My buddy John hosts a great radio show on KAOS in Olympia called One Chord To Another, which is on Mondays from 9-11pm (tonight!), and he just sent me this message:
Hey Matt, I'm trying to put together an election/voting themed show tonight. Any suggestions?
Here's my reply:
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As opposed to political songs? I could think of a lot of political and/or issue-related stuff. But...voting? Hmm. Also, you're not likely to play mainstreamy stuff like "Yes We Can" from will.i.am or the song for John McCain that douchey country dude wrote.
Hm. Well, yeah I'm at a loss..or am I?
Wilco and Fleet Foxes made a version of "I Shall Be Released" (live in Bend, OR) available for download from the Wilco site to anyone who promised to vote. I downloaded it. It's good.
Anything off Neil Young's Living With War - maybe "Let's Impeach The President".
Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" may be a stretch but it's such a great fucking tune.
Oh I know - Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder have covered (live) Jackson Browne's "I Am A Patriot" and that one kills. Here's Vedder with C Average doin' it punk:
Spoon's "Don't Make Me a Target" and "The Underdog" are both about Bush. Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" is basically about Bush/Bush's America. (It's also, secretly, about me.)
You could play songs borrowed by the campaigns - Obama used Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" routinely. McCain was told to STOP using Foo Fighter's "My Hero", Heart's "Barracuda", Mellencamp's "Pink Houses", and the aforementioned Jackson Browne's "Running On Empty". (He didn't stop.)
Suzanne Vega's "Song of Sand" is about the 1st Iraq War.
Eminem's "Mosh" was released weeks prior to the 2004 election, but actually is more applicable this year. (I'm trying to picture you playing that on your show. Can't.)
Cloud Cult's "State of the Union" from their album Aurora Borealis is a clever re-edit of Bush, making him say some fucked up shit that's pretty true anyway.
Other bands that have overtly supported Obama might not have songs about the election, but you may be able to put together a set of songs by them: the Decemberists, Springsteen, Death Cab, Dean & Britta, the Breeders, the National, Ted Leo, Joanna Newsom, No Age, Jim James/MMJ, DEVO, Les Savy Fav, Low, Tapes n Tapes, REM, Arcade Fire, Superchunk, NIN, Andrew Bird, Bright Eyes, M. Ward, Ok Go, Foals -- all have played benefits or otherwise endorsed Obama.
I'm spent. I'm curious to see/hear what you end up playing!
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Want to listen to John's show too? Of course you do. It will be streaming live TONIGHT from 9-11pm at kaosradio.org.
