| "Another Bag of Bones" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Kevin Devine | ||||
| Released | August 19, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, Alternative rock | |||
| Label | Academy Fight Song | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Kevin Devine | |||
| Kevin Devine singles chronology | ||||
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"Another Bag of Bones" is a song by Kevin Devine released on August 19, 2008, as a digital EP and a 7" vinyl record, with catalog number AFS.006 on the label Academy Fight Song. [1] It includes the song "Another Bag of Bones", and a lyrically revised cover of Phil Ochs' "Love Me, I'm a Liberal", inspired in part by the 2008 US presidential election. Brian Shultz of Punknews.org praised the release, describing the two tracks as a "creative renaissance" for Devine. [2] Both tracks were produced by Rob Schnapf.
Kevin Devine is an American songwriter and musician from Brooklyn, New York, who is known for his introspective and political themes. He is a contemporary member of the underground indie rock and indie folk musical scenes, and his influences range from older indie artists such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith and Pavement to more mainstream and well known acts such as Nirvana and Bob Dylan. Recently, Kevin Devine has rejoined his previous band, Miracle of 86, for a series of reunion shows.
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and distinctive voice. He wrote hundreds of songs in the 1960s and 1970s and released eight albums.
"Love Me, I'm a Liberal" is a satirical song by Phil Ochs, a U.S. protest singer. Originally released on his 1966 live album, Phil Ochs in Concert, "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" was soon one of Ochs's most popular concert staples. The song mocks the differences between what liberals say and what they do.
The title track, "Another Bag of Bones", is a political song, giving voice to personal feelings and metaphors on themes of war, environmental injustices and religion. The lyrics' potent imagery, the crisp and confident vocals, and the subtle layers and swells of instrumentation caught the notice of reviewers. [3] [4] The artist related to SPIN that it is not "a song about politics in any traditional sense". The magazine lauded the absence of heavy-handed rhetoric and political sloganeering, combined with Devine's vocal performance and "tension-building arrangements", as distinguishing the track from a plethora of political songs. [5]
Spin is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. The magazine stopped running in print in 2012 and currently runs as a webzine, owned by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group division of Valence Media.
Devine's reworking of the 1966 protest song "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" has updated lyrics touching on contemporary issues such as Barack Obama's candidacy and Hurricane Katrina. [5] It satirizes the hypocrisy and insincerity of liberals' support for war in Afghanistan, systemic racism, corporate hegemony and Obama's mixed messages of "change", "with crocodile tears now being shed for the New York and Iraqi dead while 'Afghanistan got what was coming'". [6] Part of a contemporary current of anti-war and social justice protest from artists such as Patti Smith, Public Enemy and David Rovics, Devine's call-out follows the ironic original in a humorous but scathing recrimination of those who selectively profess liberal ideals - as long as their own self-interest is not threatened. [6] Critical reception of the reimagined counterculture classic was less glowing, but it was still considered a well done and solid effort, with both tracks commanding the listener's attention more strongly than some of Devine's previous efforts. [2] [3]
Patricia Lee Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses.
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Khari Wynn, DJ Lord, Sammy Sam, and the S1W group. Formed in Long Island, New York, in 1986, they are known for their politically charged music and criticism of the American media, with an active interest in the frustrations and concerns of the African American community.
David Rovics is an American indie singer/songwriter and anarchist. His music concerns topical subjects such as the 2003 Iraq war, anti-globalization and social justice issues. Rovics has been an outspoken critic of former President George W. Bush, the Republican Party, John Kerry, and the Democratic Party.
The vinyl version was available in either transparent blue or red from Academy Fight Song's website, and a black tour edition was also available at shows.
"Another Bag of Bones" was later reworked and appears on Devine's fifth album, Brother's Blood . The version on this single is more stripped down than on Brother's Blood.
Brother's Blood is the fifth studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Devine, his first album since 2006 and first release on the Favorite Gentlemen record label.
A remix of the title track by Trevor Dowdy (of I Married My Highschool Sweetheart, a Favorite Gentlemen labelmate) appears on the She Stayed As Steam EP.
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing, promotion, and enforcement of copyright for sound recordings and music videos; also conducting talent scouting and development of new artists ; and maintains contracts with recording artists and their managers. The term "record label" derives from the circular label in the center of a vinyl record which prominently displays the manufacturer's name, along with other information. Within the mainstream music industry, recording artists have traditionally been reliant upon record labels to broaden their consumer base, market their albums, and be both promoted and heard on music streaming services, radio, and television. Record labels also provide publicists, who assist performers in gaining positive media coverage, and arrange for their merchandise to be available via stores and other media outlets.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Another Bag of Bones" | Kevin Devine | 3:05 |
| 2. | "Love Me I'm a Liberal" | Phil Ochs, Kevin Devine | 4:19 |
