The Village Bicycle

Awww, summertime. Cold beers, warm nights, coconut tanning oil, and giving it to the man with free love and rockin’ folk music.

Under the Radar Magazine has boldly chosen the Top 10 Protest Songs of the 21st Century for their current summer Protest Issue. The cover photo featuring Michael Stipe and Isaac Brock looking hip — and a little distant doesn’t quite inspire me enough to take to the streets. Come on guys, this is the protest issue - let’s look a little like we care for the picture. But thankfully, there’s a few golden nuggets and precious gems in the list that actually do fuel the fires of action. And that’s a lot for the day after the 4th of July.

UTR’s Top 10 Protest Songs of the 21st Century:
(disclaimer - the links don’t go to the best videos but the best sound quality)
1. Bright Eyes When the President Talks to God (2005)
2. Jarvis Cocker Cunts Are Still Running the World (2006)

4. Talib Kweli and Cornel West Bushonomics (2007)
5. Kris Kristofferson In the News (2006)
6. Arcade Fire Intervention (2007)
7. Sleater-Kinney Combat Rock (2002)
8. Elbow Leaders of the Free World (2005)
9. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings What if We All Stopped Paying Taxes (2002)
10. Bruce Springsteen How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live (2006) For an AMAZING video (bad sound) of Bruce click here.

Bright Eyes’ boring “when the president talks to god” got number 1? What? Protest songs are supposed to inspire (i.e. Sharon Jones funking it up!) not bring me down with the shittyness of life. Ah, well, I guess I should just be happy that Pink’s not featured anywhere on this list.

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