When I created this column I had wanted to write an article about an organization for each installment, but my last article gave me an idea. What if I incorporate something else I really love into my articles? Something that isn't so definitive and maybe not so clear. So here it is; music with a mission.

Most bands just play for the sake of playing, and in some cases, even fame and money. But there are some bands out there that have a message and will stop at nothing get it across to millions. Bands like NOFX, Anti-Flag, and recently, Green Day, have become icons in politically charged punk. Who would have ever thought that the once anarchist loving punks would back up a cause? Well they have, with NOFX's 2003 studio release The War on Errorism, Green Day's 2004 studio release American Idiot, and Anti-Flag's 2003 studio release The Terror State, not to mention basically all of their other albums, it's clear that punk has found its voice. Unfortunately that voice is being used against President Bush. All of these albums have taken direct aim at our president and his policies.

Music with a mission, especially politically charged music, has been around for a long time. Musical icons such as John Lennon and Jim Morrison have also made it clear through their albums their feelings on the government and the social state of their time. Even though causes have changed from things like the Vietnam War to the War on Terrorism, their message is the same, peace and love. No matter if their songs are speaking about a revolution, peace, or even mobilization, they all want change, social change.

Messages have also come to us about other issues, such as U2 front man Bono and his ongoing support of environmentalism. P. Diddy also got involved with a cause recently with his 2004 Vote or Die campaign where he encouraged youth to go out and vote through commercials and other celebrity involvement. By making social, political, and environmental issues a part of pop culture through the celebrities that support them, it makes them more noticeable and hopefully more able to change for the better.

Every generation has a mission and every generation has its soundtrack. What music will make you look back on a generation? The 60's were full of peaceful protests against the Vietnam War led by The Beatle's John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono. The 70's were the calming of a generation, full of peace, free love, and social change, while underground in clubs like The CBGB in New York the punk movement was lurking lead by The Ramones. The 80's saw the birth of hair metal and a synth-pop explosion by artists like Cyndi Lauper and Flock of Seagulls. The 90's brought in the revolutionizing of punk and metal to create an angsty sound led by Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain that was later dubbed grunge. The 2000's are still waiting for their sound, the defining note that will change a generation and make everyone never forget. Will you be that change?

Thanks for taking time out to change the world,
screamxx