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I've been listening to David Rovics a lot recently and I think he deserves a wider audience.
He springs out of the US folk tradition and has taken some time to find his own voice. Like many folk singers his first album was mostly songs by other people.
But since then he's really come into his own. Most of his songs are just him and an acoustic guitar, which works really well. Partly because he has a really good voice. It's strong and very accessible, certainly when compared to people like Utah Philips or Rosalie Sorrels, who tend to be more of an acquired taste for many people.
I'm also constantly impressed by his emotional versatility, which isn't always expected from such highly political artists. He runs the whole gamut from tender love songs (Behind the Barricades) to humour (After the Revolution) to pure fiery anger (Strike a Blow Against the Empire) to more sombre reflection (Song for Basra)
In the current political climate I think that songs like Song for the ELF (the Earth Liberation Front) are actually very brave, even if you don't entirely agree with the politics.
You can find most of his songs on Soundclick (provided by Rovics himself, so it's totally legit). I'd recommend starting with either the album Hang a Flag in the Window or Return, both of which are excellent introductions to his work.
He should also be touring the UK in Autumn (probably with Attila the Stockbroker again), although the details are still to be finalised. |
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