Best political band: Dead Kennedys vs. The Clash vs. RATM

[SweetZombieJesus]

As much as I love the Clash, and as much as they are my favorite band of all time, I have to go with DK on this one.

I like RATM, but the lyric about the government killing Malcolm X and blaming it on the Nation of Islam on the song "Wake Up" drives me insane everytime I hear it. The government has done a lot of odious shit, but X's assassination was part of a power play on the part of Louis Farrakhan.

[Ishkaboogl]

1. DK all the way

my dad introduced me to biafra's music. awesome stuff.

[chenGOD]

2. Dead Kennedys absolutely.

Without a doubt, Jello is one of the best things to come out of America.

[I AM SPARTACUS]

3. summertime is time for...

[DBoon]

4. Avatar time!

When do we get a DK avatar?

Saw them in I think 1983 in Hollywood. Very extreme show.

[SweetZombieJesus]

5. Am I correct in thinking your username is in honor of the late Minuteman?

Shit, now that I think about it, I should have listed those guys. Double Nickels On The Dime is a fucking classic album.

[JanMichael]

6. STOP IT!!!!!!!!

You psychotic fiend!

[devarsi]

7. All the above, but you forgot...

Gang of Four.

[SweetZombieJesus]

8. Nah, I didn't

Gang Of Four is great, but I don't think of them as in the same league with these other three bands.

[devarsi]

10. I conditionally agree

The DKs and the Clash are the types of bands that can change your way of thinking. I remember the first time heard Police Truck. I grew up in LA in the 70's, and that could have been the LAPD theme song. At the time, music was all about disco and Hotel California, not Uber Alles, California. That one song made me think differently about free speech, and the power of music.

Still, GOF songs like Ether and 5.45 are classic political protests. I don't think you can talk about political music without bringing up GOF.

BTW - what about Bob Marley & the Wailers?

[proud patriot]

9. locking dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=23714&mesg_id=23714&page=