In Nashville, Sounds of Political Uprising From the Left

[gatorboy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/19/washington/19nashville.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

NASHVILLE — Country music videos flashed on a television set at the Idle Hour, a Music Row bar where a Crock-Pot of beef stew simmered for hungry musicians.

Darrell Scott, a songwriter in Music Row Democrats, at a recording session this month in Nashville.
Sitting at a table in early August, Bobby Braddock, the longtime songwriter, lamented the conservatism of the country music industry that was demonstrated when the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks became a target of fury three years ago after saying she was ashamed that her band and President Bush shared the same home state.

Asked whether his recent song “Thou Shalt Not Kill” would have airplay, Mr. Braddock said, “Oh, never.”

“Something political will not get played on country radio unless it’s on the conservative side,” he added. “If you show both sides, it’s not good enough. It’s got to be just on the right.”

[johnaries]

1. The Music Row Democrats have been around for a while

and are very active.
http://www.musicrowdemocrats.com/

Nashville is blue. Soon, all of TN will be blue.

edit: happy to be 5th recommend. Off to the Greatest you go!

[Peace Patriot]

2. Please quote the part about the "political uprising from the left."

Or what is the gist of it? I don't want to register at the NYT web site. I will never forgive them for Judith Miller, and do not want to provide them with any support. But I've always felt that there is a left in Country Music that goes back at least to the FDR era and the '30s, in modern times, and is present in the relationships among country, rock, gospel, blues, folk and protest music. There is a strong subversive element in popular music--that actually goes way back to the Goddess-worshiping Troubadors of the Middle Ages--which has been coopted and stifled recently, but cannot be suppressed forever. It's in the nature of the art. The Dixie Chicks are actually much more representative of the political traditions of their art form than the sanitized corporate warblers we often hear on the corporatized radio.

[NYCGirl]

3. Here:

Democrats on Music Row, the country music capital here, have grown frustrated with that reputation. A group of record-company executives, talent managers and artists has released an online compilation of 20 songs, several directly critical of Mr. Bush and the Iraq war.

The price for the set is $20, with most of the proceeds going to the group, which calls itself Music Row Democrats and is using the money to support local and national candidates who share its values.

Bob Titley, a former manager of Brooks & Dunn and a co-founder of Music Row Democrats, has no illusions that the songs will shoot to the top of the charts. Rather, Mr. Titley said, he hopes to use them as fund-raisers and to change the image of country as strictly Republican music.

“My hope would be that they would play this music at campaign rallies,’’ he said, “and when the volunteers are out on a hot day driving door to door, they’ll put it in their cars to keep themselves pumped up and in a good mood.”

[johnaries]

6. Try bugmenot.com. nt

[TacticalPeek]

9. Try this.

This link might work without the NYT kowtowing etc.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/19/washington/19nashville.html?hp&ex=1156046400&en=70e74ab01e5b32f6&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Cha]

4. THose neoCon musicians and radioheads

are so delusional..what if bush gave a war and nobody came?

The bushites are addicted to war and the taxpayers are feeding their habit.

[Gregorian]

5. In all honesty...

I'm no different about my side of politics. I listen to college radio. And never, ever, ever, would one hear a conservative voice.

Eventually, when the American culture realizes the destructive qualities it embraces, liberal voices will be in a great majority. It's a good thing. Caring is never bad. War and aggression are never good.

I just read an article in the NY Times titled The Culture of Nations. I recommend it for those seeking a sense of what I just mentioned.

Argh. I'm spouting my extreme binary opinions, when I should be out on my bicycle. Which is exactly where I am headed...right...NOW.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. thanks, link to full article (no pay) here

I had a hard time finding it. :mad:

http://humanitiespolicy.unt.edu/blogs/index.php?blog=5&title=nyt_brooks_on_culture_politics_and_human&more=1&tb=1&pb=1

[Selatius]

7. Fuck those country radio stations, go to XM radio or Sirius Radio instead

No commercials. It's your money; it's your choice.

[jillan]

10. I almost fell over when Faith Hill & Tim McGraw publicly

went after the * administration's handling of Katrina.
And they were proud to say that they were registered Democrats.

After the Dixie Chicks, I thought all of the country music 'stars' were going to
shut up.

Mary Gauthier, country singer, has a great song called Mercy Now. About how this country could use some Mercy Now. Of course you never hear it played on the radio.

[icehenge]

11. thanks

thanks for sharing