Whats your favorite left-leaning band/song

[Singular73]

I personally like System of a Down, especially some of the stuff in Mesmerize (Sad Statue)

I also thought Green Day's last album, especially Holiday, hit pretty hard to the left.

[JimmyJazz]

1. Welcome to DU and FTR, they don't lean any further left than

once again:

the only band that really matters :D

[lenidog]

3. I was going to name them

Now I can't :cry:

[JimmyJazz]

6. No! You can! Seriously! DU can never be too Clashified!

:D

[lenidog]

11. Then I name the Clash as one of the most left leaning bands

ever.

[Heidi]

48. Billy Bragg and Wilco . . .

especially the "Mermaid Avenue" albums and "The International" CD.

[mahina]

2. Sweet Honey In The Rock!

I remember, I Believe

We Who Believe In Freedom Shall Not Rest! (Ella's Song)

[saltpoint]

4. Icemakers of the Revolution -- when they were still together --

-- and Arlo Guthrie's live version of Tom Paxton's song, "I Am changing My Name to Chrysler."

Joni Mitchell can wind up an anti-Establishment tune with the best of 'em, too.

[biscodawg]

5. I really dig

Franco Unamerican by NOFX off of American Errorist (awesome album). The new System Of a Down song BYOB is pretty sick as well.

[Singular73]

7. BYOB has a good message

But is a terrible song :D

[biscodawg]

9. it jumps around a bit...

i love the singer screaming WHY DO WE ALWAYS SEND THE POOR. makes me laugh when the rightwing heavy metal station plays it(thats what we listen to at work)

[ronzo]

33. I like the new SoaD record.

I'm an occasional headbanger though...

P.S. the singer owes Jello a check.

[ghostsofgiants]

8. There's a lot

Connor Oberst's two bands Bright Eyes and Desaparecidos both come tiom mind...
The Clash
A Perfect Circle/Tool
Bad Religion
Bad Brains
Matthew Good
Nine Inch Nails
Protest the Hero
Sweatshop Union
Warsawpack
Pearl Jam
Rise Against
Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave
Refused
The (International) Noise Conspiracy
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Sam Roberts
Silverchair/The Dissociatives
The Mars Volta/At The Drive-in/Sparta (the music's not overtly political or anything, but the members all lean to the left)
Ani DiFranco
The Constantines
The Weakerthans


Again, like I said, there's a LOT that I love.

[Mojambo]

10. Anything by Phil Ochs.

More recently Bad Religion, The Briefs, NOFX...

[lenidog]

12. Bruce Springsteen

Listen to the album "Ghost of Tom Joad"

[Midnight Rambler]

13. The late great Rage Against the Machine

Also Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan, but RATM tops them because I got into Johnny and Bob much later

[UdoKier]

32. For example, what does the billboard say?

Come and play, come and play. Forget about the movement.





Great band. De La Rocha is an amazing lyricist/vocalist, and Tom Morello just seems like an amazingly nice, but brilliant guy.

I guess stars like that are only meant to burn for a little while...

[lenidog]

14. Bob Marley and the Wailers

[elshiva]

15. Women's Music!

Songs about environmentalism and lesbianism!

Holly Near "Golden Thread" "A women's love is like a golden thread"

Cris Williamson "Tender Woman"

Meg Christian: "Leaping Lesbians"

Teresa Trull: "Women Loving Women"

RIGHT ON!

[lenidog]

16. A woman against Racism

Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit."

[elshiva]

18. Yes! That is great!

[AntiCoup2K4]

29. Might as well throw the Indigo Girls in there too

I don't think anyone's going to accuse Amy and Emily of being Repukes.

[elshiva]

66. Definitely the Indigo Girls!

[Aristus]

17. Midnight Oil, whose lead singer is now an MP in Oz!

How cool is that?

[lenidog]

19. Thank You!

I totally forgot about those boys.

[Red State Prisoner]

20. At the moment? Hmmmm....

Nine Inch Nails - The Hand that Feeds

[Jean Louise Finch]

21. Pearl Jam

They're just consistently on the good side. Can't wait for the new record.

From "Bushleaguer":
"A confidence man, but why so beleagued?
He’s not a leader, he’s a texas leaguer
Swinging for the fence, got lucky with a strike
Drilling for fear, makes the job simple
Born on third, thinks he got a triple

Blackout weaves it’s way through the cities
Blackout weaves it’s way through the cities"

[ghostsofgiants]

22. I'm seeing them in September

Can't wait.

[Jean Louise Finch]

25. Jealous here!

I've seen them more than a dozen times; they're absolutely brilliant live. Such good times. I'm not in the states or canada these days so will miss the whole tour; hoping they'll come busting over to Asia!

[ghostsofgiants]

26. I've never seen them before

We RARELY get concerts this big here in my province. Most bands act like Canada ends at Nova Scotia.

[Jean Louise Finch]

27. hoorah for you!

I'm sure you're going to love it. I'll live vicariously through you this time around. Remember to post afterwards, I'll want to hear allll about it.

Who's opening?

[ghostsofgiants]

34. I'm not sure who is opening

It doesn't say on their website or any of the other sites where I check concert listings.

Hopefully I'll have pictures and an enjoyable account to post the next day.

[TBreeze]

56. Pearl Jam

I saw them in 2003. They did Lennon's Gimme Some Truth, oh that was awesome.

[Radical Activist]

23. Rage Against the Machine and Steve Earle

They're two of my favorites. I wish I could get into System of a Down, but I find their music monotonous and unengaging.

[evlbstrd]

24. Gotta throw in Zappa.

As always.

[mitchum]

28. MC5 "American Ruse"

[AntiCoup2K4]

30. U2

And as we all know, Bono doesn't just sing or talk politics, he jumps right in and takes his causes to the places where he can get in far easier than any of us. Shit, the man's met with Jesse Helms and Bush Jr. Lord knows I wouldn't have the patience to talk to those fools.

[UdoKier]

31. Rage Against the Machine

They were angry and rockin' enough, with enough hip-hop influence to appeal to young men who are turned off by the namby-pamby-ness of most things liberal.

[lady lib]

42. Gotta give another nod to Rage

"Wake Up" at the end of The Matrix is perfect.

[Richard Steele]

35. "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", Bruce Cockburn, 1984

If I Had a Rocket Launcher (4:59)

here comes the helicopter -- second time today
everybody scatters and hopes it goes away
how many kids they've murdered only god can say
if i had a rocket launcher...i'd make somebody pay.

i don't believe in guarded borders and i don't believe in hate
i don't believe in generals or their stinking torture states
and when i talk with the survivors of things too sickening to relate
if i had a rocket launcher...i would retaliate

on the rio lacantun one hundred thousand wait
to fall down from starvation -- or some less humane fate.
cry for guatemala, with a corpse in every gate
if i had a rocket launcher...i would not hesitate

i want to raise every voice -- at least i've got to try.
every time i think about it water rises to my eyes.
situation desperate echoes of the victims cry
if i had a rocket launcher...some sonofabitch would die

that was 1984...Bruce hadn't seen NUTHIN' yet, had he now?

[enigmatic]

36. absolute classic song....

I have to put that into the rotation of my show..

[Richard Steele]

38. I just fired it up on my iTunes...and added your station to playlist.

That song is wonderful because it is such a simple, honest statement of facts.
The only 'pretense' is making the lines rhyme.

That last line still gives me shivers, after all these years.

[enigmatic]

40. Thanks!

Cockburn is one of the greats; like Richard Thompson, it's a crime he's not much more famous as he is..

[Richard Steele]

43. He's too damn HONEST to ever be wealthy...I have the same problem!

I'm just like him, only without the TALENT!

[illbill]

37. Anything by Nirvana

And thats a fact ladies and gents.

[electricmonk]

39. Another Clash fanatic here also

Gang of Four, who I saw last weekend in one of the best concerts EVER. It made it even better because one of my favorite newer groups, Radio 4, opened and they are left leaning too. Awesome, awesome show.

Actually about 99% of the artists in my collection if they have a political bent lean to the left.

[swag]

63. You live in Virginia?

Gang were here a couple of weeks ago and the door came right off Jon King's microwave during the beating on "He'd Send in the Army".

I agree with you completely - one of the best shows I have ever seen.

[revolve]

41. Leftover Crack

Their latest cd is entitled "Fuck World Trade" and they have a song squarely against Clear Channel.

[DeaconBlues]

44. The Coup, of course

[mark414]

52. hell yeah

another coup fan...always good to come across

[Nailzberg]

45. Pearl Jam without a doubt

But as far as a favorite left leaning song, not so sure. I saw Bushleager quoted above, which is thier most directly left-leaning song, but it is not my favorite.

I may go see them in September, I haven't decided yet. It all depends if I am working or not. My friends are going to Vancouver, but I have a wedding that night. So I'm thinking I may go see them later in the Canadian tour.

[Arugula Latte]

46. The Osmonds.

Man, they rocked!!! And their astute leftist lyrics -- wow! :headbang:

[JimmyJazz]

58. The leftist interpretation of Down by The Lazy River....

Dude, you are so right! erm, I mean left.... :headbang:

[Robeson]

47. Steppenwolf....

...Monster says it all....

Words and music by John Kay, Jerry Edmonton, Nick St. Nicholas and Larry Byrom

Monster

Once the religious, the hunted and weary
Chasing the promise of freedom and hope
Came to this country to build a new vision
Far from the reaches of kingdom and pope
Like good Christians, some would burn the witches
Later some got slaves to gather riches

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

And once the ties with the crown had been broken
Westward in saddle and wagon it went
And 'til the railroad linked ocean to ocean
Many the lives which had come to an end
While we bullied, stole and bought our a homeland
We began the slaughter of the red man

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

The blue and grey they stomped it
They kicked it just like a dog
And when the war over
They stuffed it just like a hog

And though the past has it's share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But it's protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it's a monster and will not obey

(Suicide)
The spirit was freedom and justice
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watchin'

Our cities have turned into jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner
We can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watching

(America)
America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster

[Pushed To The Left]

49. I have both of those albums.

They are definitely two of my favorites!

[Spider Jerusalem]

50. The Clash.

Or Bad Religion. Can't quite decide.

[praxiz]

51. R.E.M.

Not the most left-leaning but my favourite none the less.

Oh, and Green Day.

[peekaloo]

57. 'Ignoreland'!

:D

[ZombieNixon]

53. Band: Bad Religion

Album: The Empire Strikes First
Song: Let Them Eat War, with the title track a close second

[d_b]

54. I'm gonna go with BR as well

With DK not far behind.

[ALago1]

55. Bob Dylan: "Maggie's Farm"

In my opinion, an absolutely awesome worker's revolution song:

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning, hold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well he hands you a nickel, he hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin if you're having a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Well he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window, it is made out of bricks
The National Guard stands around his door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well she talks to all the servants about Man and God and Law
Everybody says she's the brains behind Pa
She's sixty-eight, but she says she's fifty-four
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well I try my best to be just like I am
But everybody wants you to be just like them
They say sing while you slave, but I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more

[swag]

59. Gang of Four

[swag]

62. Au Pairs ( a close second )

[proud2BlibKansan]

60. John Fogarty

Deja Vu All Over Again

[flvegan]

61. Recent ones: Beastie Boys, Green Day, Eminem's "Mosh"

Billy Bragg, Steve Earle

Of course, there's always Rage, The Clash, etc.

[Lannes]

64. Radiohead

"Hail to the Thief"

[jayfish]

65. System Of A Down And Rage Against The Machine.

Jay

http://www.systemofadown.com/

Click BYOB. Read the lyrics too.

Jay