The Daily Swarm

The real battle is obviously between Hillary Clinton, the meticulous former First Lady, and Barack Obama, the shiny and inspirational Illinois senator. True to form, Clinton’s got much of the establishment music biz in her corner: Madonna, Carly Simon, Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge and Carole King have all endorsed or donated to the Clinton campaign. Obama is meanwhile the candidate of choice for the R&B and hip-hop community, counting Will Smith, Babyface, Macy Gray, Stevie Wonder, Ne-Yo and Usher among his supporters. (See yesterday’s story on a will.i.am-led Obama video.)

But it’s not so cut and dry. Crooner Harry Connick Jr has broken for Obama, while Janet Jackson and Quincy Jones side with Clinton. Though Obama can count on the Grateful Dead, Clinton won the unlikely backing of one-time Bush fan 50 Cent, who told journalists that electing her “is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term”.

However one demographic has made its choice clear. American indie rock is firmly in Barack Obama’s camp. There was a time when (pro-Clinton) Elvis Costello could represent for the underground, but today he’s on the opposite side of the fence. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler have all stumped for the big O. Even Joanna Newsom, cousin to San Francisco mayor (and Clinton supporter) Gavin Newsom, is siding with the Illinois upstart. “He has a more liberal voting record, more progressive, than Kucinich even!” she pronounced at a concert. Ani DiFranco and Willie Nelson take note!