They just talk sense.
Rebellion: Check Jobseeker
Words: @neilmach 2015 ©
Do you agree? Missed anyone off? Tell us @rawrampmag
Pussy Riot’s first song in English is dedicated to Eric Garner and the words he repeated eleven times before his death. The song is dedicated to Eric and for all those from Russia to America and around the globe who suffer from state terror – killed, choked, perished because of war and state sponsored violence of all kinds – for political prisoners and those on the streets fighting for change.
