The outspoken trio gained national notoriety a few months back upon the release of its first single, “Kill Bill O’Reilly,” which landed it a spot on the “Worst Person in the World” segment of Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

The group’s debut album, Prison Planet (Brick Records), is buoyed by the tight rhymes and informed sociopolitical lyrics of Trademarc and Esoteric, but it is built around DC’s outstanding production — symphonic samples, stirring Romantic violin melodies, portentous soundtrack clips, and head-nodding beats.

Online editor Scott Morrow caught up with ECA just before this week’s historic election, asking its three members their thoughts on the current political landscape.

East Coast Avengers: “Kill Bill O’Reilly”
East Coast Avengers: \”Kill Bill O\’Reilly\”

How difficult is it to get a political message out through music these days when entities like Clear Channel and News Corp control so much? Do you need a song title as provocative as “Kill Bill O’Reilly” to get noticed in mainstream press?

Esoteric: Yes, you do. We have all covered political topics in the past; we have all taken shots at Fox News and the religious right. With the exception of our core hip-hop fan base and some tuned-in people on the left, these songs/attacks/educations have been all but ignored.

The word “kill” scares the shit out of those who can’t think critically and causes uproar; the uproar then captures attention. We want to help expose Fox, and in order to reach and cure their zombies, these are the tactics that you have to employ.

We need to raise awareness among the sleepwalkers, those who don’t see past the hearsay and propaganda. It is very tough to reach a massive audience, but “Kill Bill O’Reilly” spread before the Internet outlets that News Corp owns were able to shut it down.

The September 11th tragedy helped Bush’s approval rating so much that many intelligent, questioning people suspect that it was the classic “Problem Reaction Solution” tactic from the US government.

Given the success of the right wing’s war on education (and deregulation of media ownership), do you have hope that a left-leaning administration and legislative branch would change the landscape of an apathetic and uninformed citizenry?

Trademarc: I don’t really buy into the whole right-wing/left-wing battle as much as everyone else. I believe that the second that people separate themselves and categorize themselves, they in turn grow intolerant of any ideas or goals of the other side, no matter how relevant or positive those ideas and goals may be.

I have family members and friends that refuse to listen to me because I don’t fall into either category, so I’m seen as a “waffler” or an anarchist. The whole point of a party system is to divide individuals and strip the public of their power. The government uses this partisanship to divide and conquer.

Now in relation to the question of an informed and apathetic citizenry: why would the government want its people informed? In the words of the great journalist I.F. Stone, “governments lie.” It’s what they do. I just hope that people get fed up in time and instead of growing helpless and apathetic, decide to fight back by informing themselves and take their power back.

I want to hand out a copy of Naomi Wolf’s book Give Me Liberty: A Handbook For American Revolutionaries to everybody that I possibly can, and challenge contemporary artists and citizens alike to start making a move toward raising awareness. For the record, I’m writing in Ron Paul for president on my ballot.

How deep do you think that this country’s obsession with war and silencing dissent runs? Do you feel that our culture of war and covert operations will continue no matter who is in charge?

DC: This country’s obsession with war runs very deep. George W. Bush’s victory in the 2004 election was dependent on war and the fearful reaction of the American people. The “War on Terror” and “Axis of Evil” are just two of the many government-created terms that Americans have since made household phrases.

In fact, the September 11th tragedy helped Bush’s approval rating so much that many intelligent, questioning people suspect that it was the classic “Problem Reaction Solution” tactic from the US government.

For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a three-step method in which the government manufactures a crisis and blames it on someone who they want to demonize, intentionally invoking a reaction of fear from the public that usually consists of asking the government for help and forfeiting their rights.

This sets up the government to offer their “solution,” which was the goal before the initial crisis occurred. Getting the American people to give up their rights so easily with the PATRIOT Act and getting them to support a war based on lies was their goal from day one. Unfortunately, they succeeded, and the joke’s on us.

The “Mission Accomplished” announcement came and went. Four thousand American casualties and 30,000 more wounded later, and we’re still over there, and we’re still being betrayed by this administration.

That’s why whenever I see a “these colors don’t run” or “support our troops” bumper sticker, I just pity that person so much. I even saw one the other day that read “proud infidel” right next to a “Bush/Cheney ‘04″ sticker. Poor chump. He probably thinks that those guys actually give a shit about him and his family. Maybe one day Bush, [Dick] Cheney, and [Donald] Rumsfield will be tried for war crimes, but until then, the joke’s on us.

Grails: Doomsdayer’s Holiday (Temporary Residence Limited)

Fusing Indian music, 1970s film noir, and psychedelic sounds into heavy acoustic and electric rock, Portland’s Grails are a wonderful anomaly. Doomsdayer’s Holiday, as its name implies, cranks the group’s heaviness beyond recent levels without losing its haunting, compelling melodies.

Grails: \”Reincarnation Blues\”

Earthless: Live At Roadburn (Tee Pee)
At the 2008 edition of the annual Roadburn Festival in Holland (spring break for anyone into heavy underground rock), San Diego psych-rock trio Earthless gave an impromptu headlining performance for 2,000 fans, having originally been scheduled at a venue one-tenth the size. Not only did its hypnotic, four-song, hour-and-a-half set blow away the crowd, but on recording it beautifully captures the energy and magnitude of the stellar live show.

Young Widows: Old Wounds (Temporary Residence Limited)

Old Wounds is the second album from Louisville rockers Young Widows since transforming from Breather Resist. Sporting an extra dose of heaviness, the disc opens with “Took a Turn,” slowly building around a gritty, garage-floor bass riff before bursting with post-rock drums, multi-layered guitars, and reverberated shouts.

Throughout, the album changes tone and time at will like a lumbering, newly un-caged beast, while a primordial jungle pulse beats itself into a frenzy just below the crust.

Young Widows: \”Old Skin\”

Jolie Holland: The Living and The Dead (Anti-)
On her third solo album, Texas-born songstress Jolie Holland blends a variety of regional American folk styles. Topped with creamy vocals and bittersweet lyrics, tracks such as dark-toned “Fox In Its Hole” and wistful “Love Henry” make a long-lasting impression.

Jolie Holland: “Old Fashion Morphine”

Fucked Up: The Chemistry of Common Life (Matador)

The newest full-length from punk contrarians Fucked Up moves through more variety of atmosphere than standard punk/hardcore, with peaceful, otherworldly intros and layers and layers of guitar-more than seventy guitar tracks at one point (or so they say…).

There’s less stop-start fury than 2006 release Hidden World-more sheets of sound. “Golden Seal” sounds like a darker Sigur Rós, or even Jean Michel Jarre.

Fucked Up: \”No Epiphany\”

Marnie Stern: This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (Kill Rock Stars)

Backed again by untamed drumming beast Zach Hill, guitarist/singer Marnie Stern issues her sophomore effort with more frantic, high-pitched fret work, quirky vocals, and – through the carefully constructed din – catchy melodies.

Marnie Stern: \”Transformer\”

Hauschka: Ferndorf (FatCat)

German pianist and composer Volker Bertelmann, here known as Hauschka, uses a decade of classical studies as his musical foundation. With that, home-rigged piano effects, and additional acoustic and electric instruments, he combines structural influences of electronica and classical minimalism to create a beautiful minor-key oeuvre.

Hauschka: \”No Wind Today\”

East Coast Avengers: Prison Planet (Brick)

Featuring the outspoken sociopolitical lyrics of rappers Trademarc and Esoteric, East Coast Avengers are more than just skilled rhymers that take aim at rightwing water carriers. The group pastes stirring Romantic violin melodies and portentous soundtrack clips over head-nodding beats, setting an appropriate mood for its imperative lyrical content.

ECA has already taken plenty of heat in the corporate media for releasing the track “Kill Bill O’Reilly,” so let’s give the group some love.

East Coast Avengers: \”Kill Bill O\’Reilly\”

Desalvo: Mood Poisoner (Rock Action)

Released on Mogwai’s Rock Action label, Mood Poisoner may just have influenced the heavy grooves on its label owners’ recent record. Based in Glasgow, Desalvo sound as though the Jesus Lizard were a modern hardcore/metal band.

Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra: Secrets Of The Sun (Atavistic)

A re-mastered and long-lost relic of the Sun Ra vault, Secrets of the Sun is now available from Atavistic 46 years after its release on Saturn Records. And if being available for the first time on CD isn’t enough, how does a 17-minute unreleased track sound?