After the first Presidential debate this last Wednesday, much ado was made about Mitt Romney's gleeful pledge to stuff and baste Big Bird by cutting federal funding to PBS and other pinko commie media outlets.
Phoenix folk-punk heroes Andrew Jackson Jihad are clearly fans of the monstrous alphabet-loving avian--they have a song called "Big Bird"--but it turns out the band has even more friends in public broadcasting.
See also: Andrew Jackson Jihad's Sean Bonnette on Knife Man and Gawker
This American Life is a documentary-style, first-person narrative radio program and is one of the most popular shows aired on National Public Radio, the only terrestrial radio still consumed by ponderous liberals and sweater-wearing sensitive types. This week's episode, entitled "What Doesn't Kill You," pulls together four stories of near-death experiences and features bespectacled dreamboat host Ira Glass reading the final credits over AJJ's "Survival Song." The song played at the end of the program is often one that neatly summarizes the theme of the episode, and singer Sean Bonnette's lyrical motif of, "And that's how I learned how to survive," is about as apt as it gets. While you don't get to hear Bonnette give a finger to his dad or ape a verse from Woody Guthrie in the broadcast, it's infinitely better that the music directors didn't go the obvious Gloria Gaynor route.
In its 14-year history, This American Life has featured lots of transitional music that would spark the ire of conservative fun-haters, including songs from Tucson alt-Americana group Calexico.
Andrew Jackson Jihad is heading out on a U.S. tour soon and has a show at Crescent Ballroom slated for Sunday, November 18. Their newest video for "Fucc the Devil," featuring hot streams of demon piss and a shred-ful cameo from Slash, is brought to you by the letter "J" and the number "420."
