For Chadwick Stokes, former guitarist of the acoustic-rock group Dispatch, anti-war songs like "The General" weren't enough. Stokes wanted something sharper when it came to political issues. He found this edge in bassist Chuck Fay and drummer Mike Najarian. The three formed the politically charged reggae-rock band State Radio.
The band will play Wednesday at Market Street Pub, located at 120 S.W. First Ave., as part of its "Take the Country Back Tour" with Bongo Love, an "Afro-coustics" band from Zimbabwe. The doors will open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance.
The band will play songs from both of its albums - "Us Against the Crown" (2005) and "Year of the Crow" (2007), which Stokes said is darker, angrier and more political.
Influenced by bands like Tool, Radiohead, Jethro Tull and Rage Against the Machine, State Radio's songs touch on politics, war, corruption and poverty, Stokes said.
"We sing protest songs with some anti-establishment themes," he said. "It's not because we have any sort of political agenda. Our songs are a form of expression."
Stokes said "Calvados Chopper," from "Us Against the Crown," tells the story of an American family hearing their son had been killed in Iraq. Another song, "Camilo," is about a friend of the band who served in the war.
"Like every soldier will tell you, they might have to just bust into a house and decide, in a split second, whether to shoot or get shot," he said. "So for their own safety and for that of their fellow soldiers, they shoot first. Then, when the smoke clears, there's a family at dinner - three little kids, looking at their dad, who is now slumped over his plate."
Having spoken to soldiers who served in Iraq, Stokes thought the story was way too common - a tragic result of urban combat.
"Lots of people just go to concerts to have a good time," he said. "But then you have a handful of kids that take it to heart, so they go home and start something. That's what inspires us."
"Year of the Crow" includes "Guantanamo," a song about the Bush family and its lack of concern for human rights, and "As With Gladness," which talks about humanity's disrespect for nature.
Some of State Radio's unreleased songs may be played at their show. Stokes said the band plans to record a new album, which may be titled "Knights of Bostonia."
"We're honored to play music for a living," Stokes said. "We want to keep playing, record some new albums, get people psyched about voting and make sure the Republicans don't sneak their way out of another loss."
