Connecticut High School Cancels Edited ‘American Idiot’ Show
Complaints from a few parents have apparently canceled a Connecticut high school's performance of 'American Idiot.'
Straight Outta Compton’s Censorship Lesson
The popular film Straight Outta Compton offers a glimpse at the music censorship battles of that era, when a song's lyrics could warrant a letter from the FBI.
Hip Hop Hologram: A Threat to Public Safety?
A controversial Chicago rapper appears via hologram at a concert promoting an anti-violence message. City officials cut the power and ended the show early. Can they really squelch speech they don't like?
Treating Rhymes as Crimes: The War on Hip-Hop
Prosecutors are using rap lyrics as a tool to charge rappers with crimes--even when there is no other evidence.
Art and Free Speech Groups Speak Out Against Symphony Censorship
NCAC is joined by several international organizations in protesting the New York Youth Symphony's decision to cancel a controversial work.
Music Freedom Day in New York
A quick look at how Music Freedom Day was celebrated in New York City.
Silenced By The Symphony? Young Composer’s Piece Yanked from Carnegie Hall Debut
A young composer's Carnegie Hall debut was scrapped over concerns that his composition, which quotes Nazi and Soviet themes, was offensive.
Turn That Down! 40 Banned and Censored Songs
Sex, violence, drugs, politics and religion have all been grounds for music censorship. In honor of Music Freedom Day, NCAC has compiled a list of 40 banned and censored songs that we doubt your parents would approve of!
Attacks on Artistic Freedom On the Rise
A new report shows that attacks on artists were on the rise in 2014-- even here in the United States.
Taking the Power Back: Musicians Stand Up For “Illegal” Rap in Arizona
Is teaching hip-hop lyrics against the law in Arizona schools? Thanks to a controversial law about ethnic studies programs, the answer would seem to be yes.
Rap Lyrics Used as Evidence in Criminal Trials
In a disturbing development that directly threatens the freedom to imagine, rap lyrics are being brought in as evidence in criminal trials (New York Times story). An amicus brief (below) filed by the New Jersey chapter of NCAC participating organization, the American Civil Liberties Union, argues That a rap artist wrote lyrics seemingly embracing the world of violence is no [...]
Musical “Freedom Fighter” Lapiro de Mbanga Dies
Singer and musician Lapiro de Mbanga from Cameroon – the “unceremonial sheriff of the backyards” – has died, 56 years old. He had been living under asylum in the United States since 2012.
The Sweet Sounds of the Subversive: Billie Holiday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs Since the 1920's, disgruntled Americans have tried to ban the performing of music they deem morally unsound. From the emergence of jazz almost a century ago to modern hip-hop, cutting-edge Black music has always been at war with those who can't tell a good tune when they hear it. Check out Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", a haunting ballad once [...]
Elvis Presley Musical Expurgated in Utah High School. SRSLY?
In a censorship story that feels dredged from a mid-century time capsule, a High School in Utah will allow the musical All Shook Up to be performed, but has removed a "questionable song." It's unclear what song has been removed from the play, which is in fact a rewriting of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. About that: evidently in addition to the [...]
Amanda Palmer Asks Community For Response To Censored School Play
Amanda Palmer, co-founder of the legendary Dresden Dolls and known for a wide variety of solo work, is a damn-proud alumna of the Lexington High School drama program. She credits it for granting her the opportunity to work with avant-garde material and forms that continue to influence her as a performer and artist. Naturally, then, she felt particularly outraged by [...]
20 Banned Album Covers
On occasion of the controversy over the sexually suggestive cover of Kanye West’s upcoming album "My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy," Billboard has created a fun slideshow of 20 banned album covers. Check them out here: If you want to learn more about music censorship, you can check out NCAC’s Timeline of Music Censorship, which was created by former NCAC intern [...]
LA Supervisor Rails Against Opera Festival
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich is demanding that Los Angeles Opera overhaul the Ring Festival L.A. planned for next year, calling Richard Wagner a, “Nazi composer.” He is, of course, wrong. The Nazi's may have used Wagner, but Wagner was already long dead. Yet, the issue remains, Wagner held rather despicable anti-semitic views (along with the majority of his [...]
Letter to Utah Governor Huntsman Urging Veto of Age Rating Law
Last week, the Utah Legislature overwhelmingly approved House Bill 353, the “Truth in Advertising” amendments in yet another effort to legally enforce the private voluntary rating schemes used by industry to inform consumers about the contents of movies, video games, and music. We strongly oppose it and urge you to veto it.
The marketplace of ideas and hate music
David Marchese at Spin has a thoughtful piece about the distribution of hate music, and how the marketplace of ideas is better at tamping down hate speech than censorship.
The social network effect on music
Interesting post on Slashdot about how social network groups influence tastes of the members. The article's by Bennett Haselton (the founder of peacefire.org). The article cites a study showing that: They also noted that in the "social influence" worlds where users could see each others' downloads, increasing download numbers had a snowball effect that widened the difference between the successful [...]
Testimony of Artemis Records CEO Before Senate Commerce Committee
Chairman McCain, Senator Hollings, and Members of the Committee. I am pleased to have the opportunity to testify before you today. I am the CEO and co-owner of Artemis Records a year old independently owned record company. Our current roster includes Rickie Lee Jones, Steve Earle, Warren Zevon, and the Baha Men. During the nineteen-nineties I was the President of [...]
Groups and Students Oppose Cancellation of Indigo Girls Concerts at High Schools
Seven organizations dedicated to upholding the right of freedom of expression today declared their strong objection to the cancellation by high school principals of three free concerts by acclaimed folk-rock artists, the Indigo Girls. The organizations also praised the many students who are protesting their schools' censorship. A concert at Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina was canceled because of [...]