DON'T BLINK, RUSSIAN EDITION

If you have any interest in Pussy Riot, and have only heard a cut or two, dig this quick. Eleven songs at Internet Archive just posted yesterday. I can pretty much guaranty that they won't be there for long. If you don't know who they are, well, you might deserve to be left in the dark. Go to Wikipedia or something, I don't know. Anyway, dig these while they're still there.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~ 

Listen:
Pussy Riot - Putin Revolution mp3 at Internet Archive
Pussy Riot - Police State mp3 at Internet Archive
Pussy Riot - Nine more at Internet Archive NOTE: Once there, in the right column under "Download options" click on "VBR MP3 Files"

THIS IS SERIOUS

Don't ever take freedom of speech for granted. Three members of the Russian band Pussy Riot have were sentenced today to two years for singing a protest song in a cathedral. Read, write, listen and watch.

Free Pussy Riot - Peaches

Listen:
Free Pussy Riot - Peaches at Soundcloud Click on small "Download" button above streaming bar
Pussy Riot - Putin Lights Up the Fires (streaming) at The Guardian Released 8/17/2012
Write:
Send a letter to Russian authorities via Amnesty International
Sign petition at Change.org
Visit:
Pussy Riot Closing Statements at n+1
Pussy Riot members sentenced to 2 years in prison at L.A. Times
Pussy Riot at Wikipedia
Masked Pussy Riot supporters stage demonstrations around the world at The Telegraph Photo essay
Obama White House backs Pussy Riot at Examiner.com
Paul McCartney voices support for Russian punk band at L.A. Times
Added 8/18/2012:
Russian clerics forgive Pussy Riot after band’s 2-year sentence for anti-Putin rant in church at The Washington Post
Why Pussy Riot Is Big in America, But Not Russia at Vulture.com

NEW SINGLE RELEASED TODAY

You know, the whole Pussy Riot thing is much, much bigger than just a single incident. Beyond the song, beyond the performance, whether or not they were being disrespectful in a house of worship or not; beyond all of that, it is the Russian governments way of clamping down on dissent. As someone said (I forget what report it was in), it is far easier for the Russian government to jail three women musicians, make an example out of them and take the heat, then it is to control ten thousand protesters in the street. We'll see how the people of Russia react. Don't forget, the Arab Spring proved that single incidents can spark historic change.

Listen:
Pussy Riot - Putin Lights Up the Fires (streaming) at The Guardian Released August 17, 2011
Write:
Send a letter to Russian authorities via Amnesty International
Sign petition at Change.org
Visit:
Pussy Riot Closing Statements at n+1
Pussy Riot members sentenced to 2 years in prison at L.A. Times
Pussy Riot at Wikipedia