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From an Eric Alterman column about Rosanne Cash:

Just what is the relationship between art and politics? "Politics are not good for art," says Rosanne, who says she finds that few musicians mix the two with much success. "Too much politics in art comes out of self-righteousness or bitterness. Too often, you lose the art, and then it is just politics that rhyme. And who gives a shit about that?"

(She also cites some exceptions.)

I'm intrigued by the recent spate of complaints about the dearth of new anti-war music (e.g., in L.A. Weekly). I'm a musician, and I think a war on Iraq is a bad idea, and sometimes I think I'd like to express that sentiment musically. But then I realize that almost all anti-war songs seem to me too blunt to be effective or enjoyable, and I certainly don't think I'm capable of writing an exception.

Are the Beastie Boys? I don't know. I appreciate that they've tried, though.

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I'm not anywhere nearly as musically inclined as you, but I've noticed more anti-war songs lately (probably because when we're not about to go do something stupid, nobody writes them.)

I think Ani DiFranco writes lovely songs with anti-war sentiments.

You know, I was thinking about "Self-Evident" but that seems to me to fall firmly into the rather bombastic group of antiwar songs, at least compared to, say, Sleater-Kinney's "Combat Rock"