For a long time I resented, well, not Elvis Costello, but his aesthetic; you know the dark rimmed glasses with the hat or the pompadour hair that so many hipsters and rockabilly aficionados strive for. It just always seemed so unoriginal and so limited. Due to my counterculture angst, I had neglected the awesome original artist that is Elvis Costello.
My geek crush on Elvis Costello just blossomed after finding out that he canceled his concert in Israel in protest of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. "It is a matter of instinct and conscience", he wrote on his website, "One lives in hope that music is more than mere noise, filling up idle time, whether intending to elate or lament."
In a time when artist like Madonna and Elton John, and yes, sadly also Mercedes Sosa (que descanse en paz)are flocking to Israel, it is refreshing that Elvis Costello took a stand against occupation.
"There are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent"
- from Elvis Costello's website
Elvis Costello: Shipbuilding
A really moving song about how war changes a town and how it uses its talents and gifts.
"With all the will in the world
Diving for dear life
When we could be diving for pearls"
Elvis Costello: Pump it Up
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment