It's a little bit disconcerting when you realize that you actually like Stereolab. Have you really become so soft that you find this lush, easy-listening music pleasant -- and, even worse, interesting? Is something wrong with you? Most likely, you simply have a Baroque sensibility. For behind the su

Euphoric, Layered, Lush, Rhythmic, Smarty arty pop, Social revolution, Sophisticated

The Asian Dub Foundation is England's answer to America's Rage Against the Machine -- without all the hard-ass guitars and screechy posturing. They're a group of young, politically driven musicians of Asian descent out to change social and political agendas through music. Though Asian Dub Foundation

Agitated, In-your-face, Pioneering, Political, Punk, Rebel, Ska revival, Social revolution

Any band that brings together Jamaican ska and British punk and actually makes it fun should indeed be called the Specials. Their music was certainly an exciting mix. The ska movement was born in Jamaica and based on traditional reggae with subtle hints of R & B and jazz. The punk scene, on the other

Kinetic, Punk, Rebel, Ska revival, Smoky, Social revolution, Urban

Stokley Carmichael once said, "Everything is political." Apparently, poet Linton Kwesi Johnson agrees. The sound of his voice stays low and docile, as the humming of dub beats in the background lends a trance-like mood. But his are not calm words. The wrath of a gentle tiger broils in his laments aga

Agitated, Angry, Gritty, In-your-face, Lyrical, Overflowing, Political, Reggae, Social revolution, Spiritual