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March 29, 2024


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The Dead Kennedy's
Music and a REAL MESSAGE

By: Luke McCaine

When I turned on my radio I nearly threw up. Do you want to know why I nearly threw up? Well I'll tell you why. It was because of the music that our beloved radio stations are playing. The first song that I heard was Mouth by Bush. This song lyrics made no sense to me. It was almost as if Gavin Rossdale was simply saying words that went with the music. There wasn't any inspiration, it was simply words, I don't feel he put his heart into his music. That is what I feel is wrong with a great deal of today's popular music, its all a formula, a formula to make radio friendly single that kids can sing along to for a little while until they grow tired of it and Weird Al does a parody of it. There's no emotion, no lyrical substance on the radio anymore. Now I'm gonna take you back in time a few years, back to when a punk rock/ new wave band named the Dead Kennedy's was starting to get some airplay. This time was the early 1980's. The DK's were gaining a following after their song California Uber Alles was released. Jello Biafra (the singer/lyricist) continually wrote pointed lyrics commenting on the state of the world, politics, their personal lives and social issues. They weren't afraid to play even the most controversial songs and they weren't afraid who they offended if they felt they were right, and the other party was wrong. The perfect example of this is when Biafra found out that nazi groups were becoming big fans of theirs, he responded by writing the song Nazi Punks, Fuck Off because he felt fascism and being a nazi is wrong. He wasn't afraid to lose a major part of their fan base because he thought the nazi wannabes were bad people and he didn't want them to idolize him. That is what we need today. Bands who aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe in and writing about how they feel and believe instead of creating radio friendly ear candy for the masses.

So basically I just want to say, DK's I salute you and its a shame there aren't more bands like you out there. You guys knew what music was about and you never sold out. I encourage everybody out there to buy a copy of Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Plastic Surgery Disasters, Give me Convenience or give Me Death, Frankenchrist or Bedtime for Democracy and find out what a real inspired band sounds like.

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