February
2005
Cold
Weather. Hot Music.
By Eric Weiss
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Caninus’ Basil
contemplates the vegan revolution...and her next walk. |
As the mercury drops this winter, many of us find our
inspiration levels falling right along with it. Let’s face it,
even the most dedicated activists can find themselves trapped in the
winter doldrums. After
all, how can we march united in the streets when we can barely feel
our feet in the bitter cold? And really, how can we scream out against
injustice with layers of scarves muffling our collective voices? And
hey, ever try to hold a “No Fur!” banner while wearing
mittens? It’s just not a pretty sight.
The truth is, being stuck inside all winter sucks. But, we can feel better by
listening to inspiring music that will serve to warm our hearts with messages
of compassion and hope; as the following music surely will. There’s nothing
like music with a message, music with a pulse, music that will get your blood
boiling...even if it is freezing outside.
Caninus Now The Animals Have A Voice (War Torn Records)
Certainly, the most unique record to come out in recent memory has to be by New
York City’s Caninus. That’s right, canine...as in dogs. Believe it
or not, the two lead vocalists of this heavy metal grindcore band are two pit
bulls! Basil and Budgie, who were both adopted from animal shelters (Basil was
being trained to fight by her former “caretaker” and Budgie was found
after being thrown out of a car) are now happily living with vegan musicians
who also happen to be members of Caninus. After recording Basil and Budgie’s
growls and barks, the human members of Caninus put the dogs’ “vocals” to
some incredibly fierce music. This is not merely a novelty record however, songs
about the inhumanity of breeding dogs to fight, “Bite The Hand That Breeds
You,” the media’s demonization of the entire pit bull breed, “Misunderstood
Machines (Fuck The Media),” and the truth about how dogs really own people
and not vice versa, “No Dogs, No Masters,” will make you laugh, bang
your head, and think.
With lyrics like, “I’m a living, breathing creature not a drug dealer’s
accessory” and more light-heartedly, “You might have a leash around
my neck, but who’s the one picking up my poo?” Caninus’ Now
The Animals Have A Voice truly lives up to its promise.
Strike Anywhere To Live in Discontent (Jade Tree Records)
When it comes to truly inspiring protest music, music that can send fire through
your veins even while there’s a cold chill outside, look no further than
Richmond, Virginia’s Strike Anywhere. Their latest offering, To Live
In
Discontent, features rare and unreleased material, including their excellent,
yet out of print (until now) Chorus of One EP.
In a time when dissent has become a dirty and sometimes dangerous word, Strike
Anywhere write seething, inspirational protest songs that leave the listener
feeling as if they can change the world. While much of the music on this disc
was recorded in 2000, remarkably, it feels completely relevant even today, as
is evidenced by lyrics from “Chorus of One,” “If we just look
inside each of us, a thousand rebellions sleep. You dance upon rights not yours
to give, judgments made upon the way we live. Your bigotry is stamped in action
and in law inside the corpse of your prosperity.” Bringing to mind both
the raw anger of punk and the spirit of Pete Seeger, politically-minded music
fans will undoubtedly find merit in their blend of melody and well-placed aggression.
Relevant indeed.
Unlike many of their peers who simply spew a laundry list of things to hate,
Strike Anywhere actually empowers listeners with chronicles of injustice and
rage framed with an unwavering hope for a better tomorrow. Their desire for real
change is evidenced by their work with groups like Punk Voter, Planned Parenthood
and animal advocacy groups like PETA2 and FaunaVision; all of whom have been
invited to their shows to conduct educational tabling.
Tamora There’s No Tomorrow Baby, So How About Tonight? (Happy Couples Never
Last Records)
If there was ever a band that walks their talk, it is Tamora. While many punk
bands are content with empty rhetoric, Tamora have taken the idea of art as activism
to heart. Not only has Tamora put out some blistering music, they’ve made
it even more interesting with socially conscious lyrics—and with tongue-in-cheek
song titles to boot. With titles like “Art Has The Responsibility To Alienate
The Enemy,” “I Don’t Mind If You’re Straight, As Long
As You Act Gay Around Me,” and “It’s Hard To Eat Meat With
Broken Fingers,” Tamora has succeeded in tackling serious subject matter
without leaving you feeling as if you’re reading a college textbook. In “I
Don’t Mind If You’re Straight, As Long As You Act Gay Around Me,” Tamora
celebrate love outside of traditional heterosexual boundaries, “Love cannot
be bound by GENDER. Love is a gift. Don’t surrender!” Kudos to them
for being bold enough to address gender issues within the confines of the all
too often hetero-male world of hardcore punk.
In “It’s Hard To Eat Meat With Broken Fingers,” the lyrics
begin from the tortured “food” animal’s perspective: “It’s
cold here. I’m tired of being beaten. I’m waiting for the grass.
I’m waiting for the sun here. Seems like we’ve been screaming forever.
Please take away the sorrow. Please let me out to run.” Then, switching
over to their own voice, Tamora express the frustration so many vegetarians feel, “I
cannot see how you think that eating animals is a personal choice. When the animals
have no say in the deciding of their future.”
Much to their credit, Tamora’s empathy stretches far beyond their lyric
sheet; in 2004 the members of Tamora attended numerous KFC protests while on
tour, even posting their protest dates on their website along with their tour
dates!
How’s that for inspiring?
Band information: Caninus: www.pitbullgrindcore.com, Strike Anywhere: www.strikeanywhere.org,
Tamora: www.tamorakills.com.
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