Blah blah blah. All those words fill our brain, and not our hearts.

That is where the musicians step in, to move us along. I’m Alex Smith. Welcome to our annual best of green music show. You’ll hear the songs of activism, despair, and love of Mother Earth. This is a replay of our Christmas green music program in December 2011.

Listen to or download this Radio Ecoshock show in CD Quality (57 MB) or Lo-Fi (14 MB)

 

We kick off with “Change Change” by the Canadian group Thistle, starring Debra Lee Halinda. More Thistle music on CD Baby.

Next up, some Frackin Good music from Australia, “My Water’s On Fire Tonight” with David Holmes and Dean Bekker, from the album “Wholelottafracking Going On”

For those tired of the city, here is the Canadian hit group Mother Mother with “Dirty Town.”

From Germany, here is Michael Montecrossa with “Fukushima Song Talkin End Game”. This was written and performed in the same year the four reactors in Fukushima Japan melted down. That still isn’t over. Watch Michael on this You tube video. Michael’s web site.

 

American singer-songwriter Neko Case is best known in the Canadian group “The New Pornographers”. Here Neko solos with “Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth”

Let’s dive back down under. We’ll start with Australia’s Combat Wombat from a benefit album to stop the destructive Lake Cowal gold mine proposed by Barrick. This song is called “Alternative Energy.” from the rare album “Water More Precious Than Gold”. The album isn’t online any longer, so maybe only I have it…

From New Zealand, with a Polynesia flavor, here is the group Tevaka, with the song “Our Ocean” written for Greenpeace New Zealand. Their web site is cool. It used to be on something called “My Space” but that isn’t working at the moment.

You are tuned to the Radio Ecoshock Green Music festival. This is the Seattle Band, Million Dollar Nile with their song “Don’t Kilowatt”.
“Don’t Kilowatt” Million Dollar Nile 4:10

Let’s remember what this Earth is all about. We start with “Hallowed Be Thy Ground” by Casey Neill

You tube video of that song here (audio not as good as studio version).

That is followed by “Earth” by Imogen Heap, ….Here is a You tube video about Imogen’s film “Love the Earth” And here is her web site.

Then “Where We Going to Go” by Ellis Music Productions. Watch it on You tube here. Written and sung by David Todds, who allows reproduction for non-profit use.

It’s time to Occupy ourselves with the economic banking rip-off. In music of course, with Radio Ecoshock. Whether you are talking consumer excess, the banking crash, or the fast-track to wrecking the environment, you can’t beat this song, “Runaway Train” by Texas singer/songwriter Eliza Gilkyson. There are lots of You tube live versions of this song, but none beat the studio version in this program. Visit Eliza’s web site for the latest. I was also struck by the Texas bravery of Gilkyson’s 2008 song “Man of God” deep in George Bush country.

One of the surprise hits of the Occupy movement came from Hawaii. Singer Makana was the official music for the APEC Summit leaders dinner. He sang “We Are the Many” – over and over for the surprised dignitaries of the 1 percent. You tube video here.

I first heard this David Rovics “Occupy Wall Street (We’re Going to Stay Right Here)” song from an Iphone at the protests in New York City. David went into the studio, to make this one for the world. Official “Occupy Walls Street” song video here. More about David Rovics at his web site.

One more quick one from David Rovics…”When The Oil Runs Dry”.

We wrap up this Radio Ecoshock music special with our number one downloaded green tune. It’s “Power from Above” by New England folkie Dan Berggren. Download the whole song here. To book Dan for a performance, or just find out more, go here.

Sorry I didn’t have time for this great song, “Good Planets Are Hard to Find” by American folk singer Steve Forbert.

You can always send your green music suggestions to me by email: radio //at// ecoshock.org I’m Alex Smith wishing you a happy holiday. Thanks for listening – and a huge thank you to listeners (and blog readers) who sent a donation to keep me going. I’m less worried this Christmas (at least about that). I do have some mind-breaking guests coming up in the New Year. Stay tuned.