I discovered this band, Old Crow Medicine Show, by chance, following a link from DemocracyNow! to Pete Seeger's birthday bash. But I've been on a mountain beauty binge lately and this has been great accompaniment. I was just talking with a somewhat right-wing guy, former military mercenary, kind of a jack Mormon about Martin Luther King's Where Do We Go From Here? Chaos Or Community. I had OCMS playing in the background and he said 'This is Redneck music, you read Martin Luther King and listen to Redneck music.' That comment made me feel 'diverse' - gave me a big warm fuzzy, but it shouldn's seem all that strange. This guy with the racist information that's fairly easy to undermine with some conversation watches Michael Moore's Sicko and wondered why there wasn't a revolution in the States. Except that he doesn't drink he might make Cynthia Peters nervous. I guess we should all just get out and enjoy bullshitting with everyone.

   I had another short  conversation over the weekend about Basic Income. 'How do you pay for it?' but that naturally leads to 'How do you pay for anything? like the trillion dollars to AIG and Morgan Stanley or whoever, Phil Gramm's Texas Pork.' I think Basic Income might be a 'dangerous idea' like Naomi Klein's 'dangerous' Shock Doctrine book. It's dangerous because it can be understood, Everyone gets a check, everyone deserves a piece of the pie. Michael Moore says the government is efficient at delivering social security checks on time. He also says that country music is way more progressive than rock.  (Of course once people are free from the fear of not surviving, this strategic guranteed income reform should help redesign a more particpatory, self-managed pie.)

  I like listening to this 'Deliverance'  (is that movie some kind of On The Waterfront propaganda that keeps large scale solidarity from Appalachia and the struggle there, as it's being bombed with government sanction? ) music as I drive up to Miyazaki Mountains in Takachiho, Toroku.I have to find time to write up the mining and pollution issues in this beautiful mountain town's history, and also the ecological ethics of killing and eating the deer and wild boar there. But in the meantime I'll just post this progressive 'redneck' or 'new grass sensation' music, lyrics and video link.
 
  The university student from the mountain town, and the young woman that works in photographer's studio liked Ozomatli. There's some invigorating, enlivening and vivacious urban music for you. I learned about them from Republican (or was it Democractic) convention protests. Now the US Embassy in Thailand has them playing in Orphanages!. But, back then, fter RATM finished the free concert for protestors Ozomatli had the plug pulled on them - but they kept playing and walked out with people. Impressive, as is their diverse music - Medusa rap, hairy cumbia, 'no slowin' down' salsa...

Video available on their site. I like the Take 'em Away, lyrics too - they bring Bob Marley's Concrete Jungle to my mind.

I Hear Them All

I hear the crying of the hungry
In the deserts where they're wandering
Hear them crying out for Heaven's own
Benevolence upon them
Hear destructive power prevailing
I hear fools falsely hailing
To the crooked wits of tyrants when they call

I hear them all (3 times)

I hear the sounds of tearing pages
And the roar of burning paper
All the crimes in acquisition
Turn to air and ash and vapor
And the rattle of the shackle
Far beyond emancipators
And the loneliest who gather in their stalls

I hear them all (3 times)

So, while you sit and whistle Dixie
With your money and your power
I can hear the flowers a-growing
In the rubble of the towers
I hear leaders quit their lyin'
I hear babies quit their cryin'
I hear soldiers quit their dyin', one and all

I hear them all (3 times)

I hear the tender words from Zion
I hear Noah's waterfall
Hear the gentle lamb of Judah
Sleeping at the feet of Buddha
And the prophets from Elijah
To the old Paiute Wovoka
Take their places at the table when they're called

I hear them all (9 times)