Hear This..."The Nightwatchman - Black Spartacus Heart Attack Machine" Tom Morello

      FM plays music, AM doesn't, it's a simple as that or at least it was.  Over the years though we have seen some a handful of FM music stations fall under into the hands of those boring folk who favor dry discussions of the national debt and the upcoming election in favor of music.  Pressing issues, no doubt, but in this age of technology are there really enough people out there whose primary source of news comes from the radio that they need to expand beyond the realm of AM and destroy our music?  Besides when it comes to talk radio, NPR is king.  No AM station even comes close.

      So, the Man is taking away radio and has left its listerners hopeless.  If I were a crazy activist and wanted to declare a protest I would do so here.  (Acutally, I would probably spending most of my days occupying my local Walmart, but that's neither here nor there.)  Its much better to leave that stuff to music.  Politically-charged songs like "God Save the Queen" (1977) and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1983) came through hard in their time and had a purpose that has since then not been forgotten.  But nowadays a song about overthrowing "a fascist British monarchy" doesn't readily apply anymore.  (Besides, it seems like everyone loves Will and Kate.)  Thankfully, we look to artists like Rage Against the Machine for keeping that leftist corporate hatred faith alive in such songs as "Killing in the Name" and "Testify."   Powerful stuff, in fact Rage Against the Machine is the only band to have every one of their songs placed on 2001 Clear Channel Memorandum and thus demmed "lyrically questionable."  

      And how ironic it would be if I were to say that I came across this song particular song on AM radio.  It is true.  Before tuning my old-school radio back to FM from yesterday's baseball game, I caught the very end of the discussion about a song "Black Spartacus Hard Attack Machine" by an artist called The Nightwatchman.  This guy happens to be the solo project of Rage's spectacularly multi-talented guitarist Tom Morello.  Harmonica and all, I would have never put two and two together, but its more linked with what he says than how it sounds.  Sure its filled with overt political criticism, but Morello manages to hide this well behind a pleasant harmonica and back choir that make this song so nice to hear.  Whether I agree with his words or not is besides the point because behind these lyrics, "Black Spartacus Hard Attack Machine" just sounds cool.  Now go rebel!