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Help me with some musical self-care!
Posted on October 25, 2016
I need some self-care! With 14 days left until this damn election is over, I need some songs to get me through. Music has always helped me through tough political times. In 2004, Steve Earle’s The Revolution Starts Now provided a soundtrack that enabled me to yell out my frustrations and hope for a time beyond the Bush wars. The same year, A Perfect Circle released eMotive on Election Day. After watching the election results l
ate into the night, I remember putting on headphones and letting the album of mostly covers wash the depression away enough to bring back my motivations for my work.
This year, I’m playing Drive-By Truckers’ new album, American Band, on constant rotation. This socially conscious, smart, Southern band has been one of my favorite bands for the last 15 or 20 years. American Band puts forth the experience of being a Southern progressive in the time of Trump. As always, the DBT mixes a sense of depression and hope in a way that provides poetry for our time.
I need more! Has anyone else been using music to get through this dark election? If so, please share in the comments section.
Hi Matt & Friends!
Our band is the Missin’ Cousins and we play Alameda County & Western music, we’re in Oakland CA. We’re a Health Care for the Homeless provider, a disability rights lawyer and a middle school restorative justice practitioner, and we’re always stressed out by the world around us.
We found rantings written by Woody Guthrie from 1952 about his evil landlord: Fred Trump — old man trump. We put the words to music and put it on youtube for folks to listen to and a lot of folks have! Listen, and read the story about this incredible song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANuVKeYezs
love, david in Oakland.
This is amazing! Thanks for sharing. These Steve Earl lyrics come to mind:
So come back Woody Guthrie
Come back to us now
Tear your eyes from paradise
And rise again somehow
If you run into Jesus
Maybe he can help you out
Come back Woody Guthrie to us now
I love that you commented Dave!
Matt, I’m more of a classical/new age for escaping, but my oldest son introduced me to Drive By Truckers this summer and I really enjoy them! I also downloaded Trae Crawther’s “The Liberal Redneck’s Manifesto” and I’ve listened to it. I’m sure you’re already a fan, but if not, check him out!
As you know, I’ve been politically aware and involved for more than 5 decades now, and I’ve never been so viscerally gutted by a campaign process. It’s so bad that last night I posted on fb and told my family to all unfollow me until December. I feel horribly betrayed, on a very personal level, that they would so gleefully follow such a horrible, racist, misogynistic, abusive, person. Living in Kansas is always difficult if you have a more liberal philosophy, but it’s never before been so ugly.
I’d love to cheer you up, Matt, but right now, I don’t think I can help! I’m looking forward to the NAECHY conference this wkend just so I can talk to people who GET it!
Trae has been a much needed relief! I’m so thankful for the comedic insight of Trae, John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Daily Show, and Saturday Night Live. The relief is brief but needed!
Hang in their my friend!
Hi Matt. Bill Withers “Lean on Me” popped into my mind for some reason. https://youtu.be/KEXQkrllGbA?list=RDKEXQkrllGbA
Never a bad time for Bill Withers! I very appropriate song for our times…and an amazing version. Thanks for ray of sunshine!
Hey Matt, I listened to Hamilton on Amazon Prime recently. It was a moving experience. I read the book last year, and the musical just provided tremendous emotional depth to his story, which is an integral part of our American story. A bastard immigrant from a Caribbean isle who joined the military, fought for our country, and rose to power through his sheer brilliance is a stark contrast to the drumpf platform.But you also get a taste of how brutal politics was even then. So anyway, that’s my recommendation. I would recommend listening to a couple of songs a day and time it to finish on election eve. In fact I may do this myself…..Thanks, stay well.
Great idea! My teammate LOVES Hamilton but I haven’t listened to it much. It is on my self-care plan!
I recommend Phosphorescent Harvest by Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Cheers me up every time. That and Metalachi’s cover of Sweet Child o’ Mine.
Love Chris Robinson, provided the sound track for my sophomore year. Love the cover…I’m actually going as Axl Rose for Halloween!
I recommend Phosphorescent Harvest by Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Cheers me up every time. That and Metalachi’s cover of Sweet Child o’ Mine.
Love Chris Robinson, provided the sound track for my sophomore year. Love the cover…I’m actually going as Axl Rose for Halloween!
Hey Matt! I’m a fan of Home Free, an Acappella “country” band who does it ALL through vocal works! One of their fun works this summer was their cover of
“Try Everything” from Zootopia ! Check them out on You Tube,as well as their own website. Hang in there…
Thanks! I haven’t heard of them. Love their Seven Bridges Road Cover! One of my go to road trip songs in High School!!!
Hey Matt! I’m a fan of Home Free, an Acappella “country” band who does it ALL through vocal works! One of their fun works this summer was their cover of
“Try Everything” from Zootopia ! Check them out on You Tube,as well as their own website. Hang in there…
Thanks! I haven’t heard of them. Love their Seven Bridges Road Cover! One of my go to road trip songs in High School!!!
“Hold Your Head Up,” by Argent, is a rock piece from the 1970s that still sounds good and does the trick, as it were. I recommend the long version. Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Gratitude” album, also from the 70s, has rousing R&B, jazz and classical blends, like Chicago Transit Authority. Check out “Beginnings” on that one. You may want to dip into the art of Jean Rohe, Becca Stevens, Cecil McLorin Salvant and Cyrille Aimee (for female jazz [and more] vocalists). Gregory Porter is a favorite male jazz vocalist. His “Black Nile,” on his first album, “Water,” is fast-paced and up-lifting, but the album has great original love songs and standards. These artists will take care of you.
Knew I could count on something good from you my friend!