Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Lance ·
Jun 1, 2011 at 5:17pm
Growing up in Phoenix, AZ, summer didn't wait for Memorial Day to start, officially or unofficially. So I have been anxious to post this for awhile. Its from the Decemberists new album, The King is Dead. Its a sweet ode to summer. And on this first day of June, an appropriate one at that. Regarding the second tune, you should recognize it as the glorious bumper music that kicks off the main Ricochet podcast, available on that same album. A lot of folks point out the album's is a bit of an ode to early R.E.M. And really, that's the best R.E.M. to harken back to.
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Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
This is one of those bands I love but have to purposely put their politics out of my mind.
Nov '10
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
That speaks to the very mission statement that personally drives this exercise for me, aside from just sharing music I really enjoy...demonstrating that there is room for appreciating the crafts and skills of others, in spite of how we may feel about their politics. Separating the two is how we are supposed to ensure we all get along while each fighting our good fight. In reality, due to the obvious lack of reciprocal efforts or intentions on the other side, I tend to let it feed my self-righteousness.
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Awww, we just retired The Decemberists this week. But I highly recommend this video (then click on watch) recorded at KCRW (LA's public radio outlet and the home of Rob Long's Martini Shot). Their live version of REM's "Cuyahoga" is not be missed and may in fact be better than REM's.
Edited on Jun 1, 2011 at 12:50pmFeb '11
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Mollie , I felt as you did about politics and music until Lance persuaded me over to his way of viewing the both of them. I boycotted the Decemberists after they did a fundraiser for Obama but I am back on board with them.
Edited on Jun 1, 2011 at 2:50pmApr '11
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Another example of a band like this is Midnight Oil, an Australian rock band that's very environmentalist and anti-business. These form the basis for the themes in many of their songs. Take a look at this song, Blue Sky Mine, or this one, River Runs Red. While I disagree with them politically, it's good music, so I tend to just ignore the political themes.
Nov '10
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Dan IV
... While I disagree with them politically, it's good music, so I tend to just ignore the political themes.
I hear that; John Lennon was hardly a conservative!
Nov '10
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Dan IV
Another example of a band like this is Midnight Oil...
Midnight Oil, now that's a band that deserves a posting. An incredibly liberal band...yet one that put its money where its mouth was. The very tall, very ball lead singer actually got involved in Australian politics and serving on the boards of some very liberal, yet very serious organizations like Green Peace and the Surfrider Foundation, of which he was a founding member. He did get elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 and has seen the value in tempering his rhetoric. Per the know-it-alls at Wikipedia...
He now supports the the U.S- Australian alliance and argues for environmental causes inside (but not outside) the Labor Party, but will observe the decisions of the ALP caucus, including accepting any decision to change Labor's "no new uranium mines"
While the media sometimes labeled him a "turncoat", some commentators...defended his need to be a "team player" if he was going to play the political game "from the inside".
They will always remind me of my sophomore year girlfriend, whom lent me her tape just before we broke up. It was never returned.
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
I'd never heard June Hymn, but my introduction to the Decemberists about six years ago was the song "July, July." Still one of my favorites.
May '10
Re: Today's SongS of the Day- The Decemberists "June Hymn" & "This is Why We Fight"
Dan IV
Another example of a band like this is Midnight Oil...
Midnight Oil, ..lead singer actually got involved in Australian politics and serving on the boards of some very liberal, .. like Green Peace and the Surfrider Foundation, of which he was a founding member.
Beautiful song, lots of memories of childhood's summer that never seemed to end, but then it suddenly does and you are back to school uniforms again.
Midnight Oil's Peter Garret is a serious Aussie Leftist, ex- Nuclear Disarmament Leader, Greens supporter and now in Cabinet. Garrett utterly incompetently presided over a $5B debacle of providing (GFC Stimulus money) for free building insulation to help reduce greenhouse gasses.
In the mess that resulted, criminal fraud, electrocution deaths of installers, and warming house fires for those who did not get shocked when in their roof-space
Naturally The Oil's hit "How Do We Sleep When the Beds Are Burning" got lots of play at that time. Garret moved to another portfolio after his cabinet colleagues got sick of it all. A millionaire rockstar but a government fraud and failure.
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