NYT: In Nashville, Sounds of Political Uprising From the Left

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: In Nashville, Sounds of Political Uprising From the Left
By THEO EMERY
Published: August 19, 2006


(Christopher Berkey for The New York Times)
Darrell Scott, a songwriter in Music Row Democrats, at a recording session this month in Nashville.

....Country music, the genre of lonely hearts and highways, lost jobs and blue-collar woes, has become a cultural battleground. Conservatism is widely seen as having the upper hand, a red-state answer to left-leaning Hollywood.

Democrats on Music Row, the country music capital here, have grown frustrated with that reputation. A group of record-company executives, talent managers and artists has released an online compilation of 20 songs, several directly critical of Mr. Bush and the Iraq war.

The price for the set is $20, with most of the proceeds going to the group, which calls itself Music Row Democrats and is using the money to support local and national candidates who share its values....

***

The songs include (Bobby) Braddock’s “Thou Shalt Not Kill” and “Big Blue Ball of War” by Nanci Griffith. Another longtime songwriter, John Scott Sherrill, contributed “You Let the Fox Run the Henhouse,” and former Vice President Al Gore speaks a few words at the end of “Al Gore,” which was written by Robert Ellis Orrall and includes the line, “President Gore lives on my street.”...

***

(Darrell) Scott recently recorded a new song, “W Cheese,” in a basement studio at Famous Music on Music Row. One verse ends, “They filled our plate with freedom fries, red, black and blue, white lies/And a helping, heaping, hating size of stinkin’ W cheese.”...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/19/washington/19nashville.html

LINK TO MUSIC ROW DEMOCRATS: http://www.musicrowdemocrats.com/

[Olney Blue]

1. Sweet music to my ears from the Music City.

Does anyone have a link on where to buy this music?

[tanyev]

2. Here's their website.

http://www.musicrowdemocrats.com/

[Olney Blue]

4. Thanks, tanyev. It's quite a site! Some great Dems down in Nashville...

this gives me alot of hope.

[blm]

7. Bobby Braddock is one of the best songwriters in country music history.

He and Rodney Crowell are VERY strong activist Dems.

BTW - for those unaware - Braddock wrote He Stopped Loving Her Today for George Jones - a song considered by many in the biz to be the GREATEST country song ever written.

Braddock has JUICE!

[Uncle Joe]

8. That was always one of my favorites,

thanks for the reminder blm.

[blm]

9. You're welcome. And I will add that it is also one of the best DELIVERED

songs ever, thanks to the Ol' Possum - another Democrat.

[Uncle Joe]

11. I agree, George Jones had some serious soul in his music. n/t

[JanusAscending]

16. Wow!

Lord, I love that old song!! that's real heart wrenching, cryin' tears, down home, Mountain Music!! DC

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I've edited the OP now to add the link. nt

[Olney Blue]

5. Thanks! I kicked and nominated. This is exciting news.

[Mabus]

6. "The Democratic party is the party for Southern working folk."

Short, succinct and to the point.

Be-you-tee-ful! More people need to know about this. Thanks for the head's up and the links.

:kick: and recommended.

[Uncle Joe]

10. This is most encouraging,

I will definitely have to buy this one.

Thanks for posting DeepModem Mom

Kicked and recommended!

:kick:

[OzarkDem]

12. Really very good music

Wow!

That town is full of talent. Recommended - listen and donate.

[Fly by night]

13. Same group that released "We're takin' our country back" in 2004

which is one hell of a song (hopefully someone here can post a link to it). I played it to start my talk at the election reform conference in Portland, Oregon last spring.

[Tigress DEM]

14. Love "I'm Takin My Country Back" and I normally don't "do" country

I started liking country a little when Alabama came on the scene, but even when the music is nice I can't stand the right wing rhetoric I have to listen to inbetween sets.

I was proud of the Dixie CHicks and even thought about buying their cds, but it's taken a long time to overcome the resistance to being preached at and scolded for being a DEM when you listen to most country stations.

THIS is a good solution and supports a great cause.

Should make GREAT Christmas presents for my right wing family members.

[xxqqqzme]

15. 'Conservative Christian, Right-wing Republican,

Straight, White American Males' is pretty good - a chuckle or two tucked in there.

My Conservative Christian, Right-wing Republican, Straight, White American dad loves coutry - He's getting this for Christmas!