Popular Culture: Music
"Music soothes the savage beast." Perhaps, but it can also be used to embrace resistance and foster solidarity.  and let's face it, glorifying emotions and mobilizing feet are pretty radical things these days. From my experience,  female artists tend to question traditional gendered relationships while male artists tend to tackle political systems. of course, occasionally there are overlaps.

Here are some artists who call us to question reality.

Tracy Chapman
She hasn't released anything in a while, but she when she was producing music, her lyrics were sharp and her voice alluring.

ani difranco
Ani Defranco must top the list of any progressive affecionado's music collection.  This is because Defranco not only cranks out sharp, witty lyrics and good music, but because she has consistently rebuffed advances by major record labels to become rich and famous.  Instead, she continues to produce and distribute music on her own record label,  Righteous Babes.   How many progressives do you know who are willing to reject fame and fortune (i'm not sure if i could) for the ability to control her work.   Even if she does "sell out" eventually.  It would be impressive that shes "held out" this long!

steve earle
Question authority,  Steve Earle does.

Fugees
This band crosses genres, hip-hop, reggae, rap.   Their lyrics are good and so are the beats

Lisa Germano
Like Bonham, this artist rocks.  She tells it like it is and does it melliflously.

Lauryn Hill
Does soft rap. Known for her feminist lyrics.  Makes a point of refusing to pander to the male gaze.

Bob Marley
Marley popularized an entire new genre of music,  Reggae, that questions state political power, racism and economic injustice.   He died early of cancer but helped commercialize, for the better or worse, a new style of dress, language and music.

Midnight Oil
An all white band that sings about the destruction that european colonizers have wrought in Australia.  The leader of this band later served in a government position, trying to create change from the inside.

Pearl Jam
This group tackles the use of guns, child abuse, rape.  And they have an excellent sound!

Radiohead
Ethereal with a political twist.

Sleater Kinney
Washington's state first female punk-rock band.  If you like loud, thrashing music, you like this band.

Regina Spektor
This woman is probably the most talented artist out there right now. In "poor little rich boy" she plays the piano, drum and sings at the same time!

U2
You know who they are.  Their earlier stuff is wonderfully critical. 

Bif naked
I haven't had the chance to hear this artist yet.  But here's what one article says, "When Bif Naked sings, "I love myself today -- not like yesterday," on her latest single, she's only telling half the truth.  Oh, don't worry about Bif's self-esteem. She loves herself, all right. But for the ex-Winnipegger and current punk-pop It Girl, self-satisfaction is nothing new. She loved herself -- and her life -- yesterday. And the day before that."