By Jonathan Cunningham
Seattle Weekly

Photo: Laura Musselman

“I haven’t been this fucking excited about something in a long time,” says Tom Morello with a huge smile on his face. “It’s like I won some type of contest or something.” He’s saying this just as Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden are playing on stage together for the first time since 1997. The honey-throated (I’m kidding) Tad Doyle of Brothers of the Sonic Cloth is about to step back up to the microphone to sing “Spoonman” and Morello slides back to play rhythm guitar. It’s a rare moment for Seattle rock and everybody in the venue knows it. Just moments earlier, the floor of The Crocodile was nearly shaking from all of the screaming fans who were waiting all night for this type of surprise. But most people didn’t know what the surprise was.

From the moment I walked in the venue around 9:30, the place was wall to wall packed as the Nightwatchman, led by Morello ran through a blistering set of music. Morello’s got a cool as the other side of the pillow persona and he had the crowd revved up all night as the MC of sorts. After the Nightwatchman played, Morello immediately brought out legendary Americana singer Steve Earle who hit the stage with a guitar in hand and a harmonica around his neck to loud cheers.

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By David Bacon

Book of photos and life stories of Latin American migrants, and the ways that they have been creating new communities all throughout the region in their efforts for work to feed their families.

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Song: “Fortunate Son”

Excellent country rock hides the powerful message, “when the rich make war, it’s the poor that die.”

CD: Willy And The Poor Boys

Website: www.creedence-online.net

Director: Mike Nichols

Based on the true story of whistleblower Karen Silkwood. Silkwood worked at a nuclear facility in Oklahoma, and after learning that she and her coworkers were being exposed to dangerous radiation, turned activist at real risk to her own life.

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By Human Rights Watch

Yearly update by the activists at Human Rights Watch. Powerful, insightful, and depressing.

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Song: “Guns of Brooklyn”

This dub reggae Santogold/Diplo cover of the classic Clash song will leave your ears ringing.

CD: Ranking (A Diplo Dub)

Website: www.myspace.com/santigold

Song: “Let’s Have a War”

I don’t know if punk rock can get any more bitterly sarcastic than this classic.

CD: The Record

Website: Wikipedia