Flames of Discontent: Home
"Will there be singing in the dark times? Yes, there will be singing---about the dark times" -Bertolt Brecht
"If I can't dance, it's not my revolution" - Emma Goldman
"The artist must elect to fight for freedom or for slavery. I have made my choice; I had no alternative" - Paul Robeson
"You'll get pie in the sky when you die---THAT'S A LIE!" - Joe Hill "
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Welcome to FLAMES OF DISCONTENT, the website of both the band of the same name and the wider subject of Cultural Workers--artist/activists who use their music, art, dance, theatre or writing as a weapon in the struggle for social change. See the ARTICLES/WRITINGS section for more on cultural workers. This site also serves as a home-base for the annual DISSIDENT FOLK & ARTS FESTIVAL in Beacon NY, and the annual WOODSTOCK PHIL OCHS FESTIVAL and WOODSTOCK WOODY GUTHRIE FESTIVAL, both occuring at the legendary Colony Cafe. The RADICAL LINKS section offers web connections ranging from Resources for Progressive Musicians/Listeners to an ever-growing list of Cultural Workers/Organizations and other links including Labor and more* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE FLAMES OF DISCONTENT...Led by Labor organizer/musician/writer John Pietaro's voice, electric banjo and percussion, and Laurie Towers' lead electric bass guitar, The Flames of Discontent play music that reinvigorates the protest song. New and daring arrangements of Phil Ochs, Brecht & Weill/Brecht & Eisler, Woody Guthrie, radical proletarian music, Spanish Civil War songs and Cold War hits (!), plus original topical music and spoken word pieces. The Flames' specialty is in reconstructing classic songs of protest, peace, labor and social change into works that infuse rockabilly, post-punk, Berlin cabaret and neo-Beat poetry into the folk/protest sound. The Flames second album, "Revenge of the Atom Spies" was released in March 2007. It offers commentary on current struggles for justice by way of Red Scare metaphor. Liner notes were written by celebrated historian/author Paul Buhle. It has been aired nationally, including on radio stations WBAI-FM (New York City) and WDST-FM (Radio Woodstock) among many others; two of its selections are included on Neil Young's webpage of protest songs, 'LIVING WITH WAR TODAY', achieving first-column status.
The Flames' first album, "I Dreamed I Heard Joe Hill Last Night...A Century of IWW Songs" was released in 2005 in honor of the centenary of the Industrial Workers of the World. It toured the world as part of Paul Buhle's 'Traveling Wobbly Show', an art exhibit and educational presentation on IWW history.
The Flames have performed at numerous festivals, rallies and other progressive events throughout New York and beyond, and have organized tribute concerts in honor of May Day, Labor Day, the peace movement, and radical artists Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, Sis Cunningham and others. They have shared the stage with artists such as Pete Seeger, Dar Williams, Bev Grant, Jonathan Edwards, Lincoln Mayorga, Hope Machine, Ray Korona, ReadNex Poetry Squad and many more. They also performed live on the air for a national Pacifica Radio broadcast from the Clearwater Festival 2007"* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"This is no time for complacency---this is time for The Flames of Discontent!" - Greg Gattine, WDST-FM ('Radio Woodstock')
"An eclectic mix of melancholy, irony, humor and rebellion...to tie the blunders of the past to the blundering idiots in power today" -THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER, 2008
"Riffs sharp enough to cut the U.S. deficit"-WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN (UK)
"The Flames sound like they are rehearsing after hours in the union hall, and Pietaro means every word he sings" -ROLL Magazine
"Hudson Valley heroes The Flames of Discontent singlehandedly bring back protest songs" -DAILY FREEMAN
"The Flames of Discontent lead us to the colors of the future---in the hopes that they will be Red" - PAUL BUHLE, historian/author
"Anchored by the the transfixing, melodic basslines of Laurie Towers, Pietaro's rallying cries are heightened by the hearfelt passion of making kick-ass music for the masses...noble and timely" -CHRONOGRAM
"The Flames of Discontent is a shit-hot band that does really energetic, modern versions of time-honoured protest songs as well as new political stuff. We need some voices from 'the other America' heard over here (they look pretty mean mothers, I must say, but perhaps you need to be in their situation)" -CHARLIE GILLET'S SOUND OF THE WORLD (UK)