Like the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle before him, punk rock lifer Ted Leo has announced his support for Wisconsin public workers’ unions current struggles by posting a quick cover of a union anthem from a Depression-era lefty-hero folksinger. Yesterday on his website, Leo posted a couple of versions of “I Guess I Planted”, one of the unfinished Woody Guthrie songs that Billy Bragg and Wilco put to music on the first Mermaid Avenue album in 1998. Leo did both electric and acoustic covers of it, recorded in his parents’ basement. Above, you can stream the electric version. Below, you’ll find video of him playing the acoustic one in said basement.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/20973082]
via Pitchfork: Ted Leo Sings Union Song for Wisconsin.
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- Ted Leo Sings Union Song for Wisconsin (pitchfork.com)
Filed under: Labor, music, News, video Tagged: | Billy Bragg, John Darnielle, Mermaid Avenue, Mountain Goats, Ted Leo, Wilco, wisconsin, woody guthrie
For a taste of some of the great songwriters in Wisconsin, listen to Ken Lonnquist.
Here’s one–“14 Senators”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGc46S7el3U