Voice Of A Riot

Zack de la Rocha and DJ Shadow have released a new song called “March Of Death” which could possibly be the first truly successful pop song written by an established artist about post 9/11 politics. The lyrics are a step up from what de le Rocha was writing in Rage Against The Machine, and he delivers them with the appropriate level of toxic anger. However, the main appeal of the song for me is DJ Shadow’s backing track, which I think is the finest thing he’s turned out in quite a while. It’s a return to his pre-1995 one-man-Bomb Squad sound, and if there’s ever been an appropriate song/time to update the old PE sound, this is it. It sounds brutal and unruly, I’m very excited by the possibility that this song will likely be playlisted by Clearchannel rock stations all over the US on the strength of de la Rocha’s fanbase. I never particularly liked Rage Against The Machine, but I can definitely support this.

Is That A Question? Is That A Fucking Question?

For Todd and Joe:

Royal Trux “The Banana Question”

Royal Trux “Sunshine & Grease”

Royal Trux “Back To School”

Royal Trux “Juicy Juicy Juice”

Royal Trux “Dirty Headline”

Royal Trux “Blue Is The Frequency”

Royal Trux “You’re Gonna Lose”

A part of the reason why I’m posting these Royal Trux songs is in reaction to The Kills. I like The Kills just fine, they’ve got about five very good tunes, but it is almost impossible for me to hear them without a little voice in my mind chanting “Trux Lite! Trux Lite!” That’s sort of unfair, I know – The Kills actually sound a lot more like a bizarre hybrid of late 80s LA pop metal and late period Velvet Underground, and the Trux resemblence is fairly superficial. The Trux have an originality of sound and persona that I don’t think anyone could ever ape, so it would be sort of miraculous if there ever were actual Royal Trux soundalike bands out there.