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THE COOL SONGS IT WAS NEVER COOL TO LIKE

The Singer not the Song

In the Rolling Stones song “The singer not the song” (on december's children), Mick Jagger challenged the notion of some purists that it's all about the music and that the hype around the artists does not count. In the digital media world, it is not only the content that counts. You may have a great song and even a great singer but how do you get the message across? For most musicians this means playing live concerts to introduce their material to new (and old) listeners, getting airplay and interacting with fans. So it is true after all, the artist does matter and we are interested not only in the recordings but also live performances, interviews and net blogs.

The US Presidential election in November is closely contested. The punk movement made an early start in the campaign against Bush. The website www.punkvoter.com did not only make it into music publications such as the NME, it also featured in major papers such as The New York Times and The International Herald Tribune. Some might think that Republican strategists are unlikely to care about punk. However, Republican strategists are said to be worried that movements such as punkvoter.com may probably not change the political affiliation of potential Republican supporters but may mobilise young voters who are less likely to vote. However, even in the domain of punk music which is typically dominated by the left, there is room for the Conservative Punk magazine. However, the ‘Rock against Bush' campaign is growing stronger. Fat Wreck Chords have released volume 2 of their compilation CD ‘Rock against Bush'. Bands such as Green Day, the Foo Fighters or No Doubt are all succesful artists with a strong fanbase, many of whom are young and are potential first-time voters. In the case of punk music, the message often becomes an essential part of the music. Punkvoter cites bands such as The Clash, the Ramones, MC5 and Fugazi as a proposition that even though the genre does not ‘belong' to any political spectrum, punk has always been a vehicle for social change.

The same does probably not apply to chart-topping stadium rock (Bruce Springsteen) or country music (The Dixie Chicks). Natalie Maines, the lead-singer of the Dixie Chicks told her fans in London that she was “ashamed the president of the U.S. is from Texas ”. CNN reported that the band was subsequently blacklisted on national country radio stations. The Republican Senator of Arizona was quoted on free-the-music.net as referring to the blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks as an ‘incredible, incredible act' which undermined the protection of freedom of speech. The negative response by large parts of the country scene indicates that criticism of the government means taking a risk in the country music market. On the other hand, rock music grandee Bruce Springsteen was happy not only to endorse the Democratic challenger Kerry, he has also written a piece for the New York Times. In his op-ed contribution (published Aug 5), he explains why he has opted to join other rock bands such as R.E..M., Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band and others in the ‘Vote for Change' tour in October. Springsteen argues that his songs are meant to ‘speak to our pride and criticize our failures.' He takes the view that the Bush government has departed so far from the core American ideals that he felt it was time to speak out in support for Kerry and Edwards. Springsteen not only wants to use his popular support to boost the Democratic challenger, he also re-interprets the values underlying the lyrics in his songs. Is it the singer or the song? Will it win-over crucial undecided voters?

A keystone poll published on philly.com suggests that anti-Bush campaigns by artists and DJs may have some impact on voting patterns. NY radio DJ Howard Stern has become a strong force in the anti-Bush campaign. His website ( www.howardstern.com/bush ) features blogs and links with fierce attacks of the Bush administration and its policies on women, gays, the environment, the economy, 9/11 and the war on terror. BBC News reported in April that listening figures for the Stern show were up. Stern secured the highest rating for his morning drive-time show in New York and has also made advances in the other key markets Los Angeles and Chicago.

The August 2004 Keystone poll indicates that 8% of voters in the strategically important state of Philadelphia listen to Howard Stern's show. While 72% indicated that the show did not have any impact on their vote, 28% said they were more likely to vote for Kerry (0% said they were more likely to vote for Bush).

The August 2004 Keystone poll indicates that 8% of voters in the strategically important state of Philadelphia listen to Howard Stern's show. While 72% indicated that the show did not have any impact on their vote, 28% said they were more likely to vote for Kerry (0% said they were more likely to vote for Bush).

JD