Best social protest bands?
 

What are the best social protest bands? Bands like RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE! Bands that stand for something. Bands about being rebell and protesting again injustice or inequality. Idealistic bands that stand for something!!!

The tricky thing for me about protest bands is that they're always going to have an air of hypocracy about them, due in part to the industry they find themselves in, especially with all that money swirling round the music industry.

I dont doubt the merits of individual songs and which part of the heart they came from, but I cannot take bands with a protest message all that seriously, I'm afraid.

To answer the question though, I do really love Gogol Bordello, but I aint an anarchist punk dude

Prayers for Athiests.

Rage Against the Machine is an obvious top choice.

And thank you for not posting this in the Punk category. Although people tend to exemplify punk rock as the most rebellious or socially-aware music around.

Usually, one of the things I look for in a band is poignancy. So here's some of my tops that at least have select moments of political/social intensity.

Immortal Technique
Soundgarden
The Who
The Clash
NOFX
Bad Religion
Tom Waits
The Roots
Les Claypool
Pink Floyd
Tool
Corrosion of Conformity

Excellent list, I would concur with all of these! Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and Tom Waits would be some of my favourites.

1. Crass
2. Crass
3. Crass
4. Crass
5. Crass

Cress>Crass

Crass renders every other social protest band irrelevant
I don't even care they hate my favorite band
they do

System of a Down?

Skrewdriver

Oh, you.

Do I know you?

absolutely 100% agree.

i can't take the apparent hypocrisy seriously, the idealism is only appealing while you're an idealist that still sees the world in black and white. once you've grown to see everything in shades of grey the inherent immaturity of the ideals is too hard to ignore.



also.... Soundgarden? social protest? 1 song per album on average if that hardly makes them a protest group. maybe i just misinterpreted them all these years, then again the fact that they left their music open to interpretation is what made them so great to my ears. as opposed to being lectured for 44 minutes a pop a la RATM.

Does Immortal Technique count?

For me personally, I gotta go with Propagandhi.
I'm liking the other mentions as well too.

Ah good call.

I'm a fan of Soundgarden and I have 3 of their albums, could someone explain to me what soundgarden protests?

I am in no way disagreeing with you, you are probably correct due to me not reading much about soundgarden but I am really curious as to what they protest.

Trolling isn't just restricted to music.


ANyway, bands like Operation Ivy and Minor Threat would be at the top of my list. Possibly Daniel Johnston if he counts.

Okay. We're friends now.

You know, I could understand how it would be difficult to see how exactly Soundgarden were socially aware. But its only because they were more obscure with their references and gripes. If they were going to come out and say "Fuck this.", they usually wouldn't just come out say it outright (except for "Ty Cobb"). They were usually more precise in what they were addressing, but they would also do their addressing very poetically, so a lot of times it was hard to understand exactly what they were talking about.

Most definitely.

Dead kennedy's!

^^^ Hey guys. Music. Yeah?

Yeah. Not to burst your bubble, but Immortal Technique is one dude. I'm not sure who his DJ is. But yeah, Immortal Technique is a definitive social/political commentator. Brutally honest.

talk to me about Soundgarden dude. i want to know how our interpretations of the group differ this much because i never really considered them as social commentators.

Has anyone heard of Jewdriver, speaking of Skrewdriver?

So ****ing awesome

Well, brother. Like you said, their music was largely open to interpretation. Perhaps its just my take on their lyrics on certain songs. I guess if I went into explanations, they might seem vague, because I get really into causes and roots. When I see lines like "The day I tried to live, I stole a thousand beggar's change and gave it to the rich.", I imagine a scenario of attempted revolt against the powers that be, where you really only hurt those you empathize with and feed the structure you were striking out against. Which leads to one of the ending lines: "I woke the same as any other day. You know, I should have stayed in bed.".
Again, perhaps the social commentary is secondary, but like I said: causes and roots.

reminds me of my first and only contribution to the poetry slam here. ah, here it is:

http://www.musicbanter.com/song-writ...rican-god.html

it's all good, personally that song is far more introspective to me, a conflict of the self in terms of attempting to be a 'good' person, and the realities of the actions.

then again it does make for valid social commentary, just not so much on the protest side of things.

1. Crass
2. Gang of Four
3. Crass
4. Gang Of Four
5. Crass

Do ya mean who's most effective in whatever their political/social aims are? or bands that happen to play social protest music that's actually good. I'd say most bands that are strictly protest based groups are usually ****e, with the exception of the Crass...otherwise you should read books instead of listening to rock and roll for inspiration.

I like you, sir.

Good point. But in my own little world, with the way I grew up, almost anything consisting of social commentary was inspiration for protest.

that's fair.

i came up the complete opposite way. always trying to maintain order and limiting the rocking of the boat. i guess that's why most protest songs rang hollow in my ears, but social commentary i've always enjoyed.

Sun City Girls had kind of a "**** this establishment" attitude, but that was more of a joke.

Oh, and Black Flag if they haven't already been mentioned.

I think that might be the first Black Flag mention. Anybody brought up Leftover Crack?

If Leftover Crack is going to get a mention surely Choking Victim deserves one too, I'd give that whole scene a mention.

Some more:
Operation Ivy
D.R.I.
Circle Jerks
Assorted Jelly Beans
Minor Threat
Fugazi
Youth Korps
Wingnut Dishwashers Union
Screeching Weasel
Limp Wrist
and although no ones knows about them really The Goats.

Why not just say the majority of punk bands...

Good little communists, all my posts wiped again. And I'm the fascist? Delete my account, this board is a joke. By the way, unlike you cowards we at Stormfront invite opposing views and not only will you always get answers but your comments will not be deleted. Punks.

I guess I could do that or I could pick out some of my favorites. makes it more debatable I think.

Poor baby.

No M.D.C. or D.O.A.?

Take your bullshit here.
http://www.musicbanter.com/lounge/28466-bitch-box.html

Tryin' to talk about music.