Why does it “tear you up inside” to hear artists speak out against Bush? Aren’t artists also people who feel the need to voice their opinion when things are going wrong? Don’t you think that listeners can decide for themselves? Is it that artists are manipulating the minds of young people, or is it that they are merely validating what most people already feel (that the war, the bailout for the rich while the poor scramble to keep a roof over their heads, the low wages and lack of health care are just fucked up)?

Kids aren’t stupid. I know I wasn’t. I’m sure you aren’t. And people aren’t sheep. Is a laid-off worker unable to talk about the unfairness of this economy simply because they haven’t had the time to go through the Fiancial Times every day? No.

In this climate, there are a lot of people with a lot of gut anger against the injustice in this system because they are feeling it personally. Political art can help validate that anger, take it from being a personal thing into more of a collective experience. That’s the power of art, and it’s great to see that power being wielded in a more effective way lately.

Then, sadly, some of them vote.

These people are not political experts, nor do they base their lives on real life. They are about as connected to the rest of us as Halley’s Comet… yeah, they come round so we can see them for a bit, but the rest of the time they’re way off into outer space. But what really hurts me the most is that now Tori Amos, one of my favorite artists who I saw in concert over 10 years ago or more, is no longer listenable to me. Neither is Coldplay, a new favorite.

I am not saying these new artists are the end-all of great musicianship, songwriting or rebellion. But our starting point has to be how this music is going to affect the ideas of those listening to them. Right now, despite the anger at Bush, there is little organized opposition past the dead-end road of the Democratic Party. This music reflects that anger, and the more people hear songs like this and think about it, the more they are forced to think about possible alternatives to this sick system.

Are we in the middle of a new cultural uprising against the tenants of war, racism and neo-liberalism? No. But the ground work is being laid, and these artists are thankfully part of that.

People followed a slave out of Egypt; A humble man from Galilee has churches built for him in every corner of the world; And a religion was started around a man who sat for a long time under a tree. So a counter-culture messege from a rough looking musician should atleast be given some consideration.

It’s a good thing though, it’s not like having the Democrats in is going to abolish the problems. They’re about as far left as George Bush is intelligent.

Music allows for an expression and communication of frustrations on a personal level. We need it to cultivate a culture of activism and awareness, well beyond the next elections.

If Trent Rezner and company had come out with this kind of material. . . oh say, five years ago, the argument could be made that these performers were brave individuals who put principles over profit, and were willing to risk their careers in order to express genuine opposition to the war. That’s not to say that we should instantly dismiss this recent spate of politically charged lyrics in pop music out of hand on the grounds that it’s too little, too late. But nor should we applaud their efforts too vigorously, or too unquestioningly since they come at a time when such content merely reflects the consensus view of the American public across the political divide.