As an underground music aficionado, I used to be pretty hardcore about going to shows in Hollywood at the Whisky A Go Go (the Whisky), Roxy, Troubadour, and a few other clubs that don't exist anymore. One band that I experienced at the Whisky was the band System of a Down.
I've talked about this band in a previous post and since then they, like many of the worlds greatest rock bands, have taken a hiatus. The individual members are doing their own music projects, and Serj Tankian, the lead singer is about to release a new album.
Gone are the days of ever getting to see System of a Down or Serj in such an intimate place like the Whisky, which makes that experience all the more cherished, but sometimes one can't help but be selfish and wish their favorite music acts didn't get so damn popular.
Here is the music video for Serj's new song: The Unthinking Majority. Enjoy, and read some poignant comments from Serj about the song and the lyrics below.
"The Unthinking Majority" lyrics: (note - because there is a lot of repitition, I only post the verses, choruses and such once, but you'll be able to follow)
We don't need your democracy Execute them kindly for me Take them by their filthy nostrils Put them up in doggy hostels
We don't need your hypocrisy Execute real democracy Post-industrial society The unthinking majority
Anti-depressants Controlling tools of your system Making life more tolerable Making life more tolerable
I believe that you're wrong Insinuating they hold the bomb Clearing the way for the oil brigade Clearing the way for the oil brigade
Note From Serj Tankian “The Unthinking Majority” is a song that I needed to release now, before my record or single comes out, to make a statement about the current catastrophe of our failing democracy. It is unlike any other song on my solo record and meant to inspire collective action. Borders are the gallows of our collective national egos. Subjective lines in the sand, water and air are separating plants, animals, and atmosphere. Fear! Fear is the cause of separation for this imposed illusion, this cordoned off space from pre-birth. When we run out of borders, we reach infinity and unity. As for flags, they’re much less useful than toilet paper. No one has been caused distress by running out of flags. They become useful in times of crisis and unjust manipulative coercions pitting the victim against the victor or vice-versa. Neoliberal globalism is failing due to its underlying imperial ambitions and the discoveries of those sinister ulterior motives. So the ambitions have reawakened for “democracy promotion,” in the past few years. In real terms, that means promoting democracy if and only if it serves imperial ambitions. How about we create a real democracy right here and now! Let’s allow the people to vote for or against a pre-emptive war, universal healthcare, expansion of social security, the Kyoto Protocol, the International Criminal and World Courts, and the role of the United Nations in interventions and reconstruction of devastated lands. Let’s vote for how we want our taxes to be spent, directly. Major referendums discussed and debated thoroughly representing all sides of each issue on television. All empires represent the aristocracy in their imperial ambitions, not the general populace! Also in dire need is a true democracy of nations. The UN Security Council should be dissolved and the General Assembly should rule all international affairs, allowing all nations equal access to the international forum and law. Given the truth, all human beings will collectively choose the direction of this lost, possibly last civilization.
Yes, there are ceremonies around the nation commemorating the significance of this day, but these ceremonies seem a bit hollow.
Like anyone else, I remember exactly where I was, and what I did that morning. I'll never forget the feeling of shock at what had happened to our great nation. Since then, things have only gotten worse...in far too many regards.
This nation has been lead in the wrong direction by its leader. After 9/11 we (the U.S.) first entered Afghanistan and were unsuccessful in finding the main culprit of the 9/11 attacks: Osama Bin Laden. We then entered Iraq because it was said by our leader that Saddam Hussein was as big a threat to the U.S. as Osama Bin Laden (which couldn't have been further from the truth). As a country that prides itself on human rights, we trampled them as with what occurred in Abu Ghraib and continues to happen in Guantanamo Bay. Shadiness in government contracts ensued and have continued with regard to oil companies that have links to those in our Administration. Profit and political gain was made from 9/11 for this administration. And since then, Iraq has been our focus.
What happened to our manhunt of the main culprit behind the 9/11 attacks? When was the last time we heard our President even mention the progress (or lack thereof) of the search for the person behind the organization that masterminded an attack on U.S. soil that killed thousands of people?
It it purely the President's fault? Absolutely not. The media and pundits have allowed the news and topics to be dictated to them. The general public is more demanding today about putting a stop to dogfighting than they are demanding our leaders find Osama Bin Laden. The presidential candidates have MAYBE mentioned Bin Laden in passing in their campaigns.
We have become afraid to question anything with regard to 9/11 or the war in Iraq out of fear of being labeled weak, unpatriotic, or unsupportive of our troops....because that's the way its been spun.
Justice for the lives of those who died in the 9/11 attacks (in the twin towers, the Pentagon, the passengers on the airplanes, first responders) has seemingly been forgotten. Until justice is served, the significance of 9/11 has not been given its proper respect.
In the words of Zack de la Rocha, we need to "Wake Up!"
I was there all 3 days. and it was truly incredible. If you've not been to a Coachella Festival, you should go. Without being able to truly put into words what REAL music is, you experience it here.
It was truly a great concert for me personally to go to as many of my favorite music artists were there and in full effect. My personal favorites artists I was able to watch included Rage Against the Machine, Bus Driver, Ozomatli, Stephen and Damian Marley, the Roots, and Manu Chao....to see those artists in one setting of the course of one weekend was awesome. Others I got to watch were Julieta Vinegas, CocoRosie, Bjork, Red Hot Chili Peppers, El-P, Willie Nelson, and Amy Winehouse. There were more, but I can't remember them off the top of my head.
Below are just a few pics from my experience.
Layout of the Coachella Grounds. Two big stages and 3 "tents" where the music went down, lots of reasonably priced food sold, and of course a few beers gardens here and there (which when you saw one in that desert 100-degree heat was like seeing an oasis).
Photo of the "Outdoor Stage" or 2nd stage where Stephen and Damian Marley were performing. (if you look closely you can see the Jamaican flag being waived around)
Photo of Bus Driver performing in the Gobi Tent.
It may not look like much, but it was hard getting a pic of my favorite band of all time in the pit. So yeah, this is Rage Against the Machine on the main stage.
There was a movie released last year titled "Screamers". It was a powerful film/documentary based on the Armenian Genocide and the band System of a Down. It draws ties between what happened then to today's genocide in Darfur and why in modern times genocides continue to occur.
In the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) it describes the movie this way:
Internationally known director Carla Garapedian follows the rock band System of a Down as they tour Europe and the US pointing out the horrors of modern genocide that began in Armenia in 1915 up though Darfur today.
As far as I know it is no longer in theaters, but if you are interested in watching it, a DVD should be coming out soon. The website for that info could be found here.
Here is a trailer for the film:
I post this on April 24th as it is the day that is recognized as the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Holiday, not by our country, but by many in Europe. Sadly, the United States has failed to recognize the events that occurred in Armenia from 1915 through 1918 as an official genocide. The main reason for that is the political relationship the US wants to continue to have with Turkey. Gotta love politics.
More info on the background to all this, and to why April 24th is the date for the commemoration of the genocide can be found on the link in the right hand column of my main blog page.
The link between the Armenian Genocide to the band System of a Down is simple: all four members of the band are of Armenian descent. Through their music they have pushed for justice on many issues, but one most dear to them being the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
One song by the band that was inspired by the Armenian Genocide was titled “P.L.U.C.K.” which stood for Politically Lying Unholy Coward Killers. So yeah, they’re a pretty intense band, lyrically and musically. I will post more about System of a Down later, as much of their art/music is very relevant and should be heard, but this post is dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, and here are some lyrics inspired by it:
P.L.U.C.K.
Elimination, Die, Why, Walk Down, Walk Down
A whole race Genocide, Taken away all of our pride, A whole race Genocide, Taken away (watch them all fall down).
Revolution, the only solution, The armed response of an entire nation, Revolution, the only solution, We've taken all your shit, now it's time for restitution.
Recognition, Restoration, Reparation, Recognition, Restoration, Reparation, Watch them all fall down.
The plan was mastered and called Genocide (Never want to see you around) Took all the children and then we died, (Never want to see you around) The few that remained were never found, (Never want to see you around) All in a system , Down~
Here is some classic video of Noam Chomsky debating William F. Buckley in 1969 (that year is what the poster of the video said when it took place). And don’t quote me on this but I believe this is from the show Buckley hosted on PBS called “Firing Line”.
One comment to the video (from youtube.com) I thought put it well:
It's hard to believe there was a time when American political debate was more than just a moderate and right-winger yelling sound bites over each other for five minutes.
EZLN = Ejercito Zapatista Liberación Nacional, which translated into English is the Zapatista National Liberation Army. They are a group of indigenous people from the Southern Mexico state of Chiapas. They are more often referred to as the Zapatistas. The EZLN started a rebellion on January 1st, 1994, in their home state (Chiapas), the day that NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) was to become “operational”. They chose this day to take up arms and rebel because of the effects NAFTA would have on their country. The EZLN leader, Subcomandante Marcos called NAFTA a “death sentence” and said "when NAFTA goes into effect it will represent an international massacre because the treaty will only exacerbate the polarization of wealth in Mexico and hence increase the poverty and misery of the Mexican poor.” More to the point (from wikipedia):
Apart from opening the Mexican market to cheap mass-produced US agricultural products it spells an end to crop subsidies and drastically reduces income and living standards of millions of Mexican farmers who can not compete with the artificially fertilized, mechanically harvested and genetically modified imports. The signing of NAFTA also resulted in the removal of Article 27 Section VII in the Mexican Constitution which previously had guaranteed land reparations to indigenous groups throughout Mexico.
Could you ever imagine the US allowing another country to adopt a policy that would exploit (putting it nicely) our cheap labor (if we had that) and at the same time, erased articles of our federal constitution that guaranteed land to our Native Americans? It would never happen. The only reason they thought it could happen in Mexico is because they didn’t believe people would actually take up arms to protect what is rightfully theirs. That’s not to say the effects of NAFTA didn’t happen in Mexico, they did, and they continue to, but the land that was thought to be used for corporate use was not taken away. It was not taken away because the indigenous peasants and farmers didn’t allow it.
The use of “Zapatista” is derived from the last name Zapata. It is used in honor of Emiliano Zapata, who was the leader of the Mexican Revolution of the early 1910-1921. He is famous for his quote: “I would rather die on my feet, than live on my knees.”
The leader of this rebellion is iconic figure Subcomandante Marcos (left).
In a quote he says:
We have a choice: we can have a cynical attitude in the face of the media, to say that nothing can be done... Or we can simply assume incredulity: we can say that any communication by the media monopolies is a total lie. We can ignore it and go about our lives.... But there is a third option that is neither conformity, nor skepticism, nor distrust: that is to construct a different way -- to show the world what is really happening....In August 1996, we called for the creation of a network of independent media, a network of information.... We need this network not only as a tool for our social movements but for our lives: this is a project of life, humanity -- humanity which has a right to critical and truthful information. -- Subcomandante Marcos (January, 1997)
RATM = rage against the machine
RATM = rage against the machine. They are a hard/aggressive rock band born in the early 90's. I’ve posted lyrics by them in previous posts, but here is a little more info on them. They are the first real rap/rock band, which I love and hate. As the pioneers of this music, they put two very different things together and made it sound literally like nothing ever heard before. I hate that they are the pioneers of this music because they spawned shit music like Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit (I can't stand either of those bands). The difference between rage and those other bands are twofold: one is the political edge of their music; and two is the originality of their sound. Their music and lyrics are in your face, angry, and loud, and as an avid concertgoer, they happen to be the best live band I have ever seen.
Politically motivated shows they've done include: - benefits shows for the Tibetan Freedom Concert organized by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, - for individuals they consider political prisoners such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier (both of who have also been inspiration to RATM songs) - against the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), an organization formed by 4 wives of elected officials in Washington (including Tipper Gore) that claimed “popular music, especially rock music, was partially responsible for the contempory increase in rape, teenage pregnancy, and teen suicide.” So how did RATM protest? At a 1993 Lollapalooza show in Philadelphia that they were performing in, they took the stage, stripped naked, had the letters PMRC written on their chests, and stood silent with only the sound of feedback from both guitars in the background, for 15 minutes.
What do the EZLN and RATM have to do with each other? The lead singer of RATM happens to be of Mexican descent, and among the many inspirations for his lyrics, the Zapatista movement is a huge source. This band is the way I learned of the Zapatista Movement, as well as the situations that surround Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier, and countless other social/political issues. They opened my eyes to something I probably wouldn’t otherwise care about: government and politics. To put it more bluntly, they have changed my life (I’ll explain in a later post).
With regard to the Zapatista Movement, this movement in Southern Mexico is happening now…and this post serves as a reminder of it. For those that didn’t know about it, hopefully it serves as a little enlightenment.
Most people don’t believe revolutions can occur in today’s world of corporate oppression, but this movement is a reminder that it is possible.
Below is the music video and the lyrics for the RATM song titled “People of the Sun”. The title is fitting as this song is inspired by and dedicated to the EZLN. Enjoy.
People of the Sun
Yeah people come up Check it, since 1516 minds attacked and overseen Now crawl amidst the ruins of this empty dream With their borders and boots on top of us Pulling knobs on the floor of their toxic metropolis But how you gonna get what you need to get? The gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like Tet The fifth sun sets get back reclaim The spirit of Cuahtemoc alive and untamed Now face the funk now blastin' out your speaker, on the one Maya, Mexica That vulture came to try and steal your name but now you got a gun, Yeah this is for the people of the sun
(this is the Chorus) It's coming back around again! This is for the people of the sun! It's coming back around again!
You never forget that the whip snapped you back Your spine cracked for tobaccoooh I'm the Marlboro man, uh Our past blasting on through the verses Brigades of taxi cabs rolling Broadway like hearses Troops stripping zoots, shots of red mist, Sailors blood on the deck, come sister resist From the era of terror check this photo lens, Now the city of angels does the ethnic cleanse Uh, heads bobbin' to the funk out your speaker, on the one Maya, Mexica That vulture came to try and steal your name but now you found a gun, You're history, this is for the people of the sun
...with the whole Imus issue having just gone down, it was awesome to see the Jackie Robinson being honored as the first black player to play in the major leagues. There were some teams that honored him by having every player on their team wear his #42 on their jerseys.
Not only did he play, but he excelled, and he helped change the face of baseball, and the perception of blacks in the eyes of many white Americans.
Don Imus is gone, for saying something he shouldn't have...especially something he shouldn't have said within the capacity of what he does for a living.
The article here, gives some background on his firing. Les Moonves, President and CEO of CBS put it well:
"There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society. That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision."
What lead to his firing was his referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy- headed hoes". Publicized less is what his producer chimed in with as he said the match-up of Rutgers vs Tennessee should/could be called "the Jigaboos vs. the Wannabes". That can be found here. It's my understanding that the word "jigaboo" is akin to the N word. I'm not quite sure why there wasn't more of an uproar from that...there should be.
Bottom line is, while free speech should not be regulated, free speech has its limits, especially when it is someone with he platform/media capabilities of someone like Don Imus.
