From each according to his or her ability: Given the dire times, the music industry has come together to produce a compilation of previously unreleased recordings by 40 musicians, titled “Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy,” with 100% of proceeds going to the voting rights group Fair Fight. The collection – featuring never-before-heard new songs, covers, remixes, live versions, and demos – boasts performers across multiple genres, from REM, Death Cab for Cutie, Jeff Tweedy, The Decemberists and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band to a slew of popular artists who, if you’re of a certain age, you may not have heard but who clearly care where we’re heading. Because time is of the essence, the collection will be on sale Friday only for 24 hours at Bandcamp. Its cover art was created by Shepard Fairey; a limited-edition signed poster will also be sold Friday, with proceeds going to the online racial justice organization Color of Change. Woody Guthrie, then and now, on the power of music: A song “is what’s wrong and how to fix it or it could be who’s hungry and where their mouth is or who’s out of work and where the job is or who’s broke and where the money is or who’s carrying a gun and where the peace is.”
Woody Guthrie