Banding together against the president

The Dixie Chicks as punk heroes?

As unlikely as that sounds, the country-rooted trio’s outspokenness in questioning President Bush’s policies (and the resulting criticism of the group) has helped inspire some in the punk and independent music world to political activism.

Two new efforts, similarly named Rock Against Bush and Bands Against Bush, are seeking to mobilize young and generally apathetic and disaffected outsiders as a vocal force in the political world.

The first group is putting together a compilation benefit album, due in the spring, featuring songs by top punk acts such as Good Charlotte, Green Day and Sum 41. Rock Against Bush was founded by Fat Mike (real name: Mike Burkett), singer-bassist of the band NOFX and owner of the San Francisco-based independent Fat Wreck Chords label. The goal is to finance public-service TV ads with punk stars encouraging their fans to register and vote.

Bands Against Bush is a loose coalition of local chapters, with Sonic Youth, the Donnas and Liars among the most prominent acts involved. The organization’s broad mission statement says that its “goals include encouraging debate and dialogue in a climate that is becoming increasingly hostile to dissent.”

Maggie Wang, general manager of Olympia, Wash., label Kill Rock Stars, is heading that area’s Bands Against Bush organization and readily points to the Dixie Chicks as role models.

“It’s been astounding to watch them stand by their viewpoints,” she says. “That’s been so rare. Nobody’s doing that.”

This week its various chapters will host a series of community events culminating with an “international day of action” on Saturday, anchored by concerts in about a dozen cities. A Los Angeles event will be held at the club the Smell, with local bands My Barbarian, the Mormons and Bobot Adrenaline among those performing. (Details can be found at www.babla.org.)

Many predicted that the generally liberal rock world would, after years of complacency under Bill Clinton’s presidency, be galvanized by the inauguration of Bush. But Burkett, who himself was fairly apolitical before the 2000 election, says it’s been hard to spur action.

“The problem is bands are wimps,” he says of the mainstream rock world. “They’re all scared of being the Dixie Chicks. I’m not. I have my own label. I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I can say whatever I want to. Maybe I’ll lose some fans. Who cares? Maybe I’ll gain some too.”

Rock Against Bush is an outgrowth of Burkett’s Internet site Punkvoter (www.punkvoter.com) and precedes the creation of a political action committee to raise funds to support candidates. The priority, though, is to raise general activism and awareness of such issues as the economy, the Iraq war and media deregulation.

“We’re just trying to give the facts, and kids are not going to read the paper,” he says. “They need people to speak to them in their media, on MTV, in print advertising in cool magazines.”

Big-movie ballad for India.Arie

India.ARIE has been known for socially conscious folk-hop, so she may not be the most obvious candidate for a big movie ballad. But she was brought in to team with composer James Horner (who wrote the “Titanic” score and the music for its mega-hit “My Heart Will Go On”), co-writing and singing the end-title song for “Radio,” the new true-story movie starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as a mentally challenged man who inspires a high school football team.

“Eyes of the Heart,” like the “Titanic” ballad, is built on the movie score’s core instrumental melody. The track was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who provided such touches as a lush choir.

Music supervisor Laura Wasserman says Arie was suggested as sort of a wild card but turned out to be one of director Michael Tollin’s favorite artists.

“Horner was excited about it too,” she says. “The song is beautiful. Jimmy and Terry took it and did an amazing job. I love it when everything falls into place and it’s magic.”

No one is predicting that this will re-create “Titanic” magic on the charts. Kathy Nelson, president of film music for Universal Pictures and Universal Music Group, which will release the film and soundtrack album (the album is due Oct. 21; the film Oct. 24), says because the song is different from Arie’s usual fare, it could be a hard sell to radio.

“The intent was not to create a hit single but to create a great song -- something organically part of James’ theme, that would be a beautiful way to close the movie,” she says. “If you’re lucky you get a hit single, but it’s more about the movie and a great piece of music.”

Small faces

* A two-CD set titled “The Fold Compilation” will, well, compile songs by bands that have been regulars at the Fold, the club that takes place at the Silverlake Lounge and the Derby. Rare tracks have been contributed by B.R.M.C. and Texas-based And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. The set also includes a dozen previously unreleased tracks from Midnight Movies, Black Heart Procession (live), Eleni Mandell and Devandra Banhart, among others. There are also non-exclusive songs by Polyphonic Spree, Warlocks and 88. The set was the idea of producer Chris Jerde, who will release it Nov. 11 on his Credit Records.

* Santa Monica public radio station KCRW-FM (89.9) is adding Celia Hirschman to its lineup of weekly commentators. Hirschman, who is general manager of the U.S. office for England’s One Little Indian label and runs her own Downtown Marketing firm in New York, will examine issues facing the music business, “but at the same time address the business as it relates to consumers’ lives,” she says. Hirschman is the daughter of KCRW General Manager Ruth Seymour but says she was approached by others at the station and that her mother wrote her a long letter detailing why she didn’t want her to take the assignment. Her segments will air Wednesdays at 6:55 p.m. and online at www.kcrw.org.