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Aural Intercourse: The ultimate song
By Mike Prevatt
Turn on the radio or MTV today, and you'd swear that none of the social commentary that made pop music such a vital force in the `60s has made any impression on Generation Now. Since introspection became the rage among singer-songwriters, post-break-up woes within the horn-rimmed college crowd and I'm-gettin'-mine on the streets, the language of contemporary music has been more self-centered than a Michael Jackson press conference.
This is part of the reason why social commentary has moved to the grassroots level, and one effort in particular stands out, at least to those who have heard about it. The cause--poverty--links the burgeoning movement against the plight of the poor in America with the greater music community. The link is a natural one, given how most musicians are poor themselves. (You thought every schmuck with a contract was raking it in? Fewer than 10 percent of all the albums released break even or score a profit for the major labels manufacturing them. And this epidemic was a reality back when Napster creator Shawn Fanning was still sweating book reports.)
Rock-a-Mole (pronounced like "guacamole") recently produced a 30-minute film intended to travel among people word-of-mouth style--the way music used to be distributed, before greed got its mitts on it--called The Ultimate Song. Using accounts from artist and activist alike, the documentary celebrates the power and the healing potential of music, while bringing awareness to the growing poverty rate in the United States.
Rock-a-Mole geared the short film particularly to musicians, hoping to inspire artists to not only get involved, but write songs that offer a perspective on living on the streets and/or without much food. The idea is that financially undermined artists, most of whom live with zero health care, would relate to the greater poor community, and that their potentially influential music would offer hope and encourage action--especially among other musicians.
These directives are rooted firmly in the folk traditions of the `50s and `60s, which would ultimately inspire artists to respond to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. In The Ultimate Song, Steve Earle--one of a handful of high-profile musicians who volunteered input for the project--references Bob Dylan, arguably the most rousing social commentator in pop history. "It starts with one person singing `We Shall Overcome,' and then there's two voices, and then there's three voices...and then everyone's singing." Somehow, the message sinks in.
The introductory segment on The Ultimate Song--artist testimonials on the power of music--is an important one, because it underlines how music plays an important part in nearly all our lives. It's there to score our moods, elevate our senses, enlighten our minds and stir our souls. We seek to relate to music. "It tells the truth, and it's a truth you can feel," says Tom Morello, former Rage Against the Machine guitarist and current axe-slinger for Audioslave.
Bruce Springsteen makes an appearance with a taped performance, an important inclusion given the star's charity work on the poverty front, the influence of his anthems and the relevance of the themes in his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad. It's almost a shame Rock-a-Mole couldn't get U2 frontman Bono on the project, seeing as how most music fans picture his face when it comes to the subject of rock activism. Ditto for Public Enemy's Chuck D, Willie Nelson or Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. But the emphasis in this grassroots project is on the little guy, and that's why the stories and sounds of everyman artists such as Sara Hickman and the New Judah Praise Team are important here.
Rock-a-Mole, with the help of the people behind Rock & Rap Confidential (a monthly newsletter on music, society and politics more loyal to the spirit of the original Rolling Stone than the modern-day Rolling Stone could ever be), is offering musicians free copies of the video (it's a $10 contribution for everyone else). For info, visit rockamole.com or rockrap.com.
Quickies
Speaking of Bono, he recently was named the 2003 MusiCares Person of the Year--as voted by the Recording Academy behind the Grammys--and the most powerful person in music--decided by several music industry figures, as part of a feature in next month's edition of the popular British magazine Q. Both cite the singer's artistic accomplishments, as well as his outreach work in underdeveloped countries and his tireless lobbying of world leaders, as reasons for the accolades. The MusiCares ceremony will take place Feb. 21 in New York, two days before the 45th Grammy Awards. ...
Aural Intercourse: The ultimate song
By Mike Prevatt
Turn on the radio or MTV today, and you'd swear that none of the social commentary that made pop music such a vital force in the `60s has made any impression on Generation Now. Since introspection became the rage among singer-songwriters, post-break-up woes within the horn-rimmed college crowd and I'm-gettin'-mine on the streets, the language of contemporary music has been more self-centered than a Michael Jackson press conference.
This is part of the reason why social commentary has moved to the grassroots level, and one effort in particular stands out, at least to those who have heard about it. The cause--poverty--links the burgeoning movement against the plight of the poor in America with the greater music community. The link is a natural one, given how most musicians are poor themselves. (You thought every schmuck with a contract was raking it in? Fewer than 10 percent of all the albums released break even or score a profit for the major labels manufacturing them. And this epidemic was a reality back when Napster creator Shawn Fanning was still sweating book reports.)
Rock-a-Mole (pronounced like "guacamole") recently produced a 30-minute film intended to travel among people word-of-mouth style--the way music used to be distributed, before greed got its mitts on it--called The Ultimate Song. Using accounts from artist and activist alike, the documentary celebrates the power and the healing potential of music, while bringing awareness to the growing poverty rate in the United States.
Rock-a-Mole geared the short film particularly to musicians, hoping to inspire artists to not only get involved, but write songs that offer a perspective on living on the streets and/or without much food. The idea is that financially undermined artists, most of whom live with zero health care, would relate to the greater poor community, and that their potentially influential music would offer hope and encourage action--especially among other musicians.
These directives are rooted firmly in the folk traditions of the `50s and `60s, which would ultimately inspire artists to respond to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. In The Ultimate Song, Steve Earle--one of a handful of high-profile musicians who volunteered input for the project--references Bob Dylan, arguably the most rousing social commentator in pop history. "It starts with one person singing `We Shall Overcome,' and then there's two voices, and then there's three voices...and then everyone's singing." Somehow, the message sinks in.
The introductory segment on The Ultimate Song--artist testimonials on the power of music--is an important one, because it underlines how music plays an important part in nearly all our lives. It's there to score our moods, elevate our senses, enlighten our minds and stir our souls. We seek to relate to music. "It tells the truth, and it's a truth you can feel," says Tom Morello, former Rage Against the Machine guitarist and current axe-slinger for Audioslave.
Bruce Springsteen makes an appearance with a taped performance, an important inclusion given the star's charity work on the poverty front, the influence of his anthems and the relevance of the themes in his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad. It's almost a shame Rock-a-Mole couldn't get U2 frontman Bono on the project, seeing as how most music fans picture his face when it comes to the subject of rock activism. Ditto for Public Enemy's Chuck D, Willie Nelson or Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. But the emphasis in this grassroots project is on the little guy, and that's why the stories and sounds of everyman artists such as Sara Hickman and the New Judah Praise Team are important here.
Rock-a-Mole, with the help of the people behind Rock & Rap Confidential (a monthly newsletter on music, society and politics more loyal to the spirit of the original Rolling Stone than the modern-day Rolling Stone could ever be), is offering musicians free copies of the video (it's a $10 contribution for everyone else). For info, visit rockamole.com or rockrap.com.
Quickies
Speaking of Bono, he recently was named the 2003 MusiCares Person of the Year--as voted by the Recording Academy behind the Grammys--and the most powerful person in music--decided by several music industry figures, as part of a feature in next month's edition of the popular British magazine Q. Both cite the singer's artistic accomplishments, as well as his outreach work in underdeveloped countries and his tireless lobbying of world leaders, as reasons for the accolades. The MusiCares ceremony will take place Feb. 21 in New York, two days before the 45th Grammy Awards. ...
