English-language non-punk non-rock non-rap leftist music

[Sea]

I can't get by forever on a broken understanding of Brecht-Eisler-Weill and punk lyrics rarely provide enough intellectual stimulation for me. I need some lyrically stellar, overtly political music to listen to that is not plagued by either repetition or screaming.


I can't be the only one out there.

[Creative Destruction]

Billy Bragg and Woody Guthrie are two that spring to mind, with folk and country. Gil Scot-Heron was sort of proto-rap, but mostly jazz. Tom Morello's Nightwatchman project is folk, but it's hit and miss. Ani DiFranco is hit and miss, but she did a good couple of records with Utah Joe Phillips.

[Marshal of the People]

Billy Bragg.

[theghostofnestor]

Ciaran murphy
Attila the stockbroker (though some of his stuff is 'punk')
David rovics

[Leftsolidarity]

You could look into reggae and stuff like that.

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[tallguy]

I can't get by forever on a broken understanding of Brecht-Eisler-Weill and punk lyrics rarely provide enough intellectual stimulation for me. I need some lyrically stellar, overtly political music to listen to that is not plagued by either repetition or screaming.


I can't be the only one out there.

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[Sea]

Mm, Woody Guthrie. I haven't listened to him in a long time, but I'm pretty sure I've heard everything that was ever recorded at some point. It was worth it.

Question: Is considered punk? I don't know anything about punk but I don't want to exclude it if that is what punk is like. I sort of thought, after hearing it, "this sounds like punk", but I may be wrong.

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edit: I really dig stuff like this too:

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[Creative Destruction]

i can't believe i forgot this in my initial post: Aaron Copland. he's my favorite composer.

he was a democratic socialist, iirc. don't think he was revolutionary, but definitely left. unfortunately, he became a supporter of the Democratic establishment later in his life. but, his music is often sweeping and epic, but it also is rooted in American folk music. it's very American but it isn't nationalist, which is important. when people hear his music on commercials, they think of patriotic and nationalist themes, which is the wrong way to listen to him.

[Prometeo liberado]

Maybe Tracy Chapman?

[Zukunftsmusik]

I think leftist folk is really boring. I like a lot of punk, but there are terrible bands out there too - often the most explicitly political bands, incidentally. You should look into post punk (Gang of Four, The Au Pairs etc.) or reggae and ska.

[La Guaneña]

Ho ho ho chi minh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4zFes3rzqo

[Firebrand]

The late era chumbawamba is pretty much all folk, very clever lyrics, and its chumbawamba so definitely overly political.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZH4gBp2cm8

And some of Grace Petrie's stuff is pretty political

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6C1FEnjxYs

[Sea]

Paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson paul robeson. :wub: This man is the wonderful tankie shill that has been missing from my musical life. The galaxy's most resilient tracker has 15 a 15-album collection of Paul Robeson that you should not download because that would be a sin.

It's past 1 AM so if you excuse me I'll be maaarching with my spades toooo the bed~

[HarpyCabaret]

Speaking of Chumbawamba, English Rebel Songs album is practically all about class struggle, abuse of power, and political activism. Mostly just choral and sometimes acoustics.

[Vladimir Innit Lenin]

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[mindsword]

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[mindsword]

also theres plenty of rebel songs out there... pkk makes some traditional kurdish music i think

[Invader Zim]

Maybeshewill - Instrumental postrock band.

[Invader Zim]

The late era chumbawamba is pretty much all folk, very clever lyrics, and its chumbawamba so definitely overly political.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZH4gBp2cm8

And some of Grace Petrie's stuff is pretty political

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6C1FEnjxYs

Grace Petrie is great, I've seen her live a couple of times and she really has one of the most powerful voices I've heard.

[Iakovsko]

Paul robeson

I have to second this one, not only because he's awesome but because I have a dear old(er) Comrade who used to be babysat by him while her parents were "out" (at club meetings).

I'd also suggest Billy Bragg, Utah Phillips, Woody Guthry, any of the Socialist Victory Choirs (if you're looking for old standards like The Internationale or The People's Flag), and how could anyone forget Pete Seeger?