Wake This City Tonight... Modern Political MP3 Essentials

Barbara Kruger - Untitled (1986)

The Living Things have dunked their chords further into the political, streaming a documentary online from their experience at the anti-war orgy Operation Ceasefire. Featuring the band's three brothers armed with a videocamera, the ramblings demonstrate the difficulty to effectively translate inspired rock as featured in "Bom Bom Bom" to real life situations. The interviews suck and in the pursuit of indie, the "raw" footage took a wrong turn and landed in cliche (both politically and artistically). Though I appreciate artists being inspired by the political climate, artists' messages are much better expressed through their art. [Buy Living Things' new album at Insound.]

STREAM the documentary HERE (8 min).

"It's distressing that the young people, who are the potential cannon fodder, don't seem to give a shit about the war... We hope our peers in the Blackout Generation will wake the fuck up" - Lillian Berlin of Living Things

CHECK OUT an odd mix of George Bush singing John Lenon's classic Imagine courtesy of Wax Audio...

Wax Audio (featuring George Bush) - Imagine (mp3)

Barbara Kruger - Untitled (1981)

Here are some more artists raising their voices above lumps and laffy taffy:

"Any chimp can play human for a day. Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform and run for office on election day, fancy himself a real decision maker, and deploy more troops than salt in a shaker." - Rilo Kiley's It's a Hit

Mos Def - Katrina Clap (mp3)

TV on the Radio - Dry Drunk Emperor (mp3)

Saul Williams - Talk to Strangers (mp3)

Michael Stipe's recent effort to help Hurricane Katrina victims involves a release of "In the Sun" remixes featuring Chris Martin, Justin Timberlake, and Joseph Arthur. Buy it at iTunes or read about it at the In the Sun Foundation.

Listen to a sample:
Michael Stipe and Chris Martin - In the Sun (sample) (mp3)