The new album is the anticipated follow up to the 2008 album by The Nightwatchman ‘The Fabled City’ and was produced by Morello. The first single ‘Save The Hammer For The Man’ was co-written with Ben Harper and features Harper on vocals and guitar.
While Morello’s solo albums as The Nightwatchman have primarily been acoustic affairs, World Wide Rebel Songs features a full electric band (“The Freedom Fighter Orchestra”, comprised of Dave Gibbs on bass, Carl Restivo on guitar and piano, Chris Joyner on keyboard, and Eric Gardner on drums).
When describing World Wide Rebel Songs, Morello stated, “Troubled times call out for troubled songs. World Wide Rebel Songs is an album of rousing hopelessness, and this time The Nightwatchman has brought along his electric guitar to tip the scales. I wanted to capture a vibe midway between Johnny Cash and Che Guevara, murder ballads and Molotov anthems.”
World Wide Rebel Songs will be released on the heels of Morello’s new U.S. benefit EP, Union Town. All profits from Union Town will benefit The America Votes Labor Unity Fund via SaveWorkers.org. The studio recording consists of 8 pro-union songs featuring three Morello originals, as well as the Woody Guthrie classic ‘This Land Is Your Land’ (including the more radical, often censored verses).
On February 21 this year, Morello performed at the Capitol Square in Madison, WI in protest to an anti-union bill put forward by Governor Scott Walker. A recording of the track ‘Union Song’ was captured at this performance and is included on Union Town.
Tom Morello is an original member of the rock bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, two artists responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined 30 million albums sold worldwide. He released his first album as The Nightwatchman in 2007. In 2009, Morello formed the band Street Sweeper Social Club with Boots Riley of The Coup.
Morello has also been recognized by Rolling Stone at # 26 as one of the “100 Greatest Guitar Players of All-Time.”
Tom Morello graduated from Harvard University with honours as a Political Science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career. In 2006, he was the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award. Morello’s family has been a constant source of political and social inspiration as his great-uncle, Jomo Kenyatta, was the first President of Kenya, and his mother, Mary Morello, founded Parents for Rock and Rap, an anti-censorship counterweight to Tipper Gore’s PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center).
With System of A Down’s Serj Tankian, Morello formed Axis of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. In the spring of 2008, Morello launched The Justice Tour, a recurring nationwide concert tour. Tour stops, which have featured members of Guns’N’Roses, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction, MC5, Alice in Chains, Cypress Hill and many more, have visited cities with a day dedicated to a local charity and a rock show to benefit that charity at each stop.
TOM MORELLO: THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TO RELEASE SOLO ALBUM WORLD WIDE REBEL SONGS SEPTEMBER 2, 2011 ON NEW WEST RECORDS THROUGH SHOCK
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