All these ridiculous people trampling over each other for deals on boxer briefs tie our stomachs in knots. Join us as we jam our collective pointer finger down our throats and puke all over the ever-expanding over-consumption ideology. Give a middle finger to the trappings of capitalism and check out this collection of the top seven anti-consumerist songs of all time.
1. "Buy, Buy, Buy" - the Slits
"You could be addicted?," questions Slits lead singer Ari Up (Ariane Forster) in her quavering vocals. This seminal, late-'70s, pre-Riot Grrrl group hits the consumerist nail on the head here.
2. "The Valley of Malls" - Fountains of Wayne
On this chunky track off Fountains of Wayne's 1999 album Utopia Parkway group frontmen Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood tackle the world of the suburban soccer mom. They present to us a slice of life: Traveling in a minivan from suburb to suburb, scoping out the best deals. To us, it feels vapid. We'd rather sink deeper in our couch and pack in turkey leftovers.
3. "Hot Topic Is Not Punk Rock" - MC Lars
Attention parents of disengaged teenagers with facial piercings! Self-purported originator of post-punk laptop rap, MC Lars, makes your holiday shopping list that much easier on this track from his 2006 album The Graduate. Take note 'rents, Misfits candle tins, ICP throw blankets, and Beaded Elvis curtains are not punk rock. Got it? If your kid has a soul, avoid Hot Tropic entirely.
4. "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty" - Billy Bragg
Scathing-folk Brit rocker Billy Bragg takes a stab at the advertising industry with this alluring sing-a-long off his '83 debut EP. We wouldn't expect anything else from this outspoken singing socialist.
5."Merchandise" - Fugazi
"What could a businessman ever want more than to have us sucking in his store," yelps Fugazi singer Ian MacKaye. The DIY D.C. band captures the punk ethos in this anti-consumerist anthem. This track succinctly address the corporate masses, with the the idea that the youth will not be sold to. We can't say that rings true, however, when we think of how many 'tweens out there have coerced their parents to wait in line for hours in order to buy them the newest
Playstation Vita.
Cheeky and equally feisty British mod rockers The Jam present us with this gem that examines the bourgeois fascination with spending its money. Paul Weller sums up Black Friday madness with this line: "I'm trying to pick up a friendly bargain, but it's not like the adverts all make out/And there's no one to greet you as a friend." Truer words have never been spoken.
7. "Empire of the Senseless" - the Mekons
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