I planned to use this post to review Welsh experimental rockers Future of The Left's new album Travels with Myself and Another. Consistent with my theory about artists from secluded and relatively marginalized regions, Future of The Left have a sound that could only really be developed in their peripheral territory—Wales sits upon the English isle proper and certainly absorbs its fair share of popular Western culture, but being an often forgotten country, I believe it interprets this culture in a far different way from a more prominent nation. Future of The Left's sound is a fine example: it easily fits within the framework of current music, but stands out and is not easily typecast.
Significantly, within the first thirty seconds of opening track "Arming Eritrea," I was immediately reminded of a band that saw much mainstream success in the 90s. The sharp guitar and angry shout of vocalist Andy Falkous is reminiscent of the leftist rap-metal of Rage Against the Machine.
Rage Against The Machine instilled quasi-leftist values in a generation of politically illiterate young people. They provided late Gen-Xers with the language to discuss neo-Marxist beliefs and articulate unrest with Western governments. Yes, this disillusioned generation could now discuss politics and look convincing whilst sporting Che Guevara t-shirts, but they could not debate on the issues—it was more of a regurgitation of leftist ideals. They were literate in regards to politics, but not informed. You cannot debate simply by regurgitating rhyming couplets meant to be rapped atop a nu-metal backdrop. Moreover, this generation then made the misguided connection between their own unemployed plight and "evil" policies espoused by Western governments.
There is such a disconnect between the initial message Rage intended to spread through their music and the message that was interpreted and then misrepresented by their fans. People under the age of 30 tend to lean towards leftist ideals. In a quote often attributed to Sir Winston Churchill (though there is much debate as to whether he actually said it), he states that "Any man who is under 30 and is not a liberal has no heart; any man who is over 30 and is not a conservative has no brain." That being said, Rage appealed to a generation of youth who already were preconditioned towards certain leftist ideals. It helped their cause even more so that this generation was suffering through the recessive economy of the early 90s and a shortage of jobs due to a combination of the weak economy and the fact that the previous baby boom generation monopolized the job market. So, the disillusionment felt by these young men and women (mostly men though....how many female Rage fans have you met?) then morphed into a neo-Marxist political agenda—but a rather misinformed one at that. It is quite a leap to go from a general hatred of working at the GAP to espousing the invocations of class struggle and militaristic leftist revolution preached by a guerilla leader who has become a marketable symbol.
Let us not overlook the sad irony that Rage Against the Machine became a working mechanism within the greater machine that they took aim at. As anti-capitalist as Rage was, they themselves became a brand. Yes, this brand carried a message of left-wing ideals and bemoaned the actions of large corporations, but this brand also upheld much of what it crusaded against. By playing concerts promoted by Clear Channel, selling tickets through Ticketmaster, releasing albums through Epic Records (a subsidiary of Sony), selling albums at Best Buy, and packaging these albums in plastic cases made in China, Rage Against the Machine sit upon the apex of hypocrisy. In their defense, guitarist Tom Morello has argued that participation in the corporate realm of popular music is necessary to properly spread their message to the masses. Although I do agree to a certain extent, this ultimately proves that the machine cannot be stopped, let alone raged against. Ultimately, Rage's message is as misguided as that of their politically naïve fans.
Also, let us not forget that Rage paved the way for the rap-rock trend of the mid-to-late 90s, an unforgivable act that spawned the likes of Limp Bizkit, Crazy Town, Kid Rock (in his pre-country days), Head(pe), and even old KoRn. Nothing makes one more constipated than old corn.
What was I supposed to write about? Oh, right, Future of The Left. Ummm...enjoy.
