When most people think about political music, what usually comes to mind are the sounds of the singer-songwriters of the 1960s or the even older sounds of depression-era folksingers like Woody Guthrie, because a lot of excellent protest songs came out of both of these time periods. Political music, however, did not die with the '60s. The idea that music could be used as social commentary was carried forward by the punk movement starting the late 1970s, with bands like the Clash and the Dead Kennedys, who saw music as an ideal way to spread their thoughts on society.

Punk has continued to use music to spread dissident ideas, with many bands embracing anarchism and other anti-authoritarian social theories. It has become popular, especially among white-belted hipsters and art school kids, to pronounce punk rock to be dead, or dismiss it as immature, derivative, naive, or meaningless, but there is a new crop of bands right here in Seattle that prove the nay-sayers wrong. Many people aren't aware of it yet, but there is a growing scene of bands that are mixing styles and making statements, carrying on the tradition of punk rock as meaningful political commentary. A complete overview of this scene isn't possible because of space constraints, but read on to learn about a few of the bands making their mark, and their statements, in Seattle right now.

The Pinkos:The Pinkos are a two-piece band that blend old style punk rock with folk and a little country. The band is made up of singer/guitarist Vanessa Veselka of the band Bell, who works by day as an SEIU labor organizer, and drummer Steve Moriarty, formerly of Seattle's legendary band the Gits. The Pinkos have an excellent album available on the longtime punk label Empty Records, which contains several excellent songs about police abuses, the state of democracy in America, women's roles in society, and their own personal experiences. The album also contains a sort of mission statement for the band, expressing their support for populist ideas, direct action, and the do-it-yourself ethic in music and arts that is so crucial to the punk movement.

Mea Culpa: Mea Culpa is a band that, while having a more straightforward punk sound than the Pinkos, mixes a variety of different musical styles ranging from country, to punk, to Motown, to ska. Their music is fun to listen to, and their songs make statements about consumer culture, police brutality, closed mindedness, and the anti-corporate globalization movement, among other themes. Mea Culpa recently started playing shows again after a several month hiatus to teach their songs to their new drummer, so go see one of their shows. Or check them out on-line at www.meaculpamusic.homestead.com.

The November Group: Containing several prominent local activists, this abrasive hardcore punk band is among the most political groups in the area. Their music and lyrics combine to create a ferocious protest against the ugliness they see in the world around them, objecting to global capitalism, sexism, and the pacifying force of conformity among other themes. The November Group often distributes lyric sheets at their concerts so everyone knows exactly what they're singing about, and has the opportunity to sing along if they want. They have recently begun playing shows again after a short hiatus, so go check them out.

August Spies: Named after an anarchist who was falsely convicted and executed for his beliefs after the famous Haymarket Square riots, August Spies is another band that is by no means subtle about their politics. Containing former members of Stink and avant-garde political rock band Agitpop, August Spies (pronounced "Spees") experiments with sounds that diverge from a traditional punk rock base, keeping the music dynamic and interesting. They have a four song EP available, and are well worth seeing live.

All of these bands and others played at the Secluded Alley Works show on November 30 that was shut down by police [see lead article-ed.]; Mea Culpa was on stage when police arrived. And three--August Spies, Mea Culpa, and the Pinkos--played at the August ETS! benefit at Gibsons'. Many of Seattle's political bands play extensive benefits.

This is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of political bands in Seattle. Within the punk scene, there other bands that I couldn't find much information about, but are worth seeing. Among these are The St. Louis Smiles, a great old style punk band; Shitlist, a very political grind/crust band that is among the best in their genre; great punk rookies the One False Move (formerly Dead Americans); and many others. There are also great local political musicians in other scenes (like the Seattle hip hop scene) that are well worth seeing. The tradition of political music is a long and rich one both locally and globally, and as long as there are dissidents, music will be used as a means to spread new ideas.