Spring Break
The Daily OrangeSoundtrack hopes for better 'Future'
By Alex Grosby
Posted: 11/2/04, 1:59 AM EST Section: Face the Music
Various Artists
"Future Soundtrack for America"
Genre: All over the place
Next of Kin: "Rock Against Bush," "Peace Not War"
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Today is Election Day and one hopes everyone is going out to the polls and fulfilling their civic duties. But a choice just as important as Bush versus Kerry (or Nader or Badnarik) needs to be made first: what are voters going to rock on the iPod on the way to or in line at the polls? This fine collection is nominated as a good musical statement to back up your votes today.
"Future Soundtrack for America" is the brainchild of MoveOn.org, a political action committee that works toward funding progressive candidates for office. With the help of John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants, the organization created the CD as a fund-raiser for itself and other progressive not-for-profit organizations such as Music For America, Common Assets and The Sierra Club, among others. All of the profits of each sale go straight to these organizations, thanks to indie label Barsuk records, home of Death Cab For Cutie. In essence, purchasing the album itself is a political process.
So, a good deed is being done, but how about the actual album? When you've got as dynamite a lineup as this album, it's hard to beat. Many of the tracks are nothing new, either live cuts from the Flaming Lips or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, remixes from R.E.M. or Blink-182's contributions, or songs from as-of-then unreleased albums like Tom Waits and Elliott Smith, but the rehashed cuts don't detract from this compilation.
Mike Doughty, formerly of Soul Coughing, gives MoveOn.org its own theme song with a funky little ditty citing, around his chorus, his reasons for believing the Bush administration is wrong. OKGO takes a rare moment from its driving power rock to cover '60s band the Zombies with the song "This Will Be Our Year," and the result is a very solid cover that sums up people taking the power back. will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas also contributed a solo track entitled "Money," citing the alleged driving force of Washington today. They Might Be Giants finally releases its cover of "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," much to the delight of its fans, which Flansburgh calls the first "hit" campaign song.
"Future Soundtrack" is a great item to be grooving along to while waiting to vote, and buying such a stellar LP and helping not-for-profit organizations is just icing on the cake. Heck, if this is the "Future Soundtrack," maybe the future doesn't look so bleak. Don't be indecisive, pick up "Future Soundtrack" for Election Day.
"Future Soundtrack for America"
Genre: All over the place
Next of Kin: "Rock Against Bush," "Peace Not War"
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Today is Election Day and one hopes everyone is going out to the polls and fulfilling their civic duties. But a choice just as important as Bush versus Kerry (or Nader or Badnarik) needs to be made first: what are voters going to rock on the iPod on the way to or in line at the polls? This fine collection is nominated as a good musical statement to back up your votes today.
"Future Soundtrack for America" is the brainchild of MoveOn.org, a political action committee that works toward funding progressive candidates for office. With the help of John Flansburgh from They Might Be Giants, the organization created the CD as a fund-raiser for itself and other progressive not-for-profit organizations such as Music For America, Common Assets and The Sierra Club, among others. All of the profits of each sale go straight to these organizations, thanks to indie label Barsuk records, home of Death Cab For Cutie. In essence, purchasing the album itself is a political process.
So, a good deed is being done, but how about the actual album? When you've got as dynamite a lineup as this album, it's hard to beat. Many of the tracks are nothing new, either live cuts from the Flaming Lips or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, remixes from R.E.M. or Blink-182's contributions, or songs from as-of-then unreleased albums like Tom Waits and Elliott Smith, but the rehashed cuts don't detract from this compilation.
Mike Doughty, formerly of Soul Coughing, gives MoveOn.org its own theme song with a funky little ditty citing, around his chorus, his reasons for believing the Bush administration is wrong. OKGO takes a rare moment from its driving power rock to cover '60s band the Zombies with the song "This Will Be Our Year," and the result is a very solid cover that sums up people taking the power back. will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas also contributed a solo track entitled "Money," citing the alleged driving force of Washington today. They Might Be Giants finally releases its cover of "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," much to the delight of its fans, which Flansburgh calls the first "hit" campaign song.
"Future Soundtrack" is a great item to be grooving along to while waiting to vote, and buying such a stellar LP and helping not-for-profit organizations is just icing on the cake. Heck, if this is the "Future Soundtrack," maybe the future doesn't look so bleak. Don't be indecisive, pick up "Future Soundtrack" for Election Day.
