Max & The Marginalized

July 28, 2008 12:28 PM

How can bands claiming to want to make a difference write a song about, say, ending the war and then hold on to it to make a perfectly polished recording of it for their album which will come out in a year...? We don’t have any interest in that. We write songs about things that are happening now, record them, and release them with the hopes that they can be a small part of a big conversation that leads to real progress.
Max and The Marginalized are a band and a blog. Mastermind Max Bernstein writes and records a new song every week (available to download), punk political broadsides aimed at anything and everything wrong with the world today.
posted by saguaro (19 comments total)

These non-anarcho-punks aren't nearly mysterious enough.
posted by nasreddin at 12:37 PM on July 28, 2008

Is this the guy from The Max Bernstein Seven on the Conan show?
posted by ND¢ at 12:41 PM on July 28, 2008

I don't think so, but he is the offspring of Carl Bernstein and Nora Ephron.
posted by carsonb at 12:55 PM on July 28, 2008

Is this the guy from The Max Bernstein Seven on the Conan show?

Max Weinberg
posted by kingbenny at 1:00 PM on July 28, 2008

No that's the drummer from the E-Street band!
posted by ND¢ at 1:06 PM on July 28, 2008

Max is on Air America right now.
posted by carsonb at 1:06 PM on July 28, 2008

Touché =) You know, as soon as I saw my comment lying there, I knew I blew it.
posted by kingbenny at 1:07 PM on July 28, 2008

We write songs about things that are happening now, record them, and release them with the hopes that they can be a small part of a big conversation that leads to real progress.

Watch your back, Andy Rooney.
posted by hal9k at 1:08 PM on July 28, 2008 [2 favorites]

It's like if Murphy Brown was in a band.
posted by Jairus at 1:50 PM on July 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Only slightly related: the best political song [follow link to SongFight, listen to Ross Durand's entry] I've ever heard, that nobody has ever heard of.
posted by davejay at 1:52 PM on July 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

Thanks, Davejay, for that. Good stuff.
posted by kingbenny at 1:57 PM on July 28, 2008

Wow thanks davejay, great song!
posted by Ira_ at 2:20 PM on July 28, 2008

It's Awkward When Bad People Die

*snert* HA

Some of these are pretty good. I have to say, though, the video left a bad taste in my mouth... you can mock McCain for so many things, but making fun of him for his age is a bit weak, and tends to make him look sympathetic rather than foolish. I also got the feeling it was mocking the elderly in general, which I sincerely hope wasn't the intention.

And I happen to enjoy a well polished political song that can still sound current many years after it was written.
posted by louche mustachio at 2:30 PM on July 28, 2008

One for Knoxville.
posted by everichon at 2:35 PM on July 28, 2008

Punk posturing is just that: punk posturing. I'll still take the geezer in the sweater.
posted by grounded at 2:36 PM on July 28, 2008

How can bands claiming to want to make a difference write a song about, say, ending the war and then hold on to it to make a perfectly polished recording of it for their album which will come out in a year, secretly and shamefully hoping the war lasts until then so their song, marketed properly, will still be relevant?

Well the war has been going on for over five years now so I'd say those bands have a lot more foresight and cynicism than you do.

Oh and money too. Don't forget that they're doing it for money. Can't forget the money.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 4:11 PM on July 28, 2008

saguaro said: "How can bands claiming to want to make a difference write a song about, say, ending the war and then hold on to it to make a perfectly polished recording of it for their album which will come out in a year...?"

What a smug and uncharitable thing to say. Does he really believe that musicians who oppose the war against Iraq hope it continues out of their own vanity? I mean, really? That is a deeply ugly and cynical to look at other artists. I'm offended on behalf of my musician friends.
posted by loiseau at 4:32 PM on July 28, 2008 [1 favorite]

This guy's got the right idea. From now on, rather than attend a well organised protest every few months, i'm going to make a new anti-war sign every day and put it in a back alley somewhere. That'll be much more effective right?
posted by minifigs at 1:25 AM on July 29, 2008

Over at MetaFilter Music:

Songs tagged: political
Songs tagged: protest
Songs tagged: protestsong
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:04 PM on July 31, 2008