As the 2004 2004 Presidential Election was drawing near James McMurtry gave away a free download of his state of the union anthem, “We Can’t Make It Here.” The song seemed to strike a chord with the public and went on to win Song of the Year at the Americana Music Honors and Awards. Author Stephen King described it as the “best American protest song since ‘Masters of War'” in his Entertainment Weekly column. On the brink of the 2008 election, McMurtry is now giving away a previously unreleased live version of “We Can’t Make It Here” from his 2008 concert at Southpaw in Brooklyn, NY.
Following the release of her new album Little Honey, Lucinda Williams has just released a politically-charged, digital only, four-song Live EP titled Lu in 08. The EP features three covers and one Williams original. The tracks will be Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,†Bob Dylan’s “Masters Of War,†Thievery Corporation/Flaming Lips collaboration “Marching The Hate Machines†and the unreleased “Bone Of Contention.†The three covers were recorded live in Greensboro, NC in September 2007 and “Bone Of Contention†in Milwaukee, WI of July 2008. Here the EP streaming here.