Protest websites - Mixed Media - Brief Article

New Internationalist, July, 2003 by Louise Gray

by Various

If any good has come out of the Iraqi crisis it's the way in which millions of people worldwide have protested. The web has played an enormous role in this organization. Among musicians, some have spoken out in real time -- stand proud, you Texan Dixie Chicks! Others have taken to the web.

The sites listed below are among the leading antiwar sites; all of them offer free [MP.sub.3] downloads. And sometimes more. Made by the people behind Sonic Youth, veteran experimentalists from New York, protest-records.com offers a slick series of stencils for neighbourhood subversives. (I'd recommend 'Bush'n'Bones'.)

The music, organized in 10 volumes, is eclectic: indie rockers Mudhoney and Chumbawumba rub shoulders with turn-tablists like DJ Spooky, plus fast-rising songwriter Cat Power. The Beastie Boys number 'In a World Gone Mad' -- a howl of punk-rap -- is its finest moment.

Smaller sites have gems, too. REM, who have rushed a mix of 'The Final Straw' on to their site remhq.com are the biggest-name band to raise their voices.

It also happens to be a great song: Michael Stipe's vocals and an earthy, acoustic guitar are a stunning combination. Zack de la Rocha, last seen leading Rage Against the Machine, makes his solo debut on marchofdeath.com. No stranger to radical politics, de la Rocha enlists a sound storm of electronic backing from DJ Shadow to ram the message home. For those still hankering for a Hendrix moment, it has to be Lenny Kravitz, who has teamed up with Iraqi pop star Kadim Al Sahir to record 'We Want Peace' (rockthevote.com).

There's much more out there but what's really interesting is that as radio and TV get anxious about airing the 'political' stuff it's the web that's filling the gap.

Rating * * *

www.protest-records.com

www.marchofdeath.com

www.rockthevote.org

www.remhq.com

STAR RATING

EXCELLENT  *****
VERY GOOD   ****
GOOD         ***
FAIR          **
POOR           *