Welcome to the internet's top destination for the civil discussion of politics. This is a forum for discussion and debate of the issues, and not for personal remarks aimed at other discussants.
This forum has no political affiliation and welcomes your perspective on the issues. Membership is free. If you would like to join the discussions and debates please REGISTER HERE.
All new members should review the forum rules. The "Today's Posts" button automatically adjusts itself to fit your screen on its first use for Firefox and on its second use, for Internet Explorer. Have a pleasant day. (This is a spam free board.)
I tend to dislike today's "political" music. I don't really have a problem with the majority of musical artists today being intransigently (and often obnoxiously) liberal, but it bothers me when they try to mix their political ideologies in with their music.
I lose a lot of respect when a band of otherwise talented musicians cranks out a CD's worth of puerile, leftist (or rightist) propaganda. Unless something serious happens in the political universe, bands should concentrate on music, not politics.
Are you saying you don’t like politically involved music because you cannot relate to most of it or because people who write music are unable to make a rational political statement? If it is the second of the two, what is it that makes a musician more incapable of presenting an opinion through music than you or me presenting an opinion in our daily lives?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slartibartfas
hehe, really? Most Americans I have met so far dont like exactly that
But Konstantin Wecker really cultivates a very nice rolling "r". I guess thats the most obvious thing there
Ya my friend loves Ramstein (I do too) and other German bands whose names I can never remember (I have all of Ramstein’s albums). I listen to German music when I’m with him mostly. I actually enjoy music in the German language as long as it’s in small dose's. Being that I don’t know the language, (even though I should because 1/2 of my family is German) listening to a lot of it can be tiring.
__________________
My pick: Barack Obama A issue I’m concerned with Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Ya my friend loves Rammstein (I do too) and other German bands whose names I can never remember (I have all of Rammstein’s albums). I listen to German music when I’m with him mostly. I actually enjoy music in the German language as long as it’s in small dose's. Being that I don’t know the language, (even though I should because 1/2 of my family is German) listening to a lot of it can be tiring.
Rammstein actually is on the other end of the political spectrum compared to Wecker. The music genre is not calleld "Neue deutsche Härte" without reason (new German hardness), its supposed to be in the vicinty to stand in the vicinity of far right views. But actually their texts are made clever enough that you can interpret them in quite many ways.
Its funny, did you know that the song "Stein um Stein" was also supposed to be in reality about the Berlin Wall? (No, that its about a man who raises a wall from all sides without windows or doors around a hijacked person would be too easy, wouldnt it? )
But Rammstein has also made an obviously political song as well that I can remember: Amerika
Its actually even one of their better songs in my opinion.
PS:
Do you know the band Laibach? Its one step further than Rammstein. Some of their songs are made looking that extremely fascist that they could be used for party party rallies even. But like Rammstein they somehow maintain the claim that they have nothing to do with fascist ideas themselves. I dont know how much this is true, wikipedia says they also use communistic style elements in songs as well, or sometimes arnarchic...
Whereas I have to give them credit where credit is due. They really succeeded in making a famous Queens song into something that sounds like a fascist song praising Nazi ideas without really changing their text (just translating it quite literally into German). I like it because it shows how extremely thin to nonexistant the border between patriotism and inhuman nationalism/totalitarianism is. (And how a little change in pronunciation of a text can turn the meaning into the opposite)
Last edited by Slartibartfas : 11-06-2007 at 08:57 PM.
Are you saying you don’t like politically involved music because you cannot relate to most of it or because people who write music are unable to make a rational political statement?
Both. I can't relate to most "political" music because, like American politics in general, it's extremely polarized. American political music today consists mostly of bands whining about the perceived evils of capitalism and American consumerism - in other words, biting the hands that feed them. On the other end of the spectrum, you have less popular but more absurd things like "Nazi punk." Basically, when a band makes a political statement, it's almost always very liberal or very conservative.
The second part of your statement is very applicable to most modern political music, IMO. Most bands today that do write political songs seem to be very politically radical or immature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seer
If it is the second of the two, what is it that makes a musician more incapable of presenting an opinion through music than you or me presenting an opinion in our daily lives?
Nothing inherently makes them more incapable of doing this. I just happen to think that politics and music are, in most cases, an unappealing combination.
Both. I can't relate to most "political" music because, like American politics in general, it's extremely polarized. American political music today consists mostly of bands whining about the perceived evils of capitalism and American consumerism - in other words, biting the hands that feed them. On the other end of the spectrum, you have less popular but more absurd things like "Nazi punk." Basically, when a band makes a political statement, it's almost always very liberal or very conservative.
The second part of your statement is very applicable to most modern political music, IMO. Most bands today that do write political songs seem to be very politically radical or immature.
Nothing inherently makes them more incapable of doing this. I just happen to think that politics and music are, in most cases, an unappealing combination.
Haha, I thought you were a teenager. You sound like you're 40. Jk, but you might like this song....it's called Owner Operator by a punk band called No Trigger. It has some anti-capitalist undertones I suppose, but stresses self-sufficiency. Either way the song is good.
This one is more political in terms of what goes on in the music industry. This band is called Set Your Goals, the song is called Mutiny! Anti-sellout melodic hardcore or something. Catchy song.....
I think the problem is that youth these days can't stand politics, it's not 'hip'.
__________________
Just A Humble Bounty Hunter
"Is there an indelible line dividing sanity from insanity? Or do they change, one into the other, at the slightest turn of events? We'll find out, soon enough, if the world itself is insane."
Haha, I thought you were a teenager. You sound like you're 40. Jk, but you might like this song....it's called Owner Operator by a punk band called No Trigger. It has some anti-capitalist undertones I suppose, but stresses self-sufficiency. Either way the song is good.
This one is more political in terms of what goes on in the music industry. This band is called Set Your Goals, the song is called Mutiny! Anti-sellout melodic hardcore or something. Catchy song.....
Lol 40? And people I know tell me I sound like a 5-year-old when I try to talk politics.
Don't get me wrong, there is political music that I like a lot... but I like it for the music, not the message.
i think it depends whatthe current goernment is, that will decide whter the politcal music is from the right or left.
I won't take all of SA (we have 11 official languages) but just my father tongue of Afrikaans. Before 1994 you could really protest from the right, as the government was as right as they come. So there was protest songs (some of the most briljant songs in the language - even Nationalists loved it, but ignored or most probably just did not get the message).
Now we are seeing a huge amount of right winger songs, young white south Africans standing with one hand on their heart, the other waving the old SA flag or the FourColour (that will be like waving the Confederate flag) and singing songs like De la Rey, which is a song for an old General who fought the British to rise up and lead the poeple in figting again.
Strangely enough, and I may be clouded by my own leftist views, but I've had support on this by people with knowledge of music, it is probably the worst music you can find in our language.
AH
__________________
After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.
I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man. - Nelson Mandela
Its funny, did you know that the song "Stein um Stein" was also supposed to be in reality about the Berlin Wall? (No, that its about a man who raises a wall from all sides without windows or doors around a hijacked person would be too easy, wouldnt it? )
Yes I did know. Stein um Stein means stone by stone doesn’t it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slartibartfas
But Rammstein has also made an obviously political song as well that I can remember: Amerika
Its actually even one of their better songs in my opinion.
I love this song! “Coca-Cola... sometimes war”
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slartibartfas
PS:
Do you know the band Laibach? Its one step further than Rammstein. Some of their songs are made looking that extremely fascist that they could be used for party party rallies even. But like Rammstein they somehow maintain the claim that they have nothing to do with fascist ideas themselves. I dont know how much this is true, wikipedia says they also use communistic style elements in songs as well, or sometimes arnarchic...
Whereas I have to give them credit where credit is due. They really succeeded in making a famous Queens song into something that sounds like a fascist song praising Nazi ideas without really changing their text (just translating it quite literally into German). I like it because it shows how extremely thin to nonexistant the border between patriotism and inhuman nationalism/totalitarianism is. (And how a little change in pronunciation of a text can turn the meaning into the opposite)
Wow… I’ve never seen that before… It's got a good beat. and no I’ve never heard of ‘Laibach’.
Quote:
Originally Posted by counterpointing
Check out this political video:
Oil…pharmaceutical drugs…war…current political band.
I love Serj Tankian and everything that he's made so far. Doesn’t that video look like it was fun to make? Playing around with army men to make claymation. That video is very creative. Look carefully at the pill bottle in the beginning. It says, “take w/” and then has a picture of an a-bomb. There are lots of little things that are hard to catch in this video.
__________________
My pick: Barack Obama A issue I’m concerned with Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Linear Mode
