Christopher J. Lee currently teaches in the Bard Prison Initiative. He has published eight books and is lead editor of the journal Safundi.
Thurston Moore was a founding member of Sonic Youth and is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He spoke to Jacobin about his life in the industry and the power of music to express ideas.
Indie rock legend Steve Albini, who died on Tuesday, knew his industry as a musician, critic, and recording engineer. His rebellion against corporate labels was rooted in a deeply held philosophy: that every musician is a worker.
Class rage informs the anger found across Nirvana’s studio albums. Thirty years after Kurt Cobain’s death, we should remember his critique of the corporate mainstream — a political stance shaped by his working-class background.
Since her days as a founding member of avant-pop band Stereolab, Lætitia Sadier’s music has engaged with everything from world-systems analysis to the surrealists. In an interview with Jacobin, she explains why she’s a radical but not a savior.
For four decades, Billy Bragg’s music has been a soundtrack to the British workers’ movement, enriching its long tradition of political songwriting. In an interview with Jacobin, he explains why his songs about socialism are also love songs.