# anyone else have this musical dilemma? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2001, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558 "2001-07-15T06:47:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/1 "2001-07-15T06:47:40Z")
What are you supposed to do when you really like a band, but can’t stand their politics? I am fairly conservative politically, and although most, if not all, bands are left-leaning politically, it really bothers me when i find a band that I really love, only to find out their political leanings i can’t stomach. 2 good examples of this are Rage Against The Machine and The Beautiful South. Both bands are avowed socialists, which I find reprehensible. But the music made by both bands is highly entertaining and original. Are there any conservative musical acts? I can only think of James Brown and Loretta Lynn off the top of my head (both are registered Republicans). Sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I don’t know how controversial this will be. Thanx Chris W ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/2 "2001-07-15T07:09:08Z")
Ted Nugent is pretty damn conservative but musically, he really hasn’t accomplished much in recent years although he still tours regularly. ---
**Author:** ![TitoBenito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2acd7d/32.png) [@TitoBenito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TitoBenito)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/3 "2001-07-15T07:09:29Z")
Ted Nugent. Many country groups too, all though definatly not all. Also oddly enough Johnny Ramone. ---
**Author:** ![sewalk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/4 "2001-07-15T07:16:03Z")
I just looked up the [website](http://www.tnugent.com/) of the Motor City Madman. How many other rock and roll oriented websites sell pistol ammunition? > [@](#): > > “official Ted Nugent Whackmaster Ammunition by Corbon” Available in .41 Magnum, .45 Colt, and .454 Casull. Talk about some serious firepower. ---
**Author:** ![vtel57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a8b319/32.png) [@vtel57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vtel57)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/5 "2001-07-15T07:21:37Z")
Well Riserius, In answer to your query, I’d have to say that you should remember there’s more to life than politics. So with that in mind, enjoy the music. If you were going to base everything you watched or listened to or read or admired on whether the artist has similar political leanings to yourself you would very rarely find anything you could enjoy. I’m relatively conservative, but I like Rage Against the Machine and Alec Baldwin movies too. So what? I just figure everyone has a right in this country to their own personal choices and beliefs regarding politics. I don’t have to like them personally to enjoy their artistic offerings. And you sure don’t want to start boycotting actors or artists or musicians because of their political leanings, because they are notoriously left leaning, as you mentioned. You’d be left with very little to enjoy. Regards, ---
**Author:** ![Kaje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@Kaje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaje)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/6 "2001-07-15T07:37:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vtel57 \* > \*\*And you sure don’t want to start boycotting actors or artists or musicians because of their political leanings, because they are notoriously left leaning, as you mentioned. You’d be left with very little to enjoy. \*\* plus you’d look like a fool… though there may have been merit to boycotting those ice-cube (or what it ice-t?) albums causes the cop-killer thing, those people just looked like idiots to me and I was only like 10. as people have said, there’s more to people than politics, especially when its an artist. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/7 "2001-07-15T07:52:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kaje \* > plus you’d look like a fool… though there may have been merit to boycotting those ice-cube (or what it ice-t?) albums causes the cop-killer thing, those people just looked like idiots to me and I was only like 10. > \*\* Careful **Kaje**. There’s some irony in that statement just waiting to surface. ---
**Author:** ![Kaje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@Kaje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaje)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/8 "2001-07-15T08:01:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Moe \* > \*\*Careful **Kaje**. There’s some irony in that statement just waiting to surface. \*\* dunno _exactly_ what you’re referring to, but in my statement “causes” should be “'cause of”… and granted 10 year old’s aren’t the standing authority on censorship, but my point was that it didn’t take an expert to see how rediculous they were acting ---
**Author:** ![handandahalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@handandahalf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handandahalf)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/9 "2001-07-15T09:01:19Z")
But these guys are solidly conservative, and exceptionally talented. They don’t have major label recognition, but according to all of the band members that I have spoken with, they don’t want it. Unlike Rage, they’re just not willing to compromise their principles. You can find them here: [http://www.pokerface.com](http://www.pokerface.com) ---
**Author:** ![handandahalf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@handandahalf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handandahalf)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/10 "2001-07-15T09:24:09Z")
But these guys are solidly conservative, and exceptionally talented. They don’t have major label recognition, but according to all of the band members that I have spoken with, they don’t want it. Unlike Rage, they’re just not willing to compromise their principles. You can find them here: [http://www.pokerface.com](http://www.pokerface.com) ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/11 "2001-07-15T13:26:29Z")
Most conservative musicians pretty much extrude crap, so Id say lower your standards or thicken your skin. However I love Miles Davis, but its hard for me to deal with the fact that he was a wife-beater, and apparently proud of it if his autobiography is to be taken seriously. Still, he was a hell of a horn player! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/12 "2001-07-15T15:00:09Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=58226) we learn that Sammy Hagar can be added to that short list, as well as a couple of lesser-known acts. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![regnad\_kcin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@regnad\_kcin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regnad_kcin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/13 "2001-07-15T15:57:13Z")
What about Stryper? They’re awesome. And I hear Mussolini played a mean washtub bass. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/14 "2001-07-15T16:06:23Z")
I think that while, yes, there is more to life than politics, sometimes I have had to take a stand. There are plenty of scary, obscure industrial/punk/metal bands out there with NAZI/Facist leanings and to support them by buying albums or going to concerts somehow advocates that political stance IMHO. It is kind of silly that one has to do research on a band before listening to them, but it’s become a sort of habit with me, just because I know the genre and I know what I could be jumping into. Of course, NAZI-ism is an extreme, much crazier than conservative/liberal. But where do you draw the line on that? ---
**Author:** ![sliv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@sliv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sliv)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/15 "2001-07-15T17:04:41Z")
The Beautiful South are socialists? Good heavens, I had no idea. How’d you find that out? They’re one of my favorite bands. Do remember thogh that they are Brits, and “socialist” doesn’t mean quite the same thing there that it does here. In fact, why are you worrying about the political leanings of a band from another country, with a completely different political environment? That sounds like borrowing trouble to me. Unless you’re a Brit yourself, in which case, why are you worrying about Rage Against The Machine? And if you really want to borrow trouble, pick up some Chumbawumba or Billy Bragg, both of which I believe are still avowedly communist. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/16 "2001-07-15T17:17:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kaje \* > > dunno _exactly_ what you’re referring to, but in my statement “causes” should be “'cause of”… and granted 10 year old’s aren’t the standing authority on censorship, but my point was that it didn’t take an expert to see how rediculous they were acting \*\* Nahhh, the typo I could figure out. I was referring to the nonchalant way you professed your ignorance in referring to “those ice-cube (or what it ice-t?) albums” as if to say “they’re all the same, who cares about the particulars”. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/17 "2001-07-15T17:56:05Z")
‘Rush’ is pretty much Libertarian, although they’ve mellowed out somewhat in the last decade. Neil Peart used to be a hard-code objectivist, and the album “2112” was dedicated “To the Genius of Ayn Rand”. But I’e gotta agree with the others. Don’t confuse art with the politics of the artist. The vast majority of my favorite bands have politics exactly opposite to mine - and I don’t care. And besides, sometimes the other side is right. You should always be open to others’ opinions, and that includes opinions expressed as music. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/18 "2001-07-15T18:26:45Z")
Off to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/19 "2001-07-16T04:33:25Z")
1st, thanx to all who responded. 2nd, sorry, I should have thought of the Nuge and Rush. 3rd, PokerFace sound interesting, I intend on checking them out. Any other newer conservative bands. 4th, I may have said socialist where I meant to say communist on the Beautiful South(this is right from their main website), but I view socialism as just an extreme form of communism. Simplistic view, I realize, but I feel an accurate one. Finally, my friend and fellow conservative i work with was posed the same dilemma by me. His response? “who the hell cares? Art is Art!” ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558/20 "2001-07-16T07:55:56Z")
An interesting case was the Norweigan nutcase/murder Varg Vikernes, from Black Metal group Burzum. Lots of magazines, particularly in England, loved the music and had no problems with Varg/Burzum when he was thought of as a dressed in black Satanist, but all he had to do was stab another guitarist in the back of the head twenty eight times and start calling himself a Nazi skinhead, and those magazines went right off him. One memorable comment, from Terrorizor magazine, was that Burzum ‘are the painful exception to the usual rule that Fascists don’t make good music’ (or words to that effect). At least half a dozen death/black metal groups contain(ed) self confessed murderers, so this proves a real problem for lots of people (myself included) who just liked the music (although I don’t listen to it very much anymore). I did make a point of only buying those records second hand, so the artist/label didn’t make any money off me (probably a stupid rationalisation, really, but I could sleep better at night). That said, I’m sure he didn’t want someone with my racial background listening to his music, so now we’re all happy. I also have a rule not to learn too much about the private lives of the artists that I like, because if I did, most of them would be spoiled. As one local DJ said ironically about James Brown: “He made hundreds of great soul records, but you beat one wife …” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-have-this-musical-dilemma/72558.md?page=2)