political folk songs out of fashion today?

[Kautilya]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/13/martin-carthy-tom-robinson-meltdown

[michael sam wild]

Thanks for that link. I think reggae, ska, punk etc and hip hop and it's descendants took over the role of folk song as agitprop. Any other current McColl's or Bob Dylan's of any note?

 

Old folk songs are moving but it is second hand anger like listening to old blues . If you don't engage and move it on it's just a history lesson isn't it.

 

Maybe this is a Mudcat type topic. Can concertinas be used politically

[JimLucas]

Maybe this is a Mudcat type topic. Can concertinas be used politically

I seem to recall that there are (were?) significant politicians in both Canada and Sweden that play concertina, but I don't remember names or details, and at the moment I don't have time to do research. (I'm just now trying to catch up on a month and more of C.net inactivity, and I'm not gonna make it. Most of my time for the next two weeks is already committed. )

 

But I know that's not what Kautilya meant, so a quick comment on that:

Ewan MacColl did a lot of stuff with concertina, both with Alf Edwards and with his wife Peggy Seeger (among others?). And much of it was political. So the instrument is certainly not

un

suited.

Also, Michael is right: Mudcat should be a much better place to ask the question, since they are more focussed on songs in all their variety, and not specifically on concertinas.

[Marien]

in a political campaign a concertina may not be very succesful. Maybe a politician who plays concertina will have more votes when promising to stop making the noise... but they might even vote for somebody else - people know what happens with political promises after election day...

 

If it is about protest songs - I think that there are beautiful songs against oppressors and dictators and some of them are very suitable for singing it with a concertina. Especially if it is an ancient ballad with moving melody lines. Now I am thinking of it, I already promised somebody to tape a song like that last week. It is about a brave woman that may have killed a tiran, so I should try this one not too far in the future (not tonight but maybe tomorrow)...

[JimLucas]

Kautilya, are you restricting your question to the UK? Protest song is alive and well -- though sometimes bringing imprisonment or death to its singers -- in many non-Western European countries today.

 

But even in Western Europe: I heard a Swedish group yesterday, whose songs included one protesting religious fanaticism and another protesting "political correctness".

 

By the way, do you think political protest and social protest can be separated as genres?

[Kautilya]

Kautilya, are you restricting your question to the UK? Protest song is alive and well -- though sometimes bringing imprisonment or death to its singers -- in many non-Western European countries today.

 

But even in Western Europe: I heard a Swedish group yesterday, whose songs included one protesting religious fanaticism and another protesting "political correctness".

 

By the way, do you think political protest and social protest can be separated as genres?

 

Any from anywhere. Would love to see some new ones from our own cnetters (and) melnetters who compose and write.

The "Russian/Soviet" Pink Floyd one mentioned elsewhere* is highly socio-political (yes, both. Or:either /or.) and really funny too.

*

Great finds

Another Pink Floyd

This one killingly funny! Soviet humour is back!

 

and the same group with another one.

Edited June 17, 2010 by Kautilya

[michael sam wild]

The Thatcher era, Miners' strike etc sparked a lot of songs in the folk idiom but did it also knock the stuffing out of a Left in opposition once New Labour got in? I suppose Folk Against Fascism is a response to the Far Right but when will we hear songs condemning reduced Child Benefits and public sector cuts? Poverty Knock perhaps?

 

 

I suppose BP's oil spill will generate environmental songs. Will there be songs about Obama's handling of the situation in his praise? Oh Bold Obama Gained the Day.... all on the Bay of Mexico! ( just off to write it it'll be sung at the next session)

 

And we chased the bloomin' British as in the Battle of New Orleans

Edited June 21, 2010 by michael sam wild

[JimLucas]

I suppose BP's oil spill will generate environmental songs.

I haven't yet heard any songs about it, but I notice that in comic strips BP is getting hit from both the left and the right (as judged by various strips' usual political slants). Anything on the pop charts? That's the music of today's folk, after all.

 

What are the Dixie Chicks singing about these days? They've been known to use a concertina.

[Leo]

I suppose BP's oil spill will generate environmental songs.

I haven't yet heard any songs about it, but I notice that in comic strips BP is getting hit from both the left and the right (as judged by various strips' usual political slants). Anything on the pop charts? That's the music of today's folk, after all.

 

What are the Dixie Chicks singing about these days? They've been known to use a concertina.

It's very fertile ground for all kinds of music and parodies numbering in the hundreds. Movies and songs have been rewritten, computer games have been hacked, Some good, some not so good. How many would you like?

 

Thanks

Leo

[Ransom]

Come to think of it, I did hear a "political folk song" recently. Not in connection with BP, but about some scandals that embroiled the government of Arizona a few months back:

[michael sam wild]

In our local pub sessions there are quite often spontaneous songs about current events. Parodies often but also some cracking new ones that get worked up into decent songs.

 

The programmes on BBC 'Crude Britannia' showed how much we have lost of a communal street and tavern life by being isolated in our own homes for a lot of popular entertainment.

 

Music Hall, Steet Ballads , Pub Singalong's and Free and Easy's, Working Men's Clubs and even Folk Clubs and Festivals kept up the tradition of scurrilous and libertarian dissent.

 

 

Is it all getting a bit polished and polite and too instrument dominated? Do we play too safe, or is that a way of withdrawing from a cruel world? We need a few more characters who aren't afraifd to speak out

Edited June 18, 2010 by michael sam wild

[Kautilya]

deleted

Edited June 18, 2010 by Kautilya

[Kautilya]

OK managed to delete an mysterious doubling up of text above. The download file is above this post and working ...and here is what I was trying to say earlier:

 

[quote name='michael sam wild' date

 

Is it all getting a bit polished and polite and too instrument dominated? Do we play too safe, or is that a way of withdrawing from a cruel world? We need a few more characters who aren't afraifd to speak out

 

Absolutely spot on: Ay, there's the rub! To toon, perchance to scream.. (with apologies to

Hamlet)

I really have to put my thinking hat on, for words at least -- notes will have to come from elsewhere...words are hard enough.........

 

let's have the rest of your "Oh Bold Obama Gained the Day.... all on the wide Mexico Bay!"

 

I have been wanting very much to find some words to work with Chris's Drinkwater's Gardener's Delight and, on re-listening, MSW's Bold Obama slots nicely with the melody -- and the toon's gardening name could hardly be more eco-apposite!

 

A few verses might tap into a bit of:

a senate committee bout of kicking, as others try to keep their rich divvi picking,

 

fishing boats oil dollars shining chase,from shoals of silver herring turn away their face,

 

Falling Bee Pee has racked the City, but bonuses big remain aplenty

 

While banker sails his Volvo boat, no free swim to keep old and children afloat.....

 

Anyway... you get the drift

Edited June 18, 2010 by Kautilya

[michael sam wild]

I suppose BP's oil spill will generate environmental songs.

I haven't yet heard any songs about it, but I notice that in comic strips BP is getting hit from both the left and the right (as judged by various strips' usual political slants). Anything on the pop charts? That's the music of today's folk, after all.

 

What are the Dixie Chicks singing about these days? They've been known to use a concertina.

It's very fertile ground for all kinds of music and parodies numbering in the hundreds. Movies and songs have been rewritten, computer games have been hacked, Some good, some not so good. How many would you like?

 

Thanks

Leo

 

 

 

Hey Leo I'd welcome a few ( if you could get one with concertina s in that would be great)

[Leo]

Hey Leo I'd welcome a few ( if you could get one with concertina s in that would be great)

Hi Michael

 

Since a lot of the concertina players are here, maybe we could impose on someone to put something up for us. In the meantime, I highly doubt we will get past guitars for a while.

 

Some originals

The BP Oil Spill Song (Drill, Baby, Drill) by Eva Moon

 

the oil spill song.wmv

 

BP'd in the River - The BP Song

 

Cry For The Fishermen (Gulf Oil Spill Disaster).flv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X8uLPwqojY&fmt=18

_____

 

Some song remakes

bp gulf oil spill song (the Beverly Hillbillies)

 

The Nearly Famous BP Song

 

BPHillbillies.mov

 

The BP Oil Spill Song - Blue Water's Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsmJyxTx9is&fmt=18

_____

 

A short computer game ending

Super Mario: BP Oil Spill Edition

_____

 

In 2004 there was a movie made called "Downfall". It's the story of the last days of WWII Germany. One of the scenes has been captioned and re-captioned for almost any subject numbering in the hundreds. There are quite a few following the oil spill from the beginning. This is one of the recent ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC5paVe1Fjw&fmt=18

 

If you've been following the events, then..............

_____

 

Thanks

Leo

[michael sam wild]

The way they are hounding the boss of BP, I'd think of topping myself. Hope he shifted his savings and shares etc.

[Kautilya]

Tks Leo.

Lots of inspiration there! V good.

Edited June 23, 2010 by Kautilya

[Kautilya]

Calling LDT, Chris Drinkwater, Alan Day, Harry Scurfield. MSWild, and on Melnet FreeLeader, Pete Coe, Rees Wesson, Clive W, Dave Ellis and any other lurking composers lyricists

More of the earliers!

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/04/someone-pick-up-guitar-howl

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/13/martin-carthy-tom-robinson-meltdown