General

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Kakugo — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:41:46 GMT

Most of the stuff from Nashville Pussy. Ain't Your Business "... that badge doesn't make you the boss...", The Late Great USA "...back in the land of worthless cash and non-stop cops..."... tracks can be heard on http://www.nashvillepussy.com/home since there's very little on YouTube.

And if you happen to see one of their ultra-rare "Jesus on Motorcycle" t-shirts give me a shout.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Mattallica — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:59:00 GMT

Metal is great. I think someone somewhere mention Metallica's song "Don't Tread on Me." I've read somewhere on the internet that James Hetfield is a libertarian, but who knows.

I dabble with songwriting myself. I love rock n' roll. I thought I would shamelessly share one of my own songs, "Economic Stimulus Blues." You can listen to and download it for free here. It's track # 7 on my album.

I haven't heard the Kinks mentioned yet, and I'm a huge fan. I was somewhat surprised to hear the libertarian tone of many of their songs. Although, I don't know for sure what Ray Davies' political/economic leanings are. Check out the "Muswell Hillbillies" album. A snippet from the lead track, "20th Century Man":

I was born in a welfare state

Fueled by beauracracy

Controlled by civil servants

And people dressed in grey

Got no privacy

Got no liberty

'Cause the 20th century people

Took it all away from me

And they were saying that back in 1971 England; sheesh, not much has changed. Other good anti-state songs on the album include "Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues" , "Here Come the People in Grey", and "Uncle Son." You could also check out "Brainwashed" from the Kinks album Arthur, and "Gotta Be Free" from the Lola vs. Powerman album.

Derek Webb has a great song, "Savior on Capital Hill" on his album The Ringing Bell. May not be strictly libertarian, but I heard that he endorsed Ron Paul.

I'm sure there are plenty of good punk songs that are anti-state; "God Save the Queen" from the Sex Pistols comes to mind. Although, I suspect much of the punk movement tends more toward socialism than free markets.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Aristippus — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:22:39 GMT

A couple from Mr. Jordan:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Bert — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:08:34 GMT

I tried to decipher the lyrics from their song Libertarian Youth (on The Acts of the Apostles - 1986, and Smash the Spectacle EP - 1984). Had to listen to both versions to figure it out.

Your body is a gift to the nation
The result of a man and a woman's frustration

Your taught to believe the unbelievable
Your taught to accept the unacceptable
The lies your told are painted as true
Thought and questions won't come from you
A school of thought is a school of the mind
Self realization is not for your kind

In the stream you swim, in the stream they set
And it is yourself, and they make you forget
They train you for work, they teach you a trade
One of the many willing servants they've made
We're the factory product for the office elite
Don't attack one another (...)

If you protest they'll lock you away
Though you only feel anger because they made you that way
Is it surprising that you salute the nation
When you are wide aware of the degradation?
You're a living a crime by obeying the law
Have you ever thought why and what it is for?

It's for breaking!

You work for the nation until you die
While they just stole it, ever wonder why?
Your body is useless, it now lays dead
All because you're so easily led
Did you ever possess a thought inside your head?
Open up the floodgates, paint us black and red

Use your own head, use your own head, use your own head
It's your life, live it

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Birthday Pony — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:30:15 GMT

I'll be sure to check them out. Thanks.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Bert — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 06:57:36 GMT

Haven't heard of them. Same scene as Crass?

Same scene, and extremely under rated. Put out more material than all the other anarcho bands and kept releasing material up into the early 90's (of which they reformed and recorded a proper sounding studio album under the name Unit). They recorded a demo tape called Libertarian Propaganda in 82, but some of their songs had anarcho-syndicalist lyrics. Musically in my opinion they were a lot better, more experimental and didn't fall into the typical sounding anarcho-punk paradigm (Crass, Flux of Pink Indians, The Alternative, The Mob, etc.)

From reading interviews with them (and one of the inserts of an EP I have of theirs) they seemed to not really care about the scene at the time. They were more politically involved, but felt the punk movement itself was sort of full of shit. The Wiki page on them isn't bad.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

vive la insurrection — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:47:14 GMT

Also weren't they pacifists? If so I guess that could be a political label you could give them. They kind of remind me of like a punk version of a Tolstoyan type of outlook. Been forever since I listened to them though and I think I only own/owned Penis Envy.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Birthday Pony — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:40:34 GMT

In that sense, yes. Penny Rimbaud still lives at said commune.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

vive la insurrection — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:31:54 GMT

Aren't Crass literal communists (as in they live/ lived in a self described commune), or at the very least were in the 70's and 80's?

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Birthday Pony — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:09:11 GMT

Haven't heard of them. Same scene as Crass?

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Bert — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:12:21 GMT

Next Mises Daily - Austrian Analysis of Crass.

Since we're already on the topic of Crass, ever heard of The Apostles?

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Birthday Pony — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 18:57:01 GMT

Don't get me wrong. I love Crass. And I don't think they were Marxist at all, as most Anarchists aren't. I wouldn't ascribe any theory to them that they don't ascribe to themselves. They were just Crass.

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Bert — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:12:24 GMT

Well, it's not like they are discussing theory here. The line "I'm a private in a private army" - Blackwater-esque? Well, I like a lot of feminist ideas and I've written a lot of my own stuff in support of feminist views and beliefs (at the same time I've got into some debates with feminists over privilege and raunch feminism - those involved in the queer culture movement are damn annoying).

From their song Where Next Columbus?

"Marx had an idea from the confusion of his head
Then there were a thousand more waiting to be led
The books are sold, the quotes are bought
You learn them well and then you're caught"

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Anton — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:22:03 GMT

Jargon:

Not necessarily libertarian, but he hated the USSR!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfzGLWv8vxM

There is a great number of anti-soviet songs played by the Russian bands back in the 1980s. One of the best songs (and my favourite one by this band) is this one:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Each time I listen to it I think how greatly this song expresses the spirit of totalitarianism.

Englisch translation (not the best one. I corrected it a little but it is still hard to preserve the original meaning since several lines in Russian are ambigious.)

Bound by one chain
Collective responsibility smears like soot
I hold somebody's hand but feel elbow
I seek for eyes but feel look
There asses are higher than heads
Behind red dawn is pink setting
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim

Here are weak joints but big space
Here are broken memberships, from them columns are made
Here is one type of words for kitchen and another for streets
Here eagles are deserted for broiler chickens
And even when I'm kissing I follow example of
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim

One can believe even in lack of belief
One can be busy even in absence of business
Poor people pray, pray that
Their poorness is ensured
Here one can play tuba with yourself
But you can play just sound off
And if there are people that come to you
There will be people that will come after you
That like others are
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim

Here women look for but find only old age
Here yardstick of work is deemed to be tiredness
Here aren't scoundrels in rooms trimmed with leather
Here seniors are similar to the subordinates
And must be tired no less than the latter of being
Bound by one chain, tied with one aim
Bound by one chain

Re: Let's Hear Some Libertarian Music!

Birthday Pony — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:11:34 GMT

Bert, good luck trying to interpret Crass as an AnCap band. Not only did they take on things that would be considered "cultural Marxism" here (like anarcha-feminism) they hated private defense. Listen to Securicor if you don't remember.