Monday, March 29, 2010

Plastic People of the Universe-Egon Bondy's Happy Hearts Club Banned

I figured since I mentioned these freaks I should probably up one of their albums for those who might be interested. Normally, I try to stay distant from any rock music with a political agenda. I can't tell you how many horrible punk songs with half baked ideologies spouting party line rhetoric I've suffered through. Dudes, you're not Gramsci, so just give it a rest for now. The with this type of approach is that its fans already agree with the argument. No one is going to be converted or offended or shocked by this type of music (though I will admit a penchant for Reagan baiting songs). But this is a case where music can be successful and political. Largely in part because it's confrontational and weird not preachy and derivative. Weened on Zappa & the Velvet Underground (not really sure how they got those records), these Czech refuseniks channeled the noise and freakiness of their forefathers and provided a musical lineage to the later velvet revolution. Even Havel was a big fan of theirs.

Here

1 comment:

  1. Awesome, love this one--what a great way to protest your shitty government! Just wrote about this one too on my music blog.

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