There has been no shortage of support within the music community for the ongoing Occupy movements. Jeff Mangum, Talib Kweli, Tom Morello, and Crosby Stills and Nash have all delivered performances, and Kanye West an appearance at Occupy Wall Street, and Rage Against the Machine’s Zach De La Rocha recently showed his support with a poem. Now, a number of prominent musicians have bonded together and launched their own movement called Occupy Musicians.

According to an issued press release, “Occupy Musicians will serve as a resource to facilitate performances at Occupy spaces and events. Provide links to media wishing to interview Occupy-supporting musicians. Host testimony and other writings of musicians for why they support the 99 percent. Host embedded media to Occupy-related songs and music videos and network musicians to Occupy locations and Occupy fund raisers.”

As Occupy Musicians’ website points out, co-signers include Lou Reed, Talib Kweli, Tom Morello, Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye, Dead Kennedy’s Jello Biafra, Amanda Palmer, John Zorn, Dan Deacon, My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden, tUnE-yArDs’ Merill Garbus, Sharon Van Etten, former Titus Andronicus guitarist Amy Klein, Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart, Kimya Dawson, and Mirah, among others.

This year’s lineup once again again showcases a diverse roster of national and international acts, including alt-rock legend Billy Bragg, acclaimed folk-rock outfit The Mountain Goats, psychedelic rockers Dr. Dog, indie sensations Rogue Wave, UK punk band Leatherface, and the hardcore group Senses Fail. And that’s just getting started.

Man Man, Delta Spirit, Anti-Flag, The Moldy Peaches’ Kimya Dawson, Torche, High on Fire, Anvil, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Portugal. the Man, Danielson, Of Montreal’s James Husband, Past Lives, Bear In Heaven, Freelance Whales, Dead Confederate, Fruit Bats, and Dr. Octagon (aka Kool Keith) are also confirmed participants. The full list of notables can be found here.

Three-day tickets are on sale now and still incredibly cheap, however, they will rise in price as the festival draws closer. From January 14th through February 11th, tickets will be available at the early-bird price of $39.50. From February 12th to March 11th, they will jump to $49.50. Walk-up 3-day tickets will be $60.00. Single day tickets will be available for $25.00/day in advance and $35.00/day weekend of. Three-day camping passes are also now available at $19.50/person. A small number of VIP passes are available at $99.50 per person. The VIP pass includes access to the VIP camping area, a three-day festival pass, and extra goodies. Find all the info here.

Of course, we’d be remiss not to note that Harvest of Hope serves to raise awareness and provide financial support for the Harvest of Hope Foundation, a charity organization that aids migrant farm workers across the country. Check out our recent interview with co-founder Ryan Murphy for the complete story.

It was at this performance where I, and that crowd, were first introduced to songs off her forthcoming children’s album, Alphabutt (K Records, September 2008). Songs like the title track drew laughs and smiles from the adoring crowd who were glued in on every word. But with lyrics like “A is for apple, B is for Butt. C is for Cat-butt. D is for Doo-Doo”, she couldn’t be serious, could she? Creating an album of songs with this level of scatological weirdness? Really?

She was.

Alphabutt rounds out at a short 27 minutes on 15 songs, all minimally constructed with clever wit and a penchant for fart references. Dawson welcomed many of her musician friends and their children, including her own, to help record the nursery-school rhymes. Lyrically, there are times when her message is a little more advanced than the music suggests, such as in “Robbie-O” where the main character “did something naughty,” as well as in “Keep on Writing” where she speaks of a student’s journey of self-discovery through his own creative voice. Clearly, the album appeals to small sponge-like children, however, because with catchy rhythms and simplistic lyrics, they can sing along.

Some of the language may make parents weary though. It should be noted that some of the subject matter (fecal matter, for instance) may be deemed inappropriate, so before any parents run out to purchase this album for their children, it would be best that they know this. The album is clever and doesn’t stray too far sonically from Remember That I Love You, her 2006 release which included stand-outs “Tire Swing” and “Loose Lips”. Lyrically, that album was geared towards juveniles and teenagers, though, and not infants and kindergartners.

Dawson walked a tight-line with this ambitious project, and the end result isn’t anything other than a gimmick for children. I don’t consider her disingenuous. I really do believe she loved making this album, and as a proud new mother (her daughter, Panda Delilah, is displayed and mentioned repeatedly on her Myspace space), the album seems like a self-fulfilling personal accomplishment. But would I recommend it to anyone without children? That would be a no. Dawson’s been backed into a corner, and with the wave of success from Juno, one can only assume how much pressure she put on herself. But she should be commended for sticking to what she wanted to do, even if it theoretically is unable to have mass appeal, rather than rehash a slew of what she’s already done before. Fans from Juno, like me, admittedly, may be disappointed with this release. But those who have followed her career and have been waiting for the new tracks (she released nine of these on tour last year on an EP, with each case being individually crafted) may find some peace and some humor in the new tales of potty-training and baby-monsters.

Check Out:
“Smoothie”