Political activist, musician and music scholar Bucky Halker is a Wisconsin native back now in Racine. Working with another Badger musician, Andy Dee (formerly of the country band Molly & the Heymakers), Halker recorded a two-disc set in a marathon session collection of original songs inspired by Woody Guthrie with a few of Guthrie’s sprinkled in. To his credit, Halker isn’t trying to mimic the father of American political balladeering but writes and sings in his own voice, influenced as much by the currents taken by rock music as any ancient concept of folk music. Many of Halker’s lyrics express dismay over the bad ideologies rampant in contemporary society and of ideals betrayed; others draw from the imagery of gospel music to arouse a response against injustice.
