Battle Of The Bands? Uh... Not Really
Super Bowl Weekend/Presidents Day Weekend... and normally we would end our contest on a Sunday-- one week from when we started. But because tomorrow isn't a work day for many people and because many people aren't going to be paying attention today, we decided to end the Disturbing the Peace contest tomorrow instead-- at noon (in whichever time zone you're in). This is the contest click this. It's easy, just contribute-- any amount-- to the candidate whose choice of a favorite musical artist indicates someone you would like to see in Congress.
That may sound strange but, keep in mind, all of these candidates have been thoroughly vetted and are all solid progressives who back Medical for All and the Green New Deal, for example. So, maybe you feel that someone who gets down with the Smashing Pumpkins or with The Temptations would make a more relatable-- or even better-- member of Congress.
Or maybe you just want to a chance to win the autographed Disturbing the Peace book and CD for yourself and want to help your favorite candidate win a $1,000 check from Blue America. These are the candidates and their favorite musical artists:
Shervin Aazami (CA)- New Order
Sergio Alcubilla (HI)- The Temptations
Jason Call (WA)- Pink Floyd
Ally Dalsimer (VA)- Carole King
Melanie D'Arrigo (NY)- Smashing Pumpkins
Chris Deluzio (PA)- Lady Gaga
Cristina Garcia (CA)- Cyndi Lauper
Alan Grayson (FL)- Joni Mitchell
Morgan Harper (OH)- Lauryn Hill
Steve Holden (NY)- U2
Lourin Hubbard (CA)- Kendrick Lamar
Alexandra Hunt (PA)- Imagine Dragons
Daniel Lee (CA)- Prince
Tom Nelson (WI)- AC/DC
Christine Olivo (FL)- Janet Jackson
Mike Ortega (CA)- Pink Floyd
Chris Preece (KY)- Iron Maiden
Kylie Taitano (CA)- the Postal Service
Neal Walia (CO)- Mos Def
And, again, here's where you can contribute. We're raised around $4,000 so far and as you can see on that page, our goal is $5,000. So... if you haven't contributed to a candidate yet, please do. Even one buck gets you entered for the book and cd drawing... and helps the candidate of your choice.
As you can see, Alan Grayson's favorite artist is Joni Mitchell-- and she really is; he knows every lyric or every song. Recently his home burned down to the ground-- everything was lost... except an autographed Joni Mitchell guitar. [That Janet Jackson video up top features Joni, one of Janet's all-time favorite singers.] When sending out an e-mail to his followers yesterday, he wrote "'Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?', sung by Bing Crosby, was the most popular song of 1932. It's part of Americana-- in fact, it was written for the Broadway musical Americana. Below is another part of musical Americana: Blue America PAC's fundraising for progressive candidates. The cost to participate is a dime (or more, if progress means more to you). Brothers and Sisters, contribute any amount, and help us win this contest. It would mean a lot to me.
Shervin Aazami, the San Fernando Valley progressive first-time candidate sent this out to his followers a couple of days ago:
Are you a fan of the band New Order? Even though the 80s weren’t my prime, I grew up listening to a lot of new wave music (thanks to having a bunch of older cousins). I’d like to tell you about a fun new fundraiser I’m involved in with progressive candidates across the country based on our favorite music.
So here’s the deal:
Our campaign is endorsed by Blue America, an organization that exclusively supports progressive candidates who take no corporate money and strongly supports policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Howie Klein, a former music industry producer, co-leads Blue America and also runs the Down With Tyranny blog (to which myself and other endorsed candidates frequently contribute).
Howie is giving away two signed copies of the book Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave by Bill Kopp, along with an accompanying CD. You can read Howie’s article on the contest here.
You will be entered into the contest to win the signed book and CD by contributing any amount to the fundraiser. There’s an added bonus that the candidate who gets the most individual donations in their name will get a $1,000 check from Blue America. You can either split the donations evenly amongst all the candidates or send a donation to our campaign specifically, increasing our chances of winning the $1,000 check! Howie is asking supporters to match their donation to the candidate’s favorite musical artist or band.
Now I want to make it clear that my all-time favorite band is Radiohead. However, since the book Howie is giving away is about New Wave music, I opted to select my favorite band of the genre: New Order.
After Ian Curtis, frontrunner for the amazing band Joy Division (another favorite), committed suicide in 1980, his bandmates Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris carried the torch of post-punk music forward and brought on keyboardist Gillian Gilbert. They created the band New Order, with Sumner as vocalist, lyricist, and guitarist.
I was in high school the first time I heard their 1983 album, Power, Corruption & Lies. Songs like “Age of Consent” and “Your Silent Face” are timeless treasures that bring me back to my angsty teenage years. In my view, the album was a beautiful combination of their dark, post-punk Joy Division roots with the growing trend of 80s synth that was exploding at the time.
They went on to write and record some of the greatest songs of the 1980s-- including the world-famous “Blue Monday” which I believe is the most emblematic song of the entire decade (I will fight you on this).
If you look at the other candidates’ favorites and decide you like their choice better, donate in their name. The bottom line is a donation to this fundraiser helps all of us. This unique fundraiser runs from now through Monday, February 14th. Please get your vote in ASAP!